Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
Very nice pull! I can't wait to see the rest.
Very nice pull! I can't wait to see the rest.
First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Armor (from screen used pieces)
- Thread starter TerryMcIntosh
- Start date
TheDarkPope
Well-Known Member
Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
Wicked cool! Very nice for a first go-round. Looking forward to more!
Wicked cool! Very nice for a first go-round. Looking forward to more!
TerryMcIntosh
Well-Known Member
Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
A quick update - I'm STILL waiting for UPS to locate my package that contains two gallons of Smooth-On silicone components... apparently large boxes that weigh 60 lbs are prone to disappear in their custody.
So, since my local supplier doesn't have anything larger than the trial size portions available right now, and those are not cheap when you need to buy like 20 of them to finish the molds of the rest of the costume, I'm forced to wait. Hopefully the UPS mothership will drop off the package (intact) this week and I can get back to business. =/
The parts that remain to be molded are the chest and back trauma plates, the two-piece wrist gauntlet, and neck collar.
The parts that have been molded already, and a 'master' pulled using hard poured rubber (in case any new molds need to be made in the future so I don't have to use the original costume pieces again), are the belt buckle, belt, shin guard, and belt loop that attaches to the back trauma plate.
The belt buckle and belt will have their hooks and eyes pre-installed and set in to the rubber, as well as the velcro. The trauma plates will also have the fabric ribbon and stretchy cord bits set in to the rubber for attachment to the rest of the pieces/faux chainmail... just like the original pieces, and I've already purchased exact duplicates of all of those ribbons, snaps, velcro sizes, and hooks/eyes, so they're in hand and ready to go.
More to come soon... assuming UPS doesn't drop the ball again!
A quick update - I'm STILL waiting for UPS to locate my package that contains two gallons of Smooth-On silicone components... apparently large boxes that weigh 60 lbs are prone to disappear in their custody.
So, since my local supplier doesn't have anything larger than the trial size portions available right now, and those are not cheap when you need to buy like 20 of them to finish the molds of the rest of the costume, I'm forced to wait. Hopefully the UPS mothership will drop off the package (intact) this week and I can get back to business. =/
The parts that remain to be molded are the chest and back trauma plates, the two-piece wrist gauntlet, and neck collar.
The parts that have been molded already, and a 'master' pulled using hard poured rubber (in case any new molds need to be made in the future so I don't have to use the original costume pieces again), are the belt buckle, belt, shin guard, and belt loop that attaches to the back trauma plate.
The belt buckle and belt will have their hooks and eyes pre-installed and set in to the rubber, as well as the velcro. The trauma plates will also have the fabric ribbon and stretchy cord bits set in to the rubber for attachment to the rest of the pieces/faux chainmail... just like the original pieces, and I've already purchased exact duplicates of all of those ribbons, snaps, velcro sizes, and hooks/eyes, so they're in hand and ready to go.
More to come soon... assuming UPS doesn't drop the ball again!
Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
Great work so far Terry!
Great work so far Terry!
TerryMcIntosh
Well-Known Member
Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
Thanks, Karl! It's getting there and I received an email from Smooth-On today that they've sent out another two gallon kit of silicone to make up for the one that UPS has misplaced in transit. So, by next Thursday I should be back in business and ready to mold the final pieces.
Even though this project has cost an arm and leg so far, which was expected in a ramp up period given all the bits that one must purchase to fill the toolbox, it's terribly fun which makes it all worthwhile! =)
Thanks, Karl! It's getting there and I received an email from Smooth-On today that they've sent out another two gallon kit of silicone to make up for the one that UPS has misplaced in transit. So, by next Thursday I should be back in business and ready to mold the final pieces.
Even though this project has cost an arm and leg so far, which was expected in a ramp up period given all the bits that one must purchase to fill the toolbox, it's terribly fun which makes it all worthwhile! =)
TerryMcIntosh
Well-Known Member
Re: First Molding/Casting Project - Stargate Jaffa Shin Guard Armor Piece
While I wait for the replacement silicone to arrive that will be used to finish molding the remaining pieces, it's occurred to me that there's only two ways to go (that I can determine) to mold the large and seriously three dimensional neck collar piece.
The first is doing a two-part mold where I clay off the bottom half at a strategic point, pour the silicone, and then flip over, remove the clay, and pour the bottom half. While this may be the easiest, it sure as heck isn't going to be cheap and might vary well take 3 gallons of silicone to make essentially a giant brick of silicone. That is going to be disgustingly expensive.
The second method, and what I'm leaning toward, is creating a cavity pour mold. Obviously I've never attempted anything like that before, and it looks very, very involved, especially since the mold would need to be made in such a way that the shell is a full 360-degree affair. This will be cheaper, if I don't botch the attempt and need to begin again, but I'd need to work this all out in my head on how to pull it off before I'd even try.
So, I put it to you, new friends, for advice on what might be the more experienced person's avenue of attack for this piece. I've attached a photo of the piece in question for consideration and thanks, in advance, for anything that might help!
