Dragon Skin FX - what are my mold options?

[Peep]

Hi all,

I'm planning on casting some prosthetics from Dragon Skin FX. They're pretty simple pieces. It's going to be my first time working with this product, and I've been reading like crazy, but I'm still a little confused on what's okay to make a mold out of. So far, I know the following -

Yes:
Platinum silicone

No:
Latex
Tin silicone

Do I have any other options besides this? I get that sulfur = BAD, but chemistry was never my strong suit, so my head's spinning.

I know the answer to this is probably no, but I have some plaster hanging around that I'd really like to use up. Is it suitable, or is there anything I can do to it to make it suitable?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Sinned]

Epoxy and Fiberglass are both suitable options. You can also use fiberglass cloth with laminating epoxy. I VERY much prefer epoxy over the fiberglass poly resin, mainly from a toxicity standpoint. Others have also suggested that Rondo (mix of poly resin, and bondo) will also work. Epoxy will be the most expensive option, but easiest to work with.

Plaster by itself, or like gypsona plaster bandages? If the latter, I don't think that would work very well at all, as it will be pretty difficult to get a good replication of the sculpture surface. Plaster by itself might work, but you'll have to be sure to reinforce it really well (burlap, or similar). I'm still not sure how well it would capture detail, but it's similar to Hydrocal, so maybe okay? I haven't tried it for this purpose before.

For the Epoxy route, I just did this same type of project. You can see my trials and tribulations, as well as some great suggestions from others, here: http://www.therpf.com/f62/twisty-clown-head-appliance-234813

 

[Peep]

Thanks!

It's loose plaster that I've got, I was just hoping to finally get rid of it. The things I'm casting aren't terribly detailed - but I don't want to ruin it if the silicone won't cure in a plaster mold!

I had a look at that thread, super useful! It looks like you used Epoxacoat. Is that "the" product to use if one is making a mold from epoxy, or are there other brands too? I'm trying to learn as much about this as I can so I hopefully don't mess things up!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

If it's just normal plaster of paris (as opposed to a gypsum like Ultracal or Hyrdrocal) it isn't a great option because the stone will rapidly deteriorate when you cast with silicone. Silicone even tears up Ultracal pretty quickly. That being said, platinum silicone will cure in a plaster mold.

As Sinned said, epoxy and fiberglass are suitable options. Just so you know, the styrene in polyester resin will inhibit platinum silicone so you need to bake the mold out before casting.

Alternatively, depending on what exactly your casting, a few detail coats of 1630, and then 1630 mixed with fiberglass chop to build up your thickness works really well. I think it's a lot easier than molding with stone or epoxy for a beginner.

If you do choose to go with epoxy, Smooth On's system is definitely what you want. The other big option out there is AD-Tech, but I really don't recommend using them unless you need 50+ pulls out of a mold...and have a big shop budget! AD-Tech get's very pricey.