Finished Boar Helmet(Pictures)
- Thread starter MEANGENE83
- Start date
MEANGENE83
Sr Member
Believe me I was worried I would slip on the damn thing and break my ass! It crushed into a million pieces literally. It was a casting from a well known person here. If you look at the cross section of the resin it is all bubbled like a sponge. Small air pockets. I figured out it is from using filler in the resin, using that fumed silica stuff.. I know because I used the fumed silica on a different armor resin part. When I snapped a piece off of it I could see the a Sponge Like resin. It also was significantly lighter.
Whatever the silica does it makes the bio significantly weaker. That BOAR helmet was actually hot glued back together in the face, it was dropped while packaged INSIDE a carboard box and the thing cracked into three pieces. Was not a particularly hard fall either, I attribute it to the Sponge Like structures, and not being a solid non-filler resin.
Some of advantages to using the filler is it becomes quickly and easily brushable in a mold. Which saves on material and time.
I have never used the filler in my Bio helmets to this degree. It was always more important to me that the helmet be stronger, rather than have it crack from a gentle fall. We all know how much abuse these things get at conventions, imagine it snapping and not having a backup.
Another reason I like my personal helmets to be fiberglass, imagine a helmet that is 1/8" thick and strong enough to stand on. And has half the weight of a regular resin helmet are all used too. Fiberglass is slow to cure and stinks, which is not good for mass production. A downside for some.
I am about to leave to pickup the silicone. I will just show some pictures of what I have and go with a decent priced silicone.
I plan on pouring the mold this weekend, I will take pictures and video for everyone.
Thanks for all the help, it is MOST APPRECIATED! Happy thanksgiving guys.
Whatever the silica does it makes the bio significantly weaker. That BOAR helmet was actually hot glued back together in the face, it was dropped while packaged INSIDE a carboard box and the thing cracked into three pieces. Was not a particularly hard fall either, I attribute it to the Sponge Like structures, and not being a solid non-filler resin.
Some of advantages to using the filler is it becomes quickly and easily brushable in a mold. Which saves on material and time.
I have never used the filler in my Bio helmets to this degree. It was always more important to me that the helmet be stronger, rather than have it crack from a gentle fall. We all know how much abuse these things get at conventions, imagine it snapping and not having a backup.
Another reason I like my personal helmets to be fiberglass, imagine a helmet that is 1/8" thick and strong enough to stand on. And has half the weight of a regular resin helmet are all used too. Fiberglass is slow to cure and stinks, which is not good for mass production. A downside for some.
I am about to leave to pickup the silicone. I will just show some pictures of what I have and go with a decent priced silicone.
I plan on pouring the mold this weekend, I will take pictures and video for everyone.
Thanks for all the help, it is MOST APPRECIATED! Happy thanksgiving guys.
Guan Thwei
New Member
Well I know who I'm getting my next accurate bio from Nice job on the details bro 
MEANGENE83
Sr Member
Thanks guys!
I ended up buying SMOOTH CAST 300 and Mold Star 15 Platinum Silicone. It is a 15 shore hardness, not too bad. Cost 170 bucks. Not too bad for 2 gallons of material.
I ended up buying SMOOTH CAST 300 and Mold Star 15 Platinum Silicone. It is a 15 shore hardness, not too bad. Cost 170 bucks. Not too bad for 2 gallons of material.
ptgreek
Active Member
real quick point to make Gene ..if you plan on glassing bios, know that fiberglass is murder on silicone molds ..you will have stronger pulls, but the life expectancy of your mold will be severely diminished. As far as the silica is concerned, actually its well thought that the microsphears strengthen a casting ..I personally never use them ..I kinda like the familiar time that it takes for the resin I use to set up
MEANGENE83
Sr Member
micrsphers. Cool word. In my experience they didn't seem to strengthen it. Maybe it is with certain type of resin? I am using smooth cast 300.
Do you have any specific situations using the resin and silica and it being strong? (ie what brand resin, what mold etc) I am just really curious, because it would be nice to use it and have the resin brushable. But not at the sacrifice of strength, which has been my personal experience thus far.
Also Good tip regarding the silicone and fiberglass. If anything I plan on making one or two copies out of fiberglass. Just because it is strong. Anymore than that and I won't be able to withstand the STINK! God I hate the stuff so much. If it only had NO ODOR.
While we are on the topic George, I am going to start a new 1:1 bodysculpt soon. I want to make the mold from something light weight and strong. Fiberglass is not an option in the colder months here nor inside because of the fumes. I am probably going to run foam and or mask latex in the mold.
