{WIP}Ahsoka Tano as Fulcrum (!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

#ahsokatano #ahsokalives. Sculpt ready for molding the back. There was a lot of tidying including cutting the wih head right back. by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokatano #ahsokalives mold back. Fresh ultracal is the best! So much faster to work with. by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

Not of much interest to those of us already familiar with ultrcal, but this is why it's amazing- aside from durability that is

Yes, you can make dimetional molds just with the product. I do not use bandages as I live in a very humid climate and they just rot. So instead I mix about 2C of water with product, brush that over, then as that is starting to set up I mix about 1C water batches so as to have a mold about 1" thick (a bit overkill, but I have mentioned humid climate which makes thin molds really prone to breaking when demolding, unless I am supr patient and wait a week, ahahahahahha!!!!)

So I like to use a chipping brush but had to use a goats hair brush for the back and my hands. My hands are lovely and pruny and in much need of proper moisturiser.

I'll trim the overhang tomorrow.

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels



Tidying the mold today! It's still brittle enough that the first half of the mold can be trimmed with a saw and sanded back with a dremel. So I have moved it to the floor for when I do try to pry the two parts open. I was moving the desk whenever I wanted to move the mold so this made most sense.

But I managed to weigh the mold: 50 pounds!

 

[Halliwax]

Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

i absolutely love it!

 

[dday]

Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

View attachment 675147 View attachment 675148

Tidying the mold today! It's still brittle enough that the first half of the mold can be trimmed with a saw and sanded back with a dremel. So I have moved it to the floor for when I do try to pry the two parts open. I was moving the desk whenever I wanted to move the mold so this made most sense.

But I managed to weigh the mold: 50 pounds!

This is really the problem when going with alternate materials. The weight!

Makes it very hard to slush/rotocast.

I found smooth on has a product called "Free Form Air" that acts as an outer jacket and isn't noxious like fiberglass. The Costs are higher I"m sure but it's super light and makes casting these parts much easier.

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

I'm not using an alternate material though. Ultracal is kind of standard for molds for slip casting. And as I'm going to be casting in latex it makes sense.

Really not an alternate material at all:

http://www.monstermakers.com/content/materials2.html
http://www.animateclay.com/index.php/articles/10-behind-the-scenes/38-foam-latex-puppet-basics
http://www.barnes.com.au/plasters-gypsums/ultracal-30-1121
http://www.fxsupply.com/materials/materials.html
http://www.fxwarehouse.info/category/how-to-make-a-latex-mask.html
http://creaturecastrubber.com/how-to-use/
Special Make-Up Effects, By Vincent Kehoe
Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics, By Todd Debreceni
http://www.silpak.com/pdfs/RLM460.pdf

 

[dday]

Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

I'm not using an alternate material though. Ultracal is kind of standard for molds for slip casting. And as I'm going to be casting in latex it makes sense.

Really not an alternate material at all:

By alternate material I only meant alternate to Fiberglass. Fiberglass is a very common material for mothermolds, but it's noxiousnes makes it hard for a lot of people to work with. It's great because it's night and strong even in thin layers but the exchange is growing 3 eyes or never being able to have kids if you work with it a lot unprotected.

- - - Updated - - -

Plus, I'm not ultra familiar with making latex parts, mostly silicone and resin, so it might be standard in this realm.

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

(edited to make my reply easier to read)

I did not use an alternate material. Latex requires a porous mold (ultracal/hycrocal/plaster). Fibreglass and silicone are not porous. They are the alternative options, not vice versa.

To explain further:

I do use fibreglass, often. When it is appropriate. I didn't want to muddy my thread but I realise people read these and pick up ideas for their own projects and I don't want anyone trying to use a material that isn't that great for what they want.

Ultracal is used for so many things because it is so durable and rigid. It does not warp (as silicone and fibreglass are both prone to do. So over time the mold remains stable.
It is porous so ideal for casting materials that evaporate or give off gas. The molds absorb and allow airflow on both the skin side and internal surfaces. This does of course also lead to the casting material locking into those pores which also helps the casting material stay exactly in shape until it is pulled. In a non porous mold the tension of the cured, and shrunk, material will pull the cast item from the mold unevenly and create a permanently warped piece.

