MOLDAPALOOZA! (Lots of pics!)

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but the thing I don't know is what I do for the second piece for the helmet, Does it need to have a positive void? Like you explained with the Sword handle?

No. You do not need to made a two piece mold for most sections of the helmet. The molds of the Jaw section and the Back of the head are 1 piece 'Open face' molds. The reason the the Brim of the helmet is a two piece mold is so that the underside can be cast with the top of the brin in one piece. These molds are used bby brushing resin into them from the open side.

The sword handle is a two piece mold because both sides of this piece are critical.. they both have to be exact. However, the interior of a helmet is not critical, does not need to be exacting, as itt is inside, unseen and will be covered with padding.

Just out of curiousity, why would you choose the sword handle as your example when I've already shown you what a helmet mold looks like?

Oh, BTW Sigma the ball keys are made by pressing the end of a wide paintbrush into the clay that the first piece is laid up in. iT makes a 1/3 round negative cavity that the rubber or resing fills in. Then after flipping the first half over to mold the other side, the bext part of the mold flows around the positive mold key, making a locking mechanism that ensure that your molds fit together tightly.

End of lesson for today. Be sure to have your homework on my desk by 9 am Monday morning. :lindsey:
 
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you can a 1 piece helmet......thats how i do mine

Well yeah... but wheres the fun in that!

LOL I know it can be done easier than I did it, but breaking it into sections allows me to make changes to specific sections without having to make all new molds... that and I like being able to take it apart to access the inside. Makes all the wiring and padding alot easier. :Steve:

But for the average moldmaker here, you may want to take links advice. I did make things a little more complicated than they needed to be just to have that feature.
 
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Sean Bradley said:
but the thing I don't know is what I do for the second piece for the helmet, Does it need to have a positive void? Like you explained with the Sword handle?

No. You do not need to made a two piece mold for most sections of the helmet. The molds of the Jaw section and the Back of the head are 1 piece 'Open face' molds. The reason the the Brim of the helmet is a two piece mold is so that the underside can be cast with the top of the brin in one piece. These molds are used bby brushing resin into them from the open side.

The sword handle is a two piece mold because both sides of this piece are critical.. they both have to be exact. However, the interior of a helmet is not critical, does not need to be exacting, as itt is inside, unseen and will be covered with padding.

Just out of curiousity, why would you choose the sword handle as your example when I've already shown you what a helmet mold looks like?

Oh, BTW Sigma the ball keys are made by pressing the end of a wide paintbrush into the clay that the first piece is laid up in. iT makes a 1/3 round negative cavity that the rubber or resing fills in. Then after flipping the first half over to mold the other side, the bext part of the mold flows around the positive mold key, making a locking mechanism that ensure that your molds fit together tightly.

End of lesson for today. Be sure to have your homework on my desk by 9 am Monday morning. :lindsey:

You are ******* god man. Seriously. Nice job man.

Cheers!

-John117
 
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Sean Bradley said:
Nope. But if you hadn't caught it I am teaching you to make molds.

Seriously man, you are ******* god! Thanks so much! You should also get a line open for donations. You and the other good folk here. :mrgreen:



Cheers!

-John117
 
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This is great Sean, thanks alot. Im doing pepakura now, but i plan on moving to this method in a month or two. This will probably be the easy part, hope im good at sculpting...

But just to make sure i understand:
1. Sculpt
2. brush on a type of rubber that hardens
3. Place that in a master mold to keep the rubber from bending out of shape.
4. pour/brush in resin? I'm not sure exactly what goes into the openfaced molds.
 
That sounds about right. For open faced molds you can brush in thickened resin to a desired thickness. For closed or two piece molds you can rotocast it hollow, or pour it solid.

Rotocasting is hollow casting in an enclosed mold. You put in a small amount of rotocasting resin, and rotate the mold as it cures... makes a nice hollow casting. that you can cut and reinforce later.

I don't use this method much, but I know other armor makers use it quite a bit.
 
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A 1 piece mold for the back of the helmet.

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Test pulls of the sword handles

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Test pull of the collaborative M6C

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The rewards of well made molds... :mrgreen:

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Sorry i had to fix that
 
I agree marioknight92. This is one thread that really deserves to be brought back to life.

I'll be needing a lot of these pics for reference very shortly.
 
what you need to do is make video tutorials on how to make these molds... I for one, would love to know how it is done.

I'll make a deal with you. You make one, and I'll make one.
 
I was planning on doing exactly that as soon as I have a new helmet to cast. I can't afford to do a mold just for the tutorial, but as soon as I have another mold to make, there will be video goodness.

Sounds like a deal Adam!
 
My rotocasting machine will be done this week, I will post pics if Sean and Link want.

Its a 28"x28" hand drive, steel framer.
 
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