Odile The Silver Swan - Negative Mold for Metal in ABS Casting

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This is a negative mold based on Loubie's original positive Odile The Swan model, but with an interesting twist. To create it, I printed this out in ABS plastic, carefully pouring Rose's Metal - a Bismuth/Tin/Lead alloy that melts at around 208 degrees Fahrenheit - into the mold. As the metal cooled, I let it sit for about 24 hours to allow the mold to dissolve completely. After scrubbing away as much residue as possible, I resoaked the mold in pure Acetone for an additional 12 hours to achieve this result. You might want to try printing your design in HIPS plastic instead, dissolving the mold with d-limonene, which appears to break down HIPS plastic completely without leaving a goopy mess like Acetone does with ABS. When printing, it's essential to use 4-5 perimeters to ensure the metal can't seep into the mold walls. I also print my ABS models really hot - around 260 degrees Fahrenheit - to get excellent adhesion between layers. Any cracks that form between layers provide a pathway for the metal to flow in and create defects.