Comic Genesis Forums

So yeah, we're a bunch of artsy folks. Anyone here taken their art into meatspace and tried sculpting and casting? I've had a bit of success with sculpting, and I want to try reproducing those results with resin now. Anyone tried it? Pointers?

Could AntiBunny action figures be too far away?

MWAHAHAHHAHAHAWW! AT LAST MY FRIVOLOUS KNOWLEDGE COMES IN HANDY!

Heh. Anyway, I've written a number of articles on this subject for work. Lets see...resin. What kind of resin? The kind that comes in a kit of two bottles that you mix together? If so, then you can use a number of different materials for making a mold. Here's some recommendations:

Silicone putty: Alumilite makes a 2 part putty that, when mixed together, begins to cure into a flexible silicone. It's safe to use with bare hands, which is rare with molding and casting materials. This is the absolute easiest way to make a mold. Just make the putty and press it over your object with your fingers. Downside is that it can be pricey for what you get $20 for 2/3 lb? It's also fast to cure, taking between 10-20 minutes. You can find it at hobby lobby for sure, and maybe other craft stores. not very good for making a 2 piece mold if your object is fully 3 dimensional, though.

Mold making liquid silicone: Probably the best for making a mold, although not the easiest. Craft stores don't usually carry it, so you may have to look online. Holds excellent detail and is flexible when it cures, so you don't need to worry too much about your figurine getting stuck in it. It also peels away from resin beautifully. If your sculpture is fully 3 dimensional, you'll need to make a 2 part mold. But once you have the process down it should be pretty easy. Like plastic casting resin, it usually comes in two bottles of liquid that you mix together. Just put your object at the bottom of a plastic bucket and pour the mixture over it. Let it cure for a few hours to a full day (depending on the silicone) and it will harden into a flexible silicone rubber. If you need to make a 2 part mold, embed your sculpture halfway in plasticine before putting it in the bucket. that'll make the first half of the mold. Just remove the plasticine and flip the mold over to expose the new side of your object. Spray it with mold release and pour a second mixture of silicone over the newly exposed face. mold release keeps the two halves from sticking together. I recommend getting some from the same company as makes your silicone. Also, be careful when handling uncured liquid silicone as it is rather toxic. I recommend wearing gloves, a face mask, and keep it away from pets and kids.

Paint-on latex: Some craft stores sell a latex that you paint over the surface of your sculpture to make a 'sock mold'. A sock mold is a flexible 1 piece mold that fits over your object like a sock on a foot. Because of its flexibility, you can stretch it to remove it from your object and it will resume its proper shape. Good if your sculpture has a base that you don't need to coat, not so good if you need to copy every face of your object. Still, it's a pain in the ass in my experience. You have to paint on 5-10 coats of the stuff, letting it cure in between each one for a day or two. So the whole process can take one to two weeks. Not great, imo. Plus it stinks of ammonia. Again, wear gloves with this stuff.

I'd love to get little cast resin figures made of my characters! I actually came across a model maker at a furry con once, and I talked to him about the prospect. Pretty much cost-prohibitive unless I could mass-produce them, which at this point would be a hard sell. Good luck on your project.

Yeah, I make my own models. I can even sculpt miniatures, so it's not a big deal for me. Rather, it's a matter of finding the right combo of techniques and the right casting material.

Thanks for all the info. I'm currently experimenting with the putty method. I had to find out the hard way that it won't make a 2 part mold, but it should be reasonable to just make two molds and glue the results together.

My current method for making figures is to sculpt a prototype using sculpey (love this stuff. Work it like play dough for as long as you want and bake it when you're happy with it.). I previously had some luck with replicating parts using sculpey in plaster molds, but the plaster molds degrade quickly, and it's bothersome to get the sculpey back out of the mold and bake without it deforming in between. Thus my interest in resin casting.

The putty method seems to be the safest for hobby level casting, but it is slow. A good starter at least, but again it's cost prohibitive for mass production. My results so far are decent, I'm casting my prototype in pieces much like a model kit and putting them together after. This method should allow me to with practice build in things like joints for posing.

That said I am currently using the two chemical style of casting resin, and while it was cheap I do not like it. The curing time is far too long. 24 hours is far too long of a wait, and would, while being a more exact replica of the original prototype, actually take longer than the above plaster casting method. Is there any kind of resin that cures more quickly, or is making multiple copies of a mold the only way to get multiple units produced in a day?

Ah....so you're using the kind of resin where you add a small amount of catalyst, rather than a 1 to 1 mixture of two bottles? That stuff does tend to take longer. the 1 to 1 mixture usually takes between minutes to hours to set. it should say on the packaging. hobby stores often carry both kinds.

thought of another kind of casting material you might consider. Alginate. it's made from algae and its what dentists use to make molds of your teeth. It's extremely safe...people use it for life casting, making molds of hands and faces. It picks up great detail, and you can make a 2 part mold pretty easily, since the second batch of alginate will not stick to the first batch. It also won't stick to your original or casting material. The one downside is that the mold degrades after a few hours. but if you can do several castings before then, you're in business.

When making a 2 piece mold, have you included a spru? That's the small channel that allows you to pour your casting material into it. makes it easier. you can use a drinking straw straw as a basis for making one when you pour the alginate (or whatever material) over your prototype.

I make gingerbread men on regular basis, so yes, I have tried sculpting.