Making a Mold - Step One

December 16th, 2008 by goregt

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Mold making is one of those tricky little things that can be very simple or complex depending on what it being molded. Over the next few tutorials I’ll show you how to create both a simple and a complex mold all from the same sculpture. The sculpture that I will be using for the tutorial is complex in design with tons of detail work and will serve as a great example that no subject matter is too detailed to be molded.

Step One - Breaking (cutting) the sculpture into individual parts:

Moulding individual parts Usually step one takes place during the design phase of sculpting. The goal is to break or “cut up” the sculpture into individual parts for ease of molding. Once molded, the individual parts will fit together like a puzzle or an even better example a model (like model cars and airplanes).

Now the process on how to cut up the sculpture into the individual parts is an entirely different tutorial that I will have to cover at another time. However, if you are squeamish about cutting up your hard work, I highly recommend learning how to make a mold on a simple design first and then once your comfort level has increased move onto a more complex design. This is exactly what I did when I learned how to create a mold; I started with a very basic sculpture and became familiar with mold making process. After I gained some experience I quickly was able start molding more complex pieces. These days I have no issues cutting my sculptures into pieces but back in the day that was never an option for me.

Step Two - Materials needed:

Silicone - rubber used to make the mold
Foam board
Packing tape
Scissors or a box cutter (or knife)
Klean Klay

Silicone - The silicone that I personally use for molding is called Mold Max 20 and can be purchased from Smooth On (http://www.smooth-on.com/). I have been using Smooth On’s products for a few years now and I am very happy with their quality. There are a ton of other different brands of silicone out there but for my tutorials I will be exclusively using Mold Max 20.

Silicone is not cheap, no matter whom you buy it from, and a gallon of Mold Max 20 at the time of this writing cost a little over $90 USD plus additional cost for shipping and handling. Just to give you an idea on cost, the silicone used for the sculpture in this example cost me a little over $300 USD and that was only the cost for the rubber. I still have additional cost for the other materials that make up the mold. However, the cost does not stop there, there is also cost for the material to cast the sculpture, resin, and it can be quite pricey as well.

Foam board and packing tape is very inexpensive and can be purchased at your local Wal-Mart or craft store. The foam board (also called X-acto board) and packing tape are used to make a box for your mold (I will cover this in detail in the next lesson).

Klean Klay is only used with two part molds and I will cover in more detail in the future lessons.

Mold making is a very expensive adventure but if you want to create replicas of your original work then making a mold is a necessity whether you do it yourself or pay someone else to do it for you. My best recommendation for making a mold is to start small and work your way up to more complex projects. As I stated earlier, some of my first molds were of very basic sculptures and as my confidence grew so did the complexity of the sculptures that I molded. Molding is expensive, messy, time consuming and in my honest opinion not a whole lot of fun but the reward of being able to cast your original works is well worth all the effort.

Until the next lesson,

Gerald Gore

tag:Sculpting Tutorials

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Playing with Wax (Sent on August 8, 2008)

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FUSE Review

December 8th, 2008 by goregt

Recently I had put together a little article that outlines some of the key differences between sculpting with wax and polymer clays (http://www.polymerclayfan.com/sculpting-with-wax-vs-polymer-clay.htm). In hindsight, the review was more of a comparison between sculpting with Super Sculpey and a relatively new wax called FUSE. I think it is important to point out that not all polymer clays are created equal and the same case could be made for wax. As of the writing of this article, FUSE is the only wax I have ever tried so the chances are that my opinions regarding sculpting with wax could drastically change from one wax product to another.

Why Wax?

I have wanted to experiment with wax for a few years now and the main reason why I never took the plunge is because I have read repeated cases that wax can be a real challenge to master. From my limited understanding of the medium, most waxes are very hard at room temperature and require some form of heat to be able to manipulate the material for sculpting. It was also my understanding that sculpting with wax is a very time consuming process.

For me, at this stage in my life, sculpting is really just a hobby. On a personal level I see it more as a passion but in reality most of the hours in my day are invested in a full time job and my family. However, that being said, I’m a firm believer that every time you challenge yourself with your art, you build the skills to become a better artist. The problem I always had was that I could never find enough motivation for me to justify the time investment that it would take for me learn how to sculpt with wax. I finally took the plunge with wax because I have reached a stage where I am tired of always working with armatures. Some people really enjoy the armature building steps of sculpting but unfortunately I am not one of them, to me it is more of a chore than a pleasure. What I enjoy is the process where I am manipulating the clay to bring the ideas in my head into fruition.

