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Qarrezel ā Mask Making Demo Part C
Published: 2008-11-06 16:29:04 +0000 UTC; Views: 75672; Favourites: 757; Downloads: 0
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Description
An overview to explain how we mold and cast our mask bases.WEAR CHEMICAL RESISTANT GLOVES, A RESPIRATOR, AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING!
I'll say it again:
WEAR CHEMICAL RESISTANT GLOVES, A RESPIRATOR, AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING!
DO NOT DO THIS NEAR FOOD SURFACES! DO NOT EAT OR DRINK NEAR YOUR WORK AREA! DO NOT HANDLE OR USE THESE CHEMICALS NEAR CHILDREN OR PETS!
If I see anyone else blatantly ignoring basic safety precautions, I absolutely will take this tutorial down.
PLEASE READ the whole description! It explains all the steps, lists materials used here, and links to smooth-on.com where I buy my rubbers and resins.
I WILL NOT answer any questions the answers to which are in the descriptions or can easily be answered with a visit to smooth-on's website (or even a quick google search). I will also not detail this process further.
Description of steps:
16.) Now, I cast the resin mask form. I will not be using a mold release agent for this casting, since the silicone has excellent release properties on its own. However, a latex or urethane mold would require release agent. I measure out equal parts of resin part A, part B, and Filler* (the cups are labeled in the photo).
17.) I mix the three components together thoroughly, and pour them into the mold. I "slush cast" or rotary cast the liquid resin, coating the interior of the mold in an even layer of resin. The resin begins to gel in about 2 minutes.
18.) Once layer one has set up, I mix up layer two. It has all of the same components, except that I also added a couple drops of black pigment (cosmetic preference, a dark-colored interior looks more finished to me).
19.) Layer two is applied the same as the first layer, and left to cure fully. If any places seem thin, I may apply a third layer, but it's usually not necessary.
20.) About 15 minutes later, I demold a perfect lightweight copy of the original model (this particular casting weighed in at 4.1 oz).
Part A: [link] Part B: [link]
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* Ure-Fil III (completely optional!), a powdered filler which serves two major purposes - one, it makes this slush-casting (or sometimes brush-on) method much easier, and it also reduces the weight of the casting. Of course, it also decreases the cost of each casting by a little bit (since each casting then requires that much less resin), but that's mainly just a plus for me.
Materials used:
Smooth-cast 300 urethane resin (could also use smooth-cast 325 or ONYX) from Smooth-On
Ure-Fil III filler (Optional)
So-Strong black urethane resin pigment (Optional) (not necessary with ONYX)
Chemical-resistant nitrile gloves
paper cups and popsicle sticks (for mixing)
To learn more about the materials I'm using, and to learn more about mold making and casting basics, visit Smooth-On.com: [link]
Related content
Comments: 204
The filler is in cup "F". The filler thickens the resin (a two part casting resin in cups "A" and "B") making it easier to slush cast.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Ahg, the tutorial was pretty cool, I'm looking into making myself a suit sometime soon, but jeez, why is everything so difficult? Dx
š: 0 ā©: 1
i heard most fillers are toxic, so i was wondering if u could link me to the filler u use? ty. u do great work, btw.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Ure-Fil 3: [link]
It's not toxic, but you do need to wear a good-grade dust mask or respirator when using it because the particles are dangerous to breathe.
š: 0 ā©: 1
thanks alot for the quick reply. its annoying though, were i get all my casting supplies they only stock metal fillers D: guess i will have to order online.
š: 0 ā©: 0
I suppose this may be a silly question, but what can you cut the resin with? I mean, to detach the lower jaw and remove the stuff where the eye needs to be clear?
š: 0 ā©: 1
I use a jeweler's saw (basically a coping saw) with a spiral saw blade, because that's just what we have around. You can also use a rotary tool with a cut-off wheel.
š: 0 ā©: 1
I really love your masks, and Iām really interested in making my own, the Smooth-On.com wed site was really useful. However I can't find any, glass eyes, taxidermy jaw set, horns or fake fur.
