Questions about mold-making and liquid latex

[Scrapps]

Ok, so this isn't for a predator costume. I'm working my way up the sculpt and cast difficulty ladder and this is pretty basic. The costume I'm making for myself is Juri from Super Street fighter 4. The sewing parts have been all a breeze but it's the rubbery/hard parts that are well, hard. The part I'm asking about right now is her spike bracelets. I'm thinking of making them myself from latex because I'm a perfectionist, hot topic spike bracelets were completely all wrong for what I need and not really convention safe, and my wrists are crazy small.

I just have a couple of questions. I've helped my bf make a suit before by painting latex on in layers over a body suit but my experience with latex ends there.

1. I know latex takes like 30 days to cure. Does thickness matter on that? I.e. Since these spike bracelets will be thicker than a typical mask, will it take longer to cure?

2. What happens to latex if it's not entirely cured, just dry? I have about 2 and a 1/2 weeks to do this so not 30 days exactly but would it be durable enough to wear, just as long as I don't mess with it too much? If not, are there any tips on how to make it work with this time frame?

3. So, for plaster molds, since I don't require a super large amount of detail, can I just use regular ol' home depot plaster or is Ultracal 30 still better? Also, is there some kind of equation to find out how much I need?

4. How would I make a mold for something like that? I notice through Monster maker's tutorials that it's pretty straight-forward with an obvious pour hole but with a spike bracelet, I can't really see where the pour hole could be. I suppose I could pour it from the inside of the wrist and just swoosh it around but I figure I'd ask about it anyway just in case someone wiser than I am has an easier solution.

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Elkman]

Ok, so this isn't for a predator costume. I'm working my way up the sculpt and cast difficulty ladder and this is pretty basic. The costume I'm making for myself is Juri from Super Street fighter 4. The sewing parts have been all a breeze but it's the rubbery/hard parts that are well, hard. The part I'm asking about right now is her spike bracelets. I'm thinking of making them myself from latex because I'm a perfectionist, hot topic spike bracelets were completely all wrong for what I need and not really convention safe, and my wrists are crazy small.

I just have a couple of questions. I've helped my bf make a suit before by painting latex on in layers over a body suit but my experience with latex ends there.

Hey, whatever happens between consenting adults in the privacy of their own home is their own business. (Just kidding!)

1. I know latex takes like 30 days to cure. Does thickness matter on that? I.e. Since these spike bracelets will be thicker than a typical mask, will it take longer to cure?

It shouldn't take 30 days to cure. In fact, I really don't think it would take more than 24 hours to cure, unless you're doing something really thick with a lot of undercuts where the latex would puddle up. Now I really wouldn't start pulling and tugging and stretching on a fresh latex cast when it's just out of the mold, but if the latex looks like it's turned darker and can pull away from the plaster, then it's cured.

You don't necessarily have to make them thick. When I'm casting a mask, I usually let the latex dwell in there about 40 minutes or so and then pour out the excess latex, which leaves the mask roughly 1/8 inch thick. If you need more thickness to support the spikes or anything, you could use some kind of soft foam on the inside as a filler.

2. What happens to latex if it's not entirely cured, just dry? I have about 2 and a 1/2 weeks to do this so not 30 days exactly but would it be durable enough to wear, just as long as I don't mess with it too much? If not, are there any tips on how to make it work with this time frame?

You should be able to get it done in time. I wouldn't try to cast something just a couple nights before the event, but if you start sculpting now, you'll be able to make your mold and cast with enough time to have it when you need it.

3. So, for plaster molds, since I don't require a super large amount of detail, can I just use regular ol' home depot plaster or is Ultracal 30 still better? Also, is there some kind of equation to find out how much I need?

I don't know if Home Depot sells dry plaster in bags. If you're thinking about getting the premixed drywall compound, don't -- that won't work. I'd recommend Ultracal 30 if you can get it. If not, at least you should be able to find Hydrocal at a hobby store. Five or ten pounds of dry Ultracal 30 should be enough to do a bracelet.

4. How would I make a mold for something like that? I notice through Monster maker's tutorials that it's pretty straight-forward with an obvious pour hole but with a spike bracelet, I can't really see where the pour hole could be. I suppose I could pour it from the inside of the wrist and just swoosh it around but I figure I'd ask about it anyway just in case someone wiser than I am has an easier solution.

For a bracelet, I'd suggest walling off one side. Think of it like an empty soup can where you've cut off the top lid, but you've left the bottom lid in place. Then, you can build up the Ultracal 30 along the sides and the bottom of your sculpt. Once you've made your mold, you can take the clay out and then cast the latex in it. After your latex is cast, simply cut out the bottom, and you have a bracelet that you can put on your wrist.