Twi'lek Pam

. If you want a sturdy lifecast, then a stone material is a good choice. It's strong enough to take quite a bit of abuse, it's heavy enough to stand on it's own without needing to be fastened to your work table, and yet if you make it hollow, it won't be too heavy to move around or store. Ultracal or Hydrocal are good stone choices. I don't recommend plaster because it is far too soft. For this tutorial, I am going to use the plaster bandage mold that was created in the head/shoulders lifecasting tutorial. ---------------------------- First you start with a mold. Make sure that the two halves of the mold have been fastened tightly together. I use plaster bandages, making sure to seal all of the seams. Allow the plaster time to set and harden, so it won't come loose. The seams must be stong, or they may come apart or leak when you fill the mold. Place the mold upside down in a 5-gallon bucket or a sturdy crate. Place some old towels or other material in the bucket to cushion the top of the head, and to keep the mold centered in the bucket. It is also a good idea to cover the floor area where you are going to work with a plastic painter's tarp, since spills and splatters are an inevitable part of working with stone products. Coat the inside of the mold with a release agent. This step is very important! If you do not coat every area inside the mold, the stone will stick to your plaster and you won't be able to seperate the two. Make sure to coat inside every nook and cranny, and use a bit of release to fill the hairline cracks of the seam lines to help reduce their size. Vaseline is cheap and readily available, but it also makes your job slightly more difficult because the liqid stone mix will run right off of it like water off an oil slick. A high quality mold wax or mold release are somewhat easier to work with in the long run, but will still cause you a bit of trouble. It's just something we have to deal with. If you aren't sure if a release agent will work well, do a small test to find out. Better to spend some time doing a test than to fill your mold and discover that you can't remove the mold from the casting afterwards! Cut up some burlap. I use strips, usually 2 inch by 5 inch, or 4 inch squares. You will need a pretty big stack, so be sure to cut plenty. Anything you don't use now can be used for the next project, so don't worry about cutting too much. Mix enough Utracal (or Hydrocal, etc) to almost fill the head area of your mold. I use a flexible 1-gallon plastic bucket (the kind that budget ice cream comes in). I fill it with 2 or 3 inches of warm water, and then slowly sift the Ultracal into the bucket. DO NOT STIR the powder into the water! Let it keep soaking up the water and sinking to the bottom. Eventually the water will become saturated with the powder, and then the powder will begin staying on the water surface. Reduce the amount of powder that you are sifting into the bucket, but keep slowly sifting in powder until a 'dry lake bed' effect begins to form on the top. At that point, let it sit for a few more minutes. If a wet area forms around the outer edges of the bucket, sift a bit more powder to soak up the water. Wait several minutes, and then stir the Ultracal mix. Use your hand (preferably with gloves on to keep it from drying out your skin), and break up any clumps you find with your fingers. Pour the Ultracal mixture into the head of the mold. The warm water will help it to set up faster. What you need to do now is use your hand to scoop ultracal out of the head area and spread it across the neck and shoulder areas of the mold. It will be difficult at first, because the Ultracal will run right off the release slickened plaster. But as the Ultracal begins to set up, it will get thicker and will begin sticking to the side walls of the mold. Continue scooping Ultracal out of the bottom of the mold and spreading it until there is an even layer of Ultracal over the entire inside surface of the mold. Try to avoid trapping air pockets as you work. This is the inside of your mold, so it doesn't have to be pretty. Just make sure to give it as even a coating as you can. After the first coat of Ultracal has begun to set up, mix a second batch. Use cold water this time to give yourself more working time before it begins to set. This time, you will dip pieces of burlap into the mix and then spread them across the inside of the mold, very much like the way you dipped and applied the plaster bandages earlier. The burlap will make the lifecast stronger, and will help hold the Ultracal together if it ever gets cracked. I try to cover the entire inside of the casting with 3 or 4 pieces of Ultracal-soaked burlap. I put extra layers in the neck and around the base, where all of the stone's weight will be resting. Place a plastic bag over the casting and leave it there for a couple hours. As the Ultracal cures, it will begin to heat up... which in turn evaporates the water. Much like concrete, the final casting will be stronger if you retain the moisture level for a while. Remove the plastic bag and allow the Ultracal to set for a few more hours. It can be removed from the bucket now, but it's better to play things safe and just let it sit. The longer you let it rest, the stronger the casting will be. I often let Ultracal molds sit overnight before I put any stress on them. Better safe than sorry! Take the casting and mold out of the bucket, and cut the seal that is holding the two halves of the mold together. Then, if you coated the inside well, the plaster bandage mold can be pulled off in large pieces. If you missed putting release on any spots it will stick in those places, and you'll have to pull hard to get the mold off. Clean off any bits of plaster bandage, wipe away any release that was left on the Ultracal, and use a plaster file to scrape away any seam lines... and you should have an exact replica of the person you made the lifecast of! Before you begin sculpting on your lifecast, it is a good idea to use a plaster rasp or file to smooth the bottom edge of the casting so that it will have a flat bottom. You don't want it to rock or tip while you're working on a sculpture! Professionals often use a bit of Ultracal to give their lifecasts a perfectly smooth base, not only to make it look very finished, but also to avoid any rough places that might scratch them when they're carrying the cast around their studios. .

Foil releases have their origins in the dental industry. Everyone who's had braces probably remembers seeing those creepy little plaster copies of their teeth, right? When dental work is done, they often make a stone copy of the existing teeth, they coat the stone copy with a foil release, and then they use clay to build up new tooth designs, such as for dentures or for special effects teeth (vampire, bucktooth hillbilly, etc). Once the clay design is finished, they then soak the plaster copy, and the foil release allows them to remove the clay sculpture without damaging it. Special effects sculptors caught on to how effective the products are, so foil releases can now be found at both special effects supply stores and dental supply stores. There are many brand name products out there, such as Liquid Foil, Foilcote, Super-Sep, Alcote, and even one that is named "World's Best Seperator." Alcote is the most widely used in the special effects industry, though I'm sure any other would work just as well. I get Alcote from the FX Warehouse. You can find a link on the lifecasting supply thread. In order to use a foil release, you must sculpt your clay design on a porous surface. I use Ultracal because it's what I'm familiar with and already have on hand, but I've heard that Hydrostone works even better for this because it soaks up the water better. The lifecast must be hollow, so water can get inside. It works like this: First, cover your stone lifecast with 2 or 3 coats of foil, letting it dry between coats. Don't let it pool anywhere, because the coating will flake away when it dries if it gets too thick. (I've heard that you can also give a light coating of vaseline to help make the clay easier to remove, but I haven't tried that.) Then, you design your sculpture on the stone lifecast with an oil based clay. (Water based would fall apart when you soak it) When the sculpture is finished, you put the whole thing into a tub of cold water and let it soak overnight. The water cannot soak through oil clay, but it can soak through the stone. When water reaches the liquid foil, it will "reactivate" the foil, turning it back to a liquid form. At this point there is nothing but a thin sheet of liquid between your clay sculpture and the stone lifecast... which means you can simply lift or "float" your sculpture off the stone since it is no longer truly attached. To do this technique, it is best to have a fairly thick clay sculpture. It's difficult to handle a thin sculpture without damaging or distorting it. Hope that helps! (I will try to post a tutorial for making a stone lifecast for you tonight. I already have the pictures uploaded... I just need to type the info that goes with them. ) Pam

