Bob the Alien (Giger inspired Alien)
- Thread starter Leigh
- Start date
daredevil665
Sr Member
Very well!!! It expresses the anger is about to explode.
:thumbsup
:thumbsup
Magnificent!
daredevil665
Sr Member
I asked several times if could do the lips with thin skin, which then can be painted.
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Thanks Guy's
Can anyone offer any advise/ idea's for making the mould/ moulds for this?
The jaw opens & I'd like the tendons to stretch evenly. I'm thinking I'll have to remove at least two of the tendons either side & mould/cast them separately. I'd be happy to remove all the tendons (bar the big one) & cast them separately if necessary. The area's rear of the big tendon on either side could be cast separately as well & even cast in solid plastic.
I was originally thinking about casting this whole thing in rigid plastic & then refining some of the details like thinning the lips & at least the edges of the tendons. I could then separate it into pieces & mould cast the pieces individually?
It seems a bit more akin to a face prosthetic then anything else I've done so far. I've watched a few vids on prosthetics & I think I get the idea :/
Its complicated due to the shape & finished requirements & I'm having trouble getting my head round it :$
Can anyone offer any advise/ idea's for making the mould/ moulds for this?
The jaw opens & I'd like the tendons to stretch evenly. I'm thinking I'll have to remove at least two of the tendons either side & mould/cast them separately. I'd be happy to remove all the tendons (bar the big one) & cast them separately if necessary. The area's rear of the big tendon on either side could be cast separately as well & even cast in solid plastic.
I was originally thinking about casting this whole thing in rigid plastic & then refining some of the details like thinning the lips & at least the edges of the tendons. I could then separate it into pieces & mould cast the pieces individually?
It seems a bit more akin to a face prosthetic then anything else I've done so far. I've watched a few vids on prosthetics & I think I get the idea :/
Its complicated due to the shape & finished requirements & I'm having trouble getting my head round it :$
daredevil665
Sr Member
It is a very complex job. Maybe it takes a mix of materials. As you say, some hard and some rubber bands. I think it's difficult to hold the lips rigid edges. To do so would drown the metallic wire in the rubber but I think it is difficult. Maybe to simulate the skin of the lips would be best to use a nylon sheet glued cuffed on the metallic wire, as it seems to be the original.
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alienbuilder
Well-Known Member
right, very complicated! do you already know what materials you will use? ist also a question if you can make a flexible mould or a hard one. if it could be a flexible one, a cast in one piece may be possible as well. my thought is, how to fix the tendons with the rest good enough not to rip of, especially when the mouth would open. another question would be what you want to have at the end: an animatronic head (I guess not right?), a head thad can do some posing, or just a sculpture. personally I am more fan of a "sculpture" and so I would prefer an unflexibel, fixed face with lips, tendons and so on cast in resin, because I don't really trust the duration of al kinds of rubber stuff :lol. but thats just my madness I guess.
on the other hand, if you could manage to glue the parts together, a separately molding would have some advantages. do you want to paint these parts at least or do you want to colorate the rubber itself a bit?
on the other hand, if you could manage to glue the parts together, a separately molding would have some advantages. do you want to paint these parts at least or do you want to colorate the rubber itself a bit?
daredevil665
Sr Member
maybe I'm saying bull****, but I thought even for the elastic cloth to simulate the tendons. I think that would be more indestructible than the rubbers.:confused
Thanks for the feedback
I'm still planning to cast this piece in clear polyurethane rubber. Unlike Latex urethane has a long life as far as I know, it should be paintable with relative ease, it should glue well to the understructure & should be flexible enough to pose with the jaw open or closed.
The lips should stay in the position they're in & the tendons should stretch but I'm thinking the tendons will stretch differently due to size & thickness. So where they interact or cross over each other I'll need to separate them, cast them separately & find a way to glue them securely at their ends.
I've actually already started removing the two rear most tendons on either side... tricky
From what I've read & seen in vids face prosthetics are cast in solid moulds, mostly by pouring material into one half, closing the mould & squeezing them together allowing excess material to squeeze out into built in over run areas around the mould. I don't think I'll be able to use this method due to the shape of my piece.
So I guess I'm left with the option of creating a silicone mould ?
I'm still planning to cast this piece in clear polyurethane rubber. Unlike Latex urethane has a long life as far as I know, it should be paintable with relative ease, it should glue well to the understructure & should be flexible enough to pose with the jaw open or closed.
