Resin alternatives?

grinty33

Member
Hi everyone,

I'm in the molding stage of my Guyver movie replica helmet, I'm doing a simple 2 part mold using latex with a plaster backing for support.

After doing some research i've discovered that if followed my original plan and made a fiberglass helmet, the resin would likely eat the latex away.

Are there any alternatives as I do want to make a few copies of this piece to experiment on.

I've heard of jesmonite and wondered if that would be a suitable material to cast it in? And can it be used with glass fiber for support as well?

Any help is appreciated, thanks
 
I did a sculpture many years ago and made the mold out of latex. Out of that mold I pulled quite a few castings made from polyester resin. I used to drop the whole thing in a tub of cold water once the resin had gone off to try to reduce the heat as the resin cured, as I'd heard that the heat 'cooked' the latex and reduced its life. Eventually the mold began to stick to the castings until it eventually tore. The problem with latex as a moulding material, of course, is the shrinkage.

Al
 
latex is great for molding candles, but you want a silicon mold with a fiberglass jacket. silicone is a little more $, but worth it.
 
The latex is going to shrink so much the 2 halves of your mold will not line up properly.
 
Thanks for the replies. I know the latex will shrink but didn't think it would be by much. I've gone ahead and purchased some silicone instead.

Will a 2-part mould still suffice for a piece like this? Or would it be better to do a 1 piece and then do a slush cast?

The helmet will be made wearable so things like openings and stuff are being considered, and also it's going to take a few bumps since it's part of a suit for a fan film.
 
I would do a 1 piece silicone mold and create a cut seam up the back and then use a 2 part jacket. Make sure to put plenty of mold keys into it to ensure that it lines up perfectly with your mother mold. Even though you're using silicone i'd still spray a release in there to make the mold last for more castings. PU resin kicks the crap out of any mold. For casting, i would just slush cast it and then dremel out the parts that you need to be open. That way you're left with a much more solid helmet.
 
Thanks for the suggestion Scuba.

Just another question. Jesmonite is a water based resin, do you any experience using it and would it suffice as an alternative to fiber glass and resin?
 
This thread is more than 11 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top