Yes, it will lose it's gloss... but that's a good thing. Most of the time you won't be able to find a gel coat in exactly the color you want, or you'll want to give it a nice clear coat, so you'll want to prepare the surface for painting. Sanding will give a good surface for the paint to bond with. Most of the time gelcoats are intended simply for giving a perfect "face coat" to the work.... for the kind of things we make, it's usually not intended as the final outside color. I do use black gelcoat for my Mara shin guards, but not for the color itself... I use black because that way if the black paint is scraped off, there will still be black underneath and the scratch won't show up as much as it would if I had a tan color underneath. The best results come from wet sanding the gelcoat with a very fine grit wet/dry paper before you paint. Pam

Gelcoat is a high quality surface coat over the top of fiberglass, usually made of resin. There are two types... a super-durable kind that is used to face the inside of molds which are going to be used many times, and a more aesthetic kind that is used for the outer surface of fiberglass castings. Gelcoat is thicker than normal fiberglass resin, so it sticks well to the sides of a mold or casting. It comes clear or in various colors, and must be mixed with a catalyst, just like normal resin. When casting into a mold, you first put in a generous coat of gelcoat, let it tack up, and then you apply your fiberglass behind it. When you are creating something without a negative mold, you first do the fiberglass, and then you paint on a topcoat of gelcoat. The best source for gelcoat is marine shops, because it is used heavily as the outer glossy surface of fiberglass boats. You can also make your own gelcoat by mixing normal fiberglass resin with talcum powder to thicken it. Gelcoat provides a very glossy surface which can be sanded smooth without fear of bringing fiberglass fibers to the surface. Pam

The amount of time you have to sit coated in plaster really depends on the weather at the time. Scott sat down for his life cast session in the winter, during a cold and humid day... so he was stuck waiting for the plaster to set for quite a while. (I have no idea how he was able to sit so still for so long!) We've done two castings of my head so far (for lekku sculpts). The first time was in the summer, and the plaster was setting nearly as fast as Scott could apply it. The second time was in the fall, and it was considerably slower. Temperatures and humidity play a large part in how long you have to sit! From what I've heard, most professional lifecasters prefer not to use straws. Not only is it uncomfortable for their model, it also makes it difficult to put enough alginate or plaster around the upper lip area, a thin little straw is actually easier to plug up if they aren't careful, and it runs the risk of distorting the shape of the nose. I think I would pass! Pam :=)

My first thought was "disguise" also, but the Emperor's Hand comic shows dozens of images of her in Jabba's palace with red hair... so that makes little sense. Personally, I think Decipher messed up when they called a woman with black hair Mara, because they were working off the comic art, which most definitely doesn't have black hair! It's washed out and looks to be more of a strawberry blonde because of that, which isn't really accurate, either. Perhaps they were trying to give the impression of her being in disguise for the sake of their card, or they were playing off the old rumors that Mara was in the movie scene looking into the rancor pit, because I believe the girl everyone thought was Mara might have had black hair. Who knows! Pam

Comic books don't have page numbers, so I can only tell which book it's in. Issue 2, I believe. (I'm at work and don't have it on hand at the moment.) It's a simple fact of life that there are going to be different artist's renditions of each character when they exist only in the EU. That will always be a bit of an annoyance for many of us purists, and a happy excuse to change things for those who want more variety. What is right? That question will get you a hundred different answers, depending on who you ask! I don't really care for this costume, the artistic variances frustrate me, and I already contributed heavily to the other two Mara standards... so, I'll leave the drafting of this costume standard to someone else! Have fun, and as you write, remember that you're representing the 501st Legion... the group with a reputation for high quality and standards! Pam

I'm the wrong person to ask about variations! I'm quite a pefectionist, so as far as I'm concerned, having an occasional comic colorist or Decipher photographer get a design wrong doesn't make it right for our costumes. Mara Jade is a redhead. It was established in the By the Emperor's Hand comics that she had red hair while she was in Jabba's palace... and we can best maintain our high 501st costuming standards by wearing accurate costumes. That includes the correct color of hair. I recently spent a good deal of time and money looking for the most perfect Mara wig available... so I know how difficult that challenge is. But the final look is definitely worth the extra trouble! Also, please keep in mind that the art I posted is not exactly what is represented in the comic. Every color in that particular panel is much lighter than it would be in real life. They made the colors look very faded in order to make it obvious that this was a flashback scene. Jabba looks like an albino, and Mara's bright blue outfit is light gray! In an attempt to improve the too-light coloring before I uploaded the picture to my ftp space, I darkened the file a bit. Darkening gave more depth to the colors and made the artwork more viewable, but the colors remained washed out, thus leaving Mara's hair looking blonde. Therefore, I believe that the color is not an accurate representation of what her hair should be; it's simply a 'foggy' flashback scene. Pam

. I mentioned in the tutorial that you can still do a lifecast of a person's head even if they have long hair, simply by pulling their hair back out of the way and protecting it from the plaster. Here's a photo example of what that process looks like. My hair is waist length (though rather fine). After I put on a bald cap, we cut a small hole in the back and pulled my hair through. It was then wrapped into a bun, and covered with a plastic grocery bag. A couple rubber bands held the bag tightly closed and somewhat away from the back of my head, and then the plaster bandages were applied around it. When it was time to remove the plaster, we took off the rubber bands and bag, unrolled my hair from the bun, and then slid it through the hole in the plaster bandages. After that a few layers of bandage were added to fill in the hole, and the head cast was complete! Pam

This from the woman who ordered me to make her a Sundae by Tuesday... I have an hour left you know. LOL!! I'd forgotten about that! So, where is it? Oh, dear... I think all this status is going to my head. Somebody wanna demote me again before my Mara wig won't fit anymore? Pam

Woohoo!! I got another promotion!! I started out as merely a "Star Wars Geek," and then I worked my way up to the status of "Prop Queen".... and now, I'm a goddess! Somebody bring me a tray of grapes! Thank you, and you're both very welcome. I have quite a few more tutorial photos that are waiting to be added... I just need to find the time to type up the stuff that goes with them. It takes forever to put everything together in logical sequences, and to make sure I'm not forgetting anything important! Pam

