This file is one of the Wolfstone archives of the Halloween mailing lists. You can find out more, and reach the entire collection here: http://www.pobox.com/~wolfstone/_r/HalloweenArchive.html This particular archive deals with "casting" topics. This includes: o molds o casting o life casts - - - - - Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 17:13:47 -0500 Subject: Re: HALL: Hand molds From: john_wolf at juno.com (John C Sterle) Steve the product I mentioned is called Flexwax 120 . I found a web site that carries it http://www.xmission.com/~spl_efx/life_casting/casting.html they sell it for $15.35 for a 2.5 lb bar which can be used over and over. Another contact I have for it is Flex Products W34540 Rd. Q, Okauchee, WI 53069 phone (414) 367-3331 Another web site carries it for $25.60 for a 5lb stab is http://milehiceramics.com/Molds.htm Another source on line is http://www.amaco.com/ you'l have to check for their price. And another source is -You can get Flexwax from Dick Blick 1-800-447-8192. It costs around $13 for 2.5 lbs or $21 for 5 lbs. and check out this web site for some info on it http://www.potters.org/subject02976.htm Check around the local art supply & hobby centers you may get a better price on it if you plan to try it. Keep in mind that it goes a long way & you can reuse it by melting down the molds when you are done. When you make a mold with it you can use it to make multiple casts from the same mold with out degrading. John Wolf On Tue, 22 Sep 1998 13:30:28 EDT SnwbordUT at aol.com writes: >how expensive is that stuff? and what was it called again? - - - - - From: C40179 at aol.com Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 05:39:47 EDT Subject: Re: HALL: Why Plasticine >I like the clay alright but I'm under the impression >that I can't use it to make silicon molds. Oop Oop oop wait a sec :) The way "I" understand it is Actually that there's Platinum based silicone and TIN based silicone .. . "Platinum" based silicone HATES the sulfer in plastalina and wont cure (even if you "Think" about plastalina While you're making the mould .. heh heh) but "TIN" based silicone couldn't care less :) I've used plastalina aaaaall over a plaster head I made . .then made a latex neg (since that's what I had lying around) and poured silicone right into it and it worked fine (I used GI-1000 and GI-145 silicone and noooo problems at all) However I had a friend that used a platinum based silicone and found from the sales rep (after already having problems) that even if there was an "essence" of the sulfer from the plastalina in the mould (even if you scrub and coat it with shlack I know to make Jello where it will retain it's shape you either double >or triple the amount of Jello in the water. This will make it retain >it's shape. More fun Jello tips. If you use glycerin, rather than water, you get a sort of permanent form of jello. You can remelt it and reuse it, and it won't dry out. Glycerin is available at your local drug store in small quantities. For larger quantities (1 gal or more), contact your local chemical distributor (check your yellow pages and make a bunch of phone calls ;). I wouldn't try eating jello made with glycering unless you are having consitpation problems! >:) - - - - - Date: Sat, 8 May 1999 22:51:24 -0500 From: dansmuse at mindspring.com (Arthur Brill) Subject: Re: HALL: Brain mold ><< More fun Jello tips. If you use glycerin, rather than water, you get a sort > of permanent form of jello. You can remelt it and reuse it, and it won't > dry out. >> > >could you store it and use it year after year.. I store most of my props in >the attic crawl space.. would it get to hot and melt up there? I have had some of this stuff made up in my attic for about four years! It is a big slab of rubber. Every once in a while, I cut a piece off and melt it down into a mold. Now, to be safe, I would keep it in a fairly cool spot, and keep it in a sealed plastic bag. There are other things you can add as well. Sorbitol is another sugar based substance which adds to its elasticity, I believe. The bottom line is you use just as much of these liquids combined as you would water. You can also get gelatin in various grades of "hardness". I called Hormel (in New Jersey, I believe) for a free sample of their gelatin, and they sent me about ten pounds of it! This was several years ago, so I forget the details. I still have about 5 pounds of the powder left over. (They are used to selling it in 55 gallon drums, so a few pounds is nothing to them). I do recall that when I first heated it on the stove, it smelled pretty bad. Ground up toenails can't smell too good after all. (Sorry all you Jello lovers) >:) Arthur (Bit of trivia. The first motion picture to use prosthetics made from gelatin was Heartbeeps) - - - - - From: "Linda M Lestha" Subject: Re: HALL: latex question & slime praise Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 09:27:43 -0400 From: HauntedJon at aol.com >Does ALCONE have an email or web site??? Oh, how I