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 "monster mud" topics. This includes: o monster mud - the classic o papier mache o other composite building materials It does NOT include related topics: o architectural constructs o comparison/contrast of materials (because that would include foam, not a composite) see architecture - - - - - Subject: [Fwd: Hall: Re: Monster Mud Question] From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 17:59:11 -0800 I have used the burlap and muslin. The burlap is superb for the heavy = duty results that you get BUT.... the muslin will give you a smooth almost skin = like appearance to the prop. I used the burlap for the strength and shaping of = the props. Then I applied muslin over the top over the portions that would be 'skin'. I used the muslin only on the death bride that I made. I already = had a torso but the wedding dress did not have a high top collar so where the styrofoam head and the body met looked like ka-ka-doo-doo. I slid the = head down (someone hold back the Ironman on this one) on the pvc pipe stub and = then applied the MM with muslin strips. I have heard that tearing the strips = is the best way to do it but in my opinion that is incorrect. I cut my strips = because when you tear them, the loose threads on the torn edge are a pain in the patootie when you are trying to make it look like skin. The throat of the death bride was perfect and a little Rit whitener goes a long way to make = the prop glow. Sue t&s wrote: > I'm wondering if anyone has used a fabric other than burlap, and how the = MM > turned out. - - - - - Subject: More Monster Mud Missives From: Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 11:22:07 EST Hi all: I've been reading with interest the raft of questions regarding which = fabric is best to use with Monster Mud to achieve the best surface = texture. Being a relative newbie to the list, I've not yet made anything = with this wonderous material. But, it seems to me that the question of = which fabric to use should be based more upon the desired strength of the = final product and not so much the surface texture. Perhaps I'm being naive, or my unfamiliarity with Monster Mud is = causing me to miss the point of these questions. If you're really looking = for a smooth surface, why not simply apply a thin coat (frequently called = a skim coat in the plaster-working world) of Monster Mud over the dried = material to smooth out the surface, or to at least give you an surface = that you could sand smooth? For that matter, why not apply a thin coat of = Monster Mud over a surface and then stamp it with various texture stamps = (see below) to simulate any kind of surface texture you're wishing to = simulate? Is this material impossible to sand once it is dry? Should = multiple layers not be used? I'm looking forward to the SLIGHTLY warmer weather in the coming = weeks, as it will allow me to start some experiments along these lines. = As it is right now, I couldn't create a batch of Monster Mud without = worrying that it would freeze. But soon. Ahhh, soon. Jon P.S. After I wrote this, it occurred to me that some people reading this = might not be familiar with texture stamps. These are frequently used = while sculpting appliances for special makeup effects to impart a "real" = surface texture to the piece. These stamps are typically home-made things = -- I've never actually seen any for sale commercially -- and consist = mainly of a number of layers of latex that have been painted onto a = surface, such as an orange skin. When dry, the stamps may be pressed into = the clay to create the illusion of pores, fine wrinkles, and the like. = It's a whole lot easier to use these stamps to create this kind of surface = texture than it is to try and sculpt it all by hand! Well, the same kind = of technique ought to work, I'd think, with Monster Mud. But, instead of = painting latex onto an orange or a wrinkled section of skin, it could be = painted onto a concrete floor, a section of a wood plank, a large rock, = whatever. When pressed into the drying Monster! Mud, the texture would transfer and should, I'd think, help create the illusion of reality in the final = piece. Just a thought. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hands and Burlap From: Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 13:30:55 -0700 >if you are looking to spend some money, terror >syndicate sells premade rigid foam hands that look >pretty good . i cant remember how much they are right >now but you could check em out. That would be one hell of a bride. Steve Hickman's prop hands measure alm= ost 12" from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. My kind of woman. > I just made a small (3ft) reaper and only used one >layer of fabric and i usedabout half that. so i would >guess thats about right. > >I made a 6 ft Grim Reaper and I used a 50 foot roll of burlap > >http://www.angelfire.com/tn/grimreaper/ Thanks for the information! Steve Hickman also confirmed that a 3' x 50' roll of burlap, on average, would cover a 6' MM prop. And no, I'm not affiliated with Steve Hickman or the Terror Syndicate. I just have tremendous admiration for his creativity. - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: body sculpting From: "FRED WESDORP" Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 13:32:08 -0400 I JUST STARTED MY FIRST MM PROP WHOOHOO ...i used pvc to make my inner = frame then wrapped the arms and umm err upper part of the body ( its a female prop) with old plastic shopping bags (with a wife and too ghouls i have plenty of them ) to give the arms the shape i wanted . i also used a piece of styro foam for the upper half . the dress i used is a temple dress from my little webby , the lace is a pain in the hinie. but i finally got it coated ..i'll let it dry a few days and give it another coat ..i figure on = 3 or 4 coats minimum since i used a thinner mm so that i could paint it on ....pictures will be posted at my site when i get her