Making a mold with coffee waste

Learn to mold, some sources

Molding as prototyping technique

For molding with coffee, some general molding techniques apply.

Below some sources.

The basics of molding:

https://www.instructables.com/Introduction-to-Mold-Making-Casting/

One part mold:

https://www.instructables.com/Simple-One-Part-Mold/

Two part mold:

https://www.instructables.com/Two-Part-Molds/

Why mold with coffee?

Currently materials with a long lifespan are used (silicone, ...) for making a mold, but the mold itself is only needed for the duration of the "molding" process. What if we make a mold that degrades after use?

Ingredients

Agar agar 15 ml

Water 250 ml

Glycerol 5 ml

Used (dried) coffee ground 100 g

Tools

Object you would like to copy
Material for creating the outer mold (plastic container, cardboard or wooden box, Lego-bricks, ...)
Cooking pot and stove
spoon, ...
Material you would like to have your end product (copy of the original) in (beeswax, gipsum, clay, .PU..)

Uses and difficulty

Uses

Replaces a silicon mold when making a one-on-one copy of a product

Difficulty

*** (dirty but easy)

Step 1: Create the container

Create the container. Forsee 2cm space around the object.

A possibility is to build the container out of lego. Use a buildplate and make the contour with a wall of Lego.

Step 2: Place the object in the container

In this example we create a one-part mold.

The object is placed at the bottom of the mold. The coffee mixtur is poured over the original object. The whole mold will be turned upside down and the bottom plate will be removed once the coffee is cured to allow filling the mold from the bottom.

Make sure to use to copy an object with the right properties for molding with a one-part mold. Right angles, not too complex, no overhang, ...

Step 3: Mix en heat ingredients

Mix the agar with the water. Add the glycerin and the coffee powder.

Start heating the mixture until it starts thickening. When it reaches boiling temperature, the mixture is ready.

Step 4: Fill the mold

Fill the mold with the coffee based material. Let cool down (2 hours) until solid.

Step 5: Fill the mold with final material

Fill the mold with the coffee based material. Let cool down (2 hours) until solid.

End result