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Monday, June 11, 2012

Hooved Shoes - Finally for sale!



Bout time!
Basically all I can say for now, they're finally for sale!
If you're interested, check out my etsy
 If you'd like to see a video of these hooves, check my youtube

Anyway some details on these new hooves:

- They're made from a very durable epoxy that is not only wear-proof, waterproof, and shatterproof, but it makes that great clacking noise my first ones made
- These new hooves are much more lightweight and easier to walk in
- They're sculpted better to support your foot and prevent rolling backwards and falling in them
- They're molded, so every hoof you get will look exactly as the ones pictured
-  I will be releasing several styles and new hoof designs fairly soon
- You can submit a pair of heels that I can use in the shoes to discount your price and to ensure that they will fit you just as you'd like them to
- I will soon have several material options available
- Custom painting is free of charge
-  Each hoof is sculpted DIRECTLY onto the heel for the best available attachment and a permanent bond rather than gluing them on afterwards

Old pair vs New pair

Just a quick overview of what's improved in terms of old vs new.

Old Hooves
Pros:
- Realistic look, very slender
- Arc support
- Large hoof - asthetic purposes
- Clacking noise that immitates real hooves
- Waterproof
- Shatterproof
- Durable

Cons:
- Very heavy hooves, walking is strained after a few hours
- Must be very cautious with use due to weight
- Cannot walk offroad very well, paved areas needed
- Bottoms of shoes wear and crack after extended use
- Cannot run in shoes
- Large hoof, makes balance a bit more difficult, inhibits movement
- *Rollback problems

New Hooves
Pros:
- Realistic look, very slender
- Arc support
- Smaller hoof, easier balance
- Lots of *rollback prevention
- Very lightweight
- Extremely durable
- Shatterproof
- Waterproof
- Highly wear resistant
- Clacking noise immitates real hooves
- Hooves molded directly onto shoe for a more stable bond

Cons:
- Must use caution when in tiled areas, minimal friction
- Must use caution when walking on uneven surfaces





*Rollback - since there is nothing supporting the back of the shoe since there are no heels, shoes with their heels removed will always have a problem with rolling backwards, basically due to the fact that there is a lot of area of your feet that is being suspended in the air over the back.
This is why many people install wood sticks or metal poles to protrude behind the shoes to make walking easier and prevent the rollback.

Friday, June 1, 2012

FAQ About Realistic Full-Silicone Mermaid Tails - Pre-Tutorial



http://a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/130/bd7b0c82a18d43ff90450956b3640951/l.jpg
Photo (c) Mike Van Daal



Hey guys, I'm planning on releasing a Full-Silicone Mermaid tutorial fairly soon, but I just wanted to answer some questions about materials and silicone that people seem to have and don't get answered very often. I know it's not a tutorial, but it's some very useful information that may come in handy to those of you who are trying to make a mermaid tail but don't know where to start.



FAQ Materials:


What type of silicone to use?

-There are lots on the market but I think Smooth-on's DragonSkin is probably the best to go with simply because I've seen the most information about it and Smooth-on has many distributors around as well as staff members who are great at answering questions. Whichever you decide to choose, you MUST USE PLATINUM CURE SILICONE!


What is platinum cure silicone and why do I care?

- Platinum cure silicone is silicone that is SKIN SAFE. It's vital that you make sure you get ahold of platinum cure silicone or else you may develop skin complications from over-exposure to an unsafe material. The other option, tin-cure silicone is unsafe for prolonged skin contact.

Dragonskin has lots of numbers and types? Which to use?