During my research on which wax I should try I had stumbled upon a few post about a new product which a lot of people were calling the “holy grail” for wax. The new wax is called FUSE and has quickly gained a reputation as being one of those waxes that helps merge the worlds between the polymer clay and wax artist. I had nothing to lose, except time, and figured why not give this new “holy grail” a try. I really cannot honestly compare FUSE with other waxes because it is the only wax that I have tried to date. However, I can give a good comparison to every other type of clay that I have used (WED, water based, polymer clay, etc) and I can honestly say that it is a magnificent medium to work with. That being said, for me it was a new medium and did take quite a bit of time to master. Before we dive into the details of using FUSE, I would like to answer a few of the basic questions that were running around in my head when I was first trying out this new product.

Is there a learning curve for this material? Yes. The good news is that the sculpting knowledge I gained from sculpting with polymer clay has helped me shorten the learning curve of sculpting with wax. However, one of the challenges is that you have to learn to do things differently with wax. For example, smoothing out wax is quite a bit different then smoothing out Super Sculpey but the underlining principles I learned from sculpey has helped with learning how to smooth out wax.
Is it more time consuming to sculpt with FUSE than polymer clays such as Super Sculpey? With my current experience level - yes. However, I have found that my sculpting speed is drastically increasing the more familiar I become with the material.

Requirements for Sculpting With Wax (FUSE)

FUSE is no different than any other wax in that heat is still a necessary ingredient and is especially important in the early stages of the sculpting process (blocking out the sculpture). I have been able to heat up small pieces of FUSE by rolling the wax between my fingers, having the heat from my hands soften the smaller pieces of wax, but overall an external heat source is really a requirement when blocking out large areas of the sculpture. Once you get to the finer detailing, you can then switch to more of a carving sculpting method.

Key Properties That I Have Noticed With FUSE

The biggest difference that I have noticed so far with wax is that it is a much harder medium than any of the polymer clays I have tried. The hardness of wax is great when working on fine details but does present itself as a challenge early on when building out the rough shapes. I use both addititive and subtractive techniques when I sculpt so a very large portion of my sculpting time, regardless of the medium, is used to build and bulk out the different areas of the sculpture. As already stated, you have to heat wax to be able to work with it and in doing so here are some of the key things that I have noticed:

When heated FUSE kind of feels like bread dough (only a lot hotter) and smells like a mixture of honey and baby powder.
The “bread dough” consistency is more ideal when blocking out the sculpture, it is soft and can easily be manipulated into rough shapes. However, when building out the more detailed areas I prefer to keep the wax at a more solid state then the “bread dough” consistency. For the smaller areas I usually just heat the wax to a point where it is still a little hard but my fingers are able to easily manipulate the shape of the wax.
The baby powder/honey smell is just and extra plus

Main Tools That I Use With FUSE

Microwave - The microwave really is a great source for heating large amounts of the wax (used more early on in the bulking out stage). The wax cools relatively quickly so I have found that the microwave really isn’t practical when building out the smaller and more defined areas of the sculpture.

Hair Dryer - I prefer the heat gun but mine died and I use my wife’s hair dryer when she is not looking :-). I have found that a hairdryer works perfectly when bulking out smaller areas. The key is to heat a small section of wax and from there apply it to the sculpture. Using heat is pretty easy to do but you have to be careful not to burn yourself (been there, done that).

Wax smoothing tools - Smoothing out wax is more of a challenge then the process that I use to smooth out Super Sculpey. Outlined below are a few techniques that seem to be working so far (I use all three techniques in the order shown below):

Loop tools - loop tools are mandatory in my opinion when using FUSE and the smaller loop tools help to achieve a smoother finish in the wax.
Odorless Mineral Spirits - this is the 99% alcohol substitute for wax. The mineral spirits will dissolve a thin layer of wax from the sculpture in a similar manner as alcohol smooth’s out polymer clays. I recommend that you have smoothed the sculpture down to the best of your abilities using other methods (loop tools, wet cloth) before using the mineral spirits.
Wet cloth - works well on larger areas but not ideal for the smaller hard to reach areas on a sculpture

Final Comments

In conclusion I am pretty happy with the overall results of my first experience with wax. FUSE helped me shorten the learning curve from being almost an exclusive polymer clay sculptor to learning how to become a wax sculptor. There is still a lot for me to learn out there but from my initial experience if you are wanting to get your feet wet with wax then I highly recommend giving FUSE a try.

