Thorssoli's First Order Builds - Captain Phasma FINISHED on Page 21!
dday
Sr Member
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
thorssoli; So I"m about to start the silicone/mothermolding of a faceplate like this and I am immensely pleased with the photos you've shown. They will help a lot.
The sprue is basically a cut in the silicone where you made the pour spout? I like the word sprue, I'll use it from now on! Are you just using that syringe as a funnel, or filling it with resin and injecting it in?
thorssoli; So I"m about to start the silicone/mothermolding of a faceplate like this and I am immensely pleased with the photos you've shown. They will help a lot.
The sprue is basically a cut in the silicone where you made the pour spout? I like the word sprue, I'll use it from now on! Are you just using that syringe as a funnel, or filling it with resin and injecting it in?
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Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
A sprue is the place where the casting material enters the mold. In this case, I just cut it into the cured silicone, but you can also plan where it's going to be by gluing a piece of rod or tubing (or a nail or whatever) to the area where you want it to be prior to molding. In this case I was just using the syringe as a funnel, but I do occasionally have molds where it's a good idea to inject the resin into the molds.
A vent is another channel that allows air to flow up and out of the mold in order to keep bubbles from getting trapped in the high parts.
UPDATE:
Last night I formed the first couple of pairs of tinted acrylic lenses:
I'm pretty happy with how they came out and I'll be posting a step-by-step with photos to explain how they were made once I've got the photos.
Once I had the lenses figured out, I went ahead and sprayed the helmet with black primer:
Once it dried I couldn't resist the urge to grab a can of silver spraypaint and see how it would look:
It's just a crappy rattlecan paintjob and I really didn't do any masking, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this with a proper chrome finish:
This is going to be pretty sexy.
Stay tuned...
A sprue is the place where the casting material enters the mold. In this case, I just cut it into the cured silicone, but you can also plan where it's going to be by gluing a piece of rod or tubing (or a nail or whatever) to the area where you want it to be prior to molding. In this case I was just using the syringe as a funnel, but I do occasionally have molds where it's a good idea to inject the resin into the molds.
A vent is another channel that allows air to flow up and out of the mold in order to keep bubbles from getting trapped in the high parts.
UPDATE:
Last night I formed the first couple of pairs of tinted acrylic lenses:
I'm pretty happy with how they came out and I'll be posting a step-by-step with photos to explain how they were made once I've got the photos.
Once I had the lenses figured out, I went ahead and sprayed the helmet with black primer:
Once it dried I couldn't resist the urge to grab a can of silver spraypaint and see how it would look:
It's just a crappy rattlecan paintjob and I really didn't do any masking, so I'm really looking forward to seeing this with a proper chrome finish:
This is going to be pretty sexy.
Stay tuned...
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
The grill was 3D printed from a design specifically made to fit into the space on this helmet.
The grill was 3D printed from a design specifically made to fit into the space on this helmet.
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
I guess I couldn't have asked for a better setup than that.
Here's how the lenses are made:
I start by casting a particularly thick copy of the area around the eye holes:
I cast this particular copy in plurple because YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME:
With the cast copy out of the mold, I cut a nice, level slice off of the top:
Then I mark a line parallel to that one, but under the eyes so I can cut that part off too:
Then I cut the ends square so it'll sit flat on the bench while I cut out the eye holes with a tile cutting bit on the Dremel:
After a bit of touch-up with the sanding drum, the eye holes are nice and smooth and ready to go:
Then I build a box around this piece of the helmet:
The circular hole is where the shop-vac will be attached later.
After gluing the faceplate in place and bonding all four sides together, I tape off the edges, set the whole thing upside-down, and pour in some resin to seal the edges:
Then I glue the last piece of plywood in place to seal up the bottom and flip the whole thing upright again. Here's the view from the top:
With a tool adaptor screwed on and a descriptive label, the lensmaker is ready to go:
Now it's time to cut out a strip of tinted acrylic and cook it. For little pieces like this, I use a toaster oven:
Acrylic is porous and the surface pores tend to fill up with moisture from the surrounding air. This means it needs to be pre-dried at about 100°F for a few minutes before cooking it to forming temperature at about 400°F for a few more minutes. Eventually it gets hot enough that it'll flex and stretch a bit:
Then it's time to place it into the vacforminator and turn on the shop vac:
The acrylic is sucked into the hole, but only so much. The shop vac stays on until the plastic has cooled enough to keep its new shape. Then I shut off the vacuum, pop the lenses out, and stick them in a helmet. Then I take a selfie:
If you want the lenses to be more convex, it's just a matter of making the plastic softer by cooking it a bit longer.
And that's how lenses are made.
I guess I couldn't have asked for a better setup than that.
Here's how the lenses are made:
I start by casting a particularly thick copy of the area around the eye holes:
I cast this particular copy in plurple because YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME:
With the cast copy out of the mold, I cut a nice, level slice off of the top:
Then I mark a line parallel to that one, but under the eyes so I can cut that part off too:
Then I cut the ends square so it'll sit flat on the bench while I cut out the eye holes with a tile cutting bit on the Dremel:
After a bit of touch-up with the sanding drum, the eye holes are nice and smooth and ready to go:
Then I build a box around this piece of the helmet:
The circular hole is where the shop-vac will be attached later.
After gluing the faceplate in place and bonding all four sides together, I tape off the edges, set the whole thing upside-down, and pour in some resin to seal the edges:
Then I glue the last piece of plywood in place to seal up the bottom and flip the whole thing upright again. Here's the view from the top:
With a tool adaptor screwed on and a descriptive label, the lensmaker is ready to go:
Now it's time to cut out a strip of tinted acrylic and cook it. For little pieces like this, I use a toaster oven:
Acrylic is porous and the surface pores tend to fill up with moisture from the surrounding air. This means it needs to be pre-dried at about 100°F for a few minutes before cooking it to forming temperature at about 400°F for a few more minutes. Eventually it gets hot enough that it'll flex and stretch a bit:
Then it's time to place it into the vacforminator and turn on the shop vac:
The acrylic is sucked into the hole, but only so much. The shop vac stays on until the plastic has cooled enough to keep its new shape. Then I shut off the vacuum, pop the lenses out, and stick them in a helmet. Then I take a selfie:
If you want the lenses to be more convex, it's just a matter of making the plastic softer by cooking it a bit longer.
And that's how lenses are made.
pnag
Sr Member
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
Fantastic - informative and funny
Thanks for that!
Fantastic - informative and funny
Thanks for that!Badgersbunk
Active Member
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
That's a great tutorial.
That's a great tutorial.
sdhlaw1701
Well-Known Member
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
*Jaw on the floor* Wow, that looks awesome! I cannot wait to get mine!
*Jaw on the floor* Wow, that looks awesome! I cannot wait to get mine!
Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds
I know folks have said it before, but it's beyond awesome that you take the time to show us how you make things.
I know folks have said it before, but it's beyond awesome that you take the time to show us how you make things.
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