-Dragonskin comes in many grades with many numbers. The numbers: for example: Dragonskin10, Dragonskin20, etc. All tell you how hard the silicone is.
^This is a scale used to read the hardness, Dragonskin is in shoreA.
Dragonskin10 doesn't seem hard enough, but it is. You have to remember the Dragonskin will be against your skin and you'll be stretching it a lot. The harder the Dragonskin gets, the less stretchy it becomes, so Dragonskin10 is probably the best choice.
^This is a chart that compares all the qualitites of Dragonskin silicones
Dragonskin10 is a great choice because it comes in 3 working times: Slow, Medium, and Fast. This allows you to choose howmuch working time you will have with the silicone before it cures. Medium is generally the best, since it allows you ample time to work with it, even if you're a beginner.
Dragonskin10 also gets the best of both worlds. It's soft, which is great, but it is also very durable. Dragonskin10 has the best properties in terms of stretch, durability, and softness, so it is highly recommended.
***Dragonskin FX Pro is another type of Dragonskin that can be used for mermaid tails. However, it is a bit more difficult to use since it has a much shorter working time. I managed to speak to a Smooth-on tech about FX Pro and he said that FXPro has amazing flexibility so it follows the skin a lot better, but it is less durable than Dragonskin 10. So really, depending on what you plan on using your tail for will highly contribute to which type may be best for you.
A special thanks shout out to Merman Jesse who told me to also consider FXPro

That chart you posted is a little weird. What does everything mean?

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Well let's take a look at it again
-I may seem like a total Smooth-on nerd but that's because I love the fact that they post these charts for every product they have. It really helps you compare product A to product B in what you're trying to use it for. Anyway:
A:B Mix Ratio is the ratio you need to mix parts A and B. Everything Smooth-on sells usually comes with 2 parts that have to be mixed together in order to begin the curing process. So a 1:1 or 1-to-1 ratio basically tells you that parts A and B are mixed evenly. Something like 1:2 would mean partA requires only 1 while partB requires 2. So for example, if I measure out 30cups for partA I would need 60cups for partB to achieve the proper ratio. Simple math, really. You don't have to worry about that since Dragonskin is always 1:1. BY VOLUME means that you measure it out by volume rather
than weight. So you'd use measurements like cups, tablespoons, etc. rather than ounces, pounds, or grams.
Demold Time is the time the mixture takes to FULL CURE. This means that after both parts are mixed and distrubuted into your mold, the demold time is the time it will take before you can remove the product from the mold. You can think of it as a "fully cure" time.
Elongation at Break is the amount of stretch the material can withstand before breaking apart. Usually, the harder a material is, the less it can stretch. So in this example, Dragonskin 10 can stretch to 1000%(10 times) it's original length before breaking.
Mixed Viscosity is essentially how thick the product becomes once parts A and B are combined. I don't really know how to read this off the chart, but the higher the number is, the thicker your mixture is. I THINK numbers below 4000cps must be poured into molds. Just a guess
Pot Life is the amount of working time you have with a product once both parts are combined together. This time is very important because it demonstrates the amount of time you will have to work. Usually for Dragonskin (which needs molds to work, anyway) it's not such a big deal, but giving yourself a long working time is always good just incase something goes wrong. Pot life can be translated into the amount of time you have to work with your material before it becomes too cured to maneuver anymore.
A special thanks shoutout to Mermaid Lorelei who suggested that freezing the mixed silicone is a way to extend the pot life. So just incase you mix more than you're going to use, you can potentially use it later by tossing it in the freezer.
Shore Hardness is the hardness of the material once cured. This is sometimes hard to grasp since the measurements on the scale are things like gummy bears and shopping cart wheels. For a mermaid tail, you generally won't need anything over 10. Silicone rubber is usually measured in shoreA. 
Tear Strength is the amount of abuse a material can take before beginning to tear. The lower the number, the less abuse. It's a bit confusing when you compare it to elongation at break, but think of it this way: the amount of stretch you can get out of your jeans before they tear is different than the amount of wear they can take before a hole tears in them.
Weight is a weird measure, I don't really understand it, but I'll take a guess. The measure is in CU.IN/LB = cubic inches per pound, so my guess is that the measure given is the WEIGHT the material can support. So for Dragonskin10, it's 25.8 lbs per square inch. I have no idea.. Lol

How much to use?

