Just had an idea for a potential new method...

[PillowFire]

Just had this crazy idea, read it through to the end.


Here is how it works, you take some of those thin, metal wires, the ones that are bendable but can retain strength, you then measure out exact amounts based on the size you want the part you are doing to be.

After that, you fold them exactly as measured to create a very basic shape of the part, and glue-gun the wires together to create a sort of wire-frame, very basic at this point.

Say you picked the fore-arm, you then use your basic shape, and wrap it in tin foil, or paper, or whatever, straighting it out as best as you can. After that, you coat the entire thing in a layer of resin or two to make it hard. Once this is done, you manipulate your surface to add details using sculpting clay. This could potentially work to create very symmetrical parts. Also, you could add more wire and resin to get more detailed shapes to work with, like if you make a chest plate, to get the basic elevated areas, you could use the metal wire to make a basic surface.

After all of that is done, you have a very good moldable model.

Also, Idk if it's possible, but can you resin the clay used for sculpting? or cover it with something then resin that? Becase that could potentially make this a viable technique to create accurate parts without having to spend money on molding.


I honestly don't know if this can work or not, I need some feedback, I may even try it myself. I'd need some of the metal wire though, I don't know what it's called but I have seen those types of flexible yet strong wires in stores.

 

[AoBfrost]

Something like chicken wire? or thin metal mesh? That would work with resin, but since it isnt very easy to bend and shape according to the armor piece, I dont think it is worth it, also, the cost will be more expensive because of it being metal, but if you have the time/money and patience to bend it, I'm sure it would work really well.

 

[Spartan 161]

Recently at an art store I saw a product that comes in rolls, basically it is a stiff form of screen wire. You can bend and shape it into very complex 3d shapes. These forms are then coated with plaster, clay or celluclay. (Celluclay is nothing more than paper fiber with a binder in it, like paper mache) Perhaps this product will work better for the application your suggesting. The Wire mesh comes in many sizes below is a link. As always if the link doesn't work copy and paste it into your browser.

http://www.utrechtart.com/dsp_view_product...bclassID=201211

As for resin over clay... Not sure that would work. You could always try it with something small. Experimentation is the mother of invention. Hope the link is helpful

 

[PillowFire]

thanks for the link spartan 161

I am going to be buying some modeling clay soon hopefully, and I will be sure to try resining a small chunk to see what happens if/when I resin my other armor parts.

I was thinking of ways to create an accurate base for molding, and I came up with this idea, but I also have several other ideas, all of which involve using something not too detailed as a base.