The lips should stay in the position they're in & the tendons should stretch but I'm thinking the tendons will stretch differently due to size & thickness. So where they interact or cross over each other I'll need to separate them, cast them separately & find a way to glue them securely at their ends.
I've actually already started removing the two rear most tendons on either side... tricky
From what I've read & seen in vids face prosthetics are cast in solid moulds, mostly by pouring material into one half, closing the mould & squeezing them together allowing excess material to squeeze out into built in over run areas around the mould. I don't think I'll be able to use this method due to the shape of my piece.
So I guess I'm left with the option of creating a silicone mould ?
alienbuilder
Well-Known Member
hm... would it be a way to use a hard mould and just "paint" the polyurethane in with a brush? you just need a thin layer of material anyway right? if there would be a way to smooth the inner surface this could be another option...
I m not sure how these PU rubber is separating with silicone. also if a silicone mould will be pushed together there could be a problem with deforming the mould.
I m not sure how these PU rubber is separating with silicone. also if a silicone mould will be pushed together there could be a problem with deforming the mould.
Painting the urethane might be problematic it has an initial set time of about 5 minutes & it wont be a perfect fit on the face. This is the problem, I need the inside of the cast to be as crisp as the outside. It also needs tongues either side at the top of the big tendons to glue to the inside of the cheeks, this will provide a larger surface area to glue it in place allowing it to stretch without peeling off.
I have the solid urethane plastic part that I've sculpted on to that I can use as the inside of the mould for now & I guess I'll have to use silicone for the outside mould. It looks like I'll have to fill in the deep area's in the sculpt & bring them up to the surface level of the sculpt with rigid urethane before I build the silicone part.
If I then use plenty of release on the solid part of the mould & should be able to cast a rigid piece. I should then be able to separate that into handleable pieces & then set about making individual moulds for each of those pieces.
That's the only way I can think of doing this?
:unsure
I have the solid urethane plastic part that I've sculpted on to that I can use as the inside of the mould for now & I guess I'll have to use silicone for the outside mould. It looks like I'll have to fill in the deep area's in the sculpt & bring them up to the surface level of the sculpt with rigid urethane before I build the silicone part.
If I then use plenty of release on the solid part of the mould & should be able to cast a rigid piece. I should then be able to separate that into handleable pieces & then set about making individual moulds for each of those pieces.
That's the only way I can think of doing this?
:unsure
DAVIDYR1
Official Licensee
Leigh if this were my sculpture, I'd mold the jaw in a firm yet semi rigid urethane that's platinum silicone friendly and wont inhibit the cure. I think you're going to be disappointed in a flexible urethane casting because you'd have to go down to a 10 shore urethane and then soften it up even more to get it to flex the way you're wanting it to. Then, with it being that soft it could start leeching oils real soon after the fact and would be a nightmare to paint.
Again, me? I'd make a semi rigid urethane mold...then cast in clear platinum silicone, possibly tinted a bit - or a lot - depending on the color base you want or need but I wouldn't go with a urethane cast.
That's just me...take all with a grain of salt. Others may have better suggestion.
David
I've tried the urethane rubber for the mould with the last attempt. I had a few bubbles & the detail was poor compared to the silicone. I also tried a clear plat silicone & it wouldn't set.
When I first started experimenting with the tendons I cast some parts with a shore A20 urethane rubber & its plenty stretchy enough for the job. I cant get clear in anything softer than A55 though An A55 hardness will work really well for the lips as they don't need to stretch its also UV stable & crystal clear. The tendons that need to stretch are the small piece in the corners of the mouth, the thin one that joins it & the biggest tendon that connects top & bottom, all of which I reckon I could get away with casting in the shore A20 with a white tint & then a they can be blended with a little airbrushing.
What do you reckon?
I have thought about making two different jaw castings but I really want this to work, so we'll see how this goes & I may end up resorting to that option.
Thanks for the thoughts
When I first started experimenting with the tendons I cast some parts with a shore A20 urethane rubber & its plenty stretchy enough for the job. I cant get clear in anything softer than A55 though
An A55 hardness will work really well for the lips as they don't need to stretch its also UV stable & crystal clear. The tendons that need to stretch are the small piece in the corners of the mouth, the thin one that joins it & the biggest tendon that connects top & bottom, all of which I reckon I could get away with casting in the shore A20 with a white tint & then a they can be blended with a little airbrushing.What do you reckon?
I have thought about making two different jaw castings but I really want this to work, so we'll see how this goes & I may end up resorting to that option.
Thanks for the thoughts
daredevil665
Sr Member
Hello Leigh, and the pedestal is well on track?
