about

Borealosuchus mold.

As with all fossil specimens, there is some pre-molding preparation that is necessary.   This specimen was no exception.  The original is a wonderful specimen.  The only problem was that several of the teeth were broken.  To make the replica as perfect as possible, these teeth had to be repaired for the mold.  If you look closely at the forth photo, you can see the grey clay used to complete the teeth.  Existing teeth were used as models for the repaired teeth. 

Once the fossil is ready for casting, a clay base is created.  Mold alignment blocks (Legos) are placed between fossil and the edge of the clay.  Then a mold frame is created to hold the silicone for the first half of the mold.  The silicone is poured into this half of the mold and allowed to cure one to two days.  After it has cured, you can remove the frame from the first half and clay base.  Remove the clay base, leaving the first half of the mold in contact with the fossil specimen.  Return the frame to the molded first half and specimen and pour the second half.  Wait another one to two days.  Remove the frame from the cured mold and pull the mold off the specimen.

The mold is now ready to be used to create casts.  This particular mold, with its teeth, is particularly difficult to get a perfect cast with.  The teeth hardly ever cast completely and about half the time the top is thin and breaks, as in photo #9.  The teeth, as in photo #10, can be repaired.  The broken top usually cannot be salvaged.  The repairs and lost casts add to the final cost of creating this replica.  The mold for this specimen took about a third to half of a bucket of silicone.  A bucket is about $1,500.00.

If you look closely at the first two photos of the original specimen and the last two photos of the replica, there is very little difference between them.  The top of the original has a little more red and the replica on the left side has a full set of teeth.  Otherwise, they are nearly identical in every respect.

To see some of the other steps in the creation process, please view other pages in this web site.  Also enjoy the other products and information on this web site.  New additions, and updates, are made to the site monthly.

Thank you for visiting.

 




Top & right side of original specimen.

Top of original specimen.

Frame placed around clay base & fossil.

Both sides of mold poured.

Unusable cast.

Repaired cast, bottom view.

Repaired cast, painted, bottom view .

Replica, top & right side.

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Bottom & left side of original specimen.

Clay base for first step to make mold.

Frame & clay base removed.

Fossil removed from mold.

Usable cast, but needs repair.

Repaired cast, with better view of repaired teeth.

Repaired cast, painted.  Close up of teeth.

Replica, bottom & left side.