Rats.

[spacebug]

I think the mold-making/casting project I had going basically failed. The shape I was trying to cast was a little too weird I think, and the casting got stuck, like, REALLY stuck on the inside so I can't get the one practice casting out without totally fucking up the mold. Well, it might be sort of salvagable but not really. And casting stuff sets super quickly, and the vent holes were too small and they plugged up before I could even get the whole mold filled up. Oh well. So, I'm out ~$60, had a great time making a big mess, and learned a bit. I think I'll try it again and make a plaster mold like my big clay head. I won't be able to make duplicates that way, but it'd definitely be cheaper and will probably be easier to demold though a lot messier. (Take a chisel to it! Yeah!) And then if they work they'd all be one-of-a-kind. By necessity, but yeah.

I thought my hands were covered in clay dust, but I think upon closer inspection this might be a very very thin layer of plastic. No wonder it didn't come off in the shower.

Dang, it's after 2 already. No wonder I'm hungry.

Comments

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

what were you making? what technique?

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

I made a model in clay of a little pod-like thing with the intent of casting it in resin or plastic and making it into a lantern. The deep undercut is the problem child, and the fact that the negative space inside it was too large for the opening it had to come out of. I was kind of hoping it would be elastic enough to deal with it (it probably would have been if it hadn't stuck so badly. I *thought* I put enough release agent on, but maybe not.) I ordered a sample pack from smooth-on.com that came with a mold rubber compound and a white plastic for casting, along with a small bottle of sealant (for porus models, like clay) and a release agent. They're actually an amazing deal. Their products are really good quality, though everything but the trial sizes and the sample packs are pretty expensive. I probably needed a different technique for the thing I'm doing, maybe a three piece mold or something. I'd get more stuff from them if I could afford it, but I'll try plaster 'cause I've worked with it before and it's cheap.

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

I'd love to do some sculpture-making of that sort with you. I even have a little experience with wax injection and stuff like rubber mold cutting.

How big was your project?

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Neato. it was pretty small- the trial size stuff only comes in pints, if that gives you an idea. The lantern you could hold in your hand and I used the cheap plastic ziplock tubs to pour the mold.
And hey, if you have any desire for a huge quantity of beeswax for stuff like that, star5 and noise have this huge pile in their kitchen someone gave them 'cause it was going to be thrown away. They're going to get rid of it soon, so if you want it, lemme know.

[alisgray.livejournal.com]

yeah, actually that would be very cool.