Little Resin People 1

While I’m generally happy with the way the resin self-portrait turned out, I wasn’t terribly happy with the way the first mold turned out.  In the “Little Resin People” posts, I’m going to write about the process of making the master figure and mold as if I knew what I was doing the first time. 

Part 1 – Clay Dude in a Rubber Suit 

I started with a “human analog” that I sculpted from clay.  When it was dry, I filed it in several places to make the surfaces smoother (I can’t say that it actually made much difference).  The material I chose to make the mold from was paint-on latex rubber.  Because the instructions said to seal porous surfaces (like clay) first, I sprayed the figure several times with aerosol resin spray.  That’s why he’s a little shiny.  After this photo was taken, I used darker gray modeling clay to fill out some of the lumpier portions of the legs.  I sprayed over those parts with resin as well.

Next began the laborious process of applying the mold material.  This involved several iterations of applying a thin layer of the latex with a paintbrush, waiting for it to dry, then applying again.  The entire process took about three weeks.   (Patience and I aren’t on a first-name basis, so that part was tough!)  I added a modeling clay “collar” around the back, to give a stopping point to the resin when I pour it.

I applied the rubber layers to the back first, then adhered the figure to a board with more modeling clay, and started on the front. 

Part 2 – The Mummy

After applying the last layer of latex, I made a mother mold over the whole thing with plaster bandages.  During the first casting, I learned the lesson of needing something to keep the rubber mold under control - really thin rubber doesn’t hold itself upright very well once you start pouring a viscous liquid into it. 

When the mother mold was dry, I took the three pieces apart- now I am ready to make my army!

 

Lemon mold

I wanted to make a mold of a lemon for a project. 

Making a mold of a food item has proven to be tricky.  I was afraid to make a latex rubber mold, since they take so long to complete, and I didn’t feel like trying to extricate a mushy lemon from the mold in the end. 

I tried using a room temperature vulcanizing polyurethane mold making material; the kind that you pour over the item.  This went really wrong, really fast [cue $23 mistake-of-the-day].  I didn’t make a proper mold box; I tried to use a modified plastic cup.  It wasn’t tall enough to to get 1/2″ of mold making material around all sides of the lemon, so I cut a hole in the first cup, and hot-glued another cup to the bottom of the first. I ended up wasting a lot of material just filling up the areas between the lemon and the sides of the container.  Therefore, I didn’t have enough material to cover more than 2/3 of the lemon.

So I ended up with 2/3 of a lemon mold.  In the trash.

I was hesitant to try plaster, again because of the mushy-lemon fear, so next time I tried using a product called Insta-Mold.  For the first attempt, I mixed it using a spoon.  For my efforts, I got a squishy mess, the consistency of tapioca.  It kept “weeping” water, and didn’t pick up any of the details of the lemon.  I figured I had mixed it badly, and tried again.  For the second attempt, I used an electric hand mixer.   This time I got…a squishy mess, the consistency of tapioca.  It wouldn’t dry.  It had air bubbles all throughout.

I turned to the trusty Intarweb to figure out the error of my ways.  Perhaps I’d still managed to mix it incorrectly?  For once, it turned out not to be me; I wish I’d found this page before I tried using that crap:

Instamold is a terrible product and I do not suggest it for anyone.

Ah.  Well there you go. [only an $8 mistake that time]

Plaster it is! 

This time, I did actual! research! before attempting to do the plaster mold.  I found this page, on how to build an army of Gromits, extremely helpful, even though I was using different materials. 

I built a box out of a coffee container.  I mixed the plaster super-extra-thoroughly.  I placed the lemon carefully in the center, and poured the bottom half of the mold.  I added two modeling clay nubbies to act as keys for the top half of the mold.  I (patiently!!) let the plaster set.  I painted a thin layer of latex rubber over the exposed plaster, then poured the top layer of super-extra-thoroughly-mixed plaster.  I let that set up.  I braced myself for the gooey grossness of a mushy lemon, and I got…

TA-DAH!!!!

It actually worked.  I couldn’t believe it.  My husband didn’t quite understand the “I made a mold of a lemon Happy Dance,” but I did it anyway.

…of course, now I’m going to attempt to cast a plaster lemon in this plaster mold, and we’ll see how that goes.  I’ve sprayed the mold several times over with resin, so I’m hopeful.