casting-, modeling- Materials?
- Thread starter Vajranoid
- Start date
FettTheHunter
Active Hunter
Hi 
or goodantalk ( clearly my German is appalling )
I've not done any molding and casting myself yet but I think silicone rubber is the standard mold making material, If you have not already got it there is a very good book on the subject of mold making and casting called ..The prop builders molding and casting handbook .. by Thurston James
.
Randy
:jet pack
or goodantalk ( clearly my German is appalling ) I've not done any molding and casting myself yet but I think silicone rubber is the standard mold making material, If you have not already got it there is a very good book on the subject of mold making and casting called ..The prop builders molding and casting handbook .. by Thurston James
. Randy
:jet pack
Darth Mule
Active Hunter
Yes. Thurston James has a plethora of wonderful instructional guides for these kinds of things. I wouldn't use that wood flour mixture on a helmet. You might end up with just a big mess to clean off of your bucket. www.smooth-on.com is where I get my mold-making materials. If you order a starter kit, it will come with your mold rubber, liquid plastic, release and sealing agents, and a small instructional guide. Silicon is the preferred mold rubber for casting something like a helmet. From smooth-on I recommend the rebound 25 brushable silicone rubber. You measure it by volume, so you won't need a scale and a trial size should cover a helmet. You would also need to pick up the proper release agent. Silicone is good about not sticking to anything, but it's better to be safe when covering your bucket with goo. Have a look around their site. They have pretty much everything you'll need. One thing tho. Just keep in mind that plasticene clay with retard the curing process of the silicon.
-Chris
-Chris
Darth Mule
Active Hunter
Vacu-forming is a completely different animal. Tho, you wouldn't vacu-form the silicon, you can still cast the helmet in silicon and pull a plaster positive from the silicone mold. I recommend a gypsum/plaster mix as it is a harder cast and less likely to crack under the pressure of vacuum-forming.
I myself would recommend the fiberglass option over the vacu-forming. The vacu-form would have to be done in two pieces, which is always a pain to reassemble. You can do the fiberglass in one piece. It is much easier and produces a stronger product.
Stronger still, and easier to work with. My personal preference is resin casting. The very same plastic you get from the site I listed in the previous post (www.smooth-on.com) I use the smooth cast 300. It is cast in much the same way as the fiberglass, but it has far less fumes, and easier to work with in all respects. It's less gunky, so it's easier to spread around the cast. You do have to keep it moving untill it sets tho, or it will pool up and harden.
I myself would recommend the fiberglass option over the vacu-forming. The vacu-form would have to be done in two pieces, which is always a pain to reassemble. You can do the fiberglass in one piece. It is much easier and produces a stronger product.
Stronger still, and easier to work with. My personal preference is resin casting. The very same plastic you get from the site I listed in the previous post (www.smooth-on.com) I use the smooth cast 300. It is cast in much the same way as the fiberglass, but it has far less fumes, and easier to work with in all respects. It's less gunky, so it's easier to spread around the cast. You do have to keep it moving untill it sets tho, or it will pool up and harden.
hmm ok gypsum plaster. What could this be in german 
..is it a mixture with water in it? Isnt it shrinking after casting off? sry my english is limited 
But anyway... are there any more alternatives to gypsum plaster?
Although fiberglass could be a better way I am interested in vacu forming because I eventually can use a manufacturers vacuformer! Therefore I need a good mold or is it called form?!
thx
Marcus
..is it a mixture with water in it? Isnt it shrinking after casting off? sry my english is limited But anyway... are there any more alternatives to gypsum plaster?
Although fiberglass could be a better way I am interested in vacu forming because I eventually can use a manufacturers vacuformer! Therefore I need a good mold or is it called form?!
thx
Marcus
MARROW SUN
Active Hunter
What sort of helmet are you casting?
Vajranoid said:
MARROW SUN
Active Hunter
Did you make the stormtrooper helmet yourself? Or did you buy it from someone else?
Jaiden
Active Hunter
I made my own Fett helmet out of the cheap modeling clay that doesn't harden. I found it in the craft section at WalMart. If they don't have them in Germany, just look for a local craft store that carries it.
For the casting, bobamaker had a great idea with paint-on silicone for the first layer, then butter-on for the second. This gives you the best impressions of detail.
You could also check out Polytek. It's a company in Easton, PA, USA that specializes in silicone for casting.
Good luck.
For the casting, bobamaker had a great idea with paint-on silicone for the first layer, then butter-on for the second. This gives you the best impressions of detail.
You could also check out Polytek. It's a company in Easton, PA, USA that specializes in silicone for casting.
Good luck.
Darth Mule
Active Hunter
Vajranoid said:hmm ok gypsum plaster. What could this be in german
But anyway... are there any more alternatives to gypsum plaster?
Although fiberglass could be a better way I am interested in vacu forming because I eventually can use a manufacturers vacuformer! Therefore I need a good mold or is it called form?!
thx
Marcus
Gypsum is just a harder plaster. We use a brand called "Ultra-Cal" and since it's more expensive than plaster, we usually add it to the plaster mix to strengthen it. But, Yes you will need a good model to Vacuform over. If you're doing a helmet, you will probably have to do it in two pieces, or you'll never get the form out of the plastic.
MARROW SUN
Active Hunter
I just find it odd that if you had the skills to make a styrene stormtrooper helmet, that you wouldn't know how to create a mold for vacuum forming?!
Isn't the helmet you have vaccumformed styrene?
Isn't the helmet you have vaccumformed styrene?
Vajranoid said:
Lord Maul
Hunter
I think that MARROW SUN is just trying to watch out for you since there is a very accurate Styrene helmet that as far as I know is one of the only Styrene ones out there. And recasting is a very touchy subject.
And as a helmet maker (and a damned good one from what I've seen) he just wants to make sure everything is in order.
It's very good to post pics of what you have to avoid any recasting accusations that may come up.
And as a helmet maker (and a damned good one from what I've seen) he just wants to make sure everything is in order.
It's very good to post pics of what you have to avoid any recasting accusations that may come up.
Darth Mule
Active Hunter
I don't really see a problem with the recasting aslong as you aren't making a profit off of someone else's work.I know several people who have gone in on a helmet as a group and recast it so they could all have one. Nobody sold anything for profit. Just people getting together to ease financial burden.
Jango Fett Jr
Well-Known Hunter
Darth Mule
Active Hunter
Jango_Fett_Jr said:
And notice the words "and sell them" at the end of every statement. So no offense fellas, but personally, I see nothing wrong with replicating something you have purchased for your own use such as recasting your Boba Helm for your Jango costume. Don't get me wrong, I am against profiting off of someone else's work tho. It's a thin line, but it exists. Saying someone can't recast something in their own home is an invasion of privacy. It doesn't become a public offense untill you sell.
Then again, I could be wrong. Just my view.
MARROW SUN
Active Hunter
It says pretty darn clearly,
1. Do NOT copy another member's work.
I guess your free to do whatever you want in your own home but I doubt with your view on the matter anyone from the community would now chance selling you anything anymore.
1. Do NOT copy another member's work.
I guess your free to do whatever you want in your own home but I doubt with your view on the matter anyone from the community would now chance selling you anything anymore.
