Thread: Stupid Question

Tweet

Hi fellow haunter! I've got a stupid question. I'm in the process of making a tomb & a Grim Reaper. The tomb is made out of foam & the reaper out of an old prop. I see everyone uses different material (monster mud, paper mache etc) to cover their props. Is anything better than the other? & What do you use to seal it from the weather? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Drylok seals it for the weather, generally you can get it tinted to the color you are looking for, most people opt for grey on tombstones and such.

Not a stupid question at all, monster mud is a little heavier than paper mache, each creates a dif texture & effect. Some a little more durable too. As for sealing,
best to use water based products, clear driveway sealer, poly urethane, some use shellac (not water based), dryloc for stone look. Most have semi gloss & flat, so again depends on what you need it to look like.

It kind of depends on what effect you are after and what you're more comfortable in using. I prefer paper mache (and variants like snot-rag and latex & tissue). I find I can shape mould easier than monster mud, but that may be just me.

I've used urethane sealants, latex and mod podge (sometimes separately or in various layers)

From being in the painting business for over 30 years I find latex paint by itself is enough to seal a monster mud prop. In my 12 years of haunting I never put a "sealer" on a prop.

Latex paint is 'made' to seal out moisture and it better do it's job because we put in on one our most valuable assets, without a "sealer" and trust it to hold out the moisture from getting to the wood in our homes. Latex paint is also a lot more flexible than a urethane sealer. Sun and heat (mostly from storage) will breakdown urethane and it will flake and become brittle ....the sealer, not your prop.

If you like the texture look of drylock you can always add a little sand to the latex paint. Drylock is also made to keep moisture out and it works very well but it's also quite a bit more expensive than latex paint.

Which sits out in the rain and dampness the most, our home or our Halloween Props?

Thank you everyone for all your help!

Originally Posted by madmax

From being in the painting business for over 30 years I find latex paint by itself is enough to seal a monster mud prop. In my 12 years of haunting I never put a "sealer" on a prop.

Latex paint is 'made' to seal out moisture and it better do it's job because we put in on one our most valuable assets, without a "sealer" and trust it to hold out the moisture from getting to the wood in our homes. Latex paint is also a lot more flexible than a urethane sealer. Sun and heat (mostly from storage) will breakdown urethane and it will flake and become brittle ....the sealer, not your prop.

If you like the texture look of drylock you can always add a little sand to the latex paint. Drylock is also made to keep moisture out and it works very well but it's also quite a bit more expensive than latex paint.

Which sits out in the rain and dampness the most, our home or our Halloween Props?

Good idea...i never thought of it that way before i think you just saved me some money

Definitely, a good primer coat & latex best way to go,prep is everything for a darn near bullet proof paint job. I only use clear sealers if I've already custom airbrushed / painted something & need non colorant sealer.
Sometimes ya can get lucky at the paint stores or Home depot type places that sell for a couple dollars pre mixed colors that are returns or didn't match for the customer, so they blow them out for cheap !

Originally Posted by dreamcatcher923

Hi fellow haunter! I've got a stupid question. I'm in the process of making a tomb & a Grim Reaper. The tomb is made out of foam & the reaper out of an old prop. I see everyone uses different material (monster mud, paper mache etc) to cover their props. Is anything better than the other? & What do you use to seal it from the weather? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I've always found paper mache to be a slower, more tedious process. You have a little more control so it really depends on what you're making and how large and detailed it is. I couldn't imagine making anything bigger than a bread box out of the stuff.