I have tried out vrogy's idea of tring to cast multiple parts using a different casting medium and it seems this will definetly be possible. One thing that I am sure of, is that this is not a universal underarmor solution, but it will work great for some areas. Anway, here's what I did this time
First I started with the same 3/8" X 3/8" graph paper, but I folded it into this shape:
[attachment=4120:untitled.JPG]
After completing the paper mold, I brushed on a coat of Super Glue with a small artists brush to make the paper rigid. It only took about 1 and 1/2 tubes to completly saturate the mold. THIS STEP SHOULD BE DONE OUTSIDE, WITH A RESPIRATOR, AND SAFETY GOGGLES/GLOVES ECT. That much Super Glue spread out over a large area will give off alot of very nasty fumes, so don't take a chance, use the right safety eqiupment. Also I buy my superglue at the dollar store, usually three tubes for a buck. Here's a pic of the finished mold:
[attachment=4116:mold_2a.jpg]
BTW: the superglue will turn your paintbrush into a stick after about five minutes, so use a cheap one.
After about 10 minutes the mold should be very hard and you can apply a release agent and fill it with your casting medium. For my test I used Vaseline as a release and a tube of self leveling polyurethane sealant. I know Vaseline and caulking aren't the best thing for this but it's what I had on hand. When I cast the parts for my armor, I'll get the proper stuff.
The polyurethane took almost a week to dry, but here's some shots of the finished part.
[attachment=4117:casting_a.jpg]
[attachment=4118:casting_b.jpg]
You can see in the pic below what happens when you use too much of the wrong stuff as a release agent.
[attachment=4119:casting_...l_b_edit.JPG]
Also the picture of the mold above was taken after the poly was removed. It's now ready to make another part.
Anyway, my underarmor is a long way off, so I probably won't do much with this thread until I get to that phase of my project, but if somebody has questions or pics, please post them.
First I started with the same 3/8" X 3/8" graph paper, but I folded it into this shape:
[attachment=4120:untitled.JPG]
After completing the paper mold, I brushed on a coat of Super Glue with a small artists brush to make the paper rigid. It only took about 1 and 1/2 tubes to completly saturate the mold. THIS STEP SHOULD BE DONE OUTSIDE, WITH A RESPIRATOR, AND SAFETY GOGGLES/GLOVES ECT. That much Super Glue spread out over a large area will give off alot of very nasty fumes, so don't take a chance, use the right safety eqiupment. Also I buy my superglue at the dollar store, usually three tubes for a buck. Here's a pic of the finished mold:
[attachment=4116:mold_2a.jpg]
BTW: the superglue will turn your paintbrush into a stick after about five minutes, so use a cheap one.
After about 10 minutes the mold should be very hard and you can apply a release agent and fill it with your casting medium. For my test I used Vaseline as a release and a tube of self leveling polyurethane sealant. I know Vaseline and caulking aren't the best thing for this but it's what I had on hand. When I cast the parts for my armor, I'll get the proper stuff.
The polyurethane took almost a week to dry, but here's some shots of the finished part.
[attachment=4117:casting_a.jpg]
[attachment=4118:casting_b.jpg]
You can see in the pic below what happens when you use too much of the wrong stuff as a release agent.
[attachment=4119:casting_...l_b_edit.JPG]
Also the picture of the mold above was taken after the poly was removed. It's now ready to make another part.
Anyway, my underarmor is a long way off, so I probably won't do much with this thread until I get to that phase of my project, but if somebody has questions or pics, please post them.