How to Make an Ed Head Armature Last?

[jzerot1437]

Hi guys,

I recently bought an Ed Head to help speed along work on my Wendigo (from Hannibal) build. It's a pretty nice armature, though the head is a little smaller than a normal male head seems to be.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about, in case any of you are unfamiliar:

http://www.monstermakers.com/product/deluxe-full-head-sculpting-armature-life-size.html

I would like to ensure this lasts a little while and have read that a coat of Fiberglass mixed with Baby Powder would coat the outside and make it more resistant to damage. I'm a little concerned that if I coat it in Fiberglass, it may not accept certain molding materials as easily.

I'm also a little in the dark as far as Fiberglass goes; would it be okay for me to coat this with your run of the mill Fiberglass from Home Depot, or do I need a special Fiberglass to ensure that 1) it doesn't melt the foam of the Ed Head and 2) it will accept mold materials and clay later?

I'm also planning on filling the armature with some plaster to weight it down. For how large the bust is, it's a super-light 3 lbs, which means it wobbles around while I sculpt on it.

Do any of you have experience with this? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

You be better off picking up a polyurethane resin such as EasyFlo from Brick in the Yard Mold Supply and giving the bust a couple brushed on coats. It is easy to use (hence the name!) And is relatively inert... I've never had any inhibition issues against it.



Onto your question, fiberglass is exactly what it sounds like. It is glass fibers... Loose strand or woven into cloth... Fiberglass is fiberglass (unless you want specific weaves or specs such as hexcel or twill weave etc.)

I believe what you're referring to in your post is "fiberglass resin," typically, but not always, a polystyrene resin. The stuff you'll find at Home Depot is likely polystyrene.

Just to clear it up, the fiberglass is what gives things strength. The polystyrene resin just acts like a glue to hold the glass cloth together. It will not strengthen the bust without the layers of fiberglass.

Polystyrene resin on its own is fairly brittle and weak. Mixing it with baby powder will just give you what we call "mud" in the industry. Typically used to fill in deep voids or undercuts on fiberglass molds. It would not spread very easily, and as I said it would be quite brittle.

The styrene can sometimes also cause inhibition issues with platinum silicones and would have to be baked out of the bust or given time to naturally dissipate. I don't believe the foam they use in the bust would withstand the heat.

 

[jzerot1437]

Thanks for the response and info! I actually didn't know what Fiberglass was, so this is very helpful.