It works really well for encapsulated silicone appliances for the same reason, with the added benefit of being able to force the material into every tiny space due to the weight and pressure you can put onto the mold. I use a fibreglass cast of my own head but it did have to be very reinforced for me to be able to run silicone pieces on it.

Fibreglass is great to support molds that need that support- such as silicone. Ultracal is self supporting.

As an update- the mold is in the sun right now. The stone rings like a bell when it is fully cured. It may still be a week given I can't get the mold into an oven!

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

Back to progress:

#ahsokalives clay walls in the crockpot and on the desk.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr
Forgot to share this one, I used my crockpot to heat the clay, sometimes to melting point, sometimes just to warm and soften. I usually melted though It's easy to use a paint scraper to lift some out and work it on the desk until it cools, and then by hand.

Shared now because I am remelting all the clay to clean it. I usually use a pot on the stove but it's nice outside so my workroom is a nice option And it definitely works.
In case the terminology isn't familiar slower cooker= crockpot. Because the pot part is.. crockery or pottery. It's how they can slow cook. Physics!
And as I used red/orange/brown to build the new walls I'll wind up with a muddy grey clay


#ahsokalives mess left over from molding the back. A lot tidier than I was for the front! Tidy area is vital so you don't trip or ruin furniture. Note all the sheeting- I reuse where possible.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr
I only had to throw away the one that was heavily taped.


#ahsokalives mold being transfered, note the towel. Also used to move the full mold to the floor.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr
This towel has been great! It's been able to mop up water and also acts as a cushion. I was able to hold the mold and move the towel then start building the clay and insulation foam on the under side.

#ahsokalives ? #ahsokaisfree !!! That was insanely easy to demold, seriously so happy as I can now move the molds more easily and to follow the sun! by pinkdiamond, on Flickr
Nearly perfect! I was right that my keys were off just enough to break in many cases but there are enough and enough stumps to still help it lock into place


#ahsokatano is free!!!!!!! The heat from the sun softened the clay and the fibreglass so that I could break it apart. I really can't touch the clay that's left until it is cool enough to peel out. But woot![/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

And now the sculpt is destroyed. The base of the back lekku curves downward thus locking the sculpt in place. When I cast this won't be an issue as latex is flexible enough to peel out of most molds, so long as it isn't too bulbous. I really need to get a page up on this. I don't think I would have had much benefit from making the back in two parts, but it is an easy spot to put a seam and to disguise it.

I think my front mold is slightly asymmetric as it tends to lean to one side while the back mold is staying nicely on the three points of the lekku bases.

I think though the day in the sun has helped the cure, it certainly feels much drier and looks like it is curing well So next step is to see how much latex I have for some test pulls. It takes about 3L of the stuff for my Shaak Ti molds and this is a very similar size. Might be time to get those mold out of storage too

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

I made the mistake today of slushing the mold- by mistake I mean I mixed my latex (thickener and pigment so that I could brush the latex in a nice heavy initial cost) and forgot to let it air and release most of the ammonia. So I accidentally got a good lungful.
And then I forgot again and just repeated the exposure.
Note to self, if I don't have the right respirator I get the cold fan and work upwind.

#ahsokalives mold has been slushed. Should be enough as it is but I may just do one more swish while it's still wet enough to not warp. But woo for latex thickener and acrylic paint for making this much easier! by pinkdiamond, on Flickr


#ahsokalives slushing in progress, also accidental advertising (and yes recommend as a retailer will be getting more.) by pinkdiamond, on Flickr


#ahsokalives slushing, tip from side to side and then pour excess out the ends- actually did this both sides, it's also harder than it appears.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

 

[usajdm]

Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

This is intense.
Its like watching a cliffhanger.
I can't wait to see what happens next.
I Hope all the best for your success of this project.
If you happen to end up with an extra, I'm sure I can find a spot on my sisters head for it.
-Robert

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

XD Honestly this particular mix of thickener and latex (the specific brands) works insanely well. It actually made a really nice layer. It may not be thick enough to have a fully supported set like I managed with my Shaak Ti molds but the style means it will be easier to add internal support later

Anyway, it's making casting go so much faster, so I may be able to make a few extra casts to really test my options Also it might cost least per cast this way! It's been prohibitively expensive to make extra casts from my earlier set because of how much latex it really does need. Ahsoka is slightly easier to cast as well due to the smoothness of the shape of the joins between lekku and montral.

