I May Have Just Boned Myself

TheC0lonel

New Member

• May 16, 2016

• #1

Hi guys!

So, about a week ago, I finished up a pretty decent Kylo Ren sculpt.



It's slightly rough, but my first time creating a scupt of that complexity, so I decided to mold it and cast in resin, then sand out any imperfections. Today, I de-molded it for the first time.



It came out exactly how I wanted - no tears, no inhibition, nothing apparently wrong except for one thing:

The mold won't fit back on.

Specifically, when I put the mold back on the sculpt, there's about a quarter inch of flex in certain areas. It looks like some of the undercuts won't fit back into the cavities on the sculpture. I'm kind of worried about this.

Has anyone encountered this problem before? Can it be fixed? If it can't be fixed, what's the worst-case scenario?

EDIT:

Okay, I fixed the problem. Here's a tip: first of all, never do what I did. Apparently, I read a really bad tutorial.
However, if this does happen to you, cover the stuck parts of the mold with water and dish soap. Then push. It works!

 

Last edited: May 16, 2016

udog

Well-Known Member

• May 17, 2016

• #2

"The mold won't fit back on."

"Has anyone encountered this problem before?"

Why do you want the mold to fit again on the sculpt?

 

weaselflinger

Sr Member

• May 17, 2016

• #3

If he hasn't made the mother mold yet, he's going to need the silicone back on the sculpt.

I understand the excitement of wanting to see how it turned out, but yeah, never do that until the mother mold is made.

 

udog

Well-Known Member

• May 17, 2016

• #4

#3

Ok, thanks....wasn´t sure why the mother mold was missing in the pic.
Yes, patience is a must in moldmaking.

 

udog

Well-Known Member

• May 17, 2016

• #5

Also, if the image is of the finished sculpt (not sure) I would also give some more hours in improving the surface before molding and thinking of sanding etc...it´s worth it and it can be done.
Sorry if the image is not of the finished sculpt,.

 

TheC0lonel

New Member

• May 17, 2016

• #6

weaselflinger said:

If he hasn't made the mother mold yet, he's going to need the silicone back on the sculpt.

I understand the excitement of wanting to see how it turned out, but yeah, never do that until the mother mold is made.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm pretty peeved at myself. The mold fits back on now, but now it's more like a 99% fit. I'll still make the jacket and do resin, but in the awareness that the pull might be distorted slightly. Ugh.

 

TheC0lonel

New Member

• May 17, 2016

• #7

Clay definitely isn't my preferred medium. Really, every time I try improving one area of the surface, I end up smudging something else. I honestly think it's a better bet to sand a resin casting. Alternatively, if the casting has imperfections due to my mistake, I'll start fresh with a more resilient material, using what I have so far as a waste mold.

 

udog

Well-Known Member

• May 17, 2016

• #8

TheC0lonel said:

Clay definitely isn't my preferred medium. Really, every time I try improving one area of the surface, I end up smudging something else. I honestly think it's a better bet to sand a resin casting. Alternatively, if the casting has imperfections due to my mistake, I'll start fresh with a more resilient material, using what I have so far as a waste mold.

Click to expand...

What clay are you sculpting with?

Using a waste mold, and a rigid casting is a good way to go (I´d say a professional way) to get very perfect and smooth pieces by sanding etc...

But using a firm clay (Chavant NSP medium or hard, Monstermakers or others) will help tp get as close as you can to the final result.

Also, what is your sculpting method and process?, what tools are you using?.

There are tricks besides patience for this. The shapes are nice, just some more refining. Or in the next one.

 

TheC0lonel

New Member

• May 17, 2016

• #9

I've adopted a couple of tutorials from Volpin Props (although he prefers to use bondo). Started with an MDF form, layered styrofoam over that, and layered monster clay over that. I'm using pretty ordinary clay tools that I bought at the craft store, rakes and hooks and so on. Getting a smooth surface has been difficult--burnishing the clay and smoothing it with isopropyl myristate have done some good.

 

clonesix

Master Member

• May 17, 2016

• #10

The tools are the best for smoothing. You can use loops and rakes to get the shape, but a metal kidney brings it home.

 

udog

Well-Known Member

• May 18, 2016

• #11

Sculpting has a long term learning curve I guess, it´s patience, and as clonesix says, using the correct tools for each task.
I´ve taken a look to some images of Kylo REn.
These metalic things need to be very straight and neat to get the feel.
Don´t know if you already tried, but you can create clay sheets of the thickeness you want, cut them in stripes and add the stripes to the sculp to get that straight look metal will have in this case.
This way you could also smooth the general shape before creating the "metalic" structure for the forehead and cheecks, and the lay on the clay stripes and create the pattern.
It might end up "cleaner" and straighter

Also, if you´re molding in silicone, it´s not strictly necessary to use clay on all the sculpt....other materials will give the chance to simulate what you want. Let your imagination seek....

Many ways of dressing a cat, one more

 

TimeyWimey

Well-Known Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Jun 28, 2016

• #12

For my Rocketeer helmet, I sculpted it to the limit of my sculpting abilities in Monster Clay, the made a mold off that and cast a urethane helmet - to which I then added the fine detail (including all the welds and the rivets around the eyes). I don't have the expertise to accomplish all that in clay. Then I used that as a master for the final mold.