- Generally you'd want to use at least 2 gallons of Dragonskin. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING when you buy the 1 gallon measure of Dragonskinyou're actually getting 2 gallons (1 gallon each, part A and B) so by 2 gallons I really mean 2 "gallon orders" in according to Smooth-on, which is actually 4 gallons. Your fluke is going to eat up a lot of silicone, so you have to consider that. Probably a good idea is to save an entire gallon for your fluke so you don't end up having a half-finished fluke after casting your scales.

How do I paint silicone?

- Smooth-on sells a silicone paint base called Psycho Paint which is an absolute ripoff in my opinion, but if you have a lot of money and are very meticulous about making everything perfect you should consider it. Painting silicone is literally impossible with regular paint since not much can stick to cured silicone, so your best option is to mix pigment or paint into part B dragonskin, then mix parts A and B together, water it down a bit to reduce the viscosity, then run it through an airbrush or paint it directly on with a paintbrush. Powdered pigments are generally better to mix into silicone. You can mix acrylic paint, glass paint, floral paint, etc. but the thicker the paint, the more likely it is to interfere with the silicone properties.


How do I work with silicone?

-Dragonskin silicone is very runny, so you can't exactly sculpt or maneuver it very well. Molds will need to be made in order to shape it. When it comes to making a mold for Dragonskin, you can use ANYTHING, even Dragonskin.

How much does Dragonskin cost?

- All Dragonskin silicone costs the same: $183.72 per "gallon" (actually 2 gallons).

What are the advantages to making my own tail?

-Making your own tail may seem daunting at first, but a lot of the work is mainly mold making, so errors can be spotted far ahead of time before you even touch any Dragonskin. Making your own tail not only saves you money, but it allows you to be artistic, to design and make a tail that is fit just for you. It is a LOT of work, I don't want it to sound like it's easy, because it is very hard and time consuming. However, the reward of being able to tell someone you make a tail yourself is great, not
to mention you cut out potential risks of tailmakers messing up your measurements, etc.

How much would I save by making a tail myself vs purchasing one from someone?

- The main concern with pricing a silicone tail is the fact that there is a lot of time put into making it. So if you have absolutely no free time, you may have no choice in purchasing a tail, however, if you start early and tackle the process one day at a time, you can work to your ability. Charging yourself for your time is essential and is also what others base their price off of, so it's very important to consider.
Here is a cost estimate of the tail-making process when using the following materials:
$367.44 - 2 gallon units of DragonSkin (actual tail material)
$138.18 - 20 lbs Alja-Safe Alginate (leg mold)
$35.00 - Fiberglass resin (casting legs)
$64.41 - gallon unit of ShellShock (plastic mold making material)
$46.31 - pint unit of Psycho Paint (silicone paint base)
$47.50 - 2 units of 5lb Monster Clay (sculpting)
$10.79 - paper cutter punch (shaping scales)
$30.00 - estimate cost (wood used in mold box)
$100.00 - random decoration/tool budget
$100.00 - shipping estimate                                                                         
$939.63 = PROJECT TOTAL

As you can see, even with all the extra costs added in that may not even apply or be needed, the cost to make this tail is still less than $1,000 whereas many tailmakers charge $2,000 or more. Not to mention, these materials are used for the very first time when making a tail. Once you have your leg mold, scale mold, and fluke mold finished, you will never need to purchase those materials again and it will cost you only the price of the Dragonskin and decoration costs to make another tail, dropping
the price down to around only $500.

Where can I get Dragonskin?

- You can obtain Dragonskin straight through Smooth-on, but generally it's a good idea to find out if there's a distributor near your area so maybe you can drop by and get some in person to avoid those annoying shipping fees. Smooth-on has a list of their distributors on their website: http://www.smooth-on.com/ and they generally don't charge any more or less than Smooth-on themselves so it's usually better to find a distributor closer to you for shorter shipping time and cheaper shipping in general.