So, without being to nosey I wondered if you could tell me where you get yours from???
So if Iām being too intrusive... But I really would love to know!
Also how do you attach the jaws to the mask???
š: 0 ā©: 1
Question!! :
Is there anyway of getting hold of a already made head and shoulders lifecast. Its just I would really love to do something like this, but I doubt that anyone would help me make a lifecast of myself
š: 0 ā©: 1
I can't produce anything like that at this time, and I'm not really sure if anything like that is readily available online. Worth a look, though.
š: 0 ā©: 0
That was such an AMAZING tutorial^^ One question though, how much does on resin wolf mask like that cost? Just an estimate? I'm not trying to be snoopy or anything,If I am, I'm really sorry, but I'm making a wolf mask and I want it to be more professional rather then my last one I made that was cardboard. Thanks C:
š: 0 ā©: 1
Materials are a bit expensive to start out. You might spend anywhere from $25-$100 putting together a head and shoulders lifecast. A pound of the plasteline that I use costs $4; I like to have 10 pounds on hand when sculpting a blank. The silicone for the mold costs $30 for a pint kit, which would be enough to make on or two molds. A mothermold material may cost $10-$30, depending on what you chose to use. The plastic would cost $25 for a pint kit, which could cast a number of masks. Then there's eyes , fur , a jaw set, and any other stuff, which could add up to over $100 easily. Also, if it's your first time making molds and castings, plan to spend extra in case you make a mistake (because you will) and you need to replace anything.
š: 0 ā©: 3
$4? Dang! Where do you buy yours from? Everywhere i've seen it it's alot more expensive than that.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Hmm, I think I got it from Sculpture House? I may have lucked out with a wholesale order, though (I ordered 50 lbs at once).
š: 0 ā©: 1
Ah I see, thank you ^__^
š: 0 ā©: 0
Question!! :
Is there anyway of getting hold of a already made head and shoulders lifecast. Its just I would really love to do something like this, but I doubt that anyone would help me make a lifecast of myself
š: 0 ā©: 1
Hi, They have heads here: [link]
š: 0 ā©: 0
Thanks^^ Because I'm planing on making the face sculpt out of pasticine then doing celluclay over top and then putting water proof wood sealer on that. Hope that works.
š: 0 ā©: 0
that's very interesting of how you made your mask and everything, very nice work.
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I know a book would take a very long time to do, but I wonder if you ever considered making a video? It could be of one of your commish'es, and then you could sell the DVD for a little extra cash in your store 
By the way, your sculpture work is amazing!
š: 0 ā©: 1
I've thought about it. Maybe someday.
I reeeealy want to make movies, though. Not instructional necessarily, just narrative/fantasy/weird films with costumed characters. I need to buy a good camera.
Thanks!
š: 0 ā©: 0
i am so afraid to move away from carving uphulstry foam and moving on to making masks using a mold....it would be nice to just pop out ready to fur heads rather than hand carve each one...still its just so foreign for me to try it...
i guess if i start casting anything from a mold i should start small with claws and paw pads...
š: 0 ā©: 1
Yup, always start small.
Also, I would say that casting, especially in resin, lends itself really well to smaller masks, but I'm not as sure about larger heads. Cast foam may be a thing to look into.
š: 0 ā©: 0
I work with an ultracal 30 mold and am casting in latex skinned cold foam....it's awesome to see the process in resin (soft mold hard finished product).
Thank you so much for putting this together!
š: 0 ā©: 0
That's just crazy... Brilliant, but crazy. I think I'll stick to shaping upholstery foam for a while. but if I ever get brave enough to try silicone, I know where to look for an awesome tutorial.
š: 0 ā©: 0
Quite a helpful tutorial; thanks for posting. Will make this much easier when I attempt my first cast this winter.
Curiously, why do you add black pigment to the second layer of resin? I couldn't think of a solid reason why the inner mask should be black, but not the outer.
Great stuff; thank you!
-Lady S.
