what material to use to strengthen a clay prop?

LordMustang

New Member

• Mar 8, 2015

• #1

Heya

I've made a clay kinda bust or head which has been hardened by air. Now I'd like to put something over it to reinforce it since the clay is very fragile. I want to cover the clay head in a substance that hardens and then releases the clay. Then I'll split the hardened substance in two and get the clay head out of it. When I glue the hardened coverings together I'm supposed to use that because it should be way strongen and lighter than the clay prototype.

But I have honestly no idea what to use for this. Glass fabric with epoxy? Some kind of plastic or polyester with epoxy?

Thanks in advance!

 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2015

Kevin Gossett

Master Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Mar 8, 2015

• #2

Sounds like you're wanting to make a mold for casting. A brush on silicone with a hard shell jacket is what you want to do. Then you can remove the clay and cast from the mold

 

LordMustang

New Member

• Mar 8, 2015

• #3

Kevin Gossett said:

Sounds like you're wanting to make a mold for casting. A brush on silicone with a hard shell jacket is what you want to do. Then you can remove the clay and cast from the mold

Click to expand...

I'm sorry for my confusing explanation lol, but I wonder if there's a possibility to do it the other war around. That means that i'd like to use the clay head as a mold and covering it. After that, the cover should dry and harden and the clay should be removed. Then I would be left with a copy of the clay head consisting of the hardened covering substance
Is that possible?

 

HMS Mike

Sr Member

• Mar 8, 2015

• #4

Yes, But you will lose most of the detail of the surface of the sculpture with the build up of the coating.

 

LordMustang

New Member

• Mar 8, 2015

• #5

HMS Mike said:

Yes, But you will lose most of the detail of the surface of the sculpture with the build up of the coating.

Click to expand...

Alright I understand that.

Well maybe I should actually use the clay head. Does anyone know of a coating that makes clay less fragile and makes it shiny?


Does anybody know what kinda epoxy this guy uses?

 

Last edited by a moderator: Nov 8, 2018

W

wolfchild59

Active Member

• Mar 8, 2015

• #6

You could also make a mold of the clay head and use that to create a new master out of a more durable material. An air dry clay probably wouldn't hold up very well to being used repeatedly as a mold master, even with a layer of sprayed epoxy.

Plus, with a mold of the head, you can continue to make as many new masters and molds for more masters for as long as you could want/need to.