Next step is to very carefully make the lekku. Might just do some printing of her leather goods so i can get that up and going too.

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

#ahsokalives skirt armour all pathed and printed. I am having trouble with some of my PSD files but hey I got to print them ready to transfer to russet. by pinkdiamond, on Flickr
It's suddenly very warm here so while making these printable files to mark my leather I forgot to hydrate properly. So it's now a matter of resting for a little before marking my russet.

This project is a fantastic chance for me to make armour and props without needing to fibreglass. It was my go to armouring and prop making material as epoxy is jut so darn fantastic for longevity and flex. But I learnt how to model in 3D for my Ventress, and I've been tooling leather for about 8 years now.

As it's been awhile since I really spent hours in Sketchup I'll be modelling the hooks for the sabers first. Also figuring a way to stretch the leather for the chest armour.

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

#ahsokalives skirt armour all pathed and printed. I am having trouble with some of my PSD files but hey I got to print them ready to transfer to russet.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokalives transfering line art to leather. I did wet this section and then realised I didn't need to [/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokalives close view of the hide. There will always be imperfections so try to avoid them. I managed to miss this but have a couple of tiny holes in the greaves.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokalives not sure if it is obvious but I altered the design. I was using the concept art which has a few bumps that get exaggerated with scale! My error so I will tidy the graphic file once I know that this works.[/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokalives the transfer is a series of dots that will be merged once I do the tooling proper. I do love this work, but it is delicate as the surfice will take an impression of nearly anything that touches it![/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

#ahsokalives greaves wetmolding. I have since taken the tape off, wiped down the surface and trimmed the back seams. Next step is to let it dry fully and then wipe surface again.

#ahsokalives greaves, here you can see how well the leather forms. One piece each leg. I used cold water so still a few chances to texture and fine texture it all.[/url]


#ahsokalives chest plate part 1: stretching leather to eliminate all excess folds.


#ahsokalives chest plate part 2: oil clay to shape on same form. This is too soft to form over directly so to the next step.


#ahsokalives chest plate part 3: streched fabric over clay and resinned- no, not with epoxy just polyester. Just enough to left me stretch the leather over it. I'll use a flexible urethane on the resverse of the leather. Or contact cement. Hmmmmm...

 

[dday]

Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

wicked good updates, you're really putting your heart into this work. Love it!

Will you fill the lekku with expandable foam before demolding to help it keep shape, or stuff it after?

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels

wicked good updates, you're really putting your heart into this work. Love it!

Will you fill the lekku with expandable foam before demolding to help it keep shape, or stuff it after?

Now that is an interesting question I used to be able to get products from BJB enterprises and loved them But my access has kind of been cut off so I'm having to try other products- which is a bit costly so far BJB has a wicked set of urethane options, incredibly stable and flexible including a paint system! I used that to make custom vinyl fabric coatings So far I have not had access to anything as soft and flexible as what was called "S-Foam 48" by Barnes several years back. I have no technical data except what was archived ("S FOAM 48 is a 48kg m3 density foam") so I am trying to do conversions to find what other manufacturers use. I think I have a video still of just how wiggly it was. Darn. Seems to be on a different HDD. But you could bend the lekku into a circle and let go and it would swing and wobble very similarly to foam latex.
I have also looked into foam latex as it would be ideal It's the need for a predictable, large, enclosed heat source that is making it a hard decision! Not so much the finnicky nature of mixing- which is a steep learning curve as it is.
But I have also have the mold as an open mold, so there is no way really to control the foam expansion Though possibly with a lot of care that could be fixed

I really wanted to get a nice graduated cast in the montrals- so that I could have a very solid cast of the horns and top of the lekku then feather out to allow me to join the lower lekku with a nice tapered join that could be blended away.
The first cast I pulled has the latter but not the former. In order to get going I really do need another batch of latex

