Alternative to silicone

SerGregor

Hey everyone I'v been reading alot on these forums and watching tutorials everywhere and had a question. I am currently pepping a suit of Warhammer 40k power armor and the plan was to eventually cast it so we could pull 3 suits. After reading and watching I have noticed most people are using Rebound 25 for their silicone and having looked at the price of the Rebound, it just doesn't seem economically feasible to cast the quite large power armor pieces using it. So I am wondering if there is a cheaper alternative than rebound 25 or what some other suggestions would be? I put a pic of the shoulder just to tell the size I am talking about.

Finhead

Sure there are alternatives, but Rebound is very newbie friendly. If you have never made a mold before it really is the easiest way to go. You can go on the cheap but in the long run it will end up costing more, trust me I was in the same mind frame when I did my first mold.

JaggerWolf

I have made several molds out of standard caulking tube silicone - Just make sure it says 100% silicone. The downside it the fumes from it are nasty so wear safety gear.

I have made a few mold for predator bio helmets with it, make sure you use a good release when molding the original piece - them make a rigid jacket mold over the silicone.

crypto

I'm making SM armour as well, knowing how big the various pieces are wouldn't you be better off vac-forming them. It's going to cost a packet in silicone not to mention your moulds are going to be HUGE.

imnotahero

JaggerWolf had the same idea I did. The stuff works pretty well. However, make sure the caulking you buy isn't old. If its past the sell-by date you may be in trouble. One of the times I tried this I covered an entire helmet in the stuff, then waited for it to cure...and waited...and waited. After a week and a half it was pretty clear that the caulking wasn't going to cure. And trying to clean that stuff off of a sculpture is not easy. I had to re-sculpt the entire thing. Also, I suggest putting it on in thin-ish layers. Too thick and it will take forever to cure.

Etewaf

My attempts at cutting corners on costs have usually ended up costing me the same as, or more than, the good supplies would cost. Bite the bullet and buy the good stuff, you won't regret it.

whte1222

Recommend resin for casting on any piece of armor. Its cheaper then most alternatives. Thougth be careful to get a high impact resin to keep it from shattering or chipping. I cant say its better then anything else because Ive never used much of anything else.

Finhead

Fiberglass, almost half the weight and 1/3rd the cost.

robn1

I agree with this. Trying cheaper alternatives may lead to costly do overs later.

The Rebound is probably the best solution. You can economize by keeping it thin, about 1/8in should do it. Then make a mold jacket in fiberglass or plaster.

Nyne

If your going to use the silicone caulk method, you must i repeat must put a few drop of acrylic paint in it to make the thing cure completely thru. im not telling you to go cheap with it. But there are quite a few tutorials online teaching the silicone caulk method with acrylic paint. Just search google for silicone caulk acyrlic paint mold making

SerGregor

Thanks for the replies guys. So you figure an 1/8th of an inch layer of silicone with a plasti paste mother mold should work on something that big?

robn1

1/8 should do it. You only need enough rubber to capture the detail. But if you have any undercuts make sure to fill them in with the Rebound. Plasti Paste will be fine for the mold jacket.

TheBrothersRich

there are cheaper forms of silicone out the I prefer mold max 30 by smooth on for most of my molding tin cure(which mold max 30 is) is the cheapest tin cure silicone you can get you can pour it or mix in aerocil aka mircoballons, or cabosil to thicken it into a paste for trowelable applications. i would watch out going tooo thin with any silicone material over large pieces because that will lead to torque and tearing. I recommend true case molds and not brush ups in large applications also i make my jackets(cases whatever you wanna call them) outta fiberglass with locking points to hold the silicone against the jacket.

PepMaster

For silicone I use the Aeromarine AM125 Silicone from eBay, it costs about 100 for a gallon kit. Should be just enough to make the mold of the shoulder. As for the resin I use Model-Pro resin from SpecialtyResins on eBay, costs about the same as the silicone for a 2 gallon kit. Hope this helps you out.

Knowone251

smooth on also sells 1 to 1 by volume urethane mold rubber. I have never used it but have been looking into it, and from what I have read you just really need to be through with your use of mold release.
Brush-On® Series Urethane Rubber Product Information | Smooth-On
EZ~Mix® 40 Urethane Rubber Product Information | Smooth-On
I am leaning twards using the ez mix 40 brush on urethane for a quora helmet
mold im working on

CB2001

I know this is an older post, but I figured I'd ask this question here than to start a new topic. Not too long ago, someone stated that while they were working as a prop maker for the film industry, when it came to molds, they mixed paint with the silicone to thin it out so that they could pour it. I don't know if that method really does work or not (but please let me know if it does, and what type of paint, acrylic or enamel, works).

But, it got me thinking about another thing. Is latex paint (the kind you normally find at Home Depot and Lowes) useful to make a mold? I ask this because I know how latex paint (if in an open container) can dry up into a solid block, and I have to wonder if someone had tried it to see if it could be used as a mold.