What's a good mold material?

- Mermaid tails are comprised of many different parts. Making molds for them is difficult because you sometimes need several different materials. Regular molds usually include a silicone layer to capture detail with a hard "shell" backing to support the silicone and keep it from flopping around. When making a large scale sheet, you probably aren't going to want to make a shell backing that large, since it'll be difficult to move around and match up to your silicone layer. Liquid plastic is great because it can be poured over your scales and capture detail while also drying stiff and rigid so it cancels the need for a backing. Special thanks shoutout to Mermaid Lorelei and Dr.Seaweed who used liquid plastic for scale molds

What do I make scales and flukes out of?

- When making molds, it's generally a good idea to use oil-based clay as your original sculpture since it's sulfur-free. I don't really know what the big deal with sulfur is but I think it interferes with the curing of certain silicones so it's best to avoid it altogether. Super sculpey is sulfur free. Monster Makers clay is a great clay to use because it's very rigid so sculpting complex pieces will be supported well and it hardens very fast so making the mold will not damage your final piece.
Craft foam seems to be very popular when it comes to making scales since it's very cheap to purchase and easy to shape. Simple circular cuts of craft foam can be arranged into a scale sheet to save time. Pumpkin seeds have also been used before but they're a bit difficult to arrance since they require a layer of clay to stay fit into place.
Special thanks to Mermaid Star and Dr.Seaweed for scale shapes and materials

Friday, April 27, 2012

How to make one-part Molds


Are you looking to replicate something simple? Is it because you want to make it out of a different material or maybe just because you plan on making more than one? For whatever reason you may need, sometimes molds are just the easier route to go! Depending on the complexity of your object, you may be able to make a one-part mold.



Materials
- Silicone or Latex
- Clay (sulfur free recommended)
- Multiple disposeable paintbrushes
- Disposable cups or plastic measuring cups
- Fiberglass resin
- Fiberglass cloth OR
- Plaster bandages
- WD 40 or Mold Release
- Petroleum Jelly
- Scale that can read grams
- Air duster
- Scissors
- GLOVES!

 Total Cost Estimate: $140
(based off what I had to buy)
Currently Selling For:

Project Duration Estimate: 2-3 days


Many of these materials can be purchased at nearby arts and crafts stores, even Walmart. The actual molding pieces such as the silicones and latexes will probably need to be purchased online.

Overview:

A lengthy tutorial that will teach you how to make a one-part silicone mold. These molds are often used for simple pieces that have at least one significant FLAT surface that you can use to press against a table with small or insignificant undercuts.

WARNINGS:RESIN of ANY type is extremely dangerous when handled without following proper guidelines. Resin is not only unsafe to touch, but it has a very strong smell and it's vapors will cause very serious damage if inhaled. You MUST work in a well ventilated area AND wear a breathing respirator to filter the harmful airborne chemicals it releases. ALWAYS wear gloves when handling it. If it gets onto your clothing you MUST remove and dispose of the contaminated clothing piece. Do not attempt to use resin if you are under 18 years old. Please ask a parent for help.
LIQUID LATEX may or may not be a harmful substance because latex varies from person to person. Some people are allergic to it and cannot touch, handle, or even smell it, while others can come into contact with it and they will not develop rashes. You should always wear gloves when handling wet liquid latex, wear a respirator, and work in a well ventilated area. Since allergies can arise spontaneously, it's important that you take the extra step to prevent any unneccessary contact.

SILICONE can often be dangerous if handled without gloves. Many mold silicones are unsafe for prolonged skin contact and should not be handled for long periods of time or be allowed to dry on the skin. Some types of silicone also often release very strong smells. While some of the fumes are not dangerous, they are very unpleasant. Please wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area.
AIR DUSTER is a very dangerous cocktail of chemicals and is NOT to ever be ingested or inhaled. When using a can of air duster, aim away from your or anyone else's face. It also often releases freezing air which is very painful.
ALWAYS read the warning labels on products you are unfamiliar with.