wish they did! Or even a toll free number! But... They don't. I highly recommend their catalog (unless they've changed it radically, which I doubt). It's filled with neat information. They can be contacted by: Alcone 5-49 49th Ave. Long Island City, NY 11101 Tel: 718-361-8373 Fax: 718-729-8296 They carry everything from regular stage makeup to foam latex, respirators to Woochies. Oh, and one of my favorite products: ULTRASLIME. It's exactly what it sounds like. It's not cheap but a little bit goes a long way. This stuff is so thick and obnoxious that once you touch it, it's got you. It washes off with water (well, it THINS off with water) and it can be thinned -- with water, obviously. I had one actress use some on her face. She slimed her face but over the course of the night it dried (which probably could have been prevented with a light mist sprayed occasionally on the slime. The skin on her face was so incredibly soft after she peeled the dried slime off it was like she had a facial. She loved the stuff! This stuff is very slippery so make sure you never get it on the floor! One of my little tricks among the HH staff is to put some of the slime on my palm and then shake hands. It's great for customers too. Really grosses them out when they pull their hand away and some of the slime goes with them. I've stretched one tendril of the stuff over twelve feet across a room! Well, enough about slime already... - - - - - Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 09:48:37 -0400 (EDT) From: FXWizard at netcom.ca (Brian D. Oberquell) Subject: Re: HALL: Brushing latex Scott, dipping the brush in some liquid dish soap (gently remove the excess by "scraping" along the edge of the soap container) keeps the bristles from getting caked with latex. I don't remember where I first read about this, but it's worked for me for years... Brian >How do you brush on liquid latex and keep the brush from clogging up? - - - - - From: SpiderMakr at aol.com Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 22:30:58 EDT Subject: Re: HALL: Oil Based Clay Hi fellow Haunters I don't think you can melt "Roma Plastalina", because it supposedly breaks down. But It's the expensive stuff, and I don't use it much. The cheap plastalene; the kind that comes in different colors, and is about $1.99 for a pound (a box of four sticks), can be melted down to a liquid, nooooo problem. But use a double boiler. Put it into a pot. Then put that pot into a bigger pot of boiling water. I use it for my walls for larger molds. When I pull it apart, it has plaster stuck all over it. I melt it down and strain it into a small, clean, plastic container. Good as new. You can get a really good clay from The Monster Makers Al SpiderMakr Burial Mound - - - - - From: "Linda M Lestha" Subject: Re: HALL: Oil Based Clay Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 23:02:45 -0400 I think it depends on whether it is oil based or wax based.... I could be wrong about that... Roma Plastalina? Oil. No melt. Monster Maker's stuff. Meltable. - - - - - Subject: Re: HALL: Oil Based Clay Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 23:55:05 -0700 From: tpeters >I think it depends on whether it is oil based or wax based.... I could be >wrong about that... Roma Plastalina? Oil. No melt. Monster Maker's >stuff. Meltable. > >Linda it will melt, and you don't want to touch it when it is. I remember one time many moons ago I had some plastalina and it was awful hard. So I placed it in the mocro and voila, instant softness. Well I had left it in for about 10 sec's on high and it was very hot. The stuff works great and can be re-used over and over. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: latex? From: Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 06:24:22 -0600 At 12:21 AM 03/03/2001 -0700, you wrote: >Hi fellow haunters, I am seeking the best place to get good, inexpensive >liquid latex. Anyone know of the best place to get this by the gallon? = And >an approximate price? Web page?... Hi, Try- Please understand that all latex is not created equal. Commercially availably grades of latex contain varying amounts of extenders and fillers (usually bad for latex) and also preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers and UV blockers (the good stuff). Fillers and extenders are added to cheap latex to get more out of each gallon. It's a false economy to spend dozens of hours on a prop you hope will last for years and try to save 5 bucks on the latex. I have latex parts laying around my shop that were made 20+ years ago and still look and feel new, then again I've seen cheap latex turn to goo in less than 2 years. Consider also it's below freezing in many parts of the US, latex that gets frozen during shipping will be ruined, you may want to wait a month if you're shipping any long distances. And yes, slip casting and mold making latex contain a lot of ammonia so keep air moving away from you when you work. It's added as a preservative, the primary function is to keep the pH of the latex very high so an internal cure won't start. Keep this in mind if you add anything to latex that could lower the pH like paint, or a filler like wood flour. Add your extras slowly and add little clear ammonia water from the grocery store at the same time to keep the pH level up, preferably well above 11 or 12. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: latex? From: Date: Sun, 04 Mar 2001 11:10:07 -0600 Hi Barry, Have fun, that's what matters! Jaime once told me it takes him about 50 hours to build and detail a = corpse for sale so that $550.00 difference nets him 11 bucks an hour... before = the Feds, State and S.S. get done with it. Along those lines, my offer always stands: Anyone whose time has no value can come work for me 40 + hours a week. ;-) Overtime is paid accordingly, or- 1 1/2 times the hourly rate of zero, Sundays and holidays are double the hourly rate!! ;-) Like I said, have fun. Denny PS. If you do end up with some cheap latex you may want to consider adding = some Zinc Oxide to it. Ceramic supply stores sell it in finely powdered form, make a slurry by adding water and add about 5 to 10% by volume to your latex to extend its' UV resistance when cured. Don't use Zinc Oxide creams and greases from the drug store. At 09:28 AM 03/04/2001 -0700, you wrote: >but Distephano says that he makes these for >under $200.00 and I paid $750.00 for it. Sounds like it would be wise to >invest a little in making them myself!!! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Using fiberglass From: "Damien Stafford" Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 18:09:02 -0700 (PDT) I have seen joint compund used in home improvement shows for bath and kitchen and they CLAIM that if you mix the polyurethane directly into the compound it is waterproof. I am not making this claim, so dont blame me if you try it and it doesnt work, but that is what I have seen on some shows. Try it on a small sample first and see what happens. I also have never heard about what ratio polyurethane to compound should be mixed. just thought I'd pass on this tidbit of information. Damien *snip* Paper mache and monstermud (joint compound and black pint) would work well except for one thing: neither one is weatherproof, even with a coat of polyurethane. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Take my money, PLEASE, I want supplies! From: "Brian D. Oberquell" Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 07:12:36 -0700 It's hard to give instructions over a mailing list, so what I'd recommend is that you first get some books and read up on the subject. If you look at my site I have a reference list available; I'd suggest the Baygan book as well as GRANDE ILLUSION for starters. I don't sell them, but I also have a list of sites you can check out (I believe Burman carries the Baygan book). Both books have instructions with pictures on how to make ifecasts, but the Baygan book is far more detailed. The second issue of MovieFX DVD Video Magazine has a segment on lifecasting that shows it in action and will also give you some tips on how it's done One tip I *can* give you is: Try to buy your alginate from a dental supply company and your plaster bandage from a medical supply place if you can; art supply shops mark the stuff up like mad...I remember seeing one place in Vancouver selling alginate for about $60/lb. when I could buy it direct for as little as $8/lb.! Another piece of advice is to ALWAYS use a release agent where required; if you read Robert (Kryten from RED DWARF) Llewellyn's "THE MAN IN THE RUBBER MASK" there's a bit detailing when he was a young lad and tried making a plaster cast of himself without release agent; slightly rude, somewhat painful, and very funny! - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Take my money, PLEASE, I want supplies! From: "David E. Basile" Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 12:42:12 -0500 Michael, I am just starting out doing some of the things you mention so I'll throw = in my 2 cents... If you have never done this type of work before find a video that will = show you. In my case it makes a big difference when you can see it being done instead of just reading how it's done. I got a lot of my videos from = Ebay. The were originals but only played once or twice so I saved a buck or two. Not a required item but it helps. For suppliers, I've had a 50/50 success rate with Monster Makers. The products I got were great but they did lose an order and I had a heck of a time getting some Ultra-Cal 30 delivered and did not respond to some = emails. But again I was very please with the items I did order. I've also ordered from www.fxsupply.com and have a few of Steve Biggs videos. The next = source I use is www.burmanfoam.com and they have just about anything you could want. Plaster bandages may be required and I picked mine up from www.grogans.com/grogans/shop. Dick Blick www.dickblick is where I got my roma #2 clay. You can also get clay and latex from www.deathstudios.com. = I