I actually got some stuff done. I started the molding process on the legs. I decided to try some different products. I used TC1570 as the gel coat. This is an epoxy so it is low odor. It was great. Very thick so there was no running. I did the first coat in 4 parts as it does start to set up in about 15 to 20 minutes. Then the trouble started I was just finishing and I had layed the sculpt down. Big mistake. The clay walls on both sides hit the floor. I was pissed at myself for not securing them. Fortunately I stood the sculpt up and slammed them back on and they stayed. Had I left it upright they never would have fallen. I have to do a little work on the edges now before I start the back side. So the next layer was Free Form Air epoxy putty. PTGreek suggested this stuff as part of the laminating process. It is 2 parts. You make a baseball size glob of each and knead it in your hands. I flattened it out and pressed it onto the gelcoat. It hardens to a nice shell. Then I used TC1600 Epoxy resin and fiberglass woven cloth for the next 2 coats. This stuff was great also. Low order, I still did it in the garage, and really nice to work with. It sets up fairly slow so I could do one entire layer in one pour. I decided on the epoxies because I had never used them and after researching them they appear to give a much more durable final product. The low odor was also an issue. Here are the photos.
Oh yea I sealed the water based clay walls with krylon and then using my spay gun and applied 5 or 6 light coats of PVA.
This is the clay cutter I made in about 10 minutes. I saw one on youtube. It worked great.
If I had just left it upright the debacle would never had happened. I didn't know how thick the gel coat was.
We live and learn.
THe Free Air Putty.
2 layers of epoxy resin/fiberglass cloth.
This is the inseam where the clay did not fall. All of the edges should have looked like this. Damn.
This is one of the edges I have to touch up a bit. Damn!
Something I did this morning. I recieved the Dragonskin FX Pro (shore 2a). It is awesome.
I purchased the trail kit just to see what it was like. It is just the softness I was looking for.
These first 2 pictures are of the back . I didn't want it to be so perfectly smooth like silicone
that is poured is so I started picking at the back while it was curing. I wanted it to look like it was ripped
off the skull. It turned out just like I wanted. I need to play with the silicone paints now. This lion cloth is working
out well as my trial silicone piece.
