(On My Kitchen Counter)
When I started, I only had a 1 3D-printed coaster master model, 5 liters (1.32 gallon) of silicone rubber, and a bag of concrete mix. That’s it. What made the difference was how I used that one master model and turned it into a repeatable system.
Let me walk you through exactly what I did, day-by-day, over 15 days.
The master model
When you’re working with concrete, the speed at which you can produce products comes down to how many molds you have. No mold = no product.
I started with just one master model (my 3D-printed coaster prototype). Each day, I made one new silicone mold from it. And because silicone molds are reusable, if you take care of them properly, each could last through 500+ uses.
So every mold I made was an investment in future batches.
Day 1: Starting from scratch
I took my 3D-printed coaster master model and poured my very first silicone rubber inside.I left it to cure overnight.
Total molds: 0
Total coasters: 0
Day 2
The next day, I demolded the silicone mold I made yesterday. Right after that, I used the same master model again to pour another silicone rubber. Then I used the mold I made yesterday to pour my very first concrete coaster. I let it cure for 24 hours.
Total molds: 1
Coasters made today: 1
TOTAL COASTERS: 1
Day 3
I started my day by demolding the mold I made on Day 2 and poured another silicone mold. Then I demolded the concrete coaster I poured yesterday. I washed the mold I demolded with warm soapy water and let it dry. Now I had two molds ready to go, so I poured two new concrete coasters using them.
Total molds: 2
Coasters made today: 2
TOTAL COASTERS: 3
Day 4
I demolded the silicone mold from yesterday and made a new one again. Then I demolded the two coasters I poured the day before, washed those two molds, and set them up to reuse. Now I had three molds, so I used all three to pour three fresh coasters.
Total molds: 3
Coasters made today: 3
TOTAL COASTERS: 6
Day 5
I repeated the same steps: demolded the silicone mold I poured on Day 4, and poured another one to keep the cycle going. I also demolded three coasters, cleaned the molds, and used all four molds to pour four new coasters.
Total molds: 4
Coasters made today: 4
TOTAL COASTERS: 10
Day 6
Day 6 was a rinse and repeat of my now-solid routine. I started by demolding the new silicone mold, then poured another. I cleaned up the four molds I used yesterday and poured five coasters in one go.
Total molds: 5
Coasters made today: 5
TOTAL COASTERS: 15
Day 7
This day felt like I was building real momentum. I demolded the new silicone mold, poured another one, and then used all six molds to pour six coasters. Each mold was cleaned and ready to go.
Total molds: 6
Coasters made today: 6
TOTAL COASTERS: 21
Day 8
I did the same process: demolded, poured a new mold, then used all seven to make seven new coasters. At this point, I was starting to get quicker at cleaning and organizing my molds.
Total molds: 7
Coasters made today: 7
TOTAL COASTERS: 28
Day 9
I had eight molds now and each one got a fresh pour of concrete. Demolding the previous day’s coasters is always satisfying, and I love seeing how each one turns out slightly unique.
Total molds: 8
Coasters made today: 8
TOTAL COASTERS: 36
Day 10
Day 10 felt like a big milestone. I made my ninth mold and used all nine to pour a fresh batch. By now, I had gotten used to the rhythm and learned how to prep everything quickly.
Total molds: 9
Coasters made today: 9
TOTAL COASTERS: 45
Day 11
With 10 molds ready to go, I added mold number 10 to the rotation. I poured 10 new coasters and it felt efficient like a mini assembly line on my kitchen counter.
Total molds: 10
Coasters made today: 10
TOTAL COASTERS: 55
Day 12
I poured my 11th mold, cleaned up the previous 10, and poured 11 coasters at once. At this point, batching became easier and faster and I had a system down.
Total molds: 11
Coasters made today: 11
TOTAL COASTERS: 66
Day 13
I made mold number 12 and poured 12 coasters. I had to clear a bit more counter space just to keep up. It’s wild how far it had come from just one mold a few days ago.
Total molds: 12
Coasters made today: 12
TOTAL COASTERS: 78
Day 14
One more mold; number 13 and another batch of 13 coasters. This was the smoothest it had felt so far.
Total molds: 13
Coasters made today: 13
TOTAL COASTERS: 91
Day 15
Day 15! I made my 15th mold to complete the system with 14 total. Then I used all of them to pour 14 coasters, crossing the 100-mark!
Total molds: 14
Coasters made today: 14
TOTAL COASTERS: 105
What you can learn from this
You don’t need a fancy workshop or a big budget. All you need is a 1 master model, silicone rubber, concrete mix, your kitchen counter and some patience,
By adding one mold per day, I built a small batch production system that scaled as I went.
This 15-day system gave me:
- 14 molds I could reuse again and again.
- 105 coasters I could sell, gift, or test with customers.
- Confidence in my process without burnout.
If you want to replicate my system using the exact coaster master model I used to make the molds for my first 100 concrete coasters, download the 3D design file here and get it 3D printed. Click here to download it now!