. This tutorial is for a lifecast of a model's head, neck, and shoulders. It will be made of plaster gauze bandages. The bandages can be found in any crafts store, though most sell only small rolls of the stuff which are terribly overpriced. Purchasing in bulk is far more cost effective. It can often be found in 15, 20, and 50 pound packages. I purchase mine from the local Nasco store. Making a lifecast of a person's head can be a scary experience for the model. Their head will be almost completely covered with plaster, which can create problems if they are claustrophobic or if they become afraid that they might not be able to breathe. Talk to them first and make sure they're comfortable with this. Assure them that the mold material can be pulled off at any time if it has to be. It's also a good idea to agree on an "I'm okay" signal and a panic signal. My husband and I use a thumb's up gesture for everything's good, and hand waving if something is wrong. "You doing okay in there?" "Mffff!" ::thumbs up:: Although the person cannot see, it's also good to keep a notepad and pencil nearby. They can scrawl a note to you if sign language isn't working and they need to let you know about any problems. (Or if they're bored and want to write something silly to pass the time while they wait for the plaster to set.) Above all else, you need to keep your model's safety and comfort as your prime concern. If you cannot do that... then don't make a lifecast of their head. -------------------------------------------------- - Prepare your materials. Cover your work area. (I use a plastic painter's tarp.) Set out a bucket of water, and use scissors to cut the plaster bandages into a variety of sizes. For large areas such as the torso you can cut the pieces very large, but for detail areas like the face you will need a number of small pieces, about 3 inches square. Cut much more than you think you will need... it's safer than running out and having to cut more while your model is sitting there waiting for you. Organize the bandages into piles based on their size, so it will be easy to grab the size you need as you work. It is also advisable to have a space heater on hand. Your model might get cold as the damp bandages are applied, and the heat will also help to set the plaster more rapidly. - Prepare your model. Cover their hair with a bald cap or a swim cap. The bald cap will make a smoother surface, but they are expensive and must be properly glued down with an appliance adhesive. Swim caps are cheaper, and can be used over and over again. If you aren't worried about a few wrinkles, then a swim cap is good enough. If your model has long hair, pull the hair into a ponytail through a hole in the back of the cap. Roll it into a bun, and cover it with a plastic bag. Use rubber bands to keep the bag tight. Your mold will end up with a hole in the back, but you can seal that closed later. Cover their ears with the cap. (Plaster is not good for taking casts of the ears. If you want them to be included, you'll need to do an alginate cast.) - Use a brush or your hands to thoroughly spread a layer of Vaseline or Nivea face cream over all of the model's skin where the plaster is going to touch. Both have basically the same ingredients, but I prefer the Nivea because it is white, so I can see better where I have spread it and what places I have missed. Make sure to rub the cream thoroughly into the eyebrows, eyelashes, sideburns, and any facial hair or hair coming out from beneath the cap, or those hairs might get locked into the plaster. If that happens, the hairs will be pulled out when you take off the mold. Your model wouldn't enjoy that very much! Make sure the coating is thorough and thick enough to have a protective layer across all areas of their skin. If you miss a place or put it on too thinly, the plaster will stick to their skin and hair, and will pull painfully when you remove the mold. I also put cream on the cap, to keep it from sticking to the plaster. - The plaster is going to drip as you work. You can wrap your model in some plastic sheeting so the plaster won't drip down their stomach or back, and onto their lap. This can get pretty hot, though, and unless you have a comfortable way to attach it at the top, the plaster just runs right underneath. Another option is to cover their stomach and back with more Vaseline or Nivea, so that plaster drips will flake right off when they dry. Or, you can simply have them wear clothes that they won't mind destroying. The plaster won't wash out once it sets. - Have your model take a set and get comfortable. If they need a cushion to sit on, find one before you start the molding process. Once you start, they will need to sit still for up to half an hour. - I advise wearing latex gloves. Your model's skin will be protected by the release agent, but yours will be subjected to the drying effects of the plaster. Gloves are also easy to remove if you need to have clean hands on short notice! - Begin the molding process by dipping a long piece of bandage into the water. Use your fingers to wring out most of the water, and then lay the strip sideways across the top of your model's head. It should be placed just behind the widest part of their head. Continue placing strips of plaster down the sides of the head and neck, and then across the top of the shoulders. Overlap each piece of bandage, and smooth everything together well. This will spread the plaster so that it will seal the layers of gauze together. - After you have created the 'parting or dividing line', continue placing bandages across the back and sides of the head, neck, and shoulders. The plaster should be at least five or six layers thick on the back areas, and should be at least 8 or 9 layers thick at the front edge and around the bottom edge. The added thickness at the edges will help your mold keep its shape when removed. As an added precaution, you can also roll bandage pieces into strips and create a thick 'support frame' which runs up the back of the head and across the back of the shoulders. It helps make the mold sturdier. - After you have finished the back half of the mold, allow a few minutes for the plaster to cure. This process can be sped up by using a hair dryer to get rid of the excess water and to help the chemical reaction that is taking place. Don't hold the dryer on any one area of the mold for too long, just keep sweeping it from side to side until the plaster begins to look dry and turn hard. - Use a marker to draw a line about 1 inch from the front edge. This will help you with the placement of the front half of the mold, which will overlap the back half. - Use a brush to thoroughly cover the front of the mold with Vaseline. Be sure to cover the front edge where it touches your model's skin, and go at least 1/2 inch past the line that you drew. This step is very important! It will keep the front half of the mold from sticking to the back half. If you forget, then the front half will seal itself to the back, and the only way you'll get the mold off your model is by cutting it off! - Begin forming the front half of the mold. Begin at the top again, placing strips of plaster so that they overlap the back half of the mold by 1 inch. This is where the line that you drew comes in handy. If you overlap to that line, you know that you've gone far enough and that all of the area where you're working has been coated with Vaseline. To insure a tight seam, make sure to press the soft bandages close against the now hard bandages that make up the back half of the mold. Continue downward, covering the face with small pieces of bandage. Be sure to smooth out any air bubbles that might form in the eye socket areas and the sides of the nose. - DO NOT get the bandages too close to your model's nostrils. Leave plenty of room for air flow. As you place pieces around their nose, be sure to ask them if they're doing okay, and if they can still breathe well. Most of the time you'll get a thumb's up and you can make the nostril holes pretty small. If the model is not comfortable with the holes becoming small, then leave them large and plan on filling the holes in later, after the mold has been removed. - Once again, make sure to create thick layers of plaster. I advise making the face area at least 7 or 8 layers thick to protect the contours of the face and jawline. Also make sure that the edges are all at least 8 or 9 layers thick to create a sturdy edge. You can make support ridges if you want to. - Allow the plaster to set. You can use the blow dryer again to speed up the process. Make sure not to blow hot air into the nostril holes. - Use the marker again to draw lines across the front and back halves of the mold. When the mold is opened up, sometimes it is difficult to line the two halves perfectly back together again. By drawing lines every few inches, you will have guides to help you line up the two halves later on. Thumb's up! He's doing okay! - Give the mold a bit more time to cure. You really don't want to open it when the plaster is still soft. After all that work, the last thing you want to do is to warp the mold and end up having to start over! The mold will get slightly warm as it cures, but not enough to bother your model. - When you and your model feel that you've waited long enough for the plaster to set and harden, then begin by carefully breaking the 'seal' between the two halves of the mold. They should pop easily apart with only a bit of careful prying. Then, it is usually easiest to remove the back half of the mold first. Lift it away and set it on a soft surface. I usually use some old towels that are bunched on the floor to make a soft, wrinkled support. Then have your model lean slightly forward and help you lift the front half of the mold away from their face. Because of the contours it sometimes takes a bit of wiggling to get the mold to come loose. Let them do this part, since they know better than you what hurts and what doesn't! - Put the two halves of the mold back together, making sure to line up the marker lines around the edges. Then, use some more pieces of plaster bandage to seal the two halves together. By looking inside the mold you will also be able to see any light areas where the plaster is too thin. Add a few bandage pieces to those areas, and use another piece or two for sealing the nostril holes. - And now, you have a lifecast mold that is ready to be filled with the casting material of your choice, and a model who is happy to be free to move once again! - Many thanks to my husband Scott. He was patient enough to sit through this casting project for me, and to let me take pictures of the process for this tutorial. .

