Author Topic: Making Removable helmets  (Read 8982 times)

Offline Glassman6

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Making Removable helmets
« on: June 12, 2006, 09:39 AM »
Phurby asked where i had this posted, and i figures i'd add it here incase
anyone else wants to read it.

Ok guys here is my technique. Its pretty simple if you are comfortable with molds/casting.



Pic1 – Following the typical laytex rubber mold method, prep the helmet on a piece of cardboard, sitting above by about 1/8th “.  I used clay to fasten it to the cardboard have it raised slightly. This is so the rubber seeps under the helmet a bit. Then, just alppy the rubber.

Pic 2 & 3. When the rubber is cured you remove the helmet. Note the hole in the bottom. You want it wide enough to be able to pour freely and see the plastic/resin inside.

Pic 4 & 5 – Pour a small amount of resin/plastic into the mold. NOT enough to fill it, just enough to coat the inside. Roll the mold around in you fingers so that the plastic/resin runs into all the crevases. This will leave you with a thin film coating the mold.

Pic 6 & 7 remove the helmet cast when its cured and you have a hollow copy of the helmet.

You can stop here and just use the helmet you have made. But it you plan on making a lot more, it may be helpful to do the next step also.
When making this tutorial, I was running low in rtv rubber so I didn’t do a 2-part mold for the final helmet.
I did a 1 part mold similar to the first process.

 

Pic 1 Now you can take the helmet you just made and prep it to be covered again. This time attach to the cardboard with a sprue. I used a piece of wax I got from Bantha5.

Pic 2- Cover with rubber.

Pic 3- Note the size of this hole. This is the pour hole created by the sprue used.  You want it big enough to squeeze the helmet through when its cured. If you make a 2 part mold you wont need to worry about this.

Pic 4 & 5  After you fill this mold with resin/plastic, you will have a cast hollow helmet with a sprue to be cut off and sanded.

There is it. Hope this helps someone.

Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2006, 10:30 AM »
That makes total sense. I don't know why I didn't think of doing that. Thanks for posting that. I'll do it to my Scorch.
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Offline BrentS

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2006, 10:36 AM »
This is another great tutorial.  I saved most of my PMs on this subject but I can delete them now.

I wonder, would it be worth having a permenant sticky at the top as an index to the all the great tutorial threads?  You wouldn't necessarily have to keep all the tutorials stickied that way.  I would be similar to Feedback Index thread.

In addition to tutorials, there could be reference threads indexed (like the Backgrounds thread and fodder thread maybe?).

Anyway, just some random thoughts since I don't want to see these cool tutorials slowly fade down the list.

Offline Ruprecht

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2006, 11:57 AM »
Hey Glass, thanks for posting it again, but I've been having a problem removing the helmets from the mold in the second process, where you make a mold of a hollowed helmet.

The rubber that goes inside the helmet always fills it out too much, and when I try to de-mold, it rips the bottom out of the mold, taking the rubber-filled helmet with it, and ruining the mold.  If this makes any sense, do you have any ideas?

Offline Smartypants1635

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2006, 01:16 PM »
Hmm thats a good way of doing that Glass,

When I make casts of helmets that are already hollow I make a rubber mold up to the brim of the helmet, then when that part has dried I add a second part of the mold and that goes into the helmet. I seperate them and pour resin into the first part. Then I insert the second part of the mold into it the part that went into the helmet goes in and pushes out hte extra resin I come back an hour later to be sure it cured then I pull out my helmet, sand it and prime it and paint.

Does that make Sense ??? I know it would with pictures but I don't have the camera my dad took it to work. :(

Offline Ruprecht

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2006, 01:42 PM »
Ahhhhh, a 2-part mold.  Thank you sir!

Offline Glassman6

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2006, 03:04 PM »
Glat too Phruby, let us know how it turns out.

BrentS, For some reason, ( to the best of my knowledge) none of my tutorials get pinned, casting, mold making, card making...none of them... Oh well, yall can always ask me.  I dont mind.

Rupercht, What material are you using? That reason is why i like the smooth-sil. Its durable enough when de-molding.

Smarty, as R said, you are describing a 2-part mold, i would have done that but, as mentioned, i didnt have the materials when i made this so i used what i had. Yields the same results.


Offline Ruprecht

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2006, 04:42 PM »
Glass, I use the same Smooth-Sil 920.  Maybe de-molding isn't working because the donor piece is too hard a plastic?  I used Polytek Easy Flo 60 for a removable Scorch, and that is what I'm having problems with. 

I'll definitely be doing the 2-part process in the future, though.

Offline Glassman6

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2006, 05:06 PM »
Are you letting it cure completly before trying to remove? I've tried to remove pieces too soon and they break.
Try a bigger sprue hole.


Offline Ruprecht

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2006, 05:29 PM »
At first, no.  True to my character (or lack thereof?) I was impatient.

I then began letting it go 24 + hours until de-mold, and they'd still break. 

I'll try a bigger sprue hole as well, thanks for the quick responses.

Offline Paul

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #10 on: August 18, 2006, 03:32 PM »
Ok, I am fairly new to casting (as in my stuff is not even out of the bag yet)...but here is my question, on the two examples above...why would someone use the second method (or even the 2 piece mold) if they were going to make multiples?  Is the mold in the first example destroyed during use?

Sorry for the Noob questions, but I want to start off on the right foot here and this tutorial has given me the biggest headstart ever, I just want to make sure I understand why I am doing something.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #11 on: August 18, 2006, 05:04 PM »
Paul,

For concave molds like a rem. helmet would be, the benefit of a 2-part mold is that it's a little easier to work with.

1-part molds are basically just a solid block of Silicone you have to "pry" your piece out of.  For more solid and outward projecting objects (a head for instance) you've got less "work" to get the cast out of the mold...

For the 2-part mold you'll just remove the two mold pieces and one will have the large Silicone protrusion filling the void of the "hollow" space inside the helmet...  The concave nature of the helmet's interior would be a rough thing to demold because it'd have Silicone on the inside, etc...

If what I'm saying makes any sense, more power to you, because I'm not good at explaining things sometimes.  :(
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Offline Glassman6

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #12 on: August 19, 2006, 10:19 PM »
Paul, the second mold is only if you plan on making alot more. You are making a mold of  a hollow helmet.
The first step mold, doesnt get destroyed, its just easier to fill a mold fitted for a hollow helmet, than it
is to pour the thin layer in the first step.

In the first step, heach helmet will be different if you dont pour exactly the same each time.
The second mold is of the "perfect" helmet, so all the casts will then be perfect.

Offline Paul

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2006, 06:16 PM »
Ah...got it.

Next question...where do I get Latex...I snagged an Alumilite Set at Hobby Lobby and that is not the "Latex" method that you guys use.  I haven't opened it, so I am gonna take it back, but I had the "bug" to cast so I fell victim to instant gratification syndrome....

Once I get the hang of the helmets, I will want to learn the 2 piece mold theory definately.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Making Removable helmets
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2006, 06:59 PM »
I've found latex at mostly just costume shops actually.  THough others seem to have good luck at HObby shops with finding Latex...  In Pittsburgh I just can't find it for some reason.

It's weird like that I guess.  I couldn't find Super Sculpey till just this year too while it's widely available to most others on the list.  Maybe hobby supplies are like Hasbro figures with us up here.  THey just don't come in heavily ever. :)
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