The fist of the Master Chief ( need help please )

[Sean Bradley]

I've never seen burlap used in rubber molds before...heard about it, but just for large architectural molds. How many coats are you doing? I can usually get my molds done in 2-3 coats.

Interesting! Keep up the good work!

 

[link4044]

it gives it alittle strength the burlap does

 

[Eternal]

I am using a rubber called Reoflex 40 wet from smooth-on. it is thin so i got two good thin coats to make sure everything was covered with rubber and all the fine detail is picked up. then we add the thickener and that is about one or one and a half caots of the thick. we will do on more coat of the thickened stuff before we are done with the rubber.

The burlap is used to help streanthen the mold because we will be cutting it and peeling it back it will help keep it from tearingin those joint like areas.

 

[Sean Bradley]

Sorry I didn't mean to give the impression that I didn't know what it was for... just why it was done. Unless your rubber has a very low Shore Hardness (strength) it would be unnecessary. I understand that you're learning this and probably going on the recommendation of your teacher, but I've never seen that approach on a piece of that small a size. So thats why I asked.

I have been making molds for about thee past 16 years and have taught moldmaking at the college level, so consider it professional curiousity. There are so many schools of moldmaking so I like to be inquisitive when I see something new.

BTW it looks like you put your parting line in with those cards after you did your first coat. Whats the advantage of doing it that way rather than putting them in before coating anything with the rubber? Seems like it would be kinda messy.

 

[Eternal]

well i am just guessin but once we cut into the division line that first layer will help in keeping out any kind of visible seem on the cast parts, you are right and i am just following my teachers advise. she work for ethan allen doing mold making.

 

[Eternal]

OK so today i demolded and it was pretty bad.
in fact the whole day was pretty bad.

first the problem was that we ran out of rubber on thursday so the fist was done, but the base didn't get completely covered with the thick rubber and it cured over the weekend. so we couldn't realy apply more.

we had to just try and make a mother mold which went ok. but the demold of the base went bad.

I was able to cast a posotive of the fist out of plaster but not the base yet. i am going to attempt to cast the base but it isn't loking like it is going to work. so i will not be able to make multiple castings from these molds and the originals where destrayed in the demold because they where not rigid.

I might be able to make multiples of just the fist which might be like a cool trophy but other than that it wont be anything but a cool paper weight.

So basicaly i got an ok cast of the fist that will be workable and i will have to make it look more battle worn than i had intended but it will be ok.

Lets all cross our fingers and hope for the bast from here on out because thats about all i can do and put my best effort into making it work.

I didn't get any pics today because i was so stressed out that i forgot to take some.

 

[link4044]

well if its not that bad try using a different type of mould like mould max 30 but you'll have to build a box around it, but the box is ez anyways....not give up bro

 

[Chewdog316]

Dude you seem really creative im sure it will all work out and you will get it working good.

 

[Eternal]

Ya i'm sure i will be able to make something out of it all and that no doubt it will be cool but it will also no doubt be a far cry from the entirety of the whole special edition cd holder.

I am sure that i will still come out of this with a cool project. but i am still a little bummed because of all the extra hard work i put in, that is not going to work out to what i had hoped it would be.

I am happy though that the molds didn't get messed up the other way around and the fist have gone bad. even though i would have something cool to stack my CD's on i would not have completed the requirements of the project that we are working on.

 

[master commander]

so how is it going with ur project

 

[Eternal]

Well the fist is looking good the base is now no longer part of the picture. Right now i am doing touch up finnishing work on the fist and drying it out so that i can seal and paint it whick i will probably do tonight.

 

[Sean Bradley]

Sorry to hear that the base is out of the picture. It's always a bummer when molds don't work out the way you wanted.

Maybe you can come back to it later? Make another one?

 

[Eternal]

Ya but realisticly i dont have the time to work on another one.

OK well here are some pics of the first cast in plaster.

I sealed it and put on the flat black that will be the glove parts. i still have not decided exactly whay green i am going to use for the armor. I have some automotive paint pearl green but i am not sure that it is the right color and i need to borrow an air brush to put that on, because i don't have my own yet. The flat black is still drying in these pics so there are some minor shiny spots.

 

[SPARTAN 053]

Very nice, cant wait to see the final product. :dee:

 

[link4044]

its looking good...try to find a military green kinda a flat green

 

[Redsleighdown]

the coat looks great. nice job

 

[Chewdog316]

I like it alot man. Really it looks great.

 

[Eternal]

Thanks guys,

Link i like that idea but for this one i am gonna go witha shiny peraly green for maximun contrast to the flat black, as for part it all sits on at the bottom i think i am going to do a fux finish like stone or something ( what do you guys think of this idea?). I might make some other's because the mold worked well, and paint them differently.


I was wondering would any one still be interested in buying one, i was bummed that i wasn't going to be able to make multiple Special CD holders but i can still make the fist if Paint it to whatever colors you like.

 

[master commander]

i like it man so if u wanted to u goingto make alot and sell them?

 

[Eternal]

Ya i get the plaster cheap so i can cast a handful of them. I am not sure people will want to buy any so i will wait untill some people express any interest before making a bunch.