. Like most projects, there are a number of options you can use when you decide to make a life cast. Here is some basic information about some of the most commonly used materials. For the mold, which is applied directly to a person's body: Duct Tape - This is the easiest and roughest version of lifecasting. It involves covering the area of your model that you are going to lifecast with a protectant layer of material, such as lightweight clothing or plastic wrap, and then covering them with a thick layer of duct tape. The greatest challenge is caused by the flexibility of the tape. If you do not build up enough layers, or if you fill it with a material which pushes too hard against the tape, you may end up with a warped copy of your model. This type of casting is best for large, smooth areas with little detail needed, such as the torso. It works well for creating a lifecast which will be used to make armor or masks. Plaster Bandages - This produces a good quality lifecast. The plaster gauze comes pre-coated with plaster and can be purchased at most craft stores. All you have to do is cut it into pieces, dip it in water, and then smooth it over your model. The plaster layers need to be well blended as you work, but with a bit of effort you can create a durable and stiff lifecast mold with very tight seam lines that will not warp out of shape even if you put them through quite a bit of abuse. This method is best for fairly detailed lifecasts. It can be used for small areas, or even for a full-body casting. Like the duct tape, this method works well for creating a lifecast which will be used to sculpt armor or masks. Alginate - This is what the professionals use. It is more expensive and takes a bit of practice because the alginate has a limited work time before it begins to set... but the resulting castings will be EXACT and highly detailed duplicates of your model. Every wrinkle and pore can be reproduced! Alginate must be backed up with layers of cheesecloth and a plaster bandage shell, and will require a few other special-order materials as well. It contains a large quantity of water, and must be protected from drying out, or your mold will warp. This method is best used when the lifecast will be used for making latex appliances that will be glued to the costume wearer, so that the appliances will be an exact fit. Silicone - There are silicones which have been developed for painting directly onto skin for life casting. They have the advantage of requiring very little release, and they can be used for casting dupicates over and over again. They also capture an amazing amount of detail. But, this material is quite expensive. It is best used for projects which will require multiple castings, such as artistic sculptures which are mass produced. Silicone isn't cost effective for one-time body castings. Moulage - This material, and a few others like it, are very similar to alginate. They have the advantage, however, of being reusable. The material is damp, and must have water added to maintain the correct moisture levels. It is a rubbery solid at room temperature, and turns into a thick paste when heated on a double boiler. The trick is to heat it enough to soften it for spreading, but not so hot that it burns the product or your model's skin. Because it is expensive, Moulage is best for small life castings, such as a face or hands. It is spread over the skin, and then backed with layers of support material such as gauze or cheesecloth. A support shell is built up over that, and then the mold can be removed from the model. After it is finished, it can be torn into pieces and heated once again. DO NOT use plain plaster to make a life cast. It heats up and can burn your model, and making a seam line for opening the mold afterwards can be very difficult. The last thing you want to do is trap someone inside a sealed lifecast that is burning their skin! ------------------------------------------ Once you have finished making a mold of your model's body, you will need to fill that mold with something. To create a replica, or the casting itself, you can use: Plaster - The cheapest and most readily available material for casting a copy of your model. You simply pour the plaster into the release coated mold, let it set, and then open the mold. Disadvantages are that plaster is heavy and breaks or scratches easily. Since the castings need to be solid, you also run the risk of warping your lifecast mold when you pour a large amount of heavy liquid into it. Ultracal 30 - This material is used to make a 'stone' copy of your model. It is easy to work with, can be cast hollow, and cures to a rock hard surface that can be used over and over again. If you coat it with the proper foil release, you can even "float" your clay sculpture off the stone without damaging either of them. The main disadvantage is that if you cannot find Ultracal locally, you will have to pay quite a bit for shipping because of the weight. Rigid Foam - This is a two-part material available at most special effects supply stores. The two components are a liquid which, when mixed in the proper ratios, begin to expand into a very strong and lightweight foam. Rigid foam will provide a solid work surface for sculpting on, but will have a fraction of the weight of a stone casting. The main disadvantages are the fact that the foam can easily be knicked by sculpting tools, and the medical risk when you are mixing and pouring it into the lifecast mold. You MUST wear a respirator when working with this material in its liquid form. As the foam expands, the chemical reaction will give off gasses which should not be breathed, as they can cause lung damage or cancer. Fiberglass - This material takes a bit more work, but it creates a very strong and lightweight copy of your model. The fiberglass supplies are cheap and easy to find at any automotive or hardware store, and once you finish your casting, nothing short of a hammer will do it much damage! Once again a respirator must be worn to protect your lungs from the resin fumes, and long sleeves are advised. .

. Please use this thread to share good resources for lifecasting supplies. Smooth-On - http://www.smooth-on.com/default.htm Art Molds - http://www.artmolds.com/ Special Effect Supply - http://www.fxsupply.com Cybergraphic Designs - http://www.getspfx.com Nasco (A great source for bulk plaster bandages!) - http://www.enasco.com/artsandcrafts/ FX Warehouse - http://www.fxwarehouse.info/ Plaster.com - http://www.plaster.com/index.html .

I've been using pieces of self adhesive velcro to hold the leather wraps on my latex Twi'lek headpeieces for two years now with no ill effects. It holds the leather tightly through an all day troop, and then I can easily take the leather back off again for storage afterwards, or to keep it clean when I touch up the paint on the lekku. Pam

The orbalisk pieces are looking awesome! I would suggest experimenting with heavy duty snaps or velcro. Both are capable of holding solid pieces onto an undersuit, but also can be removed so that the suit can be washed. I don't like washing an outfit with armor (or bug!) pieces permanently attached... it wears out both prematurely, and runs the risk of damaging the paint or outer surface of the attached pieces. Snaps - Attach one side of a snap to a small piece of leather or styrene. Epoxy the leather/styrene to the back of an orbalisk. For larger orbalisks, you could attach more than one snap. For the side of the snap that attaches to your bodysuit, you have two options. You can attach the snap directly onto the fabric or leather, preferably with some form of reinforcement in the back to keep it from stretching and to help support the weight. The downside of this is that the snaps might come free if the connection is stressed when you move. Or, to minimize that problem you can attach the snap to one end of a small piece of webbing, and then sew the other end of the webbing onto the bodysuit. Be sure to sew a finishing stitch across the cut ends of the webbing to keep it from unraveling over time. The webbing gives a bit of 'flex' to the design, allowing the orbalisks to shift as you move if they need to. The downside of course would be that the webbing may become visible if the pieces shift too much. Velcro. This is some surprisingly strong stuff if you get the industrial strength. My Mara Jade knee pieces are held on with three inch long pieces of velcro, and that velcro has lasted through eight troops so far without ever becoming loose, in spite of all of the abuse I have put it through. I would advise putting the 'hook' side of the velcro on the back of the orbalisks, and then placing the cloth side on the bodysuit so that it won't cause problems during washing or storage. It's very difficult to sew adhesive backed velcro, so I would advise using the sew-on kind so that you can secure it well. Although, if the bodysuit is made of leather or vinyl, the velcro would probably stick to that quite well. This solution might not work well if the back sides of the orbalisks are curved, which would keep the velcro from being able to fit tightly against the bodysuit, thus pulling on the suit or pulling away from it when you try to connect the two pieces of velcro. Pam

You're welcome, and I'm glad I could help! The hair is a different color (I'll never understand Decipher's reasoning for that), but it's definitely the same costume. Pam

. Thank you, and you're welcome! I used fiberglass for those castings. I often drop to one knee when I take pictures with kids, so I'm always putting my weight on the knee guards. Fiberglass holds up to the abuse amazingly well. The black is a gel coat I use so that if I scratch the paint off the knee guards, the surface underneath will still be dark. Pam

