[Help] Advice needed please. casting.

PukkaLemons

Jr Member
Hi guys i am in the process of mapping out my cardboard prototype of a samurai suit i am making and i want some advice.

This is the individual piece:
IMG_0182.JPG

This is a shoulder guard mocked up.
IMG_0181.JPG

And this is the detail i want on each piece. (excuse MS paint lol)

scale.png

My original thought was to use pvc foamboard and carve the pieces individually, but then i wondered would casting be a better option.

So my questions are, how would i cast these? what type of mould?how durable would the pieces be (don't want them to crack) and how will the holes turn out with casting etc. i have never casted anything before and would like a cheapish way to so. And i need about 100+ of these.

So any advice is welcome guys and gals.

Thanks Chris
 
I think casting might be over engineering that part slightly.

Have you thought about using styrene sheet? Its fairly cheap and you can cut it with scissors, if you need it to be slightly bevelled you can heat it gently with a heat gun or powerful hairdryer over a curved object. It's also very light for costuming in.
 
If you mold and cast them it's very tedious work at 100 of because that's 100 pours, you'd probably have to drill all the holes later.You can build a set of 5 and then it's 20 pours, but if it's easy to build a set of 5, you might as well keep going Silicone isn't that cheap, (not where I live anyway) but resin in bulk can be. Styrene (HIPS) is a good suggestion or even better is a foam core type board which is easier to cut and work with.

I wouldn't cast the piece, but find a suitable substrate to cut out of
 
Cheers guys, i was thinking about moulding ten clay peices, with a plaster mould then cast in fibre glass resin, ive got ten sheets of A3 foamboard 5mm i was going to do them with but then with carving each one, it will take days :(
As i want two shoulders out of it and the thigh guards as well.
 
Hazmat i think it will i was going to spray a release agent on it but i dont know i think it will be hard.
harrisonp yes you are correct, my intention was to use 5mm pvc board and use a dremel to carve the details in then i thought its going to take hours so was there a cheap way i could cast these to save time

thanks chris.
 
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If if it gets too hard to pull the mold because of its hardness, you could also make a mold using silicone caulk, which is cheap and easy.

Use clear 100% Silicone I caulk, mix in a drop or 2 of acrylic paint to make it set faster, and then you'll have flexible mold that'll be able to pull away each piece much easier.
 
i find it hard to find 100% silicone here in the UK or maybe im being stupid because it doesnt actually say 100% silicone on it.

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And would 5mm thick fibreglass resin be durable?
 
I would say carve at least 5 of them to reduce the amount of pours needed.
Buy some silicone made for casting. It will cost more up front, but you will have better casts and it will be easier to work with.
Make an open face mold and place an indent in the master for the hole that will be drilled (if you drill all the way through on the master, the small piece of silicone left will probably tear after a few pours).
The indent will make locating the hole for drilling easier.
 
Thanks for the input guys, i'm thinking about a silicone mold now but silicone is not cheap. I'm going to start work on the masters out of some clay i have (5 or ten dont know yet), what spacing would you use between them i want two rows of 5.

What are my best options to cast with.
They need to be rigid but not so rigid it cracks when i lace it up just something with a little bit of flex.

Many thanks again.
 
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