have several of Jeff's masks and you might want to post your message in = his message board and see what happens. Check out the Creative Latex Club on Yahoo http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/creativelatex and you can probably get some good answers there. The Cementex sells latex but I have not ordered from them and don't know what quality they offer but their prices seemed pretty good at the time http://209.196.188.102/home.shtml. I know some of this information is probably worthless info as it has been stated here before but do some shopping around for the best price. The reason is somewhat obvious but at Burmans I could order a 100 pound bag of ultra cal for about $22.00. But to have it shipped would have cost me = twice the price of the product so I ordered it from Monster Makers because I'm = in Indiana and they are in Ohio so shipping was cheaper but the product cost more. Also you may find that special effect houses charge a bit more than going right to the source such as for alginate. I just bought 25 pounds of Alginate from a guy who sells a lot of dental stuff on Ebay. Try http://www.dentalfuntoys.com because he sells it for about $4.95 a pound and that is about the cheapest I could find. I'm = going to do a cast of my daughters legs for a halloween prop... or try. He = sells slow and fast set in 1 pound bags. I have heard that alinate has an expiration date on it so if you can find a dentist that has some expired stuff you might be able to pick it up. I have not checked into that but = it might be worth it. Also, see what you one of the local orthodontist would charge you for some. Expanding Foam and silicone are two things I haven't messed with yet but I did buy some foam from monster makers but it was expensive and I only used = a bit because I didn't have a scale and the portions needed to be weighed. = I now have a scale but just don't have the time to experiment any further. It would be nice to say money is no object but I can't although I buy what = I need when I can. I've stock piled a lot of stuff and if I feel there is a product that will help me along the way I buy it. Take a look at my How to make fangs on my web site www.deathappeal.com and you will see what I = mean. My plans are to dive into this hobby this summer so I bought a bunch of stuff. You mentioned melting clay and I would like to know how that is done and which clay they use. Anyway I hope some of this information will be of = help to you although it is mostly supplier info. - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Take my money, PLEASE, I want supplies! From: "Erich Lubatti" Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 11:05:56 -0700 Mike, This is odd, because Monster Makers are usually pretty good about everything. Did you speak with Arnold Goldman (the owner)? It's always good to have choices, though. Here are some other places to = buy what you need: http://www.burmanfoam.com, http://www.spfxsupplyco.com and http://www.pinkhouse.com, to name just a few. Polytek Development Corp. (I = believe their URL is http://www.polytek.com) has MANY urethane elastomers, = silicones, alginate and other mold-making products at reasonable prices (they even offer trial units of selected products at reduced prices--try them!!). Alcone Company in NY is also an old, very trusted source. They = have a web site, but I'm not sure of the URL right off the top of my head. Do a = search for them. Michael Davy also hasa a good line of life-casting supplies. You can also purchase liquid latex from Death Studios at http://www.deathstudios.com. All of the sources have how-to videos for sale. In my opinion, Rob = Burman's and Pink House Studio's have the best available. Burman's tape are around $29.95. Pink House's are more expensive at $59.95. But they're worth it! = All of them. Concerning pouring liquid latex into a silicone mold...it won't work. You can pour polyurethane foams into silicone. You can cast foam latex into silicone molds. You can pour liquid clay, wax, acrlic, plasters or cement into silicone molds. You can even pour silicone into silicone molds (with the proper release agents, Vaseline being the most readily available). = But, you can't pour liquid latex into silicone molds. Liquid (or "Slush") latex = requires a porous mold (such as Plaster of Paris or Ultracal-30) to absorb = the water from the rubber, which forms a skin against the stone. The = longer you let the latex "dwell" in the mold, the thicker your cast will be; although I prefer to thicken up my castings with multiple layers in intervals of 15-30 minutes dwell time each. A master for a full-head mask, = for example, is usually 3 layers thick with each layer allowed to dwell in = the mold for an hour. Anyway, I'm getting off the subject here with details. 