Dragon Skin/Foam Latex Moldline Repair

[wuher da brewer]

What is the best way? I'm new to this medium.

 

[SgtFang]

I've never used Dragonskin, but with foam, you can burn off most of the seam with a soldering iron, then stipple liquid latex over what's left to blend it in.

Dragonskin's a urethane right? You "might" be able to dremel it off with a cotton "bullet", but be VERY careful not to let it grab your piece.

Good luck!

-Sarge

 

[cheech9898]

Smooth-On's Dragon Skin is a silicone rubber, as long as its not a texture detailed area just mix little batches & brush it on the area to build it up to suit (and tint it if needed). If it is a tear in the dragon skin just mix a little batch & brush it on each side of the tear and push it back together & let cure. If its got the 'Slacker' additive in it (like a gel filled appliance) I dunno if that could be repaired, might have to trash it if that's the case.

 

[BLAST]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but how strong is dragon skin exactly? Does it tear easily?

 

[SgtFang]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but how strong is dragon skin exactly? Does it tear easily?

Hehe, "very" and "no'. :lol

It's made for animatronic skins, so it's extremely strong and stretchy and made to take months or even years of repetitive movement without damage.

-sarge

 

[wuher da brewer]

I don't think this is the dragon skin any more. I handled dragon skin once, but it has been a while.

 

[AlpineDarthMaul]

Sorry to hijack.. Where does a person get Dragonskin, and what type of mold is best for it? (ultracal, silicone, other?)

 

[Rhett J Martin]

You get it through Smooth On

Dragon skin is 'advanced theory' type of material for guys like us. It's a real pain to learn to use, although once you do, the results are very dramatic.

 

[BLAST]

I guess I'll ask another question here and we'll make it a dragonskin thread. I've been considering using it for a project that would require me to slush cast with it, coating the inside of a large, closed block mold (probably urethane) Will it actually coat the mold or will it bead up kinda like urethane on silicone?

Are there any specifics that make it difficult to get the hang of?

 

[LeMarchand]

i used dragonskin to make a brush on mold for my kandarian dagger grip. I found it easy to work with and it makes an excellent, very flexible mold. The only thing they advise is to add pigment to it (sil-pig i think it is called) so you can actually see you have mixed it properly.

can't help you with the slushcasting one, can you post a pic of the mold? Although it seems to set faster than your average silicone, keeping the mold in the same position will probably result in gravity pulling the silicon down.

 

[BLAST]

That's the sculpt, my mold didn't work out because it was brushed on and too thin to support itself in the mothermold. I need to figure out how David does his batman suits, cause I think it'd be the same technique.

 

[cheech9898]

I've only seen it used for appliances where there's a body plug (face cast, hand cast, etc) that goes into the mold. Since it's an easily poured silicone, I'd imagine you'd have to have a thickener in it or it would just run off the walls to the lowest spot. Also, I've never read or seen anything on that with Dragon Skin & how it affects the durability.

When I frequented a few of the batman boards, I always wanted to try what Janty said he did with his urethane cowls. He brushed up Smooth-On Vytaflex (30?) in his silicone cowl molds. He never posted any pictures of the actual brush-up that I remember but he said he just mixes a small amount (like @ 1 oz), dumps it into the mold and uses throw away brushes to keep brushing it up the sides. Slow process to build it up to thickness & not accidentally pull the cured urethane off the mold wall as it thickens during cure. Hopefully some of the batman suit guys can chime in on if it was the Vytaflex 30 or if they've done the brush-up technique.

 

[Korbanth]

I too have a question on this. I am sculpting lifesized Admiral Ackbar hands, which goes from elbow to hand...I wanted to make the castings in a latex and put expanding foam inside, but hear its costly. If I made a Euerethane or silicon mold of the plug, and then used dragon skin 2-3 layers thick, would it work as well as latex, be less money, more durable? easier?

 

[Bowelrock]

Latex and foam woudl be a little cheaper. Im not sure how durable dragonskin is but I know latex will hold out for a long time. Plus you dont need fansy paints to finish them. The molds are cheaper to make

I too have a question on this. I am sculpting lifesized Admiral Ackbar hands, which goes from elbow to hand...I wanted to make the castings in a latex and put expanding foam inside, but hear its costly. If I made a Euerethane or silicon mold of the plug, and then used dragon skin 2-3 layers thick, would it work as well as latex, be less money, more durable? easier?