Re: SKULLMAN helm -Test Casts pg2!- PIC HEAVY
So I just couldn't leave it alone. Fiddled yet more with the master but these final changes were very worth it. I've passed the point of being content, through the zone of satisfaction and into happy territory.
Also made a new mount to make applying silicone easier
Tentatively called the Crazy Counterbalanced Casting Contraption.
ANTIGRAVITY!
Forgot about the "counterbalance" part initially and had to improvise for abit...
The eyes were a bit of a gamble since I didn't know for sure if I would be able to get the silicone out again, but I needed a bit of the inside of the helm detail if the lenses are going to fit without too much pain and suffering.
Thankfully it worked
Skipping all the boring shell making pics this time since it's pretty much the same
ONYX Fast resin really is quite black. I had trouble seeing inside detail once the orange was covered up completely.
Well it was the first casting for this mold, and the 2nd slush casting I've ever done so there was no doubt it will have a few issues.
I've found that the little flap behind the jaw is a bit hard to slush into if you try to do it right away with the big pool of resin
So on the next cast I tried getting better coverage, still a few problems but much more even thickness throughout. Here's a bunch of pics of the 2nd cast. Jaw is also the 2nd test cast, made of Polytek Easy-Flo 60 because that's what I had laying around. Can't really see jaw surface because I lit it too bright.
I have to say I'm very pleased with both the final sculpt and with the mold. It's just getting that first coat of resin right that's left to perfect.
You might notice something is missing............yep. I forgot the holes above and behind each eyebrow. Only noticed it as I was applying the 2nd coat of silicone because there was no detail there to work silicone into...
Well at least it's quite minor and is easy to fix.
I quickly primed the 2nd cast and cut the eyes out for a comparison of the new (right) to the old first version (left)
And yet another version of this
Although I almost didn't make it because I like the final helmet and this might make me unhappy again. Thankfully not.
Molds waiting for more casting, hopefully the next cast is as close to flawless as the mold will allow.
And the only major bit left, the beginnings of the eye lense master for vacuuforming
I'll patch up the test cast tomorrow and then cut it apart to make sure it still fits well on the head.
C&C welcome
Finally a few questions:
-I think I might have overdone with the silicone. This is 1.5 pints of Rebound 25 on just the helmet (and 0.5 pints on the jaw). It's nice and thick and looking quite strong, but maybe pointlessly strong? What's usually an appropriate amount of silicone for a helmet?
-Any general tips for getting that first slush coat nice into all the nooks and crannies without bubbles? ONYX fast is really quite fast. I can just barely make one rotation of the mold to get it into all the edges before it gels and refuses to do detail.
-Regarding Mold release: I thought I risked it the first time with just talc powder but it came off quite easy. I did buy a can of Ease Release 200 from the local supplier of everything Smooth-On but didn't want to try it on the silicone yet because it seems to go on too thick even in quick bursts at 30cm as recommended. Should I use it anyway since it promises extended mold life and surface detail difference will likely be negligible?
Errrrr, I think there was some more questions but I forgot for now...
Anyway more pics tomorrow and JY thread sooooon.