1. Take an alginate cast of the model's hand. The best alginate for this = is a 2-3 minute set alginate. A pound or two should do ya if you're only = doing two hands. Anything more than that, you'd better get five pounds at the least. Large cast of the arms and legs would definitley require a plaster bandage mother mold! 2. Remove alginate impression (if you make the alginate thick enough on = the hands, you don't need a mother mold of plaster bandages). How thick is = thick enough? Two inches thick, or more, will do it. 3. Pour the cast of your model's hand with wax, melted plastaline clay, or = plaster. I KNOW there's a product that allows you to pour urethane plastic = directly into an alginate impression! I've not used it before, but I do = know it exists. I think it's called "Water Trap". I know Monster Makers carries = it, but I won't speak of them, for your sake. Burman carries "Alumilite", which can be poured into alginate impressions without inhibiting the urethane's cure. Call Burman and check with one of their techs, just to be = sure. 4. Once you have a cured cast of the hand out of the impression, and depending on which material you've cast it in, your now ready to make a permanat mold in which you'll cast many, many duplicates. If you used Alumilite, all you need to do now is some minor detailing with a Dremel = tool (roughen up the severed wrist a little, knock off little air bubbles, = etc.) and you're ready to paint. Acrylic paints work good on urethane IF you = prime it first. Autobody primer is fine or model kit primer. If you chose to use = wax, clay, or plaster, you'll need to make a negative mold now. You can = make a plaster mold off of a plaster cast. It requires some extra effort in the = release. First, coat the entire plaster hand (once it's cured for several days or several hours in a WARM oven) with 2-3 layers of clear lacquer. = Once those dry, coat the entire hand again with mold soap (Burman). Plaster-on-plaster has a great risk of breaking your original cast AND the = mold. So, I don't really recommend it. I just gave that one to you for = your own knowledge. Maybe you can use it someday. Urethane or silicone molds = are better if you have a plaster original. Waxes and clays can be molded with anything! Be sure to use a clay like Klean Klay if you want to make a flexible mold, though! Roma Plastilina inhibits their cures. But, if your going to use a latex skin on your prop, make an Ultracal-30 mold. 5. Once your mold is completed and clean, you're ready to pour! Pouring depends on which material you use. There are some affordable translucent silicones out these days. Gelatin is also a less expensive and lasting alternative to silicone. Or you can use the good ol' stand-by foam-filled latex. It just depends on what kind of effect you want to achieve and how realistic you want it. With your budget, you could make some nice severed appendages! Unless you want to make dozens and dozens? I hope this is a good start for you? If you should have any further questions, just let me know! - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Molding Question From: "Kevin Alvey" Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 11:29:42 -0500 I would emphasize strongly that you be careful of undercuts and using vaseline. It works great for most things but has difficulty releasing urethane from other rigid parts. The heat generated by the reaction of the urethane can sometimes melt the vaseline to the point of being useless. Erich was very right about the car paste waxes though.They work great. The basic idea is to cast flexible in rigid or rigid into flexible, but these rules can be bent and broken alot of times. Starting by this = principle will guarantee many less screwups. GORE GALORE and so much more Kevin R. Alvey AKA Mr. Gore phone 812-424-5220 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Erich Lubatti" To: Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 10:55 AM Subject: Re: Howl - Molding Question > Spookdawg, > > If you seal your plaster cast with a good car paste wax (or two layers = of > brushed-on liquid latex), you can cast a rigid or flexible polyurethane foam > into it. Great Stuff is a rigid polyurethane foam. Saran Wrap is another > release for polyfoams, but you'll get poor results due to the wrinkling = of > the plastic wrap against the mold surface, which will transfer onto your > cast. > > Depending on the details in your mold, you can also cast plaster into > plaster molds using Vaseline, mold soap or car paste wax as your = release. A > multi-piece mold (at least two halves, for a mold with minimal detail = and a > simple configuration)is also required. There are also many urethane plastics > available which can be cast in plaster molds (again, with the proper release > agents). http://www.polytek.com, http://www.burmanfoam.com and > http://www.monstermakers.com are some good places to start looking if you're > interested in any of these products. - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Molding Question From: "Kevin Alvey" Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 18:26:12 -0500 I am sorry, I just mean sometimes it doesn't work. It usually does but it just takes = one time doesn't it. The paste wax is great though and you can get it anywhere too. Turtle wax = is supposed to be great. I actually use a mold wax but it is hard to get. The vaseline doesn't work when it is urethane against urethane hardly = ever. GORE GALORE and so much more Kevin R. Alvey AKA Mr. Gore phone 812-424-5220 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Spookdawg" To: "HOWL2000 Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 3:42 PM Subject: Re: Howl - Molding Question > Okay - thanks for telling me as I was planning on using Vaseline. I've seen > other peoples works that didn't turn out because of undercuts so I'm always > careful on my molds. - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Molding Question From: Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 16:47:26 -0700 If your original is in oil based clay and you want your final casting in plaster, you could try making a latex mold. Paint several layers of latex onto the original, embed gauze into the latex for stiffness and create a plaster "mother mold" if necessary. I've used this technique to make plaster skulls. Pollogeist - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - latex and a body From: Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 21:08:10 -0700 One source of supply for latex is Burman Industries, they sell it by the gallon. R&D is a latex manufacturer here in California. Plus, the non-flammable water soluble contact cement you can find at Home Depot is neoprene - a latex substitute. It makes good strong skins. Pollogeist On Mon, 14 May 2001 19:29:13 -0700 (PDT) Haunter writes: > okay, > I want to buy a half skeleton from boneyard bargins > and I want to corpse it, what I need is latex, any > idea where I might find some? I got some stuff that is > like latex from the hobbie shop but they didnt have > latex and I think that would better, any thoughts? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Horse Drawn Hearse Ornament molding and casting From: "Bob Andrews" Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 09:36:29 -0500 I like the Synair stuff. It mixes easily in a 1:1 ratio, and it doesn't stink like polyester resins. http://www.synair.com/mold_ind/index.html Bob Andrews the_boss at restin-petes.com http://www.restin-petes.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rus Hardy" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2001 9:23 AM Subject: Re: Hall: Horse Drawn Hearse Ornament molding and casting > Bob Andrews wrote: > > > This is my latest project. > > http://restin-petes.com/ornament/ > > > > Bob Andrews > > the_boss at restin-petes.com > > http://www.restin-petes.com > > > > Great looking stuff Bob! How'd you like the Syn-Air Products? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: URL for my projectFrom: "Bob Andrews" Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 14:18:16 -0500Christian,The mold making stuff is not as nice as silicone, but at $70 for a twogallon kit, it's much cheaper and much more forgiving. Plus, it'stransparent, so you can see if bubbles are in contact with your master.Bob Andrewsthe_boss at restin-petes.comhttp://www.restin-petes.com----- Original Message -----From: "Harry Cooper" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 1:59 PMSubject: Re: Hall: URL for my project> Awe... I see. I've never used por-a-mold, is it cheap? I've made several> silicone molds (GI1000) and love it, but it's expensive as hell.> Excellent idea regarding the jigsaw hook up.>> Everyone on the list should experiment with molding and casting. You can> make so many cool prop cheeply this way.>> -Christian>> http://www.whatmepresident.com>> Bob Andrews wrote:> >> > Here's a URL for my casting project with descriptions.> > http://www.restin-petes.com/ornament.htm - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: Lifecasting page up! Check it out.From: Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 12:15:05 EDTHi Cheryl: If you had problems with the alginate "caving in" and the mother mold =(i.e., the plaster bandage outer shell) "caving in" as well, I suspect =that both were simply too thin. The alginate doesn't have to be very =thick -- 1/8" to 1/4" is usually pretty good for most places -- thicker =around the ears is a benefit since they're very hard to get out -- but =the plaster bandages need to be very sturdy. The "trick," if there is one, to working with alginate is to use the =coldest water possible when you start to mix it up. Alginate sets up as =it warms up. There are various types of alginate available now as well =that give extended working times, but I don't know if those have any =compromised qualities, such as lower shear strengths. From what I've found, Special Effect Supply has a large line of both =prosthetic and dental alginates at pretty reasonable prices. A direct =link to their life casting page is: http://www.fxsupply.com/life_casting/casting.html - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - skull mold making (long)From: Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 19:54:49 -0700Making a Skull MoldHere's how to make a latex skull mold for casting plaster skulls (I'vemade dozens of molds and thousands of skulls over the years)Materials needed:1 skull2 lbs oil based clay1 sheet of smooth plastic appx. 12x12"1 qt liquid latex1 yard cheeseclothAutomotive paste waxWhite Hydrocal plasterFirst decide if you want to cast your skull with or without the lowermandible. If the skull is one with a cut cranium, glue the cranium on anddisguise the seam line. Add clay to the back of the eye sockets andinside the nasal cavity to eliminate holes and deep undercuts insidethem. Fill in the space between the zygomatic arch and the temple withenough clay to close up the opening but don't make it thicker than thebone of the arch. If casting with the mandible in place, fill in behindthe teeth and jaw. Create a oblong cylinder of clay from the teeth to theback of the skull with protrusions at the bone bumps at the back of theskull. The purpose of this is to mount the skull to the plastic sheet andeliminate serious undercuts. Mount this assemblage to the plastic sheetwith the skull approximately 1/4 inch above the plastic. Smooth the clayall around. Paint one coat of latex, being careful not to create bubbles,onto the skull and onto the base about 3 inches from the cylinder. Letdry. Repeat for four coats of latex. On the fifth coat, take 6 inchsquares of cheesecloth and embed into the latex all around, being sure tosaturate the cheesecloth with latex. Don't be stingy, you want a strongmold. Repeat for three layers. Then paint a final two layers of latexover the entire mold to smooth the surface of the mold. When this alldries (don't rush things) peel your latex mold off the skull. Clean outany residual clay. Coat the inside of the mold with automobile paste waxand buff smoth. This will act as a mold release amd make castings easierto remove. In a flexible bowl, sift two cups plaster into one cup water.Let set for 30 seconds then mix. Pour plaster into mold and slush aroundto cover all areas, keeping an even coating all around. When plasterstarts to heat up and set, place mold down onto flat surface. Repeat laststep. when plaster has set hard enough (about 30 minutes) peel mold awayfrom casting. Clean off bottom flashing, using a Surform rasp, and paintas desired (water based paints work best)Pollogeist. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: A little make-up effects help From: "Brian D. Oberquell" Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 21:09:19 -0700 The main differences between liquid latex and slush latex is in the amount of "filler" in the mixture; liquid latex (used for old-age stippling and other makeup effects) is purer than latex made for mask making, which is usually slushed around in a mould (hence the name); since the mask is going to be thick and pulled over the head, it doesn't have to be as good quality as latex applied directly to your body. Foam latex has a gelling agent added to allow it to set after being whipped into foam and poured/injected into a mould. Mixing foam latex can be quite a challenge...so, if the makeup doesn't have to flex a lot, another option is to use a "cold-cast" urethane; this is similar to foam latex with a few important differences: 1) It's easier to mix; 2) It doesn't require baking in an oven as foam latex does; you put it in the mould and wait for it to set; 3) It's not as flexible (stiffer foam). If you're talking about a forehead piece you should be able to get away with a cold-cast product which will save you some time and effort. Most makeup supply companies will carry such a product; I know Kryolan has one and there are likely other brands available as well. You can also use it for facial prosthetics as long as you understand it won't be as flexible as foam latex will be. You could also use it for the neck pieces. Celastic is a stiff plastic (?) material that comes in sheets; it's dipped in acetone to soften it and is then placed over a form to be made into the appropriate shape. While you could make something out of celastic for use as part of a costume, it's not something that should be applied directly to the skin until after the acetone has completely evaporated and the celastic is completely set. Be sure to wear safety gear when using acetone (gloves, respirator, goggles) as it is nasty stuff and long-term exposure can be fatal. I've got a reference list on my site of books on various aspects of effects including makeup; you might want to check them out to see which ones will tell you what you need to know. - - - - - Subject: Re: Clay for molding faces? From: Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 14:51:50 EDT Hi Friendly Spirit: > What kind of clay would be the best for molding a > face? How could I make it weather resistant? I guess that the best answer here is, "it depends." How's that for = definitive? If you're actually talking about sculpting a face versus making a mold = of an