Reflection

In the future, there are several things I would have done differently to achieve a better outcome for this project. 

1. The model: I would have spent more time cleaning up my clay model as the little abnormalities in the clay model were very present in the mold and the subsequent several casts that followed. I also would have designed a hardier, wider handle that would better be able to withstand the silicone modeling around it and produce less fragile casts. 

2. The mold: I would definitely have centered the handle better in the whole mold and cut a more pronounced drip hole to avoid the funnel ruining one end of the cast. I also wish I had spent less time worrying about getting the perfect sized foam-core box when you can do foam-core boxes with various levels of overlap or overhang. 

3. The casts: I wish I had spent more time running through the math to get the proper proportions for the resin solution at the beginning. There were plenty of opportunities to come in and make more models but in the real world you won't necessarily have that freedom or flexibility. 

In conclusion, this was a very long project with a ton of steps, but I learned a ton about the casting/mold-making process and also about when and when not to take shortcuts along the way. 

The evolution: from clay model --> silicone mold --> resin casts