. When you need to make a mold of a model which has two sides, deep undercuts, or openings that go completely through the model, the easiest method is to create a flexible two-piece silicone mold. I am going to create tutorials for two common methods used to make two-piece molds. The simplest method is to make a "block" style mold. This mold is easier to make, but it uses considerably more silicone rubber and is therefore somewhat more expensive. The second style is called a "shell" or "case" mold. This type of mold is more complicated, but it uses a minimum amount of silicone. Both mold types can produce high quality castings. This tutorial is for a simple block style two-piece mold. I will demonstrate case molding in another thread. For this tutorial, I am going to use my Mara Jade blaster for the demonstration pictures. The blaster was made of wood and styrene pieces, and has been painted with gray primer. ******************** - Begin by sealing your model with an acrylic spray. I recommend Krylon Crystal Clear. It is widely available and works well. Let the sealer dry for a full day before you move on to the next step. - Draw a dividing line around your model with a permanent, felt tip pen. This line shows where the mold will be splitting into two pieces around your model. I like to use a fine-tip Sharpie. Most of the time this line will stay in the center of your model, but occasionally the design will create a need to move the seam line to one side or the other. An example of this is the sights on my blaster. The center line was very small there, so I jogged the seam to one side. The key thing to remember for the center line is that it should follow the contours of the design so that the mold will be easy to remove. If there is a lump or undercut that might "lock" the mold onto the model, plan the dividing line to minimize that problem. - Decide on the placement for a pour hole. Tip your model to different angles and find the best way to fill it with resin or whatever material you are going to use. Keep in mind that you should minimize the surface area of your model that you will be affecting by this hole in the side of your mold. It will leave a 'plug' of casting material that you will have to cut off later. - While you are holding your model with the pour hole location on top, take a look at the rest of the model. If you can see any places where air might get trapped when you pour a casting, keep them in mind so that you can place an air vent in that location when you build your mold. - Select a firm surface for working on your mold. When making a small mold, I like to use a 12x12 ceramic or masonite tile. The textured surface is rough enough to 'hold' clay and hot glue, but it's also sealed so that cured silicone rubber and hot glue will peel right off of it. Tile also has the advantage of being portable and easy to clean. A tabletop covered with plastic works well if you don't have a piece of tile, or if the project is too large for one. - Roll a 1/2 inch thick layer of clay across your work surface, making it at least 1 inch wider than your model all of the way around. Press your model down into the clay. I prefer to use water based clay. It is soft, easy to blend, and is easy to clean up. - Adding pieces of clay wherever they are needed, build up the clay until it reaches the dividing line all of the way around the model. Make the clay surface as smooth as possible, and make the edge where the clay touches the model a clean and sharp right angle. This will give a sharp edge on your mold that will give you the highest quality seam lines possible. - Trim away the excess clay so that it is 1/2 inch wider than the model all of the way around. Follow the contours of the model. Remember, sharp angles are better than rounded ones. They help the pieces of the mold and shell lock together tightly. - Use clay to build up 1/2 of the pour hole. This lump of clay, called a plug, should be wider near the outer edge of the clay, and should be smaller where it touches the model, like a funnel. - Use small 'worms' of clay to create vents that will allow air to escape from any places inside the mold where air might be trapped when you fill the mold. These vents should touch the model as unobtrusively as possible, and should run to the other edge of the clay. They do not have to be very big around. Air doesn't need a lot of space! Angle the vents so that they will go toward the top of the mold when you hold it with the pour hole on top. You don't want them to angle downwards, because that would simply trap more air inside your mold. - Clean the top and sides of the model thoroughly, making sure to wipe away all clay residue. Trust me, if you leave any clay on the surface of your model, it WILL show up in the mold, and in every casting you make afterward. Even a fingerprint can be reproduced by the silicone! Damp Q-tips and paintbrushes make good cleaning tools. Use as little water as possible. Using too much water will soften and weaken the clay surrounding your model. - Using rectangular pieces of clay, add 'keys' to various places around the outer edge of the clay. The keys should have sharp right angles, and can vary in length. Make them about 1/4 inch tall and wide. These keys will ensure that the two halves of the mold will fit together correctly when you begin making castings later on. (Note: In this picture you can see that I chose to place my 'pour hole' plug at the end of the blaster grip. Air would have become trapped in the two raised 'hammer' areas, so I also added vents to those places. Because the trigger would trap air, I also added a small line of clay that connects the trigger to the trigger guard. This will create a small piece of resin that I will have to cut out later, but it will act as an escape vent for any air caught in the trigger.) - Build a retaining wall around your model. Make the angles sharp, following the contours of the clay that you trimmed earlier. The wall should be at least 1/2 inch away from the model, and should be a couple inches taller than the highest point on your model. I like to use thin cardboard or tagboard. It is cheap, easy to cut, easy to fold or bend, and easy to glue. Cut the pieces to fit all of the way around your model, always staying about 1/2 inch away from the model edge. You can use chunks of clay or pieces of tape to hold the retaining wall in place until you have everything fitting correctly. Then, use hot glue to seal the wall down. Glue the wall to the work surface, and seal every seam so that no silicone will be able to leak out when you pour the mold. - Spray the model, the clay, and the retaining wall with the proper release agent. Check the information that came with your silicone to find out what is the correct release to use. This step is important. If you do not put release on your model, or if you use the wrong kind, your mold may 'glue' itself to the model. Or, using the wrong release agent such as oils or wax may keep the silicone from curing, so you will be left with a gooey mess. Since I prefer to use Smooth-On silicones, I usually use Ease Release 200 or 800 on my model. I spray it on, brush it into every nook and cranny with a soft brush, and then I spray on one more light coat. Don't use too much release, or your mold will take on a bubbled, spongy surface. (Note: It's wise to cover your work surface with some scraps of paper or plastic to protect it from overspray before you begin to spray the release. This will keep a buildup from developing on your work surface and will help you avoid future problems. Hot glue won't stick to a surface that has been coated with release!) - Measure out your silicone according to the instructions, by weight or volume. Then pour both components into a mixing cup or bowl, and stir it well for at least three minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom and the walls of the cup. When you're sure you've stirred it enough, stir it some more! The most common problem with silicone is not getting the two components mixed completely together. If you have a degassing chamber, use it after the silicone has been thoroughly mixed. - Pour the silicone into the mold. Do this very slowly, in a small stream. Do not pour the silicone directly onto your model. Instead, pick a low point beside the model and continue pouring all of the silicone at that one point. The silicone will spread across the base of your model and then up over the edge, filling every detail and pushing air out of the way as it goes. If you were to pour the silicone directly onto the model, it would tend to trap air, leaving you with bubbles on the surface of your mold. Fill the mold until there is at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch of silicone covering the highest point of your model. - Leave your mold undisturbed for at least 15-20 hours. If the room is cold, place the mold in a warmer area. Silicone actually strengthens if you place it in a 150 degree Fahrenheit environment for a few hours. Do NOT use a household oven. The chemicals in the mold can contaminate any food you cook later. - After the silicone is cured, carefully pull off the retaining wall. - DO NOT take your model out of the 1/2 mold you have now made. Keep that seal tight, so it won't be damaged before you pour the second half of the mold! Very carefully, pry the model off your work surface. I have found that it works best to use an old cooking spatula. Slide the spatula between the work surface and the clay that is underneath your model, lifting the clay and everything that is sitting on top of it. Then turn the whole thing over and set it down with the silicone on the bottom. Carefully remove all of the clay. When you have removed all of the big pieces, use a brush or small tools to clean away the last residue. I sometimes put my model in the sink and use the spray hose attachment to wash away the last tiny bits of clay residue. If you do this, dry your model and the silicone well with paper towels, being careful not to pull on the edges of the mold. As long as you're cautious, you won't break the seal between the silicone and your model. (Note: In this picture you can see the empty channels that were created by the pour hole plug and the air vent 'worms' that were created with clay. You can also see the notches that were left by the clay keys.) - Using small rolls of clay, fill the air vent channels. Make sure the clay fills in the entire vent, and touches the model. This will keep the silicone from filling the vents when you pour the second half of the mold. This clay only needs to fit down inside the channel. It does not have to go higher than the channel. I also added clay to the vent that connects the trigger to the trigger guard. - Use clay to fill the pour hole plug in the bottom half of the mold, and then add more to it so that you create the second half of the plug. The clay should now be a round plug, with the bottom half of the plug down in the silicone, and the top half rising above the silicone. It should look very much like a small funnel. - Build another retaining wall. In my experience, if you're not using a professional quality mold box, it's better to make a new retaining wall rather than trying to reuse the old cardboard one. The wall should fit as tightly as possible against the silicone. If there are any places where the retaining wall is not tight against the silicone, then use a bit of clay or a squirt of hot glue to seal the crack. You don't want silicone to leak into the holes. The wall should be a couple inches taller than the highest point of the model. - Spray a coating of RELEASE AGENT. Give the model, the retaining wall, and most importantly, the silicone mold half a coating of release agent. This step is very important! If you do not use the proper release, the two halves of your mold will glue themselves together, and you'll be stuck with a silicone brick! Use a soft brush to spread the release agent over every surface, and then give everything a second coat. (If you forget this step, it is possible to use an exacto knife to slice the rubber back open again... but it would create a lower-quality mold and you would probably need to start over again. You also run the risk of damaging your model with the knife.) - Mix another batch of silicone, exactly as you did for the first half, and then repeat the process of slowly pouring the silicone over a low place beside your model. Pour until the model has been covered, and then let the mold sit for 15-20 hours. - After the mold is cured, remove the retaining wall. DO NOT open the mold yet! Keep those two halves sealed tightly together! In theory, you now have a complete mold. But, silicone is flexible. While that's great for removing it from your model or your castings... it's not great when it comes to keeping a specific shape. If you were to cast something in the mold now, you run the risk of the casting becoming warped. It's also difficult to tightly strap together the two halves of a mold when they can flex. You could get the outer edges clamped closed, but the inner area could warp outwards, making your casting 'fat' in the middle. It's safer to create a support shell that will hold your mold in the exact position that you want, and in order to make that shell as form-fitting as possible, you should make it BEFORE you open the mold! (Note: In this picture I hope you can see the keys that will help line up the two halves of the mold. I'm finding it difficult to take good pictures of all-white semitransparent molds!) - Now you need to make the two-piece support shell. Begin by placing your mold back on the work surface. Build up a layer of clay around the outside, making it as high as the middle seam of your silicone mold. The clay should be about 1 inch wide. - I'm sorry I don't have pictures of the next steps, but I will continue to describe them for you. Next time I do a two-piece mold project, I'll make sure to take pictures of the shell building. Sorry! - You do not want the shell to get in the way of your pour hole or the air vents, so you will need to add extra clay to these areas. I angle a lump of clay outward just like I did with the first pour hole, so the shell will become a part of the 'funnel' I created in the silicone. For the air vents, I add clay 'worms' so that the vents keep going from the silicone and right out of the shell. - Here's a tip that might make things easier later on. Consider the location of your pour hole. When you hold your mold so that the pour hole is on the top... will the bottom of the mold have a flat surface so that you can set it down on a table? If it does not, you have two options. You can set the odd-shaped mold on the table and wedge things around it so that it will be supported and won't fall over. (But you risk spilling casting resins on your support materials.) Or, you can widen an area of the support shell to create a flat 'bottom' for your mold so that it can stand on it's own! - Add keys that will help you align the two halves of the shell later on. Rigid products do not like right angles, so don't use rectangular keys this time. Instead, create half-circle domes in several places. The domes should be about 1/4 inch tall, and about the size of a nickel or quarter. Smooth them so that they blend into the surrounding clay. - Build another retaining wall. This wall needs to be at least 1 inch wider than your silicone mold, and it should be a couple inches taller than the top of the silicone. - It is not necessary to use a release agent, but you can if you want to. The shell material will not stick to the silicone or the damp clay. It might stick to the retaining wall a bit if you are using cardboard that doesn't have a smooth facing, though, so if you don't want fragments of cardboard stuck to your mold shell, you can give the retaining wall a light coating of Vaseline or mold release wax to prevent that from happening. - Fill the retaining wall. You can use plaster, but I don't recommend it. Plaster is soft and will wear down each time you clamp or bump your mold. It is also prone to breaking easily. Instead, I recommend using Ultracal or Hydrostone. Or, to save a bit of money, you can make a 50-50 blend of plaster with one of these harder products. It is also wise to press some burlap strips into the shell material before it begins to harden. The burlap will help protect the shell from breaking apart. - Allow the shell half to cure overnight, and then remove the retaining wall. Once again using the spatula to lift the clay off your work surface, pick the entire collection of materials up and turn it over so that the whole thing is resting on the plaster shell. Clean off all of the clay and use a damp brush to wipe away any bits that stay in the edges. - Once again you will need to fill in the pour hole and air vents with clay to keep the second half of the shell from filling in those spaces. Continue making the pour hole into a funnel. - Build another retaining wall or reuse the wall from the last step if it is still in good shape. You will simply need to turn it upside down. Seal the edges, making sure the wall is tightly against the shell in the bottom. Fill any gaps with clay. - Coat the shell with Vaseline or mold release wax. Once again, if you forget this step, the two halves of your shell will seal themselves together and you'll never open it without a hammer! You can also coat the retaining wall if you wish. - Mix and pour in the material for the second half of your support shell. Allow it to cure, and then remove the retaining wall. - NOW you finally get to open up all of the pieces and find out how the mold looks inside! If everything went well, you will be amazed by how well the silicone reproduced every detail of your model. You will have a durable and flexible mold... and it's time to start casting copies of your model! Silicone molds will not stick to most casting materials, so a mold release isn't absolutely necessary. It is wise to use a release agent when you begin casting, though. It will increase the life of your mold, and will make it easier to remove your castings from the mold. - To find out how much casting material you will need, remove your model, seal the mold closed, and fill it with water. Then pour out the water into a measuring cup, and find out how much water it took. Write that amount with a Sharpie on the side of your mold, so you'll never forget. I recommend always mixing a little bit more casting material than the amount you wrote down, just to be on the safe side. - When you pour casting material into your mold, have some lumps of clay or pieces of strong tape on hand. As you pour, casting material will begin to leak out of the air vents. Allow it to push out all of the air, and then press the clay or tape against the holes to seal them so that no more material will be wasted. It is not necessary to seal the pour hole, since that should be at the very top of your mold. - Gently bump your mold against the work surface and tip it a little from side to side. This will help to remove any air bubbles that may have been trapped inside. Now, aren't you glad you didn't use fragile plaster? - Allow the casting material plenty of time to cure. You don't want to get impatient and open the mold while the material inside is still soft. (Note: This is a casting made of black resin. You can see the plug where the pour hole was located. It will be a fairly easy task to cut the plug off and smooth the area. The mold was tightly sealed around the outer edges, so very little resin leaked out between the two pieces of silicone. The leaks, called 'flashing' were less than paper thin, and broke off as soon as I started handling the blaster. I have already snapped off the two air vents in this picture. Sorry, I should have left them for a reference, but I didn't think of that in time! The area inside the trigger guard has the flashing still present. The layer of resin you can see around the trigger is actually very thin. You can see sunlight through it. It will be an easy task to dremel the flashing out of that opening. .