existing face, I'd recommend using an oil-based artist's clay (such = as Roma Plastilina) or a water-based clay (such as WED Clay). The end = result here, though, will NOT be a head that you can put outside. = Instead, it would be a head that you would then make a mold of so that you = can recreate the sculpted item in something more outdoor-friendly (such as = latex or urethane). If you're wanting to sculpt something on top of an existing frame = (i.e., a mannequin head), you'll probably want to use something like the = air-drying compound made by Crayola. I don't know how well it takes = surface detail, though. You can always seal your finished product with several coats of = polyurethane so that all moisture is kept out. - - - - - Subject: Re: Rubber Latex - How Long? From: "Thee ScareCrow" Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 01:15:03 -0700 (PDT) Hey Dude, It takes about 30 minutes between layers - as long as the heat is above 90 degrees. And, what really helps - is to follow the directions on the label [ with a slight modification ] and apply gauze between the 2nd and 3rd layer of latex. Use *one* sheet of gauze and your latex skin will peel right off in one eerie piece. I'll put up pictures of my work in just a bit - enjoy! TheeScareCrow at yahoo.com --- Thee ScareCrow wrote: > Hello All, > > I'm in the process of making Rubber Latex molds from > some hard plastic spooky items - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Rubber Latex - How Long? From: "Rob Withoff" Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 20:11:45 -0500 Trying: Usually, I do a real thin coat and let it dry (a heat lamp or hair dryer speeds the process) until all of the white is gone. It also helps to embed = a layer of two of cheesecloth or gauze in between to help give it strength. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Re: Latex From: "William M Murphy" Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 12:38:33 -0400 The price I've seen for companies that deliver is 35 a gallon from Alpine Imports. http://www.alpineimport.com/cgi-bin/2/webc.cgi/~tmp/st_main.html?catid=3D59= 8&s id=3D8BIHBH0GkJoBEMu Michaels charges 64 for a gallon of the same stuff. - - - - - Subject: Re: Howl - Plastic casting & recycling From: "Bob Andrews" Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 12:18:14 -0500 There's this wonderful stuff called Por-A-Kast that's a lot safer. http://www.synair.com/products/pak/index.html - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Mask Help From: Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 08:32:04 EDT Sucks when that happens. You can use latex paints (monstermakers has nice paints), or pax paint usually works the best. Pax is Acrylic paint mixed with a medical adhesive called pros-aide. This always seems to be = the best way to go. You may have to powder the mask after using pax because = it can leave a tacky feel. - Justin T. In a message dated 7/29/01 6:00:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, EvilWillow at aol.com writes: << Anyone who can help me? I just bought a mask off the internet(made in = China) the pic on the web looked killer, but the airbrushing on the mask doesn't have near the detail as the one in the pic. It looks like it was knocked out in 30 secs. or less. What kind of paint does one put on a rubber mask? Any help would be appericated. - - - - - Subject: A head mold for an idiot. From: "Malice" Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2001 00:28:16 -0500 Alrighty everyone, I've learned a very important lesson for today. Never make a head casting with an idiot subject. I was nearly done with putting alginate over his head, when suddenly he burst out laughing, blowing the ENTIRE face off into his lap. I was not amused. When I saw that face jiggling in his lap, and him giggling, I wanted to cry. *sigh* Back to the drawing board. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Living Faces Masks From: "wilomena" Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 20:49:50 -0700 I was in a discount store who shall rename nameless (right, wally?) after last Halloween and while they had none of the living masks left, what I = did find was a Goldberg (or whoever that wrestler is) mask cover -- it was two pieces of plastic that once HELD the mask . . . the mask was gone (who cares) but the cover was there. . . . hmmmmmm. . . I asked the cashier = what to do with it. . . she said they were just gonna toss it. . . "can I have it?". . . she didn't care. . . you wanna talk scary? this guy is scarey! so I got two molds. . . for free. . . I am the goddess of cheap! wilo Blood detected. Run VAMPIRE.BAT? (Y/N) -----Original Message----- Seriously, I have been to the Party stores and have not seen any of the living masks. Don't just wait for the living masks....I used the packaging for a Jim Carey mask (the one I used for the beheaded victim) for use as a mold. Use your imagination when you look at the plastic packaging that things come in. - - - - -