if we make our crypt this year we'll need over 100 skulls. I'm interested in the spray foam idea for this.
Lurks in the shadows, let's see if I'm getting you right. But I do have some questions. Not that smart. LOL
Make a one piece silicone mold. Cut it up the back to the forehead so there will only be a short line to deal with. Can this be done with the tube silicone?
Use the divider to separate the two plaster 'mother' mold halves. Would the keys work better on the outsides of the mold?
The plaster would help hold the cut in place when you spray the skull mold from the open bottom?
Inquiring minds want to know! LOL
I read somewhere about pressing a skull face into sand and making a spray foam copy of it. Has anyone heard of or tried this?
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The cold winter air lets me know I'm still alive. I feel it as I breath in and see it as it leaves me. It's the point in-between I'm not sure about.....
I've been playing around with making foam skulls in my molds, and the results so far have only been so so, but encouraging. You need to use the minimally expanding foam, not the regular triple expanding. The two part mix your own foams probably would give better results, but it's way too expensive for the amount of skulls it would seem to turn out. The same goes for using an UltraCal mold and buying the casting latex and hardener. Even when you'r using Great Stuff, remember, that one can is way more than you need for one skull. And unless you use the can up right away, chance are you'll never get the rest out. That's why I've made multiple molds, so that I don't waste any. By the time you're done, it seems you could buy the skulls from Odd Lots during the season for the same money. It's only the fun of making my own that makes it worthwhile.
Putrid, when I place my latex/silicon mold back into the mother mold before casting, I just duct tape the seam closed on the outside of the latex mold. It leaves almost no trace. I've spoken to people who've tried the sand idea, and all have said that it wasn't worth the effort. And yes, %100 silicon in a caulk tube will do the same thing. GE 2 silicon is one brand that springs to mind, and is sometimes on sale. The benefit of silicon over latex is it's longevity,resistance to shrinking and degredation over time. It's downside is it's cost.
Foam skulls are a necessity for some settings and props, but for basic displays etc. you'll never beat just making your pulls out of plaster. They're hardier than you'd think once you finish them properly, and polyurethane them. At $8 for a 25 lb. bag of plaster, I can make one hell of a lot of skulls.
Lurks in the Shadows, I've done the same thing. Type something in for a good 15 minuets and end up loosing it all. I'm a victim of of my own 'clever stupidity'. LOL
Vlad, I'm hoping to make 12 4x4 panels of bones and skulls for our crypt. How heavy and durable are your skulls?
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The cold winter air lets me know I'm still alive. I feel it as I breath in and see it as it leaves me. It's the point in-between I'm not sure about.....
I thought of something else that may work too, but I haven't tried it yet. Why not get some clay (or make some at home) and press a skull into it to create the negative then spray Great stuff into the clay? You would need to do both front and back this way but it might work in a pinch.
Hi Putrid, They're heavy for sure. If you're talking about filling those panels with plaster castings, I'd say probably not. Here's how they look when you set a bolt in them before they harden. They attach well and will never fall off.>>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.kodakgallery.com/PhotoVie...id=60809733506
But the main problem is going to be storage. As durable as they are, they won't take a lot of banging together. On the other hand, neither will foam ones, but the completed panels would be a lot lighter. I'd say that they'd be harder for TOTers and such to damage than foam ones. Latex skulls would be okay, but they're subject to up to 10% shrinkage over time, as well as breaking down in the light and temp. extremes, as most storage areas go through.
Well I guess this means it's off to the paper mache mill for me. LOL Durability and weight are big issues. The panels will be stored in our attic so latex isn't an option. If I can get the crypt together I'm going to use the following eye's technique in each one of the skulls. When the TOT's walk through they will have 100 pair of eye's following there every move.
__________________
The cold winter air lets me know I'm still alive. I feel it as I breath in and see it as it leaves me. It's the point in-between I'm not sure about.....
Putrid, What I'm experimenting with now, is using latex molds, and using paper mache' as the casting material. I should have some pics by early next week. I believe it's the best most cost effective method to use. I'm going to press the paper mache' into the molds. I'll be using toilet paper for the first layer. That should allow it to pick up the most detail. The end result should be lightweight as well as long term and weather resistant. I just can't justify spending the amount of money needed to do it all with either great stuff foam, or casting latex, resins, etc.. I need a ton of skulls this year also, as I want to build a skull fireplace. The key is going to be starting now, and making them constantly. Sometimes low tech is just more fun in the long run anyway.
Vlad, keep us updated on that paper mache' thing. Pics would be great. And my next question is why would you use a latex mold for that, could you use any kind of mold? What would you use as a release or would it even need one?
From what I've heard from folks who've done this is it stinks. It's better to do outside on a gas grill burner.
__________________
The cold winter air lets me know I'm still alive. I feel it as I breath in and see it as it leaves me. It's the point in-between I'm not sure about.....
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