Post #274390 by Bowana on Thu, Dec 21, 2006 9:04 PM

Thanks guys. Glad you are enjoying it!

The next step is to build a box around the figure to contain the silicone. Any number of materials can be used. Plywood, clay slabs, cardboard, etc. I used some scrap styrene.

I cut the front and back pieces the width of the figure plus about 3/4" on each side. I spaced them about 1/4" away from the front and back of the figure. I then attached them and the two end pieces to the board with hot melt glue.

Make sure the hot melt glue "welds" are pretty beefy so that the box will be sturdy. Check for any small areas that may have been missed. Silicone will find the smallest holes and leak out like crazy.

I regret that I was not able to get any shots of the silicone being poured, but I couldn't do both at once! (I'll have to save that part for another time, but if there's any questions about silicone, go ahead and ask.)

Here is a picture of the filled mold. Notice that I reinforced the attachment of the box to the board with some plaster bandages as a fail-safe method of preventing the box from popping off after it's full of silicone . (It's happened to me before and it's not very pretty!) Also notice the rubber band around the box as added support. Whether or not it needed it I'll never know, but sometimes the weight of the silicone in a full mold will burst open a box that up until that point seemed to be sturdy enough. Better to be safe than sorry!

The silicone must now set for about 18 hours.

More later........