Best / Easiest Way to Cast This Celebrity Head? Please Help

Ninja Gaiden · Post by **Ninja Gaiden** » Tue Jul 02, 2019 11:07 pm

I have this celebrity head cast that I bought a few years ago, I thought that it would be a lot easier to find good info on how to not only:

1 - Protect The Original Cast

and

2 - Easily cast a high quality version in latex or silicone

but I couldn't find much on either. I called a couple of the more well known companies that deal in such materials in the US, but they weren't much help. It's a 3/4 cast, so it has a flat side rather than being the entire head so I thought that that would make it a lot easier for me to cast and make a latex or silicone version. Any suggestions, advice - All are appreciated.

Please Help!

abbadon31 · Post by **abbadon31** » Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:04 am

I would make a silicone mold with a mother mold and pour in 2 part casting resin and you can make as many copies you need. Plus with the silicone mold you could pour in melted clay and use that to make a plaster mold and cast it in latex.
Contact Slipak and they will help you with all your needs.
http://www.silpak.com/

Ninja Gaiden · Post by **Ninja Gaiden** » Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:35 pm

abbadon31 wrote:I would make a silicone mold with a mother mold and pour in 2 part casting resin and you can make as many copies you need. Plus with the silicone mold you could pour in melted clay and use that to make a plaster mold and cast it in latex.
Contact Slipak and they will help you with all your needs.
http://www.silpak.com/

Thanks, maybe they'll be more helpful than some of the places I've contacted.

Maviarab · Post by **Maviarab** » Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:36 pm

You didn't say who you had contacted...not try Smooth-On?

Ninja Gaiden · Post by **Ninja Gaiden** » Sat Jul 06, 2019 4:09 pm

Maviarab wrote:You didn't say who you had contacted...not try Smooth-On?

It was a couple of years ago so I don't remember all of the names, but Smooth on was one of them. I was a bit surprised that none of them were all that helpful in just telling me the simplest way that someone's who's never done this before can make a decent latex or silicone version of this head.

BuilderOfCastles · Post by **BuilderOfCastles** » Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:52 pm

This is a process... and so, is really hard to describe in short text. But...

You get a paint on latex or silicone molding compound.
Then you make a rubber mold that is about 1/2" thick (1.25 cm)
Then you make a box around that mold (with the original still in it) and you use casting plaster and some stranded stiffener.

The rubber mold is all flimsy so it needs a backer. That is the plaster.
You can buy these things at smooth-on

so, you would then have half a head mold. You would need to cast, probably crystaline wax, heat it up, pour it in the empty mold, then build up the back of the skull.

Now you coat the whole thing (front molds and skull) with mold release, or some cardboard on the mold that will separate.
Then you paint on the latex, then make a case for the plaster, and then pack that in.

So, you now have a two piece mold. (and each of the pieces is made of two pieces)
You clamp that together and pour in the material you want the finished product to be.

The details are you need to choose a rubber that will not glue itself to the original AND will work with the finished product material.
The rest is just learning to do the application job without creating air bubbles and other deformities.

Zippy81 · Post by **Zippy81** » Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:29 pm

Brushes: You'd want some paint brushes at least 4. They wont be usable after you use them.
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Grade-Profes ... way&sr=8-5
If you have like a dollar tree type store near you you might find a deal on a multipack there. You'll want some plastic solo cups to mix the silicone in also. And some mouth wash cups to measure out equal amounts of the two parts in the silicone kit .

