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Hi everyone : D I hope you all are doing fine and busy with projects : DD.
Anyway! Down to business. Okay, my problem is that I'd liek to make a large amount of die (dice) for a project I'll be doing in March. I decided to use paper casting and have whipped up a small batch to see how it works. It dries pretty hard and is REALLY easy so I'm happy about that : D. Now my problem is this...I don't have a mold to use to get the perfect sides of a dice. And while I have a lot of plastic containers that are similiar in size, they are much much larger and I would have trouble cutting into the wet paper piece while maintaining that straight edge. What can I do about this problem? I would liek to have a mold that can be reusable if possible.
Also, I noticed that paper casting can take most any type of paper. In my last trial I put an overwhelming amount of waxy type paper. They type they use to put stickers on. Minus the sticker. It worked just liek normal paper and dried fairly easily. I'll be trying cardboard next time.
Thanks for reading : D
-PA
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Getting dice to be perfectly proportioned is difficult. I doubt that I could do it. And there would probably be a weight issue, too. If one side was more dense than the others, you would have 'loaded' dice.
If these are just for show (not use), the only thing I can think of would be to use a mold. Find something that is exactly the right size, and make a mold of it. Tricky.
Sue
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XD That's the problem I have. I can't find a mold in the right size. The dice are really just for show. I'll be stacking these dice to make a building type thing. So they won't be used for rolling, I just need the edges to be straight.
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The best solution is to make your own plaster molds. Either make original cubes from clay or use wooden or plastic cubes. You'll need a release agent.
Google 'paper casting' and 'molds' or (British spelling) 'moulds' and you should find tutorials. You might find some ice cube trays that are the right size, but don't think you can cast paper in them.
Good luck!
Jonette
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hmmm that's a good idea. I bought some dice at a dollar store, so I could use those for the shape. Only release agent I know of is vaseline which I don't know if I have any or not. Any others?
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I didn't see any mention of how big these dice (die, dices) are. Since you mention plastic containers I guess they are fairly big.
If so, casting would be difficult for, as Sue said, you can get distortion.
What about another approach . . . . cut squares of strong cardboard to the size you want. Dribble PVA along the edge with a small gap at ends and middle. Join pieces by dabbing hot glue in the gaps and immediately pressing them together. The hot glue will take hold and allow the PVA to dry more slowly. Cover with a layer or few of paper laminate.
DavidO
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Ah the dice I'm making are small, the same size as normal dice are. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier
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I haven't cast papiermache in about twenty years, but used to use dishwashing liquid soap for a release agent for molds I made from clay objects. Somewhere here I've got my pm books with info on release agents -- I'll have a look and get back to you asap.
Jonette
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If you can't find a perfect square the right size you can use, somewhere, like at a Goodwill or Salvation Army or a tag sale, make your own mold to cast. Trying to coat cardboard or particle board for waterproofing to prevent warp is a pain; I'm thinking cut plexi for your squares. Stick on blobs of plastilene for dots? Or drill out holes if casting in reverse...? With that shape I'd go for a corner to corner separation line of the halves of the mold, along the edges, only cutting through the flat side diagonally on two opposite sides. Do the halves separately then you don't have to worry about cutting wet? Just pop off and pop on to trim edges later?
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I just thought of something that might work. Since the dice I'm making are solely for decorative purposes, perhaps I could make a cube shape using cardboard and put pulp inside of the empty cube so it won't be crushed. I would have perfect edges, it would still be light, and I don't have to spend money on buying a ton of dice. Do you guys think this method could work?
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It probably would work but the moisture from the pulp might distort the card before it all dries.
Two alternatives but on a similar style.
1 Make rough cubes of pulp and allow it to dry. Sand each edge smooth and then laminate with paper or stick card on all the faces.
2 Cut cubes from styrofoam and then laminate with paper or stick card on all the faces.
DavidO 
)
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May be I have a solution for your
problem.
You can take a little square piece of paper.
Fold 16 squares,like in
primaryschool.
Each number is a folded square.Because I can't draw
here, I just placed the numbers.
Remove square 5,9 and 13.(scissors)
Then cut between square 2 and 3,
square 6 and 10,
square 10 and 14
between 4 and 8
between8 and 12
1 2 3 4 between 12 and 16
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 Now you can fold a little box with
a lid.Glue the sides,fill the box with sawdust or rice,glue the last part and there is your dice.
Stiffen with PVA or paverpol,paint ..and ready.
I wanted to type this very nice,but I am better in folding .I am bad with computertyping.
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16
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Greetings!
The easiest is to use pulp and just shape it like clay. Simple is good.
Some of the best things are made by trial and error. That's the beauty of it. Try it free-hand and you may surprise yourself.
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