Silicone Rubber Suits...How To Make, Paint...any interest in a cool tutorial?

[DAVIDYR1]

hell yeah all this stuff is so helpful thanks david quick noob question there is no shrinkage with silicon is there just wondering????????

Virtually non existent. Silicone has a shrinkage rate of 0.02% on average...a little more, a little less...but a far cry from the average 5%-15% with latex rubber.

Some other questions above...
The PINK core was made from Shell Shock for the skin, and backed with Plasti Paste.
The outer leg mold was made from Plastipaste.
The rubber urethane skin mold was made from Brush On 40.

The different colors you see in the cast pieces is because each layer of rubber or rigid material I run is tinted a different color than the last. This way I can control how thick or thin my molds and shells can be. If it's all one color layer after layer it becomes hard to judge the thickness in given areas...and after all this work the last thing you want is a thin mold, warping, tearing or breaking.



Some Lifecasting Vids....OLD stuff...

http://www.youtube.com/user/UDReplicas#p/f/3/SPxWstiq3fs

For this next one, you have to be signed into your account to prove you're not a minor. There's no nudity, per say...but it's a female chest life cast...

http://www.youtube.com/user/UDReplicas?has...f/4/8zHKFVOKFBM

And lastly....has nothing to do with rubber suits or lifecasting but I figured why the hell not.

http://www.youtube.com/user/UDReplicas?has...f/6/y7XVsb4jVhg

More to come!

David

 

[Darth Pinhead]

I was just checkin' out that plastipaste stuff the other night for use as a mother mold. In fact, the second vid you posted is one of the vids I watched. Quite informative. PlastiPaste looks pretty damn light, as compared to stone; true? Any guesses on how much lighter? Such as, to put it into perspective, a stone mold would weight "X" but a Plasti would weight "Y". Not asking for weighing of anything, just curious. Thanks, again, man, this is just what the doctor ordered!

 

[Eaglewood]

David does some fantastic work for sure. There is a new silicone out there that doesnt stick to skin or hair AT ALL. I just discovered it in the last year. I recently did a face mold of a guy with a full beard and I applied it directly on to his beard and face with no release creme whatsoever . It came right off with no problems at all. Fantastic stuff. It is called Life Form and you can get it from a place here in the us called Motion Picture FX here is the website: lMotion Picture FX

Fot those of you across the pond-- you can get it from Justin at Mouldlife--here is the website Mouldlife

So play with different stuff. Most places have small trial kits to use. Be ready to spend some good money to do a silicone suit. Its not inexpensive and when you add all the stuff needed for the molds, cores, etc--it can add up quickly. There are also additives you can put in the silicones to make it more flexible, feel more like skin, colors, etc-- lots of possibilities.
You can even do costumes and masks that have veins in them and with a hand pump you can make the veins look like they are pumping. They will expand and contract- that is more advanced stuff but it can be done.
Be sure its something you want to do. I would suggest maybe starting with some hands or feet, maybe a small mask first and then go from there after you learn how to work with the various products. You will mess up and learn--but thats whats fun about it--you may discover something new along the way.

I can offer any assistance as Im sure David can and lots of others here-

go for it
If you are afraid to fail you will never succeed.

 

[hwb]

I've got a question about molding.

So you have the internal plastipaste plug mold, the negative urethane rubber mold, and the outer plastipaste mother mold. I was wondering how you kept the rubber mold against the outer mother mold, as I've had issues in the past where the rubber mold will pull away from the mother mold, causing thin spots in silicone, or sometimes worse, no silicone at all.

For example, on the cast you had pictures of, how do you keep the front of the thighs in place, since they're so far from the keys and other attachment points? I've had the urethane rubber come loose, and lay against the inner plug mold.

I hope I'm making sense here, lol.

Thanks!

 

[VaderDave]

Great question! I would like to know that as well.

 

[DAVIDYR1]

I've got a question about molding.

So you have the internal plastipaste plug mold, the negative urethane rubber mold, and the outer plastipaste mother mold. I was wondering how you kept the rubber mold against the outer mother mold, as I've had issues in the past where the rubber mold will pull away from the mother mold, causing thin spots in silicone, or sometimes worse, no silicone at all.

For example, on the cast you had pictures of, how do you keep the front of the thighs in place, since they're so far from the keys and other attachment points? I've had the urethane rubber come loose, and lay against the inner plug mold.

I hope I'm making sense here, lol.

Thanks!

Good question.

First...the core/plug mold is made from Shell Shock. Does not inhibit Platinum.
The Urethane rubber mold is Brush On 40. Does not inhibit Platinum.
The Mother Mold is Plasti Paste.