Always make sure you read through the entire process before beginning to avoid mistakes and get a general idea of how the project will progress.
Now let's make get started:


Step 1: Preparing your Subject
The very first step in this tutorial is going to be finding and preparing the piece you're going to be molding. If you're piece is already made and ready to go, then skip this paragraph. If not, then I can only assume you're sculpting or making the piece yourself. Generally, when making an object you want to mold, it's popular and useful to make it out of air-dry modeling clay (water based). You can go with oil based, but water based is just easier to clean. Anyway, when you sculpt your piece, make sure one of the surfaces is completely flat and will not be difficult to remove the silicone from. I used a couple sheets of wax paper to keep the silicone from making contact with my table. Generally, you can use a piece of wood or a plastic table, just make sure you don't care much for it. To make the piece flat, simply work on a table and press the bottom surface flat against it. If you're doing an intricate pattern such as I did, you're probably going to want to make the indents very deep so that the silicone that gets into any of the crevices is strong and thick enough that it won't break off. Once it's done, let it dry off completely. If you need to take breaks from working, simply put a bit of water over the top of the piece and wrap some foil over the top so it won't dry out.
Now that your piece is done (or you already had one) you need to make sure the bottom piece that is flat against the table doesn't allow air underneath. If you sculpted it against the table as mentioned, then it shouldn't be too big of a deal and you can probably skip this step.
However, you will need to spray MOLD RELEASE onto your piece regardless of what it's made of! Home Depot usually sells a universal mold release. If not, Michaels, AC Moore, and other craft stores often sell mold releases, but they're often way overpriced.

Step 2: Coating in Silicone
Now that you have the piece ready to go, we're going to coat it in silicone. For this tutorial, I used Mold Max 30 (it can be found here) as well as Thi-Vex, a thickening agent (found here). You can use other things, I simply used Mold Max because it was recommended to me. Even if you don't use Mold Max, most molding silicones are very similar, so you should be able to still follow the tutorial. Anyway, the first thing you want to do is measure out your contents accurately. For most silicones, you have a part A and a part B that you need to mix together to a certain ratio. Mold Max is a 10:1 ratio respectively A to B. This means 10 parts A for every 1 part B. For a more detailed explanation, view the video here. Anyhow, once you've got the silicone mixed, you're going to need to put on a thin first layer of silicone. Simply pour your silicone onto the center of your piece and use a disposable paintbrush to lightly work the silicone evenly all over your piece. This layer is very important because it will capture all the detail of your piece. Don't use TOO much silicone, it'll just run off the piece and onto the surface of your table, just use a light layer. Once your entire subject is coated with a decent layer of silicone, take out your air duster. You'll need to lightly spray the surface of your piece to reveal and get rid of any trapped air bubbles that may have formed. You DEFINITELY don't want bubbles in the piece or you''ll get unwanted bumps and lumps in your final cast. The bubbles are a bit difficult to spot, but don't be scared of the weird shapes that form when you spray the air at the silicone. Here is a nice video showing the process.
Once the first layer of silicone is on, allow it to semi-dry for an hour or so before you add your second layer. Adding the second layer is the same as the first, you SHOULD use the air duster to reveal and get rid of any air  bubbles. Depending on how runny your silicone is, you may or may not have to do this the other later layers. If your silicone is very runny, almost watery, you may want to do it again. If an air bubble gets trapped right under the surface of the mold, there is a chance it may tear open when you de-mold anything from it and you certainly don't want that. Anyway, once you've added about 3-4 thin layers, it's time to take out your Thi-Vex or other thickening agent and add it into your next batch of silicone. The thickening agent is great because it will add strength and multiple layers to your mold. It's a quick way of bulking it up and you want it to be relatively thick or it will be more prone to tearing. Not only this, but thickeners are often vital depending on your piece. If your subject has lots of undercuts, you need to fill them with silicone and slope them so that your shell won't snag onto them and tear them off when demolding. If you're confused as to what I just said, just make sure you're finished silicone piece looks somewhat like a dome. You want all the edges to be smooth and you want the bottom to be wider than the top. In the next step, we will make a shell and if the shell can get under anything in your piece, it's no good. Use the silicone thickener to get a cake icing thickness of silicone that will stay put so you can fill any spaces with it. Silicone thickener generally doesn't have a ratio to be mixed, you simply add more the thicker you want the silicone. For my mold, I put 3 thin layers and 2 thick layers.
Once you're done, let the mold rest and cure overnight (roughly 16 hours).