I made my P2 body molds out of ultracal and I will never do that again. VERY HEAVY.
Thanks for the help bud.
CYA!
Do you have any specific situations using the resin and silica and it being strong? (ie what brand resin, what mold etc) I am just really curious, because it would be nice to use it and have the resin brushable. But not at the sacrifice of strength, which has been my personal experience thus far.
Also Good tip regarding the silicone and fiberglass. If anything I plan on making one or two copies out of fiberglass. Just because it is strong. Anymore than that and I won't be able to withstand the STINK! God I hate the stuff so much. If it only had NO ODOR.
While we are on the topic George, I am going to start a new 1:1 bodysculpt soon. I want to make the mold from something light weight and strong. Fiberglass is not an option in the colder months here nor inside because of the fumes. I am probably going to run foam and or mask latex in the mold.
I made my P2 body molds out of ultracal and I will never do that again. VERY HEAVY.
Thanks for the help bud.
CYA!
JehdinThwei
New Member
Well, I now know where my next Bio will come from. Subscribing to the thread now. Phenominal piece!!
hez1
New Member
I think it depends on what filler material you use. I've used three different kinds, and one of them definitely left a lot more air pockets in the casting. Had I been able to degass it, then maybe it would have been stronger, but I tend to stick with Ure-fil 3 from smooth on now. It makes slushing a lot easier, and makes the casting a little lighter.
As far as glassing, if I'm going to do it then I will usually do a thin coat of resin in the mold, and then glass it. All the strength of fiberglass, and no extra wear and tear on the mold. Have you tried epoxy resin for glassing, Gene? It has virtually no odor. My only complaint was that it didn't work well with matte, it needs the cloth to work well, because it needs to be specific to epoxy resin.
As far as glassing, if I'm going to do it then I will usually do a thin coat of resin in the mold, and then glass it. All the strength of fiberglass, and no extra wear and tear on the mold. Have you tried epoxy resin for glassing, Gene? It has virtually no odor. My only complaint was that it didn't work well with matte, it needs the cloth to work well, because it needs to be specific to epoxy resin.
MEANGENE83
Sr Member
The only resin I have used HEZ is Smooth Cast 300 from Smooth on. Not sure if that qualifies as an Epoxy Resin.(so much tech info to remember)
Any recommendations on Epoxy Resins?! I really like the idea of at least TRYING to put some Fiber or clothe into it. I want strength balanced with weight.
Adios!
Finished pictures coming soon! Stay tuned....
Any recommendations on Epoxy Resins?! I really like the idea of at least TRYING to put some Fiber or clothe into it. I want strength balanced with weight.
Adios!
Finished pictures coming soon! Stay tuned....
MEANGENE83
Sr Member
So here it is. Version two of my original Boar helmet.
Special thanks to Andrew Marzan for his help. Brad Hutton for his continued support. Lee Hurley for keeping my spirits high and of course the Lair for always keeping my fire going.
This was a lot of fun revisiting it. I feel like it is as close as I will get to the real thing for myself. Of course after it is molded, casted and painted I STILL see imperfections. I guess it is what they call the "artist's eye".
Total Hours Sculpt-Mold-Paint-Finish: 40 hours
Clay Used: WED CLAY (approx 50 lbs)
Mold: Cavity Mold (Poured Platinum Silicone)
Fiberglass Mother mold jacket
Final Casting: Smooth Cast 300 (smooth-on)
Follow me on facebook! I upload extra pictures here----> GENOME STUDIO
Special thanks to Andrew Marzan for his help. Brad Hutton for his continued support. Lee Hurley for keeping my spirits high and of course the Lair for always keeping my fire going.
This was a lot of fun revisiting it. I feel like it is as close as I will get to the real thing for myself. Of course after it is molded, casted and painted I STILL see imperfections. I guess it is what they call the "artist's eye".
Total Hours Sculpt-Mold-Paint-Finish: 40 hours
Clay Used: WED CLAY (approx 50 lbs)
Mold: Cavity Mold (Poured Platinum Silicone)
Fiberglass Mother mold jacket
Final Casting: Smooth Cast 300 (smooth-on)
Follow me on facebook! I upload extra pictures here----> GENOME STUDIO
Darth Pinhead
Active Member
Absolutely OUTSTANDING! Of course, I'm Jonesing for the eye candy known as "The Final Molds", as well...
Okami Skullcrusher
Well-Known Member
Great looking bio, Gene!
Any comparsion pix of version 1 and 2 (side by side)?
Any comparsion pix of version 1 and 2 (side by side)?
