So I want to make molds?

[Timmy2guns]

Yes, I've done Pepakura. I've even done cardboard.
Now I want to make mold with the polyurethane and clay positives.
I HAVE read the GREAT tut on moldmaking, and I learned how now. But I suck at sculpting!
Where can I start? I Have a job and about $5000 saved up just for producing a few armors for some friends.
I heard somewhere I start by molding a soda can; is this true? And wouldn't I need a kit of sculpting tools?
Sorry, I just wanna' do this soo bad. :rolleyes
Any and all help is welcome. I have roughly five months.

 

[imurray]

Most people start with the helmet.

My setup - which was recommended more than few times - is to use a 1:1 scale head, and mold on top of that. It's easier to get an idea of how big it will be, and how much room you'll be giving yourself.

The head can either be a mannequin, lifecast, or otherwise.

Hope that helps.

 

[Damien]

my suggestion is u dont start with the helm due to the fact that it would be your first mold. i say start off small like the hand plates and work your way up so your dont mess up the helmet

 

[Arthraxis]

my suggestion is u dont start with the helm due to the fact that it would be your first mold. i say start off small like the hand plates and work your way up so your dont mess up the helmet

You can't mess up on a sculpt, it's clay, you can just re-sculpt whatever you mess up on. But starting on something small would be good to practice casting a mold of it, and creating the armour itself.


BTW, can you share this 'GREAT' tut with us? lol

 

[herogear]

If you've already worked with Pep & cardboard, build up from there... Pep your armor parts, assemble, give them a quick coat of resin, superglue, epoxy, etc to make a shell, shoot some foam into the interiors if you like for stability, then use spackle to smooth & shape the exterior. Once you have it just the way you like it, give everything a smooth coat of shellac, varnish, polyurathane, etc to give it a nice clean sealed surface. Make you molds, cast your parts...

I only know a few sculptors who can make clay look like metal or realistic armor... Even when it's done well, clay still has a 'soft' look to it. It's simply to difficult to get square sharp edges, crisp details, or smooth flat planes.
When you build up your armor working on a hard surface, it's much easier to sand, carve, & shape into a realistic finish & smoothness. I've seen way to many pieces that where sculpted in clay, then cast in resin, that needed so much putty & sanding that it would have been easier to just do it from scratch yourself.


Wolf

 

[Timmy2guns]

The tut with the 'hand drawn' pics.. Its on Page 2.

 

[Evil Femle]

For the head you can use a Styrofoam wig head. They are only about a couple bucks at a costuming store. But you'll have to secure it down so it doesn't fall over when you start sculpting the helmet onto it.

 

[Reclaimer]

Use a fairly firm clay. Warm it up when your moving big amounts of the clay and you'll want and cool it down when adding details. Getting a nice crisp edge is easy to achieve when the clay is stiff. I looked at the older threads where people have cut all of those nice channels in the back of the MC helmet by hand and it looks fairly decent. But if you want perfect channels with almost no effort just press some wire into your clay. For example: something smooth like an old computer mouse cord. The depth and diameter of the channel will always be consistent. Make templates to help keep an edge and to help keep symmetry.

 

[Halo 1]

Remember to secure the styrofoam head to a turntable so you can access all areas with a turn. If you're starting from scratch, have a pair of large calipers handy as well to get some sizing off your head for the helm build. get yourself some standard sculpting tools, and some sized paint brushes.

And depending on the clay you use, have a mist sprayer ready as well, to smooth on/redo and mistakes etc...

Here's an idea on what you can do...I did this with the Dr Doom helm build.

Calipers:

Water to clean/smooth on:

Detailing:

Hope this helps!

Tim.

 

[mlcallanta]

Remember to secure the styrofoam head to a turntable so you can access all areas with a turn. If you're starting from scratch, have a pair of large calipers handy as well to get some sizing off your head for the helm build. get yourself some standard sculpting tools, and some sized paint brushes.

And depending on the clay you use, have a mist sprayer ready as well, to smooth on/redo and mistakes etc...

Here's an idea on what you can do...I did this with the Dr Doom helm build.

Calipers:

Water to clean/smooth on:

Detailing:

Hope this helps!

Tim.

Hey Tim - you sculpt now??
Thats awesome buddy!

Mardon (MLC)
mlcallanta@gmail.com

 

[Halo 1]

Hey Tim - you sculpt now??
Thats awesome buddy!

Mardon (MLC)
mlcallanta@gmail.com

Mardon,

Thanks! I'm trying bro, trying...requires alot of patience and time.

Tim.

 

[Sean Bradley]

Great advise everybody! Thats what this site is all about!

Unfortunately theres no easy shortcut for good sculpting... any creative endeavor is a propotionate equation between time spent and results... the more time you spend on it, the better the results. I for one have been refining my craft for over 15 years, and I NEVER assume that I know it all. It's best to be humble in this craft because our species has been studying it for centuries... you can never be confident that you know everything there is to know...

As far as moldmaking I agree that you should start small. Take this advise... I have taught moldmaking at the college level... There is a learning curve, and it is an expensive venture. Don't jump headlong into something that you know little about... read, study and gather as much information as you can before you get started.. there are no awards for being done fast. You'll just end up wasting money.

The best I can offer you in moldmaking instruction is www.polytek.com. I have worked with this company for years, and their catalog was the most useful textbook I have ever come across, and they're not as shy about sharing trade secrets as some other mold companies..

I hope that you find the information you need, and if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask, from the moldmaking companies or here.

Good luck!

-Sean

 

[Timmy2guns]

Thanks evreyone!
This has helped ALOT, and cleared some things up.
By the way, Sean, thats a great site.
Expect a great helmet from me later on into next year!