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BYWInsaniac Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 746
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Molding with Silicone


I've heard about this before, and after a quick use of that nifty little search button, I couldnt find a whole lot.

I seem to recall that it is possible to mold a mask using silicon, then making a fiberglass shell for it. If anyone's got any tip, tutorials, or pointers, I'd really appreciate it.

I guess my biggest questions are:

1. What kind of silicon should I use (is there a special type, grade, or some technical term I should know about)?

2. What kind of fiberglass should I use? (same as above, type, grade, tech term?)

3. Is there a case where this method should be used and when it shouldnt?

Like I said, any help would be greatly appreciated!

-JJ

Last edited by Deadly Lemur, 4/13/2008, 9:57 pm
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JBrown437 Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 08-2004
Posts: 2122
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Hope this helps.

http://com1.runboard.com/bbrotherhoodofthebat.f12.t189379

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BYWInsaniac Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 02-2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 746
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Wow, the helps a LOT! Two questions:

1. Just to clarify, you do not pour latex into the silicon mold. The silicon mold is a step that you can take before ultimately making the ultracal mold.

2. The process for using a silicon mold for a fiberglass helmet would be the same, right?

Once again, Thanks a lot!

-JJ
7/7/2007, 5:23 pm Link to this post Send Email to BYWInsaniac   Send PM to BYWInsaniac
 
JBrown437 Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 08-2004
Posts: 2122
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Yea, the silicone mold is just a step along the way, you make the ultra cal mold then pour the latex in that.

As for fiberglass, you can use the silicone mold to make your fiberglass helmet in. You dont need to make the ultra cal mold since fiberglass wont cure in plaster.
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clevelandfx Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 01-2005
Location: Cleveland, Oh
Posts: 1891
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Quote:

JBrown437 wrote:

Yea, the silicone mold is just a step along the way, you make the ultra cal mold then pour the latex in that.

As for fiberglass, you can use the silicone mold to make your fiberglass helmet in. You dont need to make the ultra cal mold since fiberglass wont cure in plaster.



to clarify fiberglass WILL cure in plaster. The big problem is that you're likely to destroy the mold removing it.

Latex in silicone doesn't work...maybe if you had some kind of thickened latex that was brushable, but even then if it's uneven it'll dry wrong and pull away from the mold as it shrinks.

---
My, my, my. Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains.
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JBrown437 Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 08-2004
Posts: 2122
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Thanks for clarifying. My bad. :ohwell
7/8/2007, 10:26 am Link to this post Send Email to JBrown437   Send PM to JBrown437
 
loly2kn2 Profile
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Sidekick

Registered: 08-2005
Location: London, England
Posts: 393
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Why is the urethane version and the fibreglass master not cast into the same silicone mold? Is there any reason in particular?

Lawrence
7/8/2007, 10:36 am Link to this post Send Email to loly2kn2   Send PM to loly2kn2
 
JBrown437 Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 08-2004
Posts: 2122
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


well they could be, but the whole reason i made a fiberglass master was so I could sand it all down nice and smooth so I could make a more perfect mold for the final cowl. It is a step that in retrospect I wish I had omitted since it was rather costly, time consuming, and all in all really unnecessary.
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loly2kn2 Profile
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Sidekick

Registered: 08-2005
Location: London, England
Posts: 393
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


Did your cowls need any work after getting them out the mold Jon? Do you think you saved yourself some time and work in the long run by making the smooth master and then another mold?

Will you be doing your TDK helmet the same way?

Lawrence
 
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JBrown437 Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 08-2004
Posts: 2122
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Re: Mask Molding with Silicon


The cowls that came out of the final mold didnt need any work. All I did was plasti dip them. I dont know how much time I saved if any. As long as you get your sculpt nice and smooth that step should be unnecessary, or if you still wanted to make a fiberglass master you could and just use the same silicone mold to make the foam filled urethane version.

For TDK cowl I expect to make a silicone mold then experiment with casting the cowls in fiberglass or urethane. If I can cast a cowl in fiberglass and still get it on my head (and the likelyhood of that is slim to none) then I will be pumped because that seems to me to be more realistic, with respects to the cowl being a piece of armor. If not I will just cast them in urethane.
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