. When you need to make a mold of a flat or gently curved model, the easiest method is to create a flexible one-piece silicone mold. For this tutorial, I am going to use my Mara Jade knee guard for the demonstration pictures. The original model was carved from rigid foam and then was coated with a facing of fiberglass resin. A few low spots were filled with green modeling putty and the back of each circle was covered with a piece of styrene, and then I glued an oil clay ridge around the outer edge. ******************** - Begin by sealing your model with an acrylic spray. I recommend Krylon Crystal Clear. It is widely available and works well. Let the sealer dry for a full day before you move on to the next step. - Select a firm surface for working on your mold. When making a small mold, I like to use a 12x12 ceramic or masonite tile. The textured surface is rough enough to 'hold' clay and hot glue, but it's also sealed so that cured silicone rubber will peel right off of it. Tile also has the advantage of being portable and easy to clean. A tabletop covered with plastic works well if you don't have a piece of tile, or if the project is too large for one. (Note that the model extends down past the actual design edge. The knee guards actually stop at the bottom edge of the brown clay. The fiberglass section that you can see below the clay area is just a base which will not be included when I cast copies of the model. The extra height allows me to give the mold a clean and sturdy edge.) - Place your model on the work surface and seal it down to that surface with modeling clay, water based clay, or hot glue. I like to roll out a 1/4 inch layer of water based clay, and then press my model into the clay. Because I added extra height onto the bottom of my model, pressing the model into the clay will not cover up any of my design. I then use more clay to seal any openings under the edges. The knee guard model is curved upwards at the ends. I had to put clay under the ends to keep the silicone from running underneath the model and being wasted. The layer of clay has been trimmed so that it is about 1/2 inch wide all the way around the model. This gives a good edge for applying the retaining wall. - Build a retaining wall around your model. The wall should be at least 1/2 inch away from the model, and should be a few inches taller than the highest point on your model. I like to use thin cardboard or tagboard. It is cheap, easy to cut, easy to fold or bend, and easy to glue. Cut the pieces to fit all of the way around your model, always staying about 1/2 inch away from the model edge. You can use chunks of clay or pieces of tape to hold the retaining wall in place until you have everything fitting correctly. Then, use hot glue to seal the wall down. Glue the wall to the work surface, and seal every seam closed so that no silicone will be able to leak out when you pour the mold. - Spray the model, the clay, and the retaining wall with the proper release agent for the type of silicone you are using. Check the information that goes with your silicone to find out what is the correct release to use. This step is important. If you do not put release on your model, or if you use the wrong kind, your mold may 'glue' itself to the model. Or, using the wrong release agent such as oils or wax may keep the silicone from curing, so you will be left with a gooey mess. Since I prefer to use Smooth-On silicones, I usually use Ease Release 200 or 800 on my model. I spray it on, brush it into every nook and cranny with a soft brush, and then I spray on one more light coat. Don't use too much release, or your mold will take on a bubbled, spongy surface. (Note: It's wise to cover your work surface with some scraps of paper or plastic to protect it from overspray before you begin to spray the release. This will keep a buildup of release from developing on your work surface and will help you avoid future problems. Hot glue won't stick to a surface that has been coated with release!) - Measure out your silicone according to the instructions, by weight or volume. Then pour both components into a mixing cup or bowl, and stir it well for at least three minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom and the walls of the cup. When you're sure you've stirred it enough, stir it some more! The most common problem with silicone is not getting the two components mixed completely together. If you have a degassing chamber, use it after the silicone has been thoroughly mixed. - Pour the silicone into the mold. Do this very slowly, in a small stream. Do not pour the silicone directly onto your model. Instead, pick a low point beside the model and continue pouring all of the silicone at that one point. The silicone will spread across the base of your model and then up over the edge, filling every detail and pushing air out of the way as it goes. If you were to pour the silicone directly onto the model, it would tend to trap air, leaving you with bubbles on the surface of your mold. - Set aside your mixing bowl. The silicone will cure inside, and then you can peel it out and your bowl will be clean and ready for the next batch! - If your model is flat, you can simply pour in the silicone until it has been covered completely. The mold silicone should be at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch higher than the highest point of the model. This will give you a strong and sturdy thickness of silicone, and it will level off naturally to a flat surface. Let the silicone sit overnight until it cures. Then peel off the retaining wall, clean away any clay residue, and you are finished with your mold. There is no need to create a support shell, since the mold will lay flat on a table when you cast something in it. - If, however, you are making a mold of a rounded surface, then it is wise to shape the mold so that you use less material. Pour in the silicone, and then use a brush or plastic spoon to push it over the highest points of your model. The liquid silicone will run back down to the base, but as time passes it will begin to thicken and will remain against the sides and top of your model. For this mold, I worked on other projects in the same room so that I could return every 3-5 minutes to spoon the silicone back over the top of my model until it set, which took about 20 minutes. Each time I pushed the silicone to the top, a bit more stayed until I ended up with an even 1/2 inch coating over the entire model and the area around the outside of the model. Because the model was rounded, if I had simply filled the retaining wall area until the whole thing was covered, I would have had to use twice as much silicone. By spending a few extra minutes shaping the silicone over the rounded surface, I was able to save some material. (Other options would have been to use a brush on type of silicone, to thicken the silicone with a product such as Thi-Vex, or to use an accelerating agent. I didn't have these products on hand, so I just used a spoon and some patience.) (Note: Because I made the silicone have a rounded surface, I would not be able to set it upside down on the table. A rounded mold needs a support shell that will have a flat base. So, when the silicone was thick enough to support the weight, I pressed some lightweight plastic shapes into the surface around the edges beside the retaining wall. I left them there until the silicone cured, and then I took them out. In this picture you can see the indentations that the shapes left. These indentations, called "keys" will help me line up my support shell later on.) - After it has begun to set, leave your mold undisturbed for at least 15-20 hours. Letting it sit overnight is wise. If the room is cold, place the mold in a warmer area. Silicone actually strengthens if you place it in a 150 degree Fahrenheit environment for a few hours. Do NOT use a household oven. The chemicals in the mold can contaminate any food you cook later. - If your silicone mold needs a support shell (or if you just like to have something that is easier to hold on to than a flexible mold), you can pour plaster into the retaining wall after the silicone has fully cured. This is why I recommended earlier that the wall should be several inches taller than the model! Mix the plaster well, and then pour it over the silicone and tap the work surface to release any air pockets. This will also level the plaster so that you will have a flat surface on top. - After the plaster has set, you can peel off the retaining wall and pick up your mold. The model usually comes free from the clay base and sticks inside the mold. Set the plaster support base aside, and then peel the silicone away from your model. If you applied the release agent correctly, the silicone will not stick to the model at all. - Now you have a durable and flexible mold... and it's time to start casting copies of your model! Silicone molds will not stick to most casting materials, so a mold release isn't absolutely necessary. It is wise to use a release agent when you begin casting, though. It will increase the life of your mold, and will make it easier to remove your castings from the mold. Have fun! .