*OPTIONAL*
Using Silicone Caulk
If you're going to be using silicone caulk, things will be a bit different. It's supposedly bad for you when it comes to frequent skin contact. What this tutorial calls for requires handling the caulk directly and I've been told that it's not harmful so long as there is no prolonged contact. If you don't want to handle the silicone, simply wear some gloves or use a tool rather than your hands. If you do handle the silicone, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after use for about 5 minutes to completely dissolve any remaining silicone. Besides that, work in a well ventilated area, this stuff reeks.
Anyhow, the very first layer should be thin and carefully done since it's the one that will be capturing all the detail. Once you've got it done, you can add more on top. To apply the silicone caulk, you're going to need a caulk gun and a cup of soapy water. Caulk guns can be bought in the same area as caulk tubes, so just grab one when you get your tubes. To make your soapy water, put a super load of soap into a cup and jet in some warm sink water. The soapy water is used to keep the silicone from sticking to your hands and it works quite well. Add a nice glob of caulk on one side of your piece and use your fingers to press it across the entire length of the piece. If you need to add more caulk, add it over the caulk you already have set. This prevents air bubbles from getting trapped. Push the caulk into all the crevices, adding any more that you may need to fill them. Caulk dries rather quick, only about an hour or so, but you don't really need to wait for it to dry inbetween layers. Once you've got one layer of caulk across your piece, let it sit until it gets a little gummy, then just add some more on top. You shouldn't let the caulk dry completely, as silicone sometimes won't stick to itself once cured.

*OPTIONAL*
Using Latex
If you're using latex, you generally will do the same as the above materials, however, you will probably be working in much thinner layers. Mold making latex is essentially liquid latex. Whereas most silicones are runny but have a more paste-like consistency, latex is VERY runny. Do the same as you would with regular silicone, adding a small layer first to capture detail, then work yourself up with multiple layers. The advantage to latex is that it dries VERY quickly, so time inbetween layers shouldn't be that bad. Since latex is so runny, your first layer will probably be VERY thin. Simply add 3 or 4 layers in this thin latex just to ensure you can SEE that there are no bubbles. Once you've done the first few, you can use latex thickener to thicken the latex and pour it on top, saving time.


