Pepakura Clay Pour Method

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PepMaster

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To start this off you will need:

Melt-able Modeling clay (NSP recommended)
A Styrofoam mannequin head
A completed pep file of your choice
Oven mitts (for holding onto the pepakura item while you move the clay around and for filling so you don't get burned)

Step 1:
Go ahead and construct your pep file as usual simply cut it out and glue it. There is no need to resin the completed piece because you need to be able to pull it off later. Afterward i do like to coat it with primer just to give it some stability and it also helps with the high heat you'll be dealing with. If there are any gaps or holes in the seams of your pep you'll need to fill them or clay can leak out. Hot glue or tape is good for this.

Step 2:
You'll start off by melting bricks of clay to pour straight into the pepakura "mold" you've just made. I would highly recommend doing this step outside on a portable stove or grill side burner because it generates a lot of smoke that will choke you and burn your eyes if you do it in a closed space. Also try to do it in an old pot of some kind because lets face it its going to get ruined. NSP clay medium is what i used and it is by far your best bet on this and i find it overall to be cheaper as well. Keep in mind that in total this will require 18+ pounds of clay to complete and it is sold in 2 pound bricks. Melt your clay on low temp because it can burn.


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Step 3:
Now once you have a good bit melted pour it into the Pepakura mold and roll it around the sides a little and let it cool. This is just to give it a nice thick coating before you put the mannequin head inside. Depending on the pepakura size and the head size you might have to do some bulking out with cardboard to take up a little more space in the helmet just so you arent wasting clay also you should wrap it in tin foil. Once the first layer has cooled place the mannequin head inside and while holding it in place begin pouring your other layers and let them cool this should now give the head a good sturdy setting and you can just pour the rest as you go. I would only melt one or two bricks at a time as you go. (keep in mind it will be extremely hot and you should take safety precautions)


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Step 4:
Once you've poured enough clay into the mold and filled it up set it aside to cool for a few hours then the fun begins. Now simply begin peeling of the paper from your pep little by little to reveal your clay helmet. Now it can be smoothed and detailed as you wish and when you're happy with it mold it ! this method is great for giving you an accurate and scaled place to start for sculpting a helmet to cast and when you're done you can remove the clay from the head and re use it for another helmet. Good Luck.


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Credit goes to Skylow for the original post via the 405th.
http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/26253-Pepakura-Clay-Pour-helmet-Method
 
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I have heard of this method before, but now with the images and full explanation I think i will have to give this a try. It has to be easier than bondo, and possibly cheaper once you make the initial clay purchase. Thank you so much for posting this.
 
Yes you can re-heat the clay. For most helmet items I find that you only need about 3 bricks (4.5 pds.) each to fill the paper mold with. Depending on the size of the item, more/less clay. You also don't want the foam head sitting flat on the bottom of the inside. This way you don't end up with foam showing on the top of the sculpt. As you can see the foam head is also wrapped in aluminum foil to keep the foam head from melting.
The bondo method is probably about the same value, you just don't have a buttload of sanding to do when you do it this way. Or the smell of the bondo or resin to deal with.
 
This method is also similar on how I made my latex Iron Man neckseals at one point. I did it a bit differently however. With this way you can make your items out of latex.
First build the pepakura Iron Man neckseal. Second, lightly resin it. Third, stick waterbased grey clay inside the piece fully filling it. No need to heat it up or anything like that. Also make sure to give it a bit of clay around the bottom edge so when it's sitting flat on something you have a clay wall on the bottom. Now get yourself some plaster of paris. Do a couple detail coats, then apply the plaster thick for the first layer, plaster bandages and plaster for the second layer, and a thick coat of plaster for the final coat. Flip the plaster buck over and pull out the clay. Then peel out the paper, wash the mold out and let it dry.
Now you're ready to make latex neckseals. You can dye the liquid latex with acyrillic paint, if you use red, your latex will be a pink color when mixed, if you use black it will be a grey color, etc., etc. Brush two coats of latex inside using a chip brush, then slush cast 2 coats after the brush coats dry. Once it's dry pull out your latex neckseal.
 
Did you credit the guy you took this method from on the 405th
You just copied and pasted his whole thread.
 
Sorry I'll give credit to Skylow in the original post, I just forgot is all. But I have used this method for my own items and it works perfectly. I just figured this would help people here as well as it's helped people over there.
 
You forgot the most important part in my opinion

But remembered to copy and paste everything else exactly as shown.

Ok..
 
It was just surprising as someone like yourself who is always asking to be credited and also has removed many files for not being credited back on the 405th, would be so laxed in remembering to credit someone else.

Could you also make the credit to him anymore obscure?
Right at the bottom... Really?
 
Never thought about doing it that way still new to using pep files to build stuff but that does seem like a really good place to start I will have to try that for my guyver build
 
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