. General tips and tricks for using silicone rubber: - Silicone rubber is thick, sticky, and messy when it is still a liquid. Keep a box of latex gloves handy so that you can easily change gloves when you get silicone on them. - Cover the area where you will be working with a piece of plastic sheeting or a plastic garbage bag. When you're finished, simply roll it up and throw it away. - Collect plastic tubs, such as margarine or cool whip containers. These make easy (and cheap) mixing containers for your silicone, and you can bend them to make a good pour spout. Plastic cups are also good mixing containers, though they typically break if you try to bend them into a pour spout. Plastic spoons are good for mixing. Get a big box of them, and toss out each one after you use it. - You don't want to use your good measuring cups for mixing silicone, because it's very hard to clean up afterwards. If you are measuring by volume instead of weight, here's a trick. Say you need to measure out 1/3 cup of each silicone component. Fill a 1/3 cup measuring cup with water. Then, pour that water into a disposable plastic cup. Mark the water line on the side of the cup with a Sharpie, and then pour the water into another cup. Mark that water line as well, and then pour out the water. Dry both cups thoroughly, and you now have two disposable, marked mixing cups! - If you spill mixed rubber on yourself or on a porous surface, clean it up while it is still a liquid. Acetone and mineral spirits both work. After using them, clean the area with dish soap and water. - If mixed rubber is spilled on a smooth surface, you can usually just let it cure and then peel it off. Silicone doesn't stick to smooth surfaces. It does seem to lock onto glass for some reason, though. - If you spill the unmixed components of latex, they will not cure or harden. You will need to clean them with the acetone or mineral spirits. - Silicone rubbers are sensitive to temperature and humidity. Always work in a room that is in the 70-degree range, with normal humidity. Very humid or too-low temperature conditions will inhibit the curing, while very high temperatures will make them set up too fast. - If you are making your own sculpture, do NOT use a clay that has sulfur in it! The sulfur will keep your rubber mold from curing properly, and you'll end up with a gooey mess. I've heard that a good coating of Krylon will cover the sulfur and keep it from damaging the mold, but do you really want to take chances? - Apply a sealer coating to your model before you make the mold. This will close up the pores and keep the silicone from seeping into them and locking the mold to your sculpture. Many people prefer to use Krylon Crystal Clear. Give it a full day to dry completely before you move on to the next step, or you may have problems with the sealer peeling off and sticking to your mold. - The easiest way to estimate how much rubber you are going to need is to do a test run with water. Fill the mold space to the desired level, and then pour the water into a measuring cup to find out how much volume it took. That way you will know exactly how much silicone it will take, and you won't waste too much or run short. I usually mix a little bit extra just to be on the safe side... some will always stick to the sides of the mix cups, or get spilled a bit. After using water, be sure to dry the model and every other surface COMPLETELY before moving on. Any moisture left behind might cause problems when you pour in the rubber. - Apply a release agent to the model and to every other surface your mold silicone is going to touch. I like to use Smooth-On's Ease Release 200 or 800. Spray on a light coat of release, then brush it over the surface of your sculpture and the surrounding clay and mold box with a clean, soft brush. I use a chip brush. (Use a Sharpie to write "Ease Release 200" on the handle, so it doesn't accidently get used for anything else!) Let that first coat dry for 15 minutes or so, and then give the model another light coating. Don't spray too much, or you will end up with a sponge effect on your mold surface. It only takes a little bit! - When you are finished using a mold, if you want to keep it in good shape for later castings, here's the best thing to do. First, fill the mold with plaster. Be sure to leave the plaster inside the mold, don't take it off. This will help the mold hold it's shape for a long period of time. When the plaster is thoroughly dry, wrap the mold and plaster inside a plastic bag and seal it closed. (Make sure the plaster is thoroughly dry, or it will get mold spots! Yeah, that's a bad pun. Sorry!) Then, store the mold in a protected place, preferably in a box which will protect the mold from sun damage and from being squished or misshapen. Remember, once a mold loses it's shape... the damage is usually permanent! .

