casting/molding? tips?

LittleBuddy

New Hunter
this is probably a stupid question to most of u, but i was wondering how everyone went about "casting and molding". when im done with my helmet she's gonna weigh a lot, and i was just wondering if this was easy/hard, cheap/expensive, quick/long. thanks!
 
hey mate - I am new to the building part too. welcome to forums.
I found the Smooth-On site great as an introduction to materials and basic methods. If u check out their how-to section, theres a series of videos explaining diff rubbers for molding and casting. very very useful and helpful.

like lots of things - it seems hard when u start; like I am finding clay a lot more difficult to work with. You see the guys on here doin stuff, and u think 'man - I could do that!' But tryin it out is half the fun.

I have recently been playin with some fibreglass as well.

If u are thinking of building a BF helmet - you probably dont have to do much molding though, try Wizrds cardboard templates with some bondo re-inforcement instead!

Good luck!

Nate

when im done with my helmet she's gonna weigh a lot, and i was just wondering if this was easy/hard, cheap/expensive, quick/long. thanks!

weight depends on wot u make it out with - unfortuantely theres no fixed recipe for doin it; reading through more WIPs; you find out how various people have done it. The aim IS to make it light enough for prolonged wear. I am going for a brushable plastic exterior, with some FG re-enforcement on the inside.

this is in reference to sculpting, molding and casting a helmet :D

easy/hard - as a novice I am finding it moderately difficult.

it aint cheap!

and it aint fast!

hope that helps
I am sure the more experienced members here will chime in and correct me in places I am wrong.

Nate
 
thanks for the reply.

i followed the cardboard tutorial and used wof's templates which were absolutely amazing!

my helmet isnt perfect. its my first one and ill probably end up doing another one and spending more time on it and stuff. right now its just covered in spackling and waiting to be smoothed out, and i thought if it turns out ok, ill just make a mold so i dont have to do it all over again.

thanks again
-LB
 
Molding definitely isn't cheap or fast. But with a little practice it's not too awful hard once you figure out what type of mold you are going to make. Personally, I think casting is harder than molding.
 
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