Reference: http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=9927.msg120467;topicseen#msg120467

I'm starting out this project by making a paper mache of the prop & try to go from there to ether make a blow mold, or a two part plaster mold. Instead.... I'll just make both molds & see witch is the better.

As with my Monopticon project I'm using a rubber ball & news paper.




For the bumps I'm using cardboard cut-outs, (all the same size).



I wood glued each panel to the sphere, (three layers of mache), & taped them down to dry.



I could only do half at a time. The stand I was using, ( witch was a half a plastic bottle) was starting to tip. I'll have to wait till it drys in front of the fan, paste the loose edges & finish the other half.

I took out the rubber ball & filled the paper mache meteorite with grate stuff foam.



A little tip, don't fill all the way, (It will over flow & pore out everywhere & you have to watch it constantly till it stops expanding).  



Never reuse an old can that has bin used. (The valve to the can was sealed with dry foam & I had to cut it open to get more out of it.)

I emptied out the exes foam,....BUT! I think I made a mistake in braking it out of the box too soon. Anyone have any quick fix ideas in to fixing my imploded sphere? Shave out the foam at the spot & push the form back into place, put more mache on the imploded space, cut off the dead space & mold another half, or just star from the beginning again & this time seal the hole to a point before putting in the foam.

I finally got around to fixing the imploded part of my energy unit mold. I had to cut the bad part out, fill it wit mache paste, then ad another sphere bump. SO, when using foam, patch over the hole with ducked tape & wait till it fully drys. Or look up a video on YouTube on how to work with expanding foam.

I plan to use one of two methods to mold the unit, 1, make a two part mold using plaster, or cut the prop in half & use a vacuum former or use the milk jug plastic forming technique I found on YouTube/instructables for making a quick skull replica.  http://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=8900.0

I's not easy to get a smooth surface, I used wall past, mache past, wood glue, spray paint.



I'm also making some veins for the living plastic.

The bottom needed a stand, a flat bump, so I ground up some paper, mixed it with wood glue & done.



I just had an "IDEA", instead of using cutout cardboard bump shapes, I could have used cut foam pads, then paper mached them.

I have three methods in making the energy unit. Plastic hand molding, vacuum forming & blow molding.

Trying milk jug plastic molding first, I'm thinking vacuum forming will leave the same as this method. A BIG seam across the prop.
So I'll have to go with blow molding.

Anyone know what color I should use? This is a test color. Glaze Transparent Grape



BTW: blow molding is how liquid containers, soda bottles, mouth wash, water bottles, ex. A tube blank or extruded plastic is heated & air pressurized in a metal mold. I plan to make mine out of plaster & a wood frame.

I know you're more skilled than me but I'd consider going with what you've done as a test - it looks really effective. If it was merch I'd buy it. It would look good in a UNIT crate with some straw.

Do you remember pet rocks? You could do mini-nestine thingies in little UNIT crates like that!

Quote from: Cardinal Hordriss on Jan 11, 2020, 05:40 pm
I know you're more skilled than me but I'd consider going with what you've done as a test - it looks really effective. If it was merch I'd buy it. It would look good in a UNIT crate with some straw.

Do you remember pet rocks? You could do mini-nestine thingies in little UNIT crates like that!

I think I'll try that.

As for my big mold. I made a box, painted my unit with Flex Seal. This stuff is grate for sealing gaps & cracks in the mold.



I put a .... I forgