Silicone Alternatives.

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the rubber silicone is super expensive! i was wondering if there are any other materials that i could use to mold my helmet. i was thinking about a vacuum mold but i am up for suggestions.
 
I once used caulk also known as silicone sealant. Its a gamble though b/c it isn't incredibly durable, if it doesn't cure then you're screwed (learned that the hard way) and its still pretty expensive at $5 a tube.
 
Imnotahero said:
I once used caulk also known as silicone sealant. Its a gamble though b/c it isn't incredibly durable, if it doesn't cure then you're screwed (learned that the hard way) and its still pretty expensive at $5 a tube.
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i was actually thinking to use that... then cover that is a rubber cement or a spray... idk. do you have any advice on making sure it cures? or did you need a lubricant so that it came off easy?
 
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ratchet_fan said:
i was actually thinking to use that... then cover that is a rubber cement or a spray... idk. do you have any advice on making sure it cures? or did you need a lubricant so that it came off easy?
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Ive only used it on non-drying clay and if thats what your using then it should come off really easily. And to make sure it cures, you need to check that each tube of the silicone hasn't past its expiration date. If it doesn't cure you'll need to scrape that stuff off and that takes FOREVER. And to make sure it keeps it shape, i'd suggest fiberglass.
 
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mold max 20 is your best bet for cheap mold rubber, around 90 bucks a gallon. use regular fiberglass resin and kitty hair to make a mother mold with .
 
Or you can use latex. The stuff is ludicrously cheap and is extremely flexible. It also captures detail very well with a minimum of air bubbles. Ben Streeper uses it to do a lot of his mold work.
 
UNSC_Leatherneck said:
Or you can use latex. The stuff is ludicrously cheap and is extremely flexible. It also captures detail very well with a minimum of air bubbles. Ben Streeper uses it to do a lot of his mold work.
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yea, latex should work fine, the bad thing is that latex shrinks

Bob
 
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I have quite a bit of latex, and I have experience with it (halloween masks). So I was wondering if you guys have any idea if latex can be used on an armor piece sculpted from an oil-based clay? I prefer to sculpt my armor, so I was hoping I could put the latex on the armor sculpted from clay, and then support it with a fiberglass, or plaster shell. But I'm not sure if it works with clay. Please help!



Super-Ang
 
Super-Ang said:
I have quite a bit of latex, and I have experience with it (halloween masks). So I was wondering if you guys have any idea if latex can be used on an armor piece sculpted from an oil-based clay? I prefer to sculpt my armor, so I was hoping I could put the latex on the armor sculpted from clay, and then support it with a fiberglass, or plaster shell. But I'm not sure if it works with clay. Please help!



Super-Ang
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If you mean reinforcing the latex and wearing it, that won't work. If you mean making a mold and then adding a solid structure made for fiberglass, then yes, that is what most people use for the mother mold.
 
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Liquid latex is the way to go - you can get ridiculously large amounts of it for cheap and get about eh... 20 pulls or so from it. The downfall = it's a lot more work in that it takes anywhere from 20-40 thin coats to get it to a cast pulling state. If you've ever seen any of the Soaring Hammer stuff some of it was pulled from latex molds. For your mother mold you'll still want to use Plast-Paste or fiberglass. Now as far as making armor out of latex.. no, that won't work. Your casting material is still going to have to be Smoothcast 300 or FlexFoamIt which is expensive.



Cheers,

Kensai
 
Thanks for the help, when you say a fiberglass shell/mother-mold. Do I have to put a layer of a release agent on the dried latex to keep the fiberglass from eating/harming/sticking to the latex?



Super-Ang
 
No you don't need to. You need some between the parts of your mother mold, if it's a multi-part mother mold.









Do not, EVER, use petrolium jelly on latex.
 
Well, instead of making a new topic, I thought because it sort of relates to this topic, I might as well ask.



Is it possible to slush-cast some rondo in a silicone mold, then lay some fiberglass on top of the rondo for added strength? Or would the rondo (resin/bondo) somehow react to the silicone mold?



I'm just wondering because I just molded my first armour part and can't get any Smooth-cast 320 until Christmas. I would also like for this to be a cheep kind of pull so I can use it as a paint testor.



Sorry for jacking the thread, but I believe the question before this one has been resolved.



Thanks in advance.



Cheers!
 
Of course you can.









And it's actually really easy to sand ;)









If you're not using silicon, make sure you're using a release agent, and don't forget to fix the hardener ratios ;)
 
that is all real helpful!!! i think that i will be doing the liquid latex with the plaster or fiberglass case over the top.



and to make sure i get this right. it takes 20-40 layers? when would i know it is ready?
 
You need to apply it in thin layers as it dries with air, not with an hardener.









What I did, is I used 12 coats of "pure" latex, latex mold builder with nothing in. Then, the 8 other layers were with some cheese cloth between them, just like you'd do fiberglass.









20-40 coats is way too much. Will make your mold more durable, but not as strechy. And by the way, it takes days to make ONE mold.









As a coat takes about 30-60 minutes to cure depending of the temperature. And your time ;)
 
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