Question about Molding and Casting Crowns

[imatangelo]

*First off, if I posted this in the wrong place, please let me know. I'm not exactly sure which board to post questions on*

I'm thinking of making the Zelda crown from Twilight Princess, and originally I didn't realize it went all the way around. I was going to cast the front then add in some hair combs.

Then I saw this:

and realized it goes all the way around.

Now, I try to be as accurate as possible when working on things like this. I did some searching and found a fully cast Hylian crown, so I know it can be done:
The Iron Ring: Historical and Larp Store



I'm pretty new to molding and casting, and after 3 hours of searching last night came up with no real results on how to attack this. Does anyone know how I can cast a 1 piece crown like this? My original idea wont work due to the fact it doesn't have a flat top or bottom.

Do I sculpt in the round then rotate the casting resin like a slush cast? Or do I build it flat, and manipulate the mold into a circle before it fully sets and close it up with some Apoxie sculpt or glue?

Any help or advice would be amazing! Thank you in advance!

 

[Rubber Slug]

I'm new to this sort of thing too, but could you mold it flat, then cast it in a material you can bend into a circle? Maybe a nice plastic that's malleable when heated.

 

[HeroOfThePeople]

I've not attempted anything like that but my gut approach would be to make a master, modeled exactly how you want the final prop to turn out, sans painting (And if you just want one you could actually stop there, if you wanted to reproduce move on to the next steps), create a keyed and vented two part mold, and then cast as normal clean your casts and paint. Unless I'm missing something I think this approach would work here.

Here's a basic youtube two piece mold tutorial if you need it.

 

[deathgrey]

subscribed, I tried something like this before and didnt work out for me with a 2 part mold so I just gave up :/

 

[Zlurpo]

Volpin made some cylindrical arm bands a few years ago, and he molded them flat and curved them when they were about 90% cured. Check out this photo, and the next 7 or 8 in the series.
Those photos show the process, how he cast the piece flat and then rolled it when it was almost cured. I have no idea if it would work well for you, but it's an option.

 

[clonesix]

Hello imatangelo, and welcome to the forums.

The forum "Crown Guru," Guri will chime in and explain better than I. She is the expert on all LOR costuming.

As I see this, I don't see the need for sculpting, molding and casting only one-off. That gets pretty expensive. What about this: Get yourself a 'blank' crown, either by purchase or make. It doesn't matter, only that it fit your head. Then, sculpt onto your blank in Magic Sculpt, Supersculpy, or other hardening medium.

Are familiar with these? Magic Sculpt hardens in few hours, solid as a rock. Super Sculpey is baked in your home oven to become hard. Both can be sanded smooth and painted.

As far as the sculpting,itself, I would lay the blank out flat, and sculpt it flat, then bend into a ring and bake.

If you have never worked with either of these materials, YouTube has plenty of videos that will explain better than I type.


Good luck, and be sure to post pictures. We love pictures, here on the RPF.

 

[clonesix]

Oh, and don't let me steer you away from molding and casting, if that is the way you want to go. In that event, my advice remains the same: sculpt in. The flat, and bend to round after done. ... And go to YouTube for molding videos

 

[Ciano930]

I'd say use clay to build a rim on the inside of the crown that comes out over the edges. Then use silicone and a plaster mother mould. the plaster will need to be two part the silicone can go all the way around though

 

[imatangelo]

Thanks for the advice!

I'm such a hard-headed dork. I'm determined to learn the medium, and of course try to do it with a super difficult project. It's kind of how I approach everything.

I've tried a few 1 piece molds already with stuff I can get at the hardware store to much success when you consider the funky mediums. I'm pretty confident I can tackle a 1 or 2 piece mold, but sometimes figuring out the engineering is hard. I got some apoxie sculpt to play with, but am a little hesitant to start using it yet since it has such a short dry time.

I think I'm blathering and not making sense. Either way, I think you're right. I'll sculpt it flat then make it round after the sculpting is done. I'm planning on starting the sculpt this weekend after I'm sure my proportions are correct. Wish me luck (and I'll keep y'all updated)!

 

[clonesix]

If the curing time with the EpoxieSculpt is too quick for your comfort level, Super Sculpey will remain soft until you bake it. The armature
Would need to be metal, not plastic to survive the oven.

 

[imatangelo]

So I didn't realize this until just the other day, but apparently you can submit a ticket to Smooth-on with any questions about casting and mold making and they'll help you out!

They suggested making a flat mold then forming it before it sets all the way. I also started sculpting my pieces in Sculpy Firm so I'd have some time to work with it. I'm hoping to finish sculpting this weekend and cast next week when my mold materials arrive.