How does the urethane rubber mold lock into the core?
Take a close look at the image where we're opening the urethane mold exposing the beige water clay (spacer lay up, not actual detail sculpt) leg sculpt that was molded initially. Do you see the long keys around the top and bottom of the core? They lock into the deep holes you see on the urethane skin. Not only, but the split ares of the urethane rubber were made with core mold walls 1/8th Inch thick and with tiny keys in them so the mold also lines up from back to front inner thighs, and along the split crotch area.

The urethane is a shore 40 so it's pretty rigid and as long as it's locked into the core...it wont budge, sag or slip. A lower shore would be risky in that regard, I think even a 30 shore might not work like this...maybe. I've had a lot of success with molds like this over the years and the rigidity of this urethane rubber, together with this overkill amount of keys really does work.

You don't want to key the outside areas of rubber mold into the mother mold as it'll be next to impossible to close the mother mold over it without causing the keys to push the skin inwards.

To assemble...First we wrap the urethane mold onto the core, line up all the keys, especially the tiny ones where the mold opens...then pop the back mother mold on, and then the front.
Above the long keys you'll see negative shallow keys, and those are for the mother mold.

You literally hear a vacuum sound when the last part of the mold is put on.

The good thing about this is that all 3 mold parts (4 if you count the mother mold halves) all lock into each other really well. You can see the minimal amount of blue silicone that leaked from the mold after we opened it...but really that's it.

Brush on 40 and Shell Shock are awesome moldmaking materials...they naturally release from platinum silicone's, and wont inhibit them. JUST DONT USE 'KICK IT' WITH YOUR BRUSH ON 40 as that will inhibit your platinum silicone.

I hope this made sense.

Oh and one more thing.. This tutorial of sorts is for the benefit of everyone, and I'm happy to answer all questions to the best of my ability but please post your questions openly. No emails and no PM's please. Let's do this openly in the event something here can make life easier for anyone making their own suit. Cool?

David

 

[hwb]

Hmm, well, I was meaning more right dead front and center of the thigh, or similar places that are as far as you can get from any keys. If you, for instance laid the assembled mold down so it was "laying on its back" the front of the thighs would pull away from the outermost hard mold. Do you just make the rubber layer thick enough to not sag or cave in?

 

[DAVIDYR1]

Hmm, well, I was meaning more right dead front and center of the thigh, or similar places that are as far as you can get from any keys. If you, for instance laid the assembled mold down so it was "laying on its back" the front of the thighs would pull away from the outermost hard mold. Do you just make the rubber layer thick enough to not sag or cave in?

I forgot to mention that the urethane rubber mold is about 1 inch thick. Plus, the 40 shore is rigid enough to not cave in on itself. If I put the rubber mold onto the core and pop it into the keys, I can lay it down on it's backside and the urethane rubber wont cave in...or sink in to the inside core. For one, the core weighs next to nothing, and secondly the rubber mold just wont budge. In the pics above you can see it closed over the core standing up and I think laying on its side...nothing moves.

The rubber mold was brushed on in layers, smeared on actually using vinyl gloves...then on the last layer as it was gelling I covered it with saran wrap, heated it with a heat gun to set the rubber...then peeled it off slowly. That's how I got the smooth finish on the urethane mold...and not having to worry about the mother mold having to wedge itself into it and possibly causing it to cave in.

David

 

[Eaglewood]

I forgot to mention that the urethane rubber mold is about 1 inch thick. Plus, the 40 shore is rigid enough to not cave in on itself. If I put the rubber mold onto the core and pop it into the keys, I can lay it down on it's backside and the urethane rubber wont cave in...or sink in to the inside core. For one, the core weighs next to nothing, and secondly the rubber mold just wont budge. In the pics above you can see it closed over the core standing up and I think laying on its side...nothing moves.

The rubber mold was brushed on in layers, smeared on actually using vinyl gloves...then on the last layer as it was gelling I covered it with saran wrap, heated it with a heat gun to set the rubber...then peeled it off slowly. That's how I got the smooth finish on the urethane mold...and not having to worry about the mother mold having to wedge itself into it and possibly causing it to cave in.

David

That brush on stuff is so very rigid-- I used some brush on 60 for a mold and almost didnt get the piece out because it was so rigid and it was only about 1/2 thick. So when David says that it wont sag, I can verify that one for sure, especially being almost an inch thick .

 

[cgjeff]

I'm most interested in learning how you guys paint these suits. Seeing the excellent coverage you got on the Haze suits has always had me baffled (going from black to yellow.. insane)

I've never been able to get such good, opaque coverage on any silicon work I've done.

