Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2023 April 12

= April 12 =

Using silicone rubber to create a mould
I've spent 30+ minutes browsing all over innumerable cast/ mould/ silicone rubber articles trying to find something on using silicone rubber to create a mould. I have seen a video of someone applying a silicone rubber paste to an object to create a detailed mould, but I just cannot see anything on Wikipedia about this use. Am I going blind, or is it really missing? (unlikely) Scarabocchio (talk) 15:12, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * There are plenty of places on the internet to find instructions for how to use silicone rubber to create a mould: . Per WP:NOTHOWTO, Wikipedia is not really designed to tell people how to use silicone rubber to create a mould.  At best, I would think that a single sentence or less, referenced to a reliable source, to indicate that creating moulds is a use case for silicone rubber may be useful.  -- Jayron 32 15:21, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks! I wasn't interested in the how-to bit at all, just intrigued by my inability to find anything within Wikipedia on taking casts of items in-situ. This cannot be a rare requirement or process.  Scarabocchio (talk) 16:05, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * We have an article Molding (process) that lists twenty methods, most with an article on their own. In stark contrast, all we have on the process of making molds is an article Moldmaker that states that a moldmaker fabricates molds for use in casting metal products and only mentions machining processes generally involving use computer-controlled equipment. This is too narrow. --Lambiam 20:33, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia has an article on Plaster cast. It's in the right area -- how do we make a copy of something -- but again it's narrow, restricted to a single technique, now out-of-date. Lost-wax casting is about mould making, but not from an original. There doesn't seem to be anything that specifically addresses the work of the cast department of the Louvre Museum or the British Museum, or making replicas of the Parthenon frieze .. etc etc. Scarabocchio (talk) 21:37, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Well, Wikipedia is neither complete nor consistent (and never can be both); if you can improve Wikipedia, then you are more than welcome to do so! 136.56.52.157 (talk) 23:48, 12 April 2023 (UTC)
 * As noted, Wikipedia is not expected to be complete. The way it becomes more complete requires two conditions.  1) A person who is interested in a topic notices that Wikipedia doesn't cover that topic adequately 2) so that person decides to edit Wikipedia to improve Wikipedia's coverage of that topic.  You seem to meet condition 1) from my reading of your questions and comments here, that makes you uniquely well positioned to meet condition 2 as well.  -- Jayron 32 11:57, 13 April 2023 (UTC)