It's summer now so this should be good I have once ordered latex in winter and it got frozen in transit. I wasted so many casts because the latex just turned brittle and cracked which was just weird.
I had people try to tell me I was just doing something wrong- nope! Again, I seem to be missing photo files but I'll try and hunt down the photo that showed this

Just going to heat up some water to stretch the chest plate

 

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Re: {WIP} Fulcrum (yes spoilers!!!!!) Star Wars Rebels


#ahsokalives chest plate stretching![/url] by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

#ahsokalives I may or may not be able to do the last two panels tonight. But so much progress!

#ahsokalives tooling done. Still need to do the bracers and of course line it all. I will use recycled leather on the back.

 

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sm_DSC_2475 by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

sm_DSC_2477 by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

yes, canvas Mary Janes in fuchsia. i really need more. Wish I'd stocked up when I did.

Massive fail with casting the montral! two test pulls and it's just still a nightmare. But I have ordered 5L of the stuff. More paint, more filling, more.. everything to make it work.

Right time to go fight the leather to back these pieces!

 

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Yesterday I mixed and cast latex for my Montral. I need to gather a few more supplies, for supporting and maintaining the shapes nce out of the molds. i also cleaned some leather to back the armour pieces. I also made some card templates of the pieces that were curved too much to match in the chrome tanned leather.

Today I got some of the chrome tanned leather cut to match those templates and also took a pattern of my greaves.

sm_DSC_2548
sm_DSC_2550

I transferred the card template to the leather using tailors chalk. I extended the lines as a guide for findint eh perfect point. I leave a seam allowance on all edges so I can decide which is the better option once set up for curing.

sm_DSC_2547 pinkdiamond

I folded the leather so I could get perfectly matching left and right sides, and it ensured I got a left and right copy for each side!

I used the flattest piece for the only really flat piece in the armour. It is currently weighted to remain as flat as possible.

sm_DSC_2553

The greaves were the most complex to transfer, so I have taken a pattern from the pieces. I first cut along the known joins, then folded the widest pieces in half to fine room for an additional curve to be cut.

sm_DSC_2554 by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

I had to label each panel as the pieces are not symmetric, reflecting the curves of a human leg. These line drawings will be scanned and tidied with paths in photoshop tomorrow. Right now thee lines are overly accurate.

sm_DSC_2557

Even the knee cap is curved.

sm_DSC_2558 by pinkdiamond, on Flickr

The cap and upper decoration are also asymmetric so have to be labeled in a way to remember which side is which.
sm_DSC_2559
All these paneled pieces are for the linings, there will be contact adhesive between the outer and inner layers as well as a very open gauze for stability against stretching.

 

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Okay.. I really stalled on this! But I have my tunic pattern sorted, and two fabric options cut and ready to dye to match. One is a faux suede and one is a stretch with a twill face so I have to probably use the reverse.

I lost the greave patterns but just found them again.

And the hilts.

I bought a 3D printer for these and for my new Maleficent horns. But to get to print I need usable files.

And I am a maker at heart so using a freely available file was not going to happen, tempting as it was.



Looking good.. excpet there were errors I couldn't fix with the Shape Bender plugin. So I knew I had to make the file easier to bend. Also somehow it got slightly skewed up the green axis.

So finally:


I wound up keeping my second set of emitters and greeblies and totally rebuilt the hilt bodies and accidentally got the measurements off but they show up as error free!

To make these print very quickly they are short sections that will slot together and I'll use a little acetone to weld them together. But to get that to happen required cutting the hilts while straight tubes, copying them , cutting alternating sections, extruding lengths one one side and recessing the same on the other side. Then making each a component, then put together again as a group, then lines and curves created to use the Shape Bender plugin.
The shape bender makes them all back into individual components so I had to then copy and cut alternating pieces and repair the lost geometry that way.
But it worked!

So I have moved the printer to a ventilated spot and will callibrate the platform again, test and then do a fast test print before a finer setting

Meanwhile I have also worked on the lekku but will save that for a new post