You can learn more about FUSE and purchase it from http://willowproducts.com/

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Playing with Wax (Sent on August 8, 2008)

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Sculpting with Wax vs Polymer Clay

July 31st, 2008 by goregt

Stop the press, isn’t this site suppose to be about polymer clay sculpting, after all the name of the site is Polymer Clay Fan! Yes you have read the title to this post correctly, I’ve started playing with wax lately and although I’m still wet behind the ears I thought why not put together a little post to compare the two mediums. I’m sure a few diehard polymer clay artists may snub their nose at this post but I recommend reading through the entire article before jumping to a conclusion. This isn’t an article about discrediting wax or even polymer clay, it is just my observation of the positives and negatives the two different mediums have to offer.

Before I begin, if I had to make one disclaimer I would like to state that these are only my first impressions of wax and over time my opinions may change. Not all waxes are created equal and the wax that I chose to use for my little experiment is called FUSE. I’ll do a write-up on FUSE in another post but the key reason why I chose this wax over others is that when heated it creates a consistency like dough. This way you can quickly mold a rough shape and start working on refining the sculpture from there.

Key benefits for using wax

1. No armature is needed - A lot of people don’t mind building armatures so if you are one of these individuals then for you this really isn’t a benefit for using wax, for me it is the KEY ADVANTAGE for using wax. I really hate working with armatures so this was one of the main reasons why I decided to give wax a try.
2. Sculpture can easily be cut up into pieces for molding (really only an advantage for those wanting to replicate their work). I don’t intend to mislead anyone here, you can cut baked polymer clay sculptures into separate pieces for molding as well, and it’s just so much easier with wax.
3. When cooled wax is very hard - When wax is in the hard state it is very hard and you do not have to worry about accident tally adding your fingerprints or smudging the details on a piece when handling it. With the polymer clays, baking and/or partial-baking are required to avoid messing up the details (either that or you have to avoid touching the finished areas at all cost). When I sculpt smaller pieces, like faces, I like to hold the sculpture in my hand while working, the disadvantage of polymer clays, like Super Sculpey, is that the clay has a soft and sponge like feel to it which makes it very easy to mess up the details. Dropping a piece or accidentally grabbing the wrong section of the sculpture can quickly undue hours of hard work in the blink of an eye.
4. Wax can be reused - one the mold has been created you can melt the sculpture down and reuse the wax for another piece. In the long run this could help offset some of the cost of creating a mold.
5. Smells good - My FUSE smells like baby powder and honey when heated, now how awesome is that

Key disadvantages with wax

1. Not ideal for one-of-a-kind sculptures- unlike polymer clay you simply can’t just bake wax to create a permanent sculpture (doing so will actually cause adverse effects). A mold is will be required if you are looking at creating a permanent sculptures. If you are looking at casting a small run then a mold would be needed with any medium that you choose but for a one-of-a-kind piece it really isn’t the ideal sculpting medium.
2. Requires heat for sculpting - you either have to keep running back and forth to the microwave or come up with some other source of heat to soften the wax (hair dryer works well). Polymer clay only requires a little kneading and it is ready to go (much easier to work with in this manner).
3. You better have metal tools - I use metal tools anyways when I sculpt so not a biggie for me but if you use plastic tools you may want to invest in a set of dental tools before sculpting with wax. As stated earlier wax is very hard when cooled and will put a strain on any tool that you use.

In conclusion both wax and polymer clays have their advantages and disadvantages and I personally think most people would benefit from learning both mediums. It is easy to get comfortable with one medium or even one sculpting style; however I believe you really start to grow when you push yourself. Whether you are sculpting something you have never sculpted before or sculpting with a different medium, the person that wins in the end is you. With sculpting I always try to challenge myself with each new piece and for most the projects that I start there is always a little voice in the back of my head wondering if I will be able to “pull it off”. When I purchased my wax I really had no clue on what to do. I ended up reading information here and there on the web on the different techniques for sculpting with wax but in the end I learned what I know now from just trial and error. I’m still just an infant in my knowledge of this material but with that said I’m confident I can put out the same level of quality of art as I do with polymer clay. I also believe that the next time I sculpt with polymer clay my experience with wax will help me become a better sculptor in that medium as well.

There are no permanent plans to trade in my Super Sculpey for wax but I do plan to use wax in more of my future pieces. I do still have a love hate relationship with my Super Sculpey (love the clay and hate the armatures) and look forward to adding some of the new skills I’ve acquired with wax sculpting to my next polymer piece. In the end it really is sculpting that I love and the material used is just a means to end. So for all you die hard polymer clay artist out there, put down your shields, try something new and over time watch the quality of your polymer clay art benefit from it in the end.

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Making a Mold - Step One

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FUSE Review

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Sculpting with Wax vs Polymer Clay