<p>Surely! First of all, a mold is, simply put, the negative of the item. So we need to make such a negative and give it some thickness. I have this funnel model...</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/zcLbd.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zcLbd.png" alt="A simple Funnel"></a></p>

<p>We start Meshmixer, import our funnel and then go into <code>Meshmix</code> and pull a cylinder into the frame. We size and align it to hide the funnel but for a tiny part at the top (or however much you need to have covered in the mold)</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NxbZ0.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NxbZ0.png" alt="Funnel (light) in the Cylinder (dark)"></a></p>

<p>We click the cylinder, press <code>SHIFT</code> and the funnel top. In the top corner a menu pops up:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/w45Wo.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/w45Wo.png" alt="Combine Menu"></a></p>

<p>We choose "Boolean Difference", the menu changes to show this:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ppJRn.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ppJRn.png" alt="just after pressing the button..."></a></p>

<p>Next we alter the <code>Target Edge Scale</code> till we see the top corner (0.6 seems to work) then accept. The result is this mold: </p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CJ0B7.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CJ0B7.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/36MTa.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/36MTa.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>But that's a REALLY snug fit at this moment. 0.0 mm space. We can use that to cast our funnel... but we might want to make this a box for our funnel or we know that our casting material shrinks some 4 to 5 % when curing. So we need some space in the mold or box. So we need to shift the faces some. What happens to holes if we scale the whole thing up by... say 5 %? They become 5 % larger of course! So let's just do that! </p>

<ul>
<li><code>Edit</code></li>
<li><code>Transform</code> </li>
<li>hook <code>Uniform Scaling</code> </li>
<li>pull X, Y and Z out by 1 mm (which happens to be 4 % in case of a 25 mm item.)

<ul>
<li>Use those square boxes marked with green dots to pull</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Til4w.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Til4w.png" alt="Transformation window"></a></p>

<p>Accept and... DONE! Last to do: export as STL and here you go! a Mold that is 4% larger and could be a cap for the funnel.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-08T11:33:22.700Z
2019-12-08T11:33:22.700Z
Trish
<p>Currently I have a model of a fingertip finished in my project, however, I would like to create some sort of "cap" that if printed would fit on top of that finger. Is there a good way to achieve this in meshmixer?</p>

<3d-models><3d-design><stl><molds><meshmixer>
Efficient way to create a "mold" of a solid object in Meshmixer?
huehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehue
# Efficient way to create a "mold" of a solid object in Meshmixer?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-08)

Currently I have a model of a fingertip finished in my project, however, I would like to create some sort of "cap" that if printed would fit on top of that finger. Is there a good way to achieve this in meshmixer?

**Tags:** 3d-models, 3d-design, stl, molds, meshmixer


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-12-08. Score: 1

Surely! First of all, a mold is, simply put, the negative of the item. So we need to make such a negative and give it some thickness. I have this funnel model...

[![A simple Funnel](https://i.sstatic.net/zcLbd.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/zcLbd.png)

We start Meshmixer, import our funnel and then go into `Meshmix` and pull a cylinder into the frame. We size and align it to hide the funnel but for a tiny part at the top (or however much you need to have covered in the mold)

[![Funnel (light) in the Cylinder (dark)](https://i.sstatic.net/NxbZ0.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NxbZ0.png)

We click the cylinder, press `SHIFT` and the funnel top. In the top corner a menu pops up:

[![Combine Menu](https://i.sstatic.net/w45Wo.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/w45Wo.png)

We choose "Boolean Difference", the menu changes to show this:

[![just after pressing the button...](https://i.sstatic.net/ppJRn.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ppJRn.png)

Next we alter the `Target Edge Scale` till we see the top corner (0.6 seems to work) then accept. The result is this mold:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/CJ0B7.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/CJ0B7.png)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/36MTa.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/36MTa.png)

But that's a REALLY snug fit at this moment. 0.0 mm space. We can use that to cast our funnel... but we might want to make this a box for our funnel or we know that our casting material shrinks some 4 to 5 % when curing. So we need some space in the mold or box. So we need to shift the faces some. What happens to holes if we scale the whole thing up by... say 5 %? They become 5 % larger of course! So let's just do that!

* `Edit`
* `Transform`
* hook `Uniform Scaling`
* pull X, Y and Z out by 1 mm (which happens to be 4 % in case of a 25 mm item.)
  + Use those square boxes marked with green dots to pull

[![Transformation window](https://i.sstatic.net/Til4w.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Til4w.png)

Accept and... DONE! Last to do: export as STL and here you go! a Mold that is 4% larger and could be a cap for the funnel.


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