. There are three materials that are most often used for making flexible molds. These include latex, urethane rubber, and silicone rubber. Which material you use can be determined by the project you are working on, your experience with mold making, and your budget. Latex - This material is inexpensive, and it is easy to use because you don't have to mix anything. You just paint it on, and then wait for the ammonia to evaporate out of the latex. As it evaporates, the latex acidity changes, and it cures. To make a latex mold, you simply paint on layers of latex until it reaches the desired thickness. Latex also has the advantage of being able to stretch and roll up. This allows you to make a mold with no seam lines. You simply fill the latex mold with the casting material, let it set, and then peel the latex off like a rubber glove. The downsides to latex are the ammonia smell that will permeate your work area, the time-intensive need to paint on many layers and let them dry, and the fact that the latex will shrink, often up to 10%. I also have noticed that my old latex molds have begun to shrink even more, and they have grown stiff and brittle. Polyurethane Rubber- I have not used this material. It is primarily used for industrial projects rather than small-scale hobby work, and I have chosen not to use it mainly because it takes a lot of extra work to prepare models for molding. Polyurethane rubber will permantly "glue" itself to your sculpture if you haven't fully coated it with the proper release... and it just isn't worth the risk to me! Silicone Rubber - In my opinion, silicone rubber is the ideal product for making molds of costume pieces. It is strong and flexible, so it can be used on rounded or undercut designs. Silicone is easy to mix, it has no bad odor, it will not stick to your sculpture as long as the surface has no pores, and it will capture every detail of your design. Some silicone products will shrink, but only by a very small percentage. The main problem with silicone molds is the cost. The rubber is quite expensive, with many projects costing from $20 to $50 for the mold materials. The finished product is well worth the cost, though. You will have a durable mold that will be able to make many castings, it will last for years, and it will not stick to the materials that you cast in it. Silicone is also able to be used with a wide variety of materials, such as fiberglass and casting resins, and high temperature castings that would damage other kinds of molds. There are a variety of silicone choices when it comes time to make your mold. I prefer to get my materials from Smooth-On. They have good customer service and good products. For ease of mixing, Smooth-On's OOMOO silicones are great. They don't have bubble problems, they're easy to pour, and you don't need a scale when you mix them. They don't last long, however. After about a year, you will see your molds begin to deteriorate. So if you want to have a long-lasting mold, it's better to get a higher quality silicone. For long-lasting molds, I prefer Smooth-On's Mold Max, Smooth Sil, or Dragon Skin silicones. Those will last for many, many years! They're a bit more difficult to work with, though. They are thicker, they tend to get a lot of air bubbles (and should be degassed in a vacuume chamber, but I don't have one), and some of them have to be measured on a gram scale in order to get the amounts of each component exactly right. Pam

. Please use this thread to share resources for good suppliers of paint and painting equipment. HobbyLinc (Airbrush Supplies) - http://www.hobbylinc.com/ MicroMark (Paint/Weathering) - http://micromark.com/ .

. Please use this thread to share resources for fiberglass suppliers. Basic fiberglass supplies are available at most hardware, automotive or marine stores, as well as many department stores that have an automotive section. Fiberglass Warehouse - https://www.fiberglasswarehouse.com/index.asp .

. Please use this thread to share resources for casting resin suppliers. Smooth-On - http://www.smooth-on.com/default.htm Alumilite - http://alumilite.com/index.php?page=home Monster Makers - http://www.monstermakers.com Brick in the Yard - http://www.brickintheyard.com/index.html .