The Topknot Build. New photos of torso life cast build. 05/07/2015

[AlphaTech686]

So here are the pics from today's pour.

My wife loves when I do this stuff in the kitchen.

here are the pieces released and placed back in the mold.

That little finger just would not stay tight up against the mold wall. I new I would have some sanding to do.

I put it in a bucket in case there were leaks. There were none. No resin went past the silicone. I was shocked.

Not sure if I went overboard on the bolts. I guess not.

Here it is after some sanding of the resin that covered the seams. Those marks
on the thumb are from me whacking it with a hammer to break the seal.

You can see one little spot where I chipped an edge that I puttied up later. Man that is a crappy photo.

Those seams on the fingers haven't been touch that's how the came out of the mold. I'm sort of proud of that.

I'll post a video on Saturday. Now it is on to the left hand.

 

[BonzRus]

Jeff, did you use mold release on the pieces that you put back in the mold before pouring the last part? This turned out fabulous! Great job!

How are you planning to accomodate the thumb switch? Will you be back filling the glove with foam in any way? Just curious.

Steve

 

[AlphaTech686]

Thanks Steve. Yes I did use release on them. I used PVA. If you don't you would end up with what you started with, a sold hand. The thumb switch will be worked into the sculpt. I am planning on placing it on the core when I pour the actual Pred hand. I am using Skin Flex 3 and it will be poured sold. I can't imagine it will be more that an 1/8 or 3/16 thick in any one place except for the finger tips as they are all longer than normal. Even if it gets thick the stuff is so soft it won't matter. I'm getting pretty excited about starting the hand sculpts. I may actually set the legs to the side and tackle the hands first. I gotta strike while the fire is hot.

 

[BonzRus]

I know what you mean Jeff...go with what you are "keyed up" about. I am still trying to find my keys right now....

Steve

 

[Usurper]

Awesome stuff, I so wish I had the time and money to follow in your footsteps.

that looks great.

 

[ThePriest]

Yeah how do you afford all that stuff ? Doing a little exotic dancing on the Side ? LOL "sorry i'm stupid !"

 

[AlphaTech686]

Thanks guys. You should talk Tony. Here is the video I promised. Not super exciting but something a little different.

http://s3.photobucket.com/user/alphapredator686/media/001_zps031886e7.mp4.html

 

[ptgreek]

Hey Jeff ...before you start your sculpture ..you may want to think about building up a small bit wax on the fingers before you start your sculpt. it creates a little more on the positive so that when you demold and pour, the fingers  aren't too thin ..it avoids having to shave the positive before placing back into the hand mold. How are you planning on making your mold? and why are you choosing Skinflex 3. its a very difficult material that is a pain to paint. Silicone would be much easier.

Also ..remember if you are pouring, to drill bleeder hols in the mold. especially in the finger tips to avoid air pockets

 

[ThePriest]

Nice video jeff those hands are sweet. I bet you could sell a few of them . Hell i might buy a pair just to save me the time . 

 

[AlphaTech686]

Just to prove I am actually working on stuff. I started smoothing the other hand, ordered more silicone, and against the advice of ptgreek I am working on finger cups. I had to give them a shot George. You know I like to try new things. So I alginated my finger tips and today I hope to make them from acrylic resin or I may try epoxy resin. Oh and I am taking Georges advice and jumping into the silicone and not the skin flex. 

 

[AlphaTech686]

Here are the finger tips with the clay walls.

Then came the PVA  

The polyester resin.

Popped off the fingers

Dremeled and sanded

I poured a second right hand to sculpt on so I wouldn't have to clean up the core when it come time to be used.

Here is the left hand with the second go round of spot putty.

The final coat of primer.

That's all for now.

 

[AlphaTech686]

Did a couple of sketches this morning of a hand concept. 

You can see the center lines have to be changed as I want the fingers to have that webbed
look and I didn't cast the hands in that pose. The nails will be sculpted first onto the finger cups then molded and cast then
I can put them onto the hands and sculpt around them. That's the plan at least. 

I was looking at the screen caps of the P1 hand and noticed the little plates actually look mechanical.
The first one on the left is from the P1 and the others are the Topknot version. These are just preliminaries 
but I had to start somewhere.

 

[TuaCathach]

Just to prove I am actually working on stuff. I started smoothing the other hand, ordered more silicone, and against the advice of ptgreek I am working on finger cups. I had to give them a shot George. You know I like to try new things. So I alginated my finger tips and today I hope to make them from acrylic resin or I may try epoxy resin. Oh and I am taking Georges advice and jumping into the silicone and not the skin flex. 

Jeff its great to see your jumping into the world of silicone, George is great for advice, but after seeing Usurper test it as it were and see how effective it is i think a lot more will follow on Lee's success with it.

 

[AlphaTech686]

I am also working on a new vacuum chamber. My dad had given me one years ago but the chamber was a little small. Here is my solution.
I found a heavy aluminum pot on Craigslist and cut a hole in the lid. That "way to thick " piece of plexiglass is from the old chamber. My dad is like Tim on ATool Time, everything is overkill hence the inch thick plexiglass. I wish I had a photo of the actual chamber, it was made of 1/4 inch steal pipe welded to a 1/4 inch steal plate for the bottom. He wasn't going to collapse I assure you. So I cut the lid and drilled and tapped a bunch of holes and bolted it in place with a gasket in between. I still need to get a couple of fittings. George "ptgreek" suggested that because I am pouring the hands I degas the silicone. See I really am
staying busy.

 

[AlphaTech686]

Made some progress today. Here is the left hand ready for molding.

The clay jacket. I decided to do this one different than the right hand. I will make the
fibeglass jacket over the clay, remove on side clean off the clay and place the fiberglass back on and pour the silicone.
Next I will remove the other side and do the same. This allows more control of the silicone and probably it will take less.
I will also build keys on the clay jacket to help hold the silicone in place in the fiberglass mother mold. 

 The clay jacket sealed. In case anyone was wondering that is Tiffany Blue. Don't ask.

Almost ready for release.

Slow and steady wins the race.

 

[TuaCathach]

Great to see ignorance has its place on the boards.

 

[AlphaTech686]

Hey TuaCathach I don't get it. What does that mean?

 

[AlphaTech686]

I woke up thinking about this so I got it to the ready stage for fiberglass. I need to PVA it then tomorrow is the fiberglass work.

 

[AlphaTech686]

As an after thought I decided to take those 2 long keys of the wrist. I started looking at it and figured a 1/2 inch of silicone in that tube shape would hold its form. 

 

[BonzRus]

This is so incredible to watch Jeff. I love seeing your progress. Help me to understand your plan here...Are you ultimately planning to mold the fingernails into the silicone? If so did you take the fingernails into consideration when you made the clay jacket or am I just not understanding you plan?

Steve