Looking for molding suggestions and tips

[Shapeshifter]

I'd probably do a matrix mold for the body and a box mold for the head and tail.
With any mold, you want to degass the silicone. I wouldn't preasure pot the mold when you are making it. Casting resin out of that mold, sure. Also, if you make any box molds you can degass the silicone, pour it into the box mold and degass the entire mold, if your chamber is big enough. That will get rid of most, if not all of your voids.

Thank you for your feedback! A quick question, as this is something I haven't been able to get a definitive answer on: if you pour the degassed silicone into a box mold, and then de-gas the entire mold, do you run the risk of the sculpture collapsing or having some other upset while degassing?

 

[swgeek]

Personally, I've never had an issue degassing the entire mold, but if your sculpt is hollow you might want to skip the second degassing. Also, I don't degass it long, just long enough to pull the bubbles off the surface and out of the undercuts. As soon as you start seeing bubbles on the surface I would turn off the vacuum pump and let it sit for a minute. Then you can let the air back in the chamber.
You can also run a test mold, I've done that in the past.

 

[greenmachines]

Personally, I've never had an issue degassing the entire mold, but if your sculpt is hollow you might want to skip the second degassing. Also, I don't degass it long, just long enough to pull the bubbles off the surface and out of the undercuts. As soon as you start seeing bubbles on the surface I would turn off the vacuum pump and let it sit for a minute. Then you can let the air back in the chamber.
You can also run a test mold, I've done that in the past.

I loved the caution on hollow molds and voids. I have had several classes where the internal structure was foam or wadded tinfoil/paper with a thin layer of molding material on the outside. This would do some strange things in a vacuum housing.

 

[Shapeshifter]

Personally, I've never had an issue degassing the entire mold, but if your sculpt is hollow you might want to skip the second degassing. Also, I don't degass it long, just long enough to pull the bubbles off the surface and out of the undercuts. As soon as you start seeing bubbles on the surface I would turn off the vacuum pump and let it sit for a minute. Then you can let the air back in the chamber.
You can also run a test mold, I've done that in the past.

Personally, I've never had an issue degassing the entire mold, but if your sculpt is hollow you might want to skip the second degassing. Also, I don't degass it long, just long enough to pull the bubbles off the surface and out of the undercuts. As soon as you start seeing bubbles on the surface I would turn off the vacuum pump and let it sit for a minute. Then you can let the air back in the chamber.
You can also run a test mold, I've done that in the past.

Thank you for the insight, it is appreciated!