Step 3: Making the Shell
Now to make the support shell that will go around your mold. This is important to have because it keeps the silicone from flopping around or sagging when you're making a cast. You don't want a warped piece do you? Anyway, you can make the shell multiple ways. Most people will go with plaster bandages because it's cheap and simple, but they tend to release lots of debris overtime and are a bit weak. You can also use plaster of paris or other plasters, but they are often very bulky and hard to store. I used fiberglass sheets and fiberglass resin to make a lightweight, thin, yet durable shell. The downside, however, is that fiberglass is gross and smelly. Fiberglass cloth is ok to touch, but when cut, it makes a mess, and resin smells horrible and is bad for you, so working outdoors in a well-ventilated area is always a good idea. You WILL NEED GLOVES. I don't care how awesome you think you are, you WILL get resin on your hands and it will be unpleasant. Anyhow, the first step no matter what you use, is to take a knife and trim the excess silicone around the mold. Keep about an inch or so around the actual piece. Next, coat the silicone in petroleum jelly. The jelly can be found in any drugstore or a regular store like Walmart or Target. Simply grab a brush or use your hands to spread a very thin coat over the top. If you want to, you can also add a layer of WD40 just for good measure. Let it dry for a few minutes. If you're going to use plaster bandages, simply grab a bucket of water, cut them up, dip them in the water and apply them to the surface or your piece. If you're using plaster of paris, add some water to the powder, mix it up, and coat a large amount onto the surface. 
If you're going to be using the fiberglass, cut all the cloth into strips first. Once you get the resin onto your hands, you won't be able to stop and cut any more strips so you may as well just cut it all beforehand. Not only that, but resin has a very short working time so you won't have any time. It's easier to just grab the strips of fiberglass and throw them onto your mold and never touch them again. They're going to come apart and annoy you soon anyway. So once you've got them all cut up, mix your resin with the catalyst and grab another paintbrush. Lay a strip of fiberglass onto the cloth and dap it with a nice amount of resin to stick it onto the mold. Since you added the petroleum jelly, it will be a little difficult, but just dab the paintbrush downward directly onto the cloth rather than stroking it sideways to keep it from moving very much. Simple as that, just keep adding the cloth until you have about 2 layers of it, then let it dry completely before removing it.

Step 4: Demolding
Finally, the most exciting part! Now it's time to detatch your mold from the table, take off your shell and remove the inside to look at your mold! First things first, remove your shell, this should be relatively easy since we added the jelly to lubricate the surface. Now, gently peel the silicone off the surface. Depending on what sort of piece you have, this may also peel the silicone off the original piece. If not, just get ready to flip it over and fight it off. Now you're probably regretting the fact you put all the jelly on the surface, at least I did. The silicone was really gross to touch because it was so slimy, so maybe put some gloves on for this part. If you're like me and you used a clay sculpt, you will probably end up flipping the mold over and tearing it out. Don't be too forceful, but if you need to, you can stretch the silicone to help remove any complex pieces. Once the majority of the clay is out, you will probably see a destroyed original. Unfortunately, this is inevitable unless you completely massacred the original piece with all sorts of lubricants. Either way, there will probably be some residue inside the mold as well. This is a great advantage to using water based clay, all you have to do is dunk your silicone piece into some warm water for a few minutes to dissolve the clay and rub any remaining chunks off with your finger. If you're like me and you used oil based clay, you can also put it in warm water, but this will only loosen the clay. You will probably need to scrub it off using a soft scrub or a toothbrush as rubbing it with your finger will only spread it around in a thin layer. Once you remove all the clay, you may notice some rough edges or extra silicone in your mold in very thin feathery layers. These are little layers of silicone that manage to get under raised surfaces. Simply grab some scissors and gently trim any excess or unwanted silicone to clean up your mold.

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!
A lovely one part mold that you can use to make many copies of that lovely sculpture you had to sacrifice!


For more information on purchasing jewelery and other props in my tutorials, requesting a custom item, or an idea for a new tutorial, feel free to email me at Kanti-Kane@hotmail.com (: 


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Not dead, just having issues.

Hey guys just a quick shout out to show I'm still working on tutorials, I've just hit a bit of a snag with my work so I've got about 4 almost finished tutorials with a couple that are still in need of severe editing due to a sudden change of methods. On top of that, I've lost my camera, yay. Anyway, here's a list of the things that should be coming out soon:

Almost ready to post
- Full-body dragon suit with built in wings
- Hooved shoes (needs a lot of editing)
- Deadmau5 helmet
- Making and painting sculpey horns
- Basic one-part molds
- Complex molds


Currently in the works
- Realistic mermaid tails
- Basic spandex mermaid tails
- Simple resin masks
- Complex resin masks



Thanks for all of your patience, support and for taking the time to read!