Minbari Ranger - Progress Post 2
I've gotten some stuff done, but the past few weeks have largely been learning curve time. I'm learning a lot of new techniques with new materials for this project and it has necessitated taking some time to, you know... learn them.
I am absolutely addicted to resin casting. I've actually started looking around for things to make interesting molds out of, whether or not I even need them for the project. I have zeroed in on the right mix of the dye to be able to cast the pin. It needs a three-to-one ratio of blue to green. I've already sculpted the positive, I just need to make the mold and go for it.
I'm still experimenting with the mold putty. As it says on the box, it is amazing stuff. I cast my first piece using a mold made from it over this weekend and it actually picked up a couple of my fingerprints from the sculpt. The problem that I am running into, though, is that the final resin piece has a matte finish to it rather than the shiny jewel finish that I need for the pin. It also had the consistency of a jelly bracelet, though, so I may have borked the mix or possibly de-molded it too early; maybe both. I'm going to try it again (the molds are re-usable!) and see how it comes out a second time.
In the meantime, I'm also playing with latex in order to cast the Minbari mini-ears that need to be a part of my makeup. I sculpted the positives and made the molds over the weekend. I have one of them filled with latex and drying. I'm not sure whether or not this technique is going to work and I have an alternate lined up to try in the meantime with the other mold. That's going to happen today.
I picked up most of the supplies for my prop yesterday. I've got the bismuth, the copper wire, the LED and the button battery. Radio Shack was out of battery holders, though, so I have to stop in again later in the week when they get more in before I can do the build on this thing. But I can make the outer armature in the meantime. I had originally thought of making something out of straws and plasti-dip, but I worry that it won't be strong enough to hold the bismuth and LED, so I've decided to go with bamboo kebob skewers and paper clay with a nice careful finish.
Barring a hem, the undershirt is finished. I gotta suss out how much fabric I need for the pants and the tunic and I may go shopping for that today while I wait for things to dry.
The headbone is maybe a third of the way done. I was dong the major sculpt over this weekend and discovered that one of the packages of paper clay I had for it had popped open at one end and was dried hard as a rock. I was irritated, but seeing as I bought the package back in March, I couldn't really justify taking it back to the store where I bought it. All is not lost on that, though, since I can use it to practice chiseling out the patterns I need to chisel on the headbone.
I'm still braining on the boots. I have something pretty specific in mind, but I doubt I'll be able to just go out and find them and I'm not sure what I can do to make them. It is a quandary. Depending on my time constraints, I may have to settle for something that "works okay but isn't ideal." Luckily, since every Ranger outfit is a little different, I have some leeway.
Onward to another day of costuming!
I am absolutely addicted to resin casting. I've actually started looking around for things to make interesting molds out of, whether or not I even need them for the project. I have zeroed in on the right mix of the dye to be able to cast the pin. It needs a three-to-one ratio of blue to green. I've already sculpted the positive, I just need to make the mold and go for it.
I'm still experimenting with the mold putty. As it says on the box, it is amazing stuff. I cast my first piece using a mold made from it over this weekend and it actually picked up a couple of my fingerprints from the sculpt. The problem that I am running into, though, is that the final resin piece has a matte finish to it rather than the shiny jewel finish that I need for the pin. It also had the consistency of a jelly bracelet, though, so I may have borked the mix or possibly de-molded it too early; maybe both. I'm going to try it again (the molds are re-usable!) and see how it comes out a second time.
In the meantime, I'm also playing with latex in order to cast the Minbari mini-ears that need to be a part of my makeup. I sculpted the positives and made the molds over the weekend. I have one of them filled with latex and drying. I'm not sure whether or not this technique is going to work and I have an alternate lined up to try in the meantime with the other mold. That's going to happen today.
I picked up most of the supplies for my prop yesterday. I've got the bismuth, the copper wire, the LED and the button battery. Radio Shack was out of battery holders, though, so I have to stop in again later in the week when they get more in before I can do the build on this thing. But I can make the outer armature in the meantime. I had originally thought of making something out of straws and plasti-dip, but I worry that it won't be strong enough to hold the bismuth and LED, so I've decided to go with bamboo kebob skewers and paper clay with a nice careful finish.
Barring a hem, the undershirt is finished. I gotta suss out how much fabric I need for the pants and the tunic and I may go shopping for that today while I wait for things to dry.
The headbone is maybe a third of the way done. I was dong the major sculpt over this weekend and discovered that one of the packages of paper clay I had for it had popped open at one end and was dried hard as a rock. I was irritated, but seeing as I bought the package back in March, I couldn't really justify taking it back to the store where I bought it. All is not lost on that, though, since I can use it to practice chiseling out the patterns I need to chisel on the headbone.
I'm still braining on the boots. I have something pretty specific in mind, but I doubt I'll be able to just go out and find them and I'm not sure what I can do to make them. It is a quandary. Depending on my time constraints, I may have to settle for something that "works okay but isn't ideal." Luckily, since every Ranger outfit is a little different, I have some leeway.
Onward to another day of costuming!