DRAGON SKIN DISASTER! Help!

duck

duck

Active Member
OK, Ok, I knew I was playing with fire, but it worked fine in the past.... I'm using Dragon Skin in a mold to make a face for a mask. The first time I used this mold, I cheated and tinted the Dragon skin with a few drops of cheapo craft paint. I just couldn't see paying $25 each for their Silc Pig tints (I needed 2 colors) when the Dragon Skin itself is only $24. The last time I did this, it cured absolutely no problem.

So I'm making a new mask and went to the outlet to buy more Dragon Skin and got talking to the guy and he said it never should have cured, but since it did, he said I got lucky. To be honest, since it worked absolutely fine last time, I figured he was trying to scare me into buying and extra $50 for tints I'd use maybe 4 drops of each.

Wellllllll..... I just did my first pass of Dragon Skin with the 4 drops of the same paint I used last time and it doesn't look like it's curing. I'm gonna head out to the movies in a bit and hope for the best, but if I come back and it's still bubblegum soup, I'm pretty screwed. Anyone have any ideas how to go about cleaning a failed cured Dragon Skin attempt out of a plaster mold? Anyone every have a situation similar to this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
duck said:
OK, Ok, I knew I was playing with fire, but it worked fine in the past.... I'm using Dragon Skin in a mold to make a face for a mask. The first time I used this mold, I cheated and tinted the Dragon skin with a few drops of cheapo craft paint. I just couldn't see paying $25 each for their Silc Pig tints (I needed 2 colors) when the Dragon Skin itself is only $24. The last time I did this, it cured absolutely no problem.

So I'm making a new mask and went to the outlet to buy more Dragon Skin and got talking to the guy and he said it never should have cured, but since it did, he said I got lucky. To be honest, since it worked absolutely fine last time, I figured he was trying to scare me into buying and extra $50 for tints I'd use maybe 4 drops of each.

Wellllllll..... I just did my first pass of Dragon Skin with the 4 drops of the same paint I used last time and it doesn't look like it's curing. I'm gonna head out to the movies in a bit and hope for the best, but if I come back and it's still bubblegum soup, I'm pretty screwed. Anyone have any ideas how to go about cleaning a failed cured Dragon Skin attempt out of a plaster mold? Anyone every have a situation similar to this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have had this problem and had to use acetone--was messy but it worked and I got a clean mold --I have tried the same shortcut with colorants and have found that it doesnt pay to try and cheat. You got lucky the first time curing-I didnt. I use smooth on products a lot and have a great relationship with my local smooth-on people here and they have not steered me wrong yet. I am although considering using some of the Polytec products in the near future. If you dont need the extreme stretchable properties of the Dragonskin, the platsil gel 10 looks to be some really good all purpose stuff. Im going to try it for my next Mystique costume this year.

good luck
 
Just use a powder pigment.. or oil paint. If you used acrylic paint-- uhm, that was probably the issue.

This was right from Smooth on tech line...
 
A quick question about dragon skin as I have never used it...does it have to be used in a plaster mold? Can it be used in a silicone mold if a release agent has been applied?
 
Eopie Herder said:
A quick question about dragon skin as I have never used it...does it have to be used in a plaster mold? Can it be used in a silicone mold if a release agent has been applied?
Click to expand...

Use Dawn or a similar soap for release agent--works better thatn the ones that you can buy--believe me I have been there-done that and have the t-shirt--ruined molds using the release agent that was suggested. The green soap worked great!!!!!! (Dawn or similar)
 
Eopie Herder said:
I use powdered pigments for other companies skin silicone, but I can't answer about Smooth-on's
Click to expand...

Then maybe you should just direct to the smooth-on site and let people decide for themselves. To those of us who use the smooth-on product frequently we know what works and what doesnt--but thanks for your input!!!
 
Machina Artium said:
Use Dawn or a similar soap for release agent--works better thatn the ones that you can buy--believe me I have been there-done that and have the t-shirt--ruined molds using the release agent that was suggested. The green soap worked great!!!!!! (Dawn or similar)
Click to expand...

So, dragon skin can be used in a silicone mold?
 
Cool, thanks. I've used some other silicones for skin, but have been wanting to try out the Dragon Skin for prosthetics. I checked out the tutorial on the Smooth-On website, and the showed using stone molds, and I really didn't want to use them.
 
Eopie Herder said:
Cool, thanks. I've used some other silicones for skin, but have been wanting to try out the Dragon Skin for prosthetics. I checked out the tutorial on the Smooth-On website, and the showed using stone molds, and I really didn't want to use them.
Click to expand...
go to this site and check it out before you go any farther--

watch the you tube videos-- www.bitymoldsupply.com

Im impressed and am considering switching to this product--the platsil gel 10 looks like an all around product

Let me know what you think--PM me cause I am in contacxt with the owners!!!
 
If it doesn't set then wipe as much as you can away with paper towels and then take a cotton ball soaked in catalyst and wipe over the remaining silicone, wait a day and remove and repeat the process... The supper concentration of catalyst should force a cure, but because it's not mixed in it might only cure the surface and a little below, thus multiple sessions might be needed to get off all the silicone...

Because it's a plaster master, I would recommend a good sealing and release agent after the cleanup as the soaked into the plaster raw catalyst concentrate might cause release issues from the plaster when remolding...

Good luck and remember trying to save $20 can cost you $100s and many hours of lost time in this hobby...

Then maybe you should just direct to the smooth-on site and let people decide for themselves. To those of us who use the smooth-on product frequently we know what works and what doesnt--but thanks for your input!!!
Click to expand...

In truth Smooth On products are nothing unique or extraordinary, a platinum cure silicone is still a platinum cure silicone there are of course slight differences in formulas and some tolerate things slightly different but what works well for one brand usually works on others... Yeah it might not be 100% compatible across the board but to jump down someones throat for offering up suggestions like powdered pigments is silly...

Test first is always the best approach...

And yes I have lots of experience with Smooth On as well as half a dozen or so competitor's products... In many cases using multiple brands on the same day as I prefer the way some work compared to others...
 
Eopie Herder said:
So, dragon skin can be used in a silicone mold?
Click to expand...

If your mold are made of Tin base cured silicone, dragon skin or platsil gel 10 may will not cure properly at least the surface in contact with the mold, platinum silicones can´t have any contamination with Tin or Sulfer (from latex or sulfer base clays like Roma plastilina or some types of Chavant)
 
Last edited:
exoray said:
If it doesn't set then wipe as much as you can away with paper towels and then take a cotton ball soaked in catalyst and wipe over the remaining silicone, wait a day and remove and repeat the process... The supper concentration of catalyst should force a cure, but because it's not mixed in it might only cure the surface and a little below, thus multiple sessions might be needed to get off all the silicone...

Because it's a plaster master, I would recommend a good sealing and release agent after the cleanup as the soaked into the plaster raw catalyst concentrate might cause release issues from the plaster when remolding...

Good luck and remember trying to save $20 can cost you $100s and many hours of lost time in this hobby...





In truth Smooth On products are nothing unique or extraordinary, a platinum cure silicone is still a platinum cure silicone there are of course slight differences in formulas and some tolerate things slightly different but what works well for one brand usually works on others... Yeah it might not be 100% compatible across the board but to jump down someones throat for offering up suggestions like powdered pigments is silly...

Test first is always the best approach...

And yes I have lots of experience with Smooth On as well as half a dozen or so competitor's products... In many cases using multiple brands on the same day as I prefer the way some work compared to others...
Click to expand...

Wasnt jumping down his throat--just experience talking is all--no offense meant
 
Dimclay said:
If your mold are made of Tim base cured silicone, dragon skin or platsil gel 10 may will not cure properly at least the surface in contact with the mold, platinum silicones can´t have any contamination with Tim or Sulfer (from latex or sulfer base clays like Roma plastilina or some types of Chavant)
Click to expand...

good words!!! a note that I found out by experience with the chavant
 
Dimclay said:
If your mold are made of Tim base cured silicone, dragon skin or platsil gel 10 may will not cure properly at least the surface in contact with the mold, platinum silicones can´t have any contamination with Tim or Sulfer (from latex or sulfer base clays like Roma plastilina or some types of Chavant)
Click to expand...

Machina Artium said:
good words!!! a note that I found out by experience with the chavant
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads up on the silicone. I'm not worried about sulfur though, I use wed clay.
 
Thanks for all the advice, guys.

the good new: "The Hangover" was a friggin' hysterical movie (yes, we just got around to seeing it).

The Better news: The Dragon Skin cured perfect while we were at the movies. Same exact consistency as before. I don't know why is seemed so damn long, maybe it was my imagination. I dodged a bullet. Since my initial layer was what I needed pigment in, I'm just gonna use untinted DS for the thickening layer to finish this project tonight, but next project, I will use Silc Pig tints if it calls for color.
 
Platinum based silicones are very temperamental when it comes to moisture. something to keep in mind.
 
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