Stumped on how to cast something - need it to look like salt

[hydin]

Kinda stumped on this. I want to make a casting of something, but I want it to look like it is made of salt. Think Lot's wife.

I have some ideas, mostly mixing salt in with clear resin but I don't know how well that will work out. I can't think of a paint that will let me keep the translucent effect, but still have the "pebble like" texture either.

I have seen this done in a few movies and a few shows, but I can't really work out the whole "how to do it" details.

So, if you have an idea or if you have done this before, please feel free to share.

Chris

 

[Contec]

maybe some sort of fine grade sand mixed with resin?

 

[robstyle]

The way its usually done on props, if the texture/sand/salt is added and not cast in, simply spray adhesive over the surface and throw the salt on it. If its a small part, sticky hair spray will work as well.

 

[Wicked]

I just saw a few nights ago at the craft store, some air-dry modeling clay that's made to dry into different textures. I think it's mostly used for volcano models, but they had a brick texture, a stone texture (which would seem the proper choice for your project depending on size), and a pottery texture. I imagine even if your project was pretty large you could coat it in a thin layer of the stuff.

Could we maybe get some more details on the specifics of the project? Do you need it to be crystalline or just have the rough texture of salt? Roughly how big are we talking here statue size or something more akin to action figure size? Anything you could provide would help.

 

[hydin]

It's a project for a friend of mine. He wants something like a partial face or a hand or something looking like it was turned to salt. Sort of a prop for sunday school or some church thing. It would need to be "realistic" to a point, meaning made of salt, translucent, etc.

I think I will go with clear resin, some powder to give it that pearl sheen, and just spray glue and salt for the outside of it.

Appreciate the help on this
Chris

 

[Wolfdagon]

Not sure why you want it to be translucent. When I look at a shaker of salt or a salt lick they don't look translucent to me. Hey, maybe you could just carve it from a salt lick.

 

[robstyle]

if its translucent, it will have a certain look to it around light, more reflective.

 

[exoray]

Not sure why you want it to be translucent. When I look at a shaker of salt or a salt lick they don't look translucent to me. Hey, maybe you could just carve it from a salt lick.

Salt licks and table salt are multiple small crushed crystals, a clean salt crystal looks like this...

 

[Collektor]

There are some acrylic texturing compounds that are clear/translucent and look like sand or salt. you could alway try a coating of that over top of the form. Any big art store like Blick should have them.

 

[rollerboi]

If it's a prop for a certain type of class, you'll want to carve a salt lick. This way, you can even have the class members come up and lick the salt.

What would be really cool would be to do a salt sculpture of a woman as if she were melting, like Toht melted in IJ.

You could also grow salt crystals in the shape of a hand following this technique: How to Make a Salt Crystal Sculpture | eHow.com

 

[hydin]

Nah, it's a church class, and I don't really think anyone wants to lick the "dead person" :lol

That and the last thing I ever carved was a bunny out of some soapstone. I don't think I can handle carving a partial face or hand or whatever they want.

I have some Pearlescent powder for clear resin, so that should help the whole "glowy" effect. I think I am going to go with the spray glue and salt route on some test castings. If they don't work out well, I am going to try the various sand acrylic textures (awesome idea on that one!!!).

I thought about the salt casting idea, sort of like rock candy, except salt crystals set up like that are pretty much crazy delicate.

Awesome ideas and tips! I really appreciate the help!
Chris

 

[GuntahKela]

I've also used actual salt, or sugar, in certain areas that demanded a grainy effect. I just fill the area with clay and push the salt/sugar against it. Demolding it will undo it, but who cares? The mold is done:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...134908056533869.19823.134828036541871&theater

In fact, for a gritter result, you could use the brown sugar they give at Starbuck's coffe shops.

 

[robstyle]

Before trying the spray glue, try the hairspray method first. If you dont like it or it doesnt work, you can easily move to spray glue.

 

[Hecubus114]

I wonder what would happen if you just stirred up a bunch of salt and elmers glue and poured it in a mold

 

[hydin]

Guess we will find out tonight! Just gotta go to the store and get some elmers. Hairspray too, apparently. Rob and his "ooohhhooooo I'm a prop guy and I make a living at this, and ooohhooo look at me with my years of experience and talent!!!" ~:lol>

(j/k dude, you are awesome and you know it)

Chris

 

[hydin]

Ok.

The elmers idea and the rubber cement idea failed horribly. All it did was turn the salt into some form of salt covered icky slime smelly stuff. Had I thought about it before I did it, it would have been a "duh" moment, but that's how salt works.

Next up will be the hairspray and "salting" idea, to see if that works out. I have more faith in that one :lol

The only downside I can really think of is how to keep the salt from falling off the item, but that's a battle for another day.

Thinking I might go the "cold cast" route and see if I can get some fine white sand or even salt and line the mold with it before the cast, so when I do fill it with resin (clear with pearlescent powder) it will "grip" it and keep the gritty texture but also lock in those grains.


Chris

 

[Shylaah]

Have you thought about trying ye olde Salt Dough recipe--salt, flour and water? I remember making an Indian pot out of the stuff in some art class way back sometime. I believe it has a bit of a translucency to it, am trying desperately to remember the texture.....I recall that visually you can see the sparkly salt crystals, but I can't remember what it felt like after it was dry...........
I might go whipped some up and see what it does----

Shylaah

 

[Shylaah]

Looks like most recipes for the Salt Dough call for 2 parts flour, 1 part salt, and enough water to make it ball up.....
Since the look and feel of salt is what is being sought, I figured it could go with less flour so made the sample 1 part flour, 1 part salt and just enough water for it to ball up. Kneaded it well and have shaped a flat disk out of it. It's suppose to air dry pretty well I read, so I'm leaving it right here on the desk till morning when I'll report back.....it LOOKS the part, hope it will FEEL the part when it is dry......

Shylaah

 

[MaulWalker]

As I remember, to create the ice caves on Hoth the set designers sprayed the walls with melted parafin and threw salt on top of it.

 

[Shylaah]

Fail on the salt dough. It felt and looked more the part before it dried. It has no translucency and no "salt" feel now that it's dry.

It was also a fail spreading some glue thinly on an object and sprinkling on the salt, a la the "glitter" method, got all funky looking when dry.

I don't know, moisture and salt just don't mix--the salt reacts, melts......
I think you're gonna have to use some fine sand, or dry wall dust, or spackling dust--something to fake the salt.

How do they make sandpaper? If you could get something that feels like 220-ish??

Shylaah