Best,
Terry
While I wait for the replacement silicone to arrive that will be used to finish molding the remaining pieces, it's occurred to me that there's only two ways to go (that I can determine) to mold the large and seriously three dimensional neck collar piece.
The first is doing a two-part mold where I clay off the bottom half at a strategic point, pour the silicone, and then flip over, remove the clay, and pour the bottom half. While this may be the easiest, it sure as heck isn't going to be cheap and might vary well take 3 gallons of silicone to make essentially a giant brick of silicone. That is going to be disgustingly expensive.
The second method, and what I'm leaning toward, is creating a cavity pour mold. Obviously I've never attempted anything like that before, and it looks very, very involved, especially since the mold would need to be made in such a way that the shell is a full 360-degree affair. This will be cheaper, if I don't botch the attempt and need to begin again, but I'd need to work this all out in my head on how to pull it off before I'd even try.
So, I put it to you, new friends, for advice on what might be the more experienced person's avenue of attack for this piece. I've attached a photo of the piece in question for consideration and thanks, in advance, for anything that might help!
Best,
Terry
If I were us, I might try to use a brush-on silicone like Rebound 25 from Smooth-On (Product and tutorials can be found here) with a mother-mold shell made of fiberglass.
You might not even have to make an inner mold if your hard rubber you use to make the replicas can also be made brushable. You'd just need to make the mold of the outside of the collar piece, and then brush the rubber into the mold. Not sure if that's possible or not, but it sure would make your life nice and easy! Otherwise, you'd just need to make an inner mold/shell of the inside of the collar piece and have to pour the rubber into the whole thing like normal.
You might not even have to make an inner mold if your hard rubber you use to make the replicas can also be made brushable. You'd just need to make the mold of the outside of the collar piece, and then brush the rubber into the mold. Not sure if that's possible or not, but it sure would make your life nice and easy! Otherwise, you'd just need to make an inner mold/shell of the inside of the collar piece and have to pour the rubber into the whole thing like normal.
TerryMcIntosh
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your suggestion, Snarkticon. I'm thinking that you're on to something, for sure, with that.
I've pulled out all three neck collars from the original costumes that I own and it seems to me that they're made of either a dense poured foam, pulled, and then a rubber back added (as seen in the underside of the photo that was posted), or a layer of brushed in rubber, foam, then more rubber to make a sandwich of sorts. The only part of each of the three that is consistent is the outside layer, and the inner construction, the part that's under the outside layer of paint, would seem to be more freehand work since on the backs they're not anywhere consistent with the other two neck pieces. It's the only piece that seems to be of this type of construction since the rest of them are clearly all rubber with burlap inside for attaching fabric bits or other attachment hardware.
I hope to have it worked out by the time the new batch of silicone arrives this week... everything is all laid out on my work surface and ready to get to molding the last components of the costume! I swear that it's like being 7 years old again and Christmas morning is fast approaching! =)
I've pulled out all three neck collars from the original costumes that I own and it seems to me that they're made of either a dense poured foam, pulled, and then a rubber back added (as seen in the underside of the photo that was posted), or a layer of brushed in rubber, foam, then more rubber to make a sandwich of sorts. The only part of each of the three that is consistent is the outside layer, and the inner construction, the part that's under the outside layer of paint, would seem to be more freehand work since on the backs they're not anywhere consistent with the other two neck pieces. It's the only piece that seems to be of this type of construction since the rest of them are clearly all rubber with burlap inside for attaching fabric bits or other attachment hardware.
I hope to have it worked out by the time the new batch of silicone arrives this week... everything is all laid out on my work surface and ready to get to molding the last components of the costume! I swear that it's like being 7 years old again and Christmas morning is fast approaching! =)
TerryMcIntosh
Well-Known Member
Thanks, dekkx1. I've been a bit sidetracked the past few weeks with two important (and very well paying) projects that my company was hired to finish, but I hope to get back to this as early as next week. Thankfully all of the materials that I had been waiting for finally arrived and are sitting on my workbench just waiting for me to return, which I'm very much looking forward to doing. As soon as I'm back to molding and casting the first pulls then you can count on more photos as progress is made. Thanks again! =)
Best,
Terry
Best,
Terry
sciroccojunky
Well-Known Member
what spray did you use on your screen used piece as a release agent? Always wondered what people use to keep the screen used piece from getting destroyed in the mold making process. Most screen used pieces are pretty spendy and don't think people would be willing to sacrifice it to make some copies. TK1565 used something on his Ronan Dex blaster that even copied the braiding on the grip. (love my copy by the way 
That piece is about $3000 which begs the question, how to protect the original from the rigors of mold making? Seen tons of people on here do it but never hear how they did it and how the originals faired from the process.
Loving your entries by the way. Very informative and educational.
That piece is about $3000 which begs the question, how to protect the original from the rigors of mold making? Seen tons of people on here do it but never hear how they did it and how the originals faired from the process. Loving your entries by the way. Very informative and educational.
