Acrylic molds - Hexagonal Paver

Acrylic molds - Hexagonal Paver from Green Stuff World

This is an aid for building dioramas, not a kit. The mold impresses paving made of hexagonal units, that is the pattern typical of sidewalks, parking areas, promenades and courtyards in modern and postwar development. Putty is pressed into the mold, plaster is cast into it, and once it has set a slab comes out that you set into the terrain.

Why a rigid mold is better for paving

A hexagonal pattern lives or dies by how precisely the units follow one another. Acrylic is rigid, so the mold does not bend under pressure and the grid stays regular even over larger areas. That is exactly the difference against a flexible silicone mold, which suits irregular surfaces such as rock or broken concrete better.

The procedure that works

• Roll the putty out evenly; in thin places the impression tears through and the joints are lost.
• Lightly dampen the mold and the putty, or use a release agent, otherwise the putty catches in the grid.
• Press perpendicularly and evenly over the whole area, not just into the middle of the mold.
• Take the slab out only once it has set, then level the edges to the shape of the area you are building.
• After painting, run a dark wash into the joints and set the individual units apart with slightly different tones.

Who the mold is for

It suits builders of dioramas with an urban or industrial setting, players who build gaming terrain, and figure painters who want a paved base of their own under a model. You will use the mold repeatedly, so you can make as much surface from it as the diorama needs.

Before you commit a whole batch of putty, make a test impression on a scrap.