š: 0 ā©: 1
It doesn't really matter. I wanted the two layers to be obvious for the tutorial, for one. Also, I prefer to make the insides of my masks black or close to it so that white bits don't shine out of the mouth and such. Hopefully that reasoning may make a little more sense after the next part of the tutorial, but it's not a necessary step, no.
š: 0 ā©: 2
Also, having the second layer a different color makes it easy to tell if you've evenly coated the interior - if its the same color as the first layer, it's possible to miss a spot...which isn't a disaster, just leaves a weak place, but still...
What is the stinkiness level of these materials? I'm guessing the resin at least, and possibly the mold as well, would need to be done on the porch or at least in a room with large open windows.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Yes, that too!
These particular materials are actually very low on the fumes. The MSDS recommends that the work is done in "room-size ventilation", so just enough room for the fairly minimal amount of outgassing to disperse. The plastic and rubber to have a slightly pungent smell, but it's neither strong nor bothersome. So we can even do it indoors with the windows closed, and there are no problems at all.
š: 0 ā©: 0
Aye, that certainly makes sense. Prevents unfurred or unpainted bits from showing up. I suppose the whole mask could be made black if one preferred it that way.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Cheers,
-LS
š: 0 ā©: 0
That was kind of confusing for people that have never made molds before... but it's interesting to see all the various steps you take to get your finished product.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Yeah, but like I said, going into detail would take an absolute book. But the Smooth-On website that I linked to has many, many photo and video tutorials that cover the basics pretty well, I think, for those that want to learn more.
š: 0 ā©: 0
Haha! That is so weird! I actually made my latest mask from resin (instead of foam) because my methods have changed and I am *really* sick of needing a 2 part mold system (So I'm basically going back to how I used to do it with papier mache. Funny how the world turns back!).
You were smart to have done that from the beginning. So I was thinking of you and then you go and post this! Extremely interesting!
š: 0 ā©: 1
Wow, that really is interesting! So we're resin buddies now, haha.
š: 0 ā©: 1
I'll only start to worry when our stuff starts looking the same XD ROFL!
Yeah, dunno if I'll switch over from foam 100% yet or not.. though almost all the reasons I used it to begin with are gone XD But I'll wait 'til I finish this one and see how it works for me.
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Haha, well, our styles are pretty fundamentally different, so I doubt our stuff will ever look too similar. But I can't wait to see what you do!
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Well done! What do you use as a filler? I used to use plaster just because it was cheep but it made masks very heavy. Then I went to a white powder silica material filler which is super light but its deadly toxic to the lungs if breathed in. Hence why I use my Respirator and do it with windows and doors open.
š: 0 ā©: 1
I use UreFil 3 from Smooth-On. I think it's a ceramic based filler, but I know it does still have silica powder in it, so it's still pretty dangerous. Luckily it's a sort of sand-like powder that doesn't become airborne too easily.
š: 0 ā©: 1
This...sounds silly, but can you use plaster of paris as a filler? If not that, than can you use any fine-ground material, like extreamly fine sand? I'm trying to find cheap alternatives and I dislike buying online..
š: 0 ā©: 1
I doubt it. I've never tried, but it's unlikely to work well. This filler is engineered to mix evenly and suspend itself in the plastic, so you don't get uneven castings. Furthermore it doesn't add weight, which is important, and it won't interfere with the plastic's ability to cure properly.
If your choices are a bad filler or no filler, I would just go with no filler.
š: 0 ā©: 1
Ahh, I see. For the resin; I saw somthing that sounds like what you use-called pour on-at michels. (1:1 ratio, liquid resin.) Would this work?
š: 0 ā©: 1
Hmm, I've used that before, although as a thick varnish rather than for anything structural. I don't remember how hard it cured, so I don't actually know whether it would work at all or not (you need something 70A shore hardness or harder, and those craft things don't normally give you that information at all). I do remember that it cured very slowly, though, so even if it did end up hard enough, it would definitely be very irritating to work with (you would have to rotate the mold for a full hour, or however long the cure time is).
You will have a hard time finding an adequate resin at Michael's. An art supply store/sculpture store will have something closer. One idea, actually, is to call Smooth-On and ask if they have any distributors in your area.
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