Mold Making silicone. Used on the cast. Apply 2-3 thin coats brushed on: (Its called the detail coat-silicone captures all the little details of the face)(just let one coat dry and add on another it binds to itself.
https://www.amazon.com/Mold-Star-Moldma ... pons&psc=1

Silicone thickening agent. You'll need to apply a few thickened coats on top of the thin coats in order to fill in voids such as the back of ears, and the area around the nose and mouth and eyes. Depending on how deep the chin is underneath the jaw line you may need to add some extra thickened silicone there also. (the goal is to create a uniform surface resembling hills) Reason being.. the support shell will be stiff and cant flex so the top of the silicone needs to be as simplified as possible. Something similar to what a mummy looks like.

https://www.amazon.com/Thi-Vex-Silicone ... 153&sr=8-1

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKXSo20ngTc

Plaster bandages applied last on top of the silicone .works as a support shell (its what holds the shape of the original molded piece. (a.k.a. mother mold ):Applied after multiple layers of silicone is cured on the cast.
https://www.amazon.com/BSN-Medical-30-7 ... way&sr=8-3

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hc6afY-68c

As for the release agent you dont really have to worry about using one on something like that gypsonite casting. It will peel off after its cured. (after you remove the mother mold.

To recast into the silicone using silicone you WILL need a release agent. I just brushed in a very thin layer of Vaseline into my molds. But.. if you are planning on doing like many castings of a head etc.. its best to use one of the release agents that smooth-on sells as using Vaseline will eventually start to eat at your mold over time.

I've done molds of 2 of those types of casts.. working on making heads out of them (not for resale mind you.)

r363b · Post by **r363b** » Sat Jul 13, 2019 11:14 am

Zippy81 wrote:Brushes: You'd want some paint brushes at least 4. They wont be usable after you use them.
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Grade-Profes ... way&sr=8-5
If you have like a dollar tree type store near you you might find a deal on a multipack there. You'll want some plastic solo cups to mix the silicone in also. And some mouth wash cups to measure out equal amounts of the two parts in the silicone kit .

Mold Making silicone. Used on the cast. Apply 2-3 thin coats brushed on: (Its called the detail coat-silicone captures all the little details of the face)(just let one coat dry and add on another it binds to itself.
https://www.amazon.com/Mold-Star-Moldma ... pons&psc=1

Silicone thickening agent. You'll need to apply a few thickened coats on top of the thin coats in order to fill in voids such as the back of ears, and the area around the nose and mouth and eyes. Depending on how deep the chin is underneath the jaw line you may need to add some extra thickened silicone there also. (the goal is to create a uniform surface resembling hills) Reason being.. the support shell will be stiff and cant flex so the top of the silicone needs to be as simplified as possible. Something similar to what a mummy looks like.

https://www.amazon.com/Thi-Vex-Silicone ... 153&sr=8-1

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKXSo20ngTc

Plaster bandages applied last on top of the silicone .works as a support shell (its what holds the shape of the original molded piece. (a.k.a. mother mold ):Applied after multiple layers of silicone is cured on the cast.
https://www.amazon.com/BSN-Medical-30-7 ... way&sr=8-3

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hc6afY-68c

As for the release agent you dont really have to worry about using one on something like that gypsonite casting. It will peel off after its cured. (after you remove the mother mold.

To recast into the silicone using silicone you WILL need a release agent. I just brushed in a very thin layer of Vaseline into my molds. But.. if you are planning on doing like many castings of a head etc.. its best to use one of the release agents that smooth-on sells as using Vaseline will eventually start to eat at your mold over time.

I've done molds of 2 of those types of casts.. working on making heads out of them (not for resale mind you.)

Nice step by step process for the diy guys to try molding.
Thanks!

Zippy81 · Post by **Zippy81** » Sat Jul 13, 2019 8:28 pm

Also forgot to mention. BEFORE you start throwing silicone on the casting. You will want to fill in all of the open gap areas that are present between the table surface and the bottom edges of the casting. (Area painted red in your photo.) Around the entire cast. Otherwise you'll end up with silicone running underneath that edge and you'll have to fill in the void with thickened silicone. It will be a huge waste of material (silicone).

Fill empty gap with non sulfer clay.jpg

Basic diagram idea of what you are trying to do:

Basic face Molding A.jpg

Basic face silicone mold rough finished appearance.jpg

And to give you a real world idea.. heres one I did of " K. B." ;D

Head cast mold.jpg

Welcome r36!