REALLY need help with the silicone mask Process

Snikt

Sr Member
Hey guys. As you can tell from my post count, Im new here, but I have been lurking for quite awhile admiring all of your work. Im trying to make a Red Skull Mask for SDCC, I want to do it out of silicone, I am just unfamiliar with the process, from sculpture, to finished product. Can anyone help me out please? I dont know what type of material to make the mold out of, and how to actually get the silicone into the mold. Can it be slush cast etc? Thanks in advance.
 
You can slush silicone yes, but it will never sit right and look as good as cored silicone masks. Here is a run down for that process:

You need a core to sculpt on (lifecast)
sculpt your mask paying attention to the thickness of the clay as this will dictate the thickness of the rubber later on,

then you mold your sculpture, fiberglass is a good choice or epoxy if you can afford it.
If its a full head, a 3 piece jacket is easiest. Make the front one piece and the back half 2 pieces. Be sure to add enough bolts to keep it all tight, one through each eye will help also

once you've removed the jacket, work out the volume of the clay you scraped out to give you an idea of how much silicone you'll need.

Then you need to add a tube to the inside of the core that allows the silicone to be injected, preferably through the top of the head. Then you can pour your rubber down the tube and into the mold.

Thats a general overview but what you really need is a good dvd like this one:

Neill Gorton's Creating Character Prosthetics in Silicone

Expensive? Yes but not if it saves you wasting $100 worth of silicone.

There was a guy on here who did a Hellboy mask and he laid his process out very well, I'd do a search for that thread and have a read. Its a big undertaking.
 
Last edited:
Thank you guys so much, I really appreciate it. This is what I was looking for. I thought about buying those DVDs but man, they are REALLY expensive. I was thinking of doing a foam latex mask, but Im unfamiliar with that process as well. Im pretty much a noob and have only done latex masks, slush casting etc. I wanted to do something better than just latex, I dont want people to think I just bought it etc. Thanks again, this is a great community to be a part of, lots of nice people and tons of useful information.
 
Finding the volume of the clay will be more precise.

Well... The volume of the clay does not account for the tube, and the material necessary to fill it...

If you know the weight of the clay? 70 percent of the clay weight works for the majority of the silicones... It will give you the base weight for the silicone material... Usually for the silicones that require 10 percent catalyst... So if you are using a silicone that is 50/50?
Take the clay...
Weigh it up...
Multiply by 70 percent...(gives you "A") Then multiply "A" by .10... Gives you "B"...
Add "A" + "B" plus about 650 grams for the tube...
There ya have it... That is the amount of silicone it will take to fill it.
Personally, I like to add the tube in to the bottom of the mold... Of just create a channel while making the mold on the back half. Having to fill a tube is an incredible waste of material... Flip the mold and core... Pore with no tube... No wasted material... Silicone is too expensive not to figure out a way to not waste it...
 
Well... The volume of the clay does not account for the tube, and the material necessary to fill it...

If you know the weight of the clay? 70 percent of the clay weight works for the majority of the silicones... It will give you the base weight for the silicone material... Usually for the silicones that require 10 percent catalyst... So if you are using a silicone that is 50/50?
Take the clay...
Weigh it up...
Multiply by 70 percent...(gives you "A") Then multiply "A" by .10... Gives you "B"...
Add "A" + "B" plus about 650 grams for the tube...
There ya have it... That is the amount of silicone it will take to fill it.
Personally, I like to add the tube in to the bottom of the mold... Of just create a channel while making the mold on the back half. Having to fill a tube is an incredible waste of material... Flip the mold and core... Pore with no tube... No wasted material... Silicone is too expensive not to figure out a way to not waste it...

Now, I was thinking that... Can I make a two piece mold, brush the silicone on one piece, put the core in, brush that with silicone, fill up the other side, and squish them together?
 
Well... The volume of the clay does not account for the tube, and the material necessary to fill it...

If you know the weight of the clay? 70 percent of the clay weight works for the majority of the silicones... It will give you the base weight for the silicone material... Usually for the silicones that require 10 percent catalyst... So if you are using a silicone that is 50/50?
Take the clay...
Weigh it up...
Multiply by 70 percent...(gives you "A") Then multiply "A" by .10... Gives you "B"...
Add "A" + "B" plus about 650 grams for the tube...
There ya have it... That is the amount of silicone it will take to fill it.
Personally, I like to add the tube in to the bottom of the mold... Of just create a channel while making the mold on the back half. Having to fill a tube is an incredible waste of material... Flip the mold and core... Pore with no tube... No wasted material... Silicone is too expensive not to figure out a way to not waste it...

I think what you are describing is the process for a matrix mold, in which case you would want to fill the tube. You wouldn't want to fill the injection spout for a silicone mask though.
 
I was replying more about kingofswings direction of the tube going in to the core through to the top of the head..

When I make my negative molds, I add a channel with clay on the back side like half a cylinder...

Then, after I prep the mold and core and flip it over... Just pour in to the whole... No tube... Very little waste...
 
I was going to ask that. Do you HAVE to degas the silicone, and does it have to be "injected"? I saw a tutorial on Smooth-Ons website, where they were making a silicone head, using a core. I was thinking of making the mold, using my lifecast of ultracal as the core, making a pour spout in the mold, and then just pouring it in. I wanted to make a plaster mold, but the tutorial used Shell Shock with plasti-paste. I already bought the plaster, just trying to save money. Anyone think that would work?
 
DrKnow, do you happen to have a photo of a negative mold you're speaking of? I'm getting into silicone mask making for a local theater company that's asked me to do their fx for an upcoming movie. I also wouldn't mind making a few good masks to sell. not to create a competitive company, but rather just supply more of rare or one off masks.

Thanks.

Dewayne
 
Back
Top