I need some guidance here

[Dr. Giggles]

Ok i was looking around the interweb, and i noticed some life casting things with "BodyDouble" silicone rubber. I was thinking if i could live cast my head, and build off this with gel-10 to make myself a mask? Would this work? If not could someone explain the process to me a little better? I have watched videos from Brickintheyard. But they don't really give detailed how toos. I would likke to make a very flexible Composite effects style mask. But i can't really describe what i wan't, and i think it would probably be slightly cheaper to do it myself than to get it custom made by them.
So if anyone could help clarify the process, and maybe offer up a little advice i would greatly appreciate it. Because i have no idea what I am doing. I would like to have a nice new mask made for myself by July 24th, we are opening for a Comic Con preview.
Thanks everyone!
-Dr. G.

[Spoils]

Dr. Giggles.....I have been editing vids on the build up masks that we made. I will post them here in a week. The vids are good but not great! We were more worried about not letting the Gel 10 cure than we were about getting in the way of the camera. We will be making more this summer and will have better video of it!

[Dr. Giggles]

Looking forward to them! But do you think my original idea would work for a flexible mask ? Or should i just use a bust and build gel 10 off of it? I was thinking about sculpting a mask model to mold and doing it the artisic way, but building up with Gel-10 seems like it would work best. What do you think?
I would need it to work like a prosthetic, but without me needing to buy a few neew prosthetics every season. So essentially silicone masks, if i casted a mold of a scupture of the mask i am going to do. Would that work? Then fill it in with silicone or something along those lines?
Sorry to pester with so many questions but i really am new to this and wan't to do it right. The products are expensive and the work isn't exactly rolling through the door for me right now.

[scarygoat]

Well, I believe if you want the inside of the mask to be shaped to an average sized head you would need to have a head form then lock the mold of your sculpt around it and inject the silicone into the mold. This would be if you wanted to do the sculpting and mold method, not the build up method. I think this method is much more difficult then the build up method.

[Dr. Giggles]

But would what i am thinking of work? Do i livecast my face in BodyDouble or alginate or something then build of THAT with gel-10, or do i just get a generic head and build of that with just straight gel-10? I appreciate the help.

[michaeldavy]

It's always cheaper to do it your self than to have someone do it who does this for a living BUT i can tell you about when I thought I could replumb my house............

My first advice would be to get a firm grasp aboout what you want. sketch it out as best you can. You will be surprised how this simple step helps chrystalise your thoughts. THEN you can determine the best way to procede. Certainly your choice of materials and their expense may be paramount but by sketching it out you may see areas of hiodden expense that may make it more practical for having a professional producte it through the "process"

Now on the other hand if you are doing this simply for the enjoyment of the craft then I would say "damn the torpedoes" and have fun with it. You will need help with the lifecast and the bald cap. the rest you should be able to work through. If you arent sure about the gel 10 build up try gelatin version first and then do a final money shot with the gel 10.

Also with the BD you can make a polyester resin bust to work from that will last through a matter /antimatter explosion.
Now get to work,

[Dr. Giggles]

Well i do have an idea already sketched out. But i am on a VERY limited budget and i would like to use it by July 24. So its not so much for enjoyment of the craft as for a business need. But i would enjoy getting into it as more as a hobby

[Allen H]

Doc here is the answer to your question. No that idea wont work, skip the body double and just use gel 10 for the whole thing, that will work. You will need a couple of friends on hand to help you out.
Doc If you Pm me I will give you my phone number and we can talk in person about it. I was going to do a class on this at MHC but there was not enough interest.
Allen H

[Dr. Giggles]

PM sent. I really liked what spoils did with his masks. Like seriously thought they were the shit. I was hoping to do something along those lines. But i am not exactly artistically talented.