done . - - - - - Subject: Re: Monster Mud From: "Iron Kingdom" Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 12:15:47 -0400 Hey PF, Here's a link to our old site that has a little info on Lady Iron's technique. For Monster Mud I mean. Her other techniques are a well = guarded secret that even I don't know about. My eyes are usually closed when she does them. Enjoy. http://www.ironman.ourfamily.com/page14.html Ironman Check out our new Halloween Domain.... http://www.TheIronKingdom.com Custom Ironwork..... http://www.villagesmithy.itgo.com/ And come see us in the crypt.... http://www.oneillpcs.com/haunt/chat ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bradley" To: "Halloween List" Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 1:06 PM Subject: Hall: Monster Mud > Ok - I need info on Monster Mud creations. I can't find the web site = that > shows how to make the basic underlying framework. Also - does anyone = have > any trouble with them being TOO lightweight - like blowing away? Thanks > ever so much. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Monster Mud From: "WebMistress" Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 10:19:23 -0700 (PDT) I had that problem ... so I make really heavy bases for them. I have a = really basic how to ... no details... = http://www.lazarusmaze.com/Projects/2000/sid_the_sign.htm .. I'm writing = some new ones as I'm making my new props, but they won't be ready until = Nov. The big thing to remember is that the cloth and MM can be heavy so I over = do the size a little. The MM weights it down to the correct size. I'll try to add a few more pics of the frame work as I'm going .. but no = promises :) Webby --- "Bradley" > wrote: >Ok - I need info on Monster Mud creations. I can't find the web site = that >shows how to make the basic underlying framework. Also - does anyone = have >any trouble with them being TOO lightweight - like blowing away? Thanks >ever so much. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Monster Mud From: "WebMistress" Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 18:08:22 -0700 (PDT) You don't have to always us burlap ... All my MM guys are burlap free. = All you need is a sturdy fabric, and the MM to make a creature. Burlap is good, however, for ragged edges. I haven't been able to = duplicate that with any other material. None of my guys has needed it = .... yet! Webby --- "Bradley" > wrote: >Watch the size of the burlap? What do you mean? :) > >Psychotic Fairy > > > >> I don't think that you have to worry about them blowing away. Build = any >> frame you want with lumber or PVC and chicken wire. Watch the size of = the >> burlap. - - - - - Subject: Shredded paper - Oh Boy!!!! From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 18:56:11 -0700 Oh boy, cross shredded paper, get the pot of water on to boil and dig out the blender, we are making some paper mache NOW!!! Sue E Ratliff wrote: > > hey my office just got a paper shredder (patient confidentiality and all > that crap so we had to) it's a cross cut shredder and makes little = pieces > (1/4' by 3/4" if that) I just couldn't bring myself to throw the bag of > shreddings away I figured I could use it to stuff something if nothing = else. > Does anybody have any ideas for this would it work as some kind of paper > mache`? - - - - - Subject: Re: shredded paper From: "stirling" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 19:39:00 -0700 I went to www.fakefruit.com you have to let them email you to get the instructions but they had some good recipes and stuff. S Moss I used to have an open mind... but my brains kept falling out. http://www3.telus.net/moss all spam will be reported to http://spamcop.net/ ----- ----- Original Message ----- From: "E Ratliff" To: "Halloween List" Sent: August 9, 2001 6:45 PM Subject: Hall: shredded paper > hey my office just got a paper shredder (patient confidentiality and all > that crap so we had to) it's a cross cut shredder and makes little = pieces > (1/4' by 3/4" if that) I just couldn't bring myself to throw the bag of > shreddings away I figured I could use it to stuff something if nothing else. > Does anybody have any ideas for this would it work as some kind of paper > mache`? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Monster Mud From: "Damien Stafford" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 13:01:26 -0700 (PDT) --- WebMistress wrote: > You don't have to always us burlap ... All my MM > guys are burlap free. All you need is a sturdy > fabric, and the MM to make a creature. I have used old sheets to do MM creatures they work just fine! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Shredded paper - Oh Boy!!!! From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:13:50 -0700 Like I said, get out an old non-aluminum pot, put some water on to boil, dump in the paper, boil until soft, let cool, drain, run through the blender and you have some marvelous paper mache materials. You can then use one of many paper mache recipes found on Halloween sites using glue or wheat paste or flour or one of many other adhesives. I like Kim's Halloween page http://members.tripod.com/~Motomom/index-2.html or go to the fake fruit site at http://www.fakefruit.com/index.html or just do a search on paper mache. Trust me you will find more paper mache recipes on the internet than you can shake a femur at. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Monster Mud From: "Damien Stafford" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 19:11:13 -0700 (PDT) why yes , Sue , they are and my grim reaper looks great in them!~TVD~ --- Sue McDonald wrote: > Please tell me that these are not the flowered > sheets... > > Damien Stafford wrote: > > > > --- WebMistress > wrote: > > > You don't have to always us burlap ... All my MM > > > guys are burlap free. All you need is a sturdy > > > fabric, and the MM to make a creature. > > > > I have used old sheets to do MM creatures they > work > > just fine! - - - - -