 

[thicky ricardo]

hello someone really sparked my interest with the hardness of silicone,so i was wondering if i plan to make a silicone mold for a bust that i will cast in resin,would i need a mother mold if it was an extremly rigid silicone like 40 or 50? just wondering,sorry if off topic

 

[Eaglewood]

hello someone really sparked my interest with the hardness of silicone,so i was wondering if i plan to make a silicone mold for a bust that i will cast in resin,would i need a mother mold if it was an extremly rigid silicone like 40 or 50? just wondering,sorry if off topic

If Im not mistaken the brush on 40 or 50 is urethane --not silicone-- you need a release agent in it also. Silicones are more forgiving with undercuts, etc and easier to remove. The brush on 40 and 50 is pretty tough stuff so for a smooth mold it works great -- it captures detail well but if you have protruding stuff that curves back, undercuts, etc, you may have a hard time removing the piece from the mold.
Go with a tin or platinum silicone for that , but you would need a mother mold over it such as Plastipaste or plaster, Forton MG-- etc-- something rigid that would hold the shape of the silicone master.

Hope that helps.

 

[hwb]

I'm most interested in learning how you guys paint these suits. Seeing the excellent coverage you got on the Haze suits has always had me baffled (going from black to yellow.. insane)

I've never been able to get such good, opaque coverage on any silicon work I've done.

I second this.

 

[DAVIDYR1]

I second this.

Hey HWB,
Looks like you joined here just after I started detailing the rubber work I used to do. Why not tell us a bit about yourself.
Obviously by your questions you're involved to some degree in the world of moldmaking and/or costuming...love to see some of your work. It may help me understand more where you're coming from...and thus answer your questions better.
All your posts on the Lair are in this thread since you joined so I'm guessing you're less of a Pred fan and more of a Batman fan...correct?
Give us something about yourself bud.


Either way, paint tutorial is coming....oh and I'm tickled pink that the black silicone base painted to bright yellow caught some attention. I thought all this time that it had gone unnoticed...lol

David

 

[hwb]

Ah fine, just twist my arm don't ya....

Well, I wish I had stumbled across this thread earlier, but I was linked to it from a friend who thought I would be interested. I'm learning silicone stuff and we watched what you did with the haze suit and things and went

I am actually a bit more into custom designs, with some pre-made stuff, mostly in relation to japanese anime and video games from any nation... I've been trying to build a portfolio recently, but silicone tends to be a pain to work with, and this thread is an awesome resource.

(Also, I thought Tron was pretty awesome, and now I want to make a suit.)

Unfortunately by the time I asked the molding questions I had already molded this using mud and fiberglass:

 

[Eaglewood]

Ah fine, just twist my arm don't ya....

Well, I wish I had stumbled across this thread earlier, but I was linked to it from a friend who thought I would be interested. I'm learning silicone stuff and we watched what you did with the haze suit and things and went

I am actually a bit more into custom designs, with some pre-made stuff, mostly in relation to japanese anime and video games from any nation... I've been trying to build a portfolio recently, but silicone tends to be a pain to work with, and this thread is an awesome resource.

(Also, I thought Tron was pretty awesome, and now I want to make a suit.)

Unfortunately by the time I asked the molding questions I had already molded this using mud and fiberglass:

Well if you can mold as well as you can sculpt you should have no worries!!!!

 

[hwb]

You're killing me here David with the slow replies


I've been holding out painting the above suit until you *hopefully* share the secrets to your painting success

 

[thefonzy]

Hey David, Sorry to be a bug... lol I'm really interested on the silicone topic man! Will you be continuing this tutorial, or is it scrapped?? Just wondering.. lol

 

[Eaglewood]

Oh where oh where has David gone?????

Just had a renewed interest in this since I have my studio set up.

 

[Isra]

Wow, I find this thread impresive, it's exactly what I was looking for!
In my case I'm looking forward to do somehow the same thing as the Batman silicone costume but not for a human body but for a 16 cm. tall figure.

Somebody could help me to choose an apropiated platinum silicone for the final product? And which rubber urethane? I'm planning it to be a two pieces silicone costume that I'll model with NSP Plasteline over a copy of the figure (I'll add the guides to it in order to not letting it shift inside the mold). The idea is to cast an industrial-futuristic costume that I can put on/off the figure, so I need it elastic and as thin as 3 mm. plus It's not intended to be a toy but a durable little piece of art.

I think It would be unnecessary the use of a mother mold, am I right? Anyway, I'm a little overwhelmed by the amount of different silicones and Shore hardness in the market. Could somebody give me a hand, please