Molds and Casting Lessons

Some quick tips I'm learning for self-reference mostly.

1) Don't cast like into like. Meaning that I shouldn't make a plaster cast in a plaster mold (like I was thinking of doing!

2) For my purpose, it'd be easier to have some kind of brush on mold instead of a fill a box with liquid mold.

SO here's the new plan. Let's see if it works.

Mold with Air Dry Clay: Simplest and cheapest solution really. Cover the head + mask in air dry clay. Once clay is dry, coat with modge podge or craft glue + water mixture to strengthen. Then cast with plaster.

Alternative things to try that sound cool: http://cockeyed.com/lessons/silicone/silicone.php
ERMAGERD! Silicone Caulk + plaster banadges or paper mache...might be way cheaper could totally work for mold making. Then cast with plaster...or resin maybe. Probably plaster. I wonder...hmmm.

So in the future it may have been more economical to work with air dry clay or paper clay to begin with. Using the foam head + the clay I could have formed a better mask buck. Maybe.

This is exciting!

Update: I got some more supplies including air dry clay, plaster bandages, resin, and some airbrush paint I want to try. (I got that paint gun, I want to see if it works well enough.) Man, why is the work day so long?? I want to PLAY with things.

Update 2:
I got to play. Yay.
This is air dry clay over the mask which is on a Styrofoam head. It's going to take a long time to dry. I tried going over it with the heat gun to at least soak up the moisture on it. But I guess I have to be patient.
Also I made this:
This is as jerry rigged as they come. 

Update 3: 
As the clay dried it started to crack and fissure. :P So I tried filling the cracks with water putty. Seems to be working. It sands. 

Update 4: 
 Cracks are still being finicky so I've gone ahead and used the plaster bandages. Put coconut oil on the clay prior to laying on the plaster. It'd be super nice if I don't have to destroy the clay buck, but most likely I will have to. 

In preparation for that, I've started a 2nd mold using the leftover clay and the plaster indent mold I made. I will either fill with Resin or homemade plaster. (Really don't want to buy more PoP) Looks like Flour and water are common. (Yesss I have that stuff.) 

Hopefully this weekend I can test out the vacuum table I made. :P 
This may be my new hero.

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