Mould Prepping time!
To prepare the parts for moulding, I created a flange around all the edges using cardboard (and MDF for the gauntlets). I used hot glued to attach it.
I then created a fillet between the parts and the cardboard to remove any undercuts. For this I used plasticine that I warmed up on a radiator to keep it soft.
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Prior to molding, I gave everything that was going to be made with a solid fiberglass mould several coats of release wax. I applied it generously with a sponge and buffed smooth with a soft cloth.
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Waxed and ready to mould...
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Thick layer of gel coat applied...
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Chopped strands of fibreglass to prevent air bubbles in the tight corners were added...
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Stippled down with resin...
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Two layers of chopped strand matting added...
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More resin and making sure there are no air pockets...
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Left over night to cure and removed from the original.
The left gauntlet upper part, I had to mould slightly differently as there was an undercut I wouldn't have been able to get out of a solid mould...
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A thin (beauty coat) layer of silicone was applied first and left to cure...
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Then several thickened layers were applied (added thixotropic addative)...
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Locator keys were made with an ice cube tray and attached with more silicone...
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The silicone was left to cure over night and then two layers of fiberglass were applied to create a solid "jacket"...
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Once the fiberglass had set it could be removed from the original part.
For the small "greeblies" I made walls around them using hot glue and cardboard. I could then carefully pour in un-thickened silicone to create a simple silicone block mould.
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They were left over night to cure. The cardboard was then removed and the original parts were taken out. (forgot to take a pic!
)
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Nice collection of moulds going on here... Time to cast some parts! 