Making a Mold of a Helmet. Want to make sure I get everything needed.

[Daphonic]

First The Silcon, that you Brush on, Is DragonSkin right?

http://www.theengineerguy.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=DRAGON-SKIN-10-FT-TR

What are the Diffrences of Slow, Medium, Fast and 30? And Do you just buy 1 dye? to know the layers?

The 2nd step is Plaster right?
http://www.theengineerguy.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=PLASTER-ULTRACAL-30-http://www.theengineerguy.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=PLASTER-ULTRACAL-30-

I make the HArd layer over the Dragonskin after it Cures? For a Normal Halo Helmet, i make this hard layer into 2 Sections? And make Keys so it locks together? I use this clay to make the Seperation right?
http://www.theengineerguy.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=CLAY-LBT-HM-BRN-2-LB

Other items i need are a Mold release,
http://www.theengineerguy.com/cgi/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=EASE-RELEASE-200-12-
IS this the mold release i use with the Silcon i was looking at?

Am, i missing anything? I want to make sure i get everything i will need to make the mold,.

Then i use SmoothCast 300 plastic to Cast the Helm correct?

 

[stormtrooperguy]

hello,

as with any project, there's no 1 "right" way to do it.

i use rebound 25, plasti-paste and smoothcast roto, not dragon skin, plaster and smoothcast 300.

you can see how i do it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9CzwJCZIEQ

(unless you are in germany. it's blocked there due to the soundtrack)

 

[Daphonic]

hello,

as with any project, there's no 1 "right" way to do it.

i use rebound 25, plasti-paste and smoothcast roto, not dragon skin, plaster and smoothcast 300.

you can see how i do it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9CzwJCZIEQ

(unless you are in germany. it's blocked there due to the soundtrack)

Ok, that looks 10X easyer, then what i've been looking at. Now my questions are. The Trial Sizes, Are they enough to mold one Helmet? or Am i going to need to buy the 175$ Gallon for 1 helmet? I'm looking at about 315$ for a Gallon of Each, or 95$ for the Trials. What do you think I will need?

Now the Platic Roto, How many helms does the Trial make? verses the Gallon?

 

[stormtrooperguy]

trial size isn't enough for anything.

i get about 4-5 helmets out of a gallon kit of roto.

for the mold, i use about 1/2 gallon of rebound, and a bit more than 1/2 a gallon of plastipaste.

generally speaking, i estimate about $300 per helmet mold total.

 

[Klwl]

trial size isn't enough for anything.

i get about 4-5 helmets out of a gallon kit of roto.

for the mold, i use about 1/2 gallon of rebound, and a bit more than 1/2 a gallon of plastipaste.

generally speaking, i estimate about $300 per helmet mold total.

On average how many "copies" will a mold make?

 

[jaymay023]

On average how many "copies" will a mold make?

There are many factors about how long a mold will last. Depends on the mold material, thickness,what kind of material is going into the mold, if you use a mold release agent...
Ive probably have pulled over 20 helmets out of my mold and its still doing well

 

[CustomPropSculptorGuy]

trial size isn't enough for anything.

i get about 4-5 helmets out of a gallon kit of roto.

for the mold, i use about 1/2 gallon of rebound, and a bit more than 1/2 a gallon of plastipaste.

generally speaking, i estimate about $300 per helmet mold total.

How thick are you running your mold?? I use 3 painted coats of rebound and it works perfectly. Hell doing my MMPR helmet, the mold and casting are ALL done from trial kits. Maybe we're talking a vast diff. in size of prop here, but the MMPR helmet was done with all trial kits. ONe trial of RB25 for the mold, one trial of shell shock for the mother mold and another for the helmet...

 

[propologist]

hello,

as with any project, there's no 1 "right" way to do it.

i use rebound 25, plasti-paste and smoothcast roto, not dragon skin, plaster and smoothcast 300.

you can see how i do it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9CzwJCZIEQ

(unless you are in germany. it's blocked there due to the soundtrack)

those are some great demos you have on youtube..I want your vac machine,,lol

 

[stormtrooperguy]

How thick are you running your mold?? I use 3 painted coats of rebound and it works perfectly

I make them a lot thicker. I usually do 6 coats, and 2 of them are thickened with thivex.

The 4 regular coats I do 16 oz each, and the thivex coats i do 24 oz. My overall mold thickness is about 1/2" in most places.

Same with the mother mold... I make it about 1/2" thick all around.

I've pulled about 60 helmets out of one of them and it's still going strong.

The reason I do them so thick is that I've had issues with thin molds and the weight of the rotocasting resin actually pulling the silicone out of shape while slush casting. I always make molds now that are thick enough to stand solid on their own.

 

[stormtrooperguy]

those are some great demos you have on youtube..I want your vac machine,,lol

Thanks

It's my latest new toy. I've only had it for a few months.

 

[Vegas Vader 2]

this is very informative STORMTROOPERGUY!! thank you!! i will redo my mold im retooling my iron man helmets.

 

[TheFifthSparrow]

I have to ask, how'd you do the perfect bucket neckline seam with the circular bottom for neck excess? I'm just wondering how you did that above anything else.

 

[STEALTH]

what are you molding exactly?

 

[Hamsterstyle]

hello,

as with any project, there's no 1 "right" way to do it.

i use rebound 25, plasti-paste and smoothcast roto, not dragon skin, plaster and smoothcast 300.

you can see how i do it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9CzwJCZIEQ

(unless you are in germany. it's blocked there due to the soundtrack)

I have to commend you on that tutorial. It was short, clear, and easy to follow. If only every art/craft/costume/etc tutorial on the internet was as good as yours is.

I have a question, how toxic is smoothon products? Is it safe enough to use indoors? I've only cast one thing ever and I did it indoors, am I destroying my perfect brain?

 

[STEALTH]

yes hamster you can use the products shown indoors.

your perfect brain will be safe.

 

[Daphonic]

I will be molding an Entire Spartin Mark VI set. As of now, i have the PEP's done on Chest, and almost done with the 2nd helmet i made, since the first was to small.

 

[STEALTH]

nothing fully completed, that's ready to mold as of yet?

 

[Daphonic]

Umm, no looks like next weekend, ill have both the Chest and Helm ready.

 

[Mr. No Stripes]

Thanks

It's my latest new toy. I've only had it for a few months.

What material do you use for your vacuum form molds?