Masks and other Art

[Buster's Uncle]

The reason I took so long with the latest two to get into production is that I was trying alternatives to plaster gauze for the mother mold - happily that meant that I had a snug attempt to do it in latex to glue the Buster mold into, which should do the trick if the contact cement bonds to the silicone and the latex both.  Currently, a thick coat of added latex on the outside to fill in the constriction that caused the trouble is drying - and I won't forget the vaseline this time before the plaster mother mold...


-Meanwhile, here's three of the old Barbie cast in wax:

[Buster's Uncle]

That there mold is working out well.  That shape is very difficult to work out of a seamless flexible mold, but easy to get out of this.  Isn't leaving much of a seam, either.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm running out of stuff to do while latex dries.

'Bout time to commence that pig snout...

[Buster's Uncle]

First, I make the paste.  Next, I grease around the nose of a base and apply the separation layer - reused paper from previous times that I'd stuck in a yogurt cup.


Applied a couple layers of construction paper.


Applied a couple layers of newspaper.  This foundation for the snout is a nice warmup after having been away from macheing since November, since it only has to fit the base and hold together; flaws won't show.  I discover I need to thin the paste.


Should be dry enough in an hour or so...


  Back in the saddle again

[Buster's Uncle]

Momma's asking for a mold to make the heels for doll shoes.  That calls for a flexible push mold, so she can make them out of Fimo - which I believe is somewhat less brittle than Sculpey after baking.  We've decided to try this silicone calk mold bidiness.  There's none currently handy, but Mylochka's going to pick up a tube or two soon, and I'm reading up on it now...

[Buster's Uncle]

[Buster's Uncle]

Welll, I read a lot of stuff about thinning silicone calk with glycerin, acrylic paint, naptha and so on and then painting it on in layers...

And then I found this.  Have a look, Uno.

Easy silicone mold making

'

The question is, well, how to keep a seam open - silicone is supposed to stick to silicone like crazy.  I bet Vaseline will still work, though; AMP is a silicone and it seems satisfactory for that...  The logic of the video suggest dish soap, though.


-Mom would also like to make small Fimo lower arms and legs, which I think calls for a press mold/two part mold technique - press mold both halves and press together, then put it in the fridge for a few hours to really firm the part up before popping out and baking.

[Buster's Uncle]

Pigmen masks

[Buster's Uncle]

I made a few adjustments after the last pics, and having baked the appliance, it was time to cover it in mache.

Note that I laid separation strips around the perimeter so I could widen the foundation a bit w/o gluing it to the base.




It's drying now.

I should be ready to start the latext coat tonight...

[Buster's Uncle]

I figured the Buster mold was ready for the mother mold, and I decided to try something.

I was going to cut the end off the nipple anyway, for ease of stringing the wick, 'cause there's no room to clamp it when it's sitting upright instead of being suspended.



Plopping it down in front of the dehumidifier probably won't speed up the drying much, but it can't hurt...

[Unorthodox]

What the hell is with the pig nose?

[Buster's Uncle]

Again:

Pigmen masks

[Buster's Uncle]

[Buster's Uncle]

[Buster's Uncle]

Mom pushed the soles in deep, too.  We don't expect that to work in Sculpey/Fimo/Premo, but just as well try - when it proves too brittle, a bit of heavy stock cardboard paper will do.


I'm aware that I don't know what I'm doing, and may have to try again - but that's how you learn to.  Now I'm trying to decide what to try a 3D candle mold on.  I may have to make something new...