Steel Production Molds for Kenner’s Silverhawks Play-Doh Set

Here is a set of three steel production molds used to create the plastic forms/molds for Kenner’s 1986 Silverhawks Play-Doh playset.  The plastic Play-Doh forms are shown along with the matching steel mold that was used to create them.  Each of the steel molds measure around 5″ x 6″ x 4″ and weigh approximately 35 lbs.

These steel molds were used as part of a process called plastic injection molding, and it was one of the final stages in the toy creation process.  Once a toy’s design was finalized and signed off on, a moldmaker would cut the molds from hardened steel.  The molds would then be placed in an injection molding machine.  Small plastic pellets would be melted down and the liquid plastic would be forced (injected) into the steel molds.  The plastic is then allowed to cool, and the hardened plastic is ejected from the steel molds.

Multiple shots of the Tally-Hawk and Stargazer mold:

Mon-Star and Quicksilver mold:

Steelwill and Bluegrass mold:

Production playset:

Production playset unused contents: