Dreadlocks

Double H

Sr Member
Hello all,

I am looking into making a new set of dreadlocks. I have already made a set the 'cheap way' using backer rod but I am not happy with the way they hang and they don't really give much of a 'swish' factor. I was looking at other methods of making them.
I have looked through alot of threadsand haven't really found many different ways of making them. I then stumbled onto Bambooie - he makes them from dark black, two part soft foam also known as cold foam. I have done a lil' bit of research and I have stumbled onto a method using a substance called polyurethane its bottle name is Black Gun Foam and has been formulated for use primarily for moulding and casting applications requiring a good skin to the finished product. This product is widely used within the film prop industry as it enable's safe and durable production of props. Does anyone know if this is a good substance to use?


Blackgunfoam

Does anyone know how Bambooie makes them?

Any help appreciated

Cheers

Hunter
 
I saw a youtube video of somebody doing them with latex over a wood rod then painting them im in my cell right now bt when i get home i can search in the computer and post it for you
 
I used backer rod but i put them on a different way. I sewed a toque on to a baseball cap which had its rim cut off. Then I sewed the backer rod dreads onto the pallelet area of the hat for stability. It has some 'swish' to it. Hope this helps you out.
 
I used backer rod but i put them on a different way. I sewed a toque on to a baseball cap which had its rim cut off. Then I sewed the backer rod dreads onto the pallelet area of the hat for stability. It has some 'swish' to it. Hope this helps you out.

Thats what I have done but am just not happy with the way the hang and plus they are very rigid
 
Thanks for posting that second video. I'll be starting my suit shortly and have looked at all the tutorials on making dreads. I never thought of dipping a rod (shut up!) in latex. It would have to be filled with something to give it shape and some weight, but not to heavy. Backer rods just don't have the right kind of movement. I did see a tutorial where the dread was made from a strip of foam, glued together, to form a tube. It was then filled with small pebbles.

I wonder if that soft sponge rubber comes in rods or tubes? That, dipped in latex, might make a decent dread.
 
Thanks for posting that second video. I'll be starting my suit shortly and have looked at all the tutorials on making dreads. I never thought of dipping a rod (shut up!) in latex. It would have to be filled with something to give it shape and some weight, but not to heavy. Backer rods just don't have the right kind of movement. I did see a tutorial where the dread was made from a strip of foam, glued together, to form a tube. It was then filled with small pebbles.

I wonder if that soft sponge rubber comes in rods or tubes? That, dipped in latex, might make a decent dread.


I have heard that dipping backer rod into latex can work quite well but that kinda renders the point of finding sometime different to backer rod. Have been search the net and have found a way of using polyurethane (better known as 2 part cold foam or polyfoam) tp make dreads. This is done the same way as making a full latex mask.

Step1 - You make the sculpt of a dreadlock, correct to size and dimension. (This way you can make the dread tapered all the way to the tip - unlike backer rod)

Step2 - You make a 2 part mould of the dread but am unsure whether to use mod-roc, plaster of paris etc. Make sure you leave the opposite end of the pointed end open so as to pour the cold foam in.

Step3 - Clap to two sides of the mould together - maybe using zip-ties of something like that.

Step4 - Mix the 2 parts together to create polyuretane (cold foam) and quickly pour it into the top of the mould (this mhas to be done quickly as the parts will react instantly and will turn into foam as soon as it is mix togther.

Step5 - leave the mould for 15-30 mins and then un-clamp the mould and remove your dreadlock.


Possible step 6 - Now not sure on this but, i think you need to lightly dip the foam dreads into liquid latex as in youtube vid - but don't hold me to it!!!!!

Am not sure if any of the above will work but this is a method that i will be trying. There may be different ways of doing it e.i. different mould techniques but am still looking into it.

What do you guys think?

Hunter

Step3
 
I have owned two sets of booie dreds.

Recently I was foaming the inside of my costume with SMOOTH-ON Flex foam-it 3 and I swear it is the same stuff.

I was mixing my flex foam it in a 1:1 ratio and the foam was running really soft. This is all guess work of course. BUT the foam on the dreds looked and SMELLED like the foam I was running on the back of my latex suit pieces.

I bet that is the same stuff.
 
I did have a tutorial about making dreads using heatshrink tubing.....but I still don't like the swoosh factor with those either. I have tried soaker hose and those are just not plyable and are too heavy.
One other way (which I plan on experimenting with when I get back from Iraq) is taking a couple (about 5 or so) cheap pool cue sticks (has a nice clean taper to it like the dreads), take off the felt tip, take some clay and add it to the end to taper it off to a point. Spray it down with mold release and then dip it several times in latex (dyed with black latex paint) and then let it dry. Pull it off of the pool stick and pull it inside out, then stuff it lightly with poly cotton filler for pillows from a fabric store.
A little added info....I bought a one gallon jug of liquid latex for about $40. You can dye the liquid latex (which usually comes in a skin tone) by going to a hardware store and buying outdoor latex paint and mix it 3:1 (3 parts latex to 1 part latex paint). If you had a gallon jug of latex, you remove one quart of the latex and add one quart of colored latex paint. You can add more for a darker color but the more latex paint you add the more it messes with the latex drying properties, chemical makeup and acting like latex, instead it starts to act like latex paint. Has anyone tried this yet? I wanted to see if it works.
The dipping container can just be a piece of PVC piping with a sealed cap on the end and stabilized to stand up. Fill it 3 quarters of the way with latex and just dip the pool stick in and out few times then let it dry.
One other way is to take the pool stick with the end piece added and make a mold of it somehow and then just fill the mold completely with the latex. This won't make as many for one gallon of latex, which is not that cheap.

Someone had a neat way using thin Yoga Mats (not the cheap, cheap ones.....ther rubbery ones for like $20) and they had a great swoosh when you turned your head. I may experiment with that way also. For me, backer rods were not an option.

One final way, which is cheesy but doesn't look half bad, is to find black (tightly knitted) rope; 1" in diameter and use it. If you use a torch correclty you can melt the ends and taper 'em. I did try to find 3/4" or 1" solid (or hollow) soft rubber hosing or gasket on a roll to see if that would work....it's hard to find it locally and I hate to buy it online and it doesn't work. I like to experiment small scale first, then decide a budgeted way to accomplish the goal..........nice dreads with good movement when you turn your head but don't weigh your head down too much with them on.
 
Hello all,

I am looking into making a new set of dreadlocks. I have already made a set the 'cheap way' using backer rod but I am not happy with the way they hang and they don't really give much of a 'swish' factor. I was looking at other methods of making them.
I have looked through alot of threadsand haven't really found many different ways of making them. I then stumbled onto Bambooie - he makes them from dark black, two part soft foam also known as cold foam. I have done a lil' bit of research and I have stumbled onto a method using a substance called polyurethane its bottle name is Black Gun Foam and has been formulated for use primarily for moulding and casting applications requiring a good skin to the finished product. This product is widely used within the film prop industry as it enable's safe and durable production of props. Does anyone know if this is a good substance to use?


Blackgunfoam

Does anyone know how Bambooie makes them?

Any help appreciated

Cheers

Hunter


I found a youtube video of how this guy did his dreads. It was like $8 for two packs of 20ft per pack backerrod from lowes there like foam tube things. lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1IR3cDCiww
 
I used the 5/8" backer rod cut into 24" pieces with 1/2" hot water couplings as dread rings painted in hammered finished copper and they seem to have an excellent movement to them, the only thing that stuck to them was black plasti-dip, paint & latex both peeled or flaked off, see for yourself and hope this helps

 
Smooth on trial size Flex foam it 3. Black tint. 5 lbs of clay rolled into a Dred.
Silicone mold made with a trial kit size silicone rubber.

All said and done probably would cost you about 200.00 for all the material to make a complete set. And these are the way they do it for the movie.

So why bother screwing around with backer rod.
It will and always has looked like crap in comparison to the real thing.

Bottom line do the real thing, it's easier and cheaper than you think.



And when your done you have a mold to last a lifetime and which can produce you regular income.


I smell HUNTORIAL....
 
Smooth on trial size Flex foam it 3. Black tint. 5 lbs of clay rolled into a Dred.
Silicone mold made with a trial kit size silicone rubber.

All said and done probably would cost you about 200.00 for all the material to make a complete set. And these are the way they do it for the movie.

So why bother screwing around with backer rod.
It will and always has looked like crap in comparison to the real thing.

Bottom line do the real thing, it's easier and cheaper than you think.



And when your done you have a mold to last a lifetime and which can produce you regular income.


I smell HUNTORIAL....


of course backer rod will look bad compared to the real thing but for those of us just starting out or on a budget it's a great way to start out until we get to that point where the veterans are, everyone started out as noobs and while this will work for me right now I too plan on sculpting my own mask as well as go with real dreads and a custom bio :)
 
of course backer rod will look bad compared to the real thing but for those of us just starting out or on a budget it's a great way to start out until we get to that point where the veterans are, everyone started out as noobs and while this will work for me right now I too plan on sculpting my own mask as well as go with real dreads and a custom bio :)

I have to agree with you TitanPredator in respect that everyone has to start somewhere. Hell, my first dread set was made from a dreadlock wig and man that was awful so I changed and went with the backer rod and worked out awesome for a start, as was mentioned in my very first title post (#1). You remind me alot of me when I started with this hobby, I started small (as we all do) and then as I learnt I tried new things i.e. sculpting etc

I made this thread as i couldn't find any info on how dreads like Bambooie are made and what they are made from. But after alot of internet surfing I found some info out and posted it (#9). Ok, in the end, I cheated and bought them from Bambooie but I wanted this thread to act as a reference. One day, I want to go back to this thread myself and use this as a reference to make my own set of dreads using polyurethane foams.


I smell HUNTORIAL....

Total agree with you there bud.....
 
You know what guys I re-read my post and I didn't mean to come off harsh on budget building so to speak.

I was speaking from a place of frustration, from my own Personal experiences with doing things "on the cheap" I was alway frustrated with my results when I started out trying to circumvent certain ways of doing things.

I guess the point I was trying to make after years of what I felt was goofing around with "possible" ways of doing things I should have always just gone for broke. Hind sight if 20/20, just want to share my hind sight and that was what I was trying to get across.

Obviously it isn't always possible. So again wasn't trying to belittle any other method other people use. For me it just seems so easy to bust out a sculpt, mold and get it done.
 
dreads 101
They are NOT that hard to make, use gloves and get a good scale
step 1 the mold
ultracal 30. this is a good cheep mold aslong as the seam is sharp clean up will be easy you must seal the mold with a good gloss clear
silicone. 1 mold will cost $40.00 to $50.00 not last as long and foam wont skin as well
purfictool, very good. its like resin but more dense, it cost less then silcone and will last a very long time seams stay sharp the longest
resin. this is very good not as cheep as ultrcal 30, will last a very long time seams stay sharp almost as long as perfictool but cheaper
step 2 mold release
challenge 90 by BJB for all molds,you will spray it on
step 3 foam BJB 265 you can get it in 1 GAL or 5 GAL kits .it takes 40grams to make 1 24in. dread
you can chang the mix to make the dreads softer just ask the staf at BJB
here it the trick you cant cant get enough black pigment in it to get the black you need with out messing up the foam
BJB will mix it black for you, its worth the money

step 4 the master
the master dreads can be made from wood or clay, with clay you can make them slick or with tex.
here are some molds of 7 to 8in. dreads yes you can make 24in. dreads this way
this helps make the tex.
4b763691.jpg

P4210008.jpg

98cc3041.jpg

P4240015.jpg

P8290023.jpg

P4210014.jpg


they are done in ultracal30
Webdreds02.jpg

Webdreads01.jpg

check out feet 101 for more mold making
if you need help drop me a email
 
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