Method of coating a composite mold

A method of molding comprising:

• producing a mold for shaping a material to be molded by
• casting a first mold portion formed of a material selected from the group consisting of:
• Portland cement, carbon, pyrolytic graphite, castable ceramic material, mortar and plastic resins in a form of a predetermined shape to define a mold base having a first surface portion having a molding cavity formed therein of a predetermined configuration,
• flowing and depositing a first layer of material to form a coating of predetermined thickness onto said first surface portion of said molding cavity and bonding said first layer of material to said surface of said molding cavity whereby said first layer of material is selected from the group consisting of:
• nickel, steel, aluminum, titanium, coper, molybdenum, tungsten and pyrolytic graphite,
• depositing a second hard surface layer as a coating of predetermined thickness onto said first layer whereby said hard surface layer is selected from the group consisting of the carbides, nitrides, and oxides of tungsten, titanium, boron, silicon, aluminum, and pyrolytic graphite,
• operatively assembling said coated first mold portion in a forming machine with a second complementary mold member having a surface portion thereof, which is shaped to define a cavity between at least a portion of said first surface portion of said first mold portion, and a portion of the surface of said second mold member when the two are so operatively assembled,
• and disposing a material to be molded between said first mold member and said second complementary mold member in said cavity and forming said material to shape there-between by engaging at least a portion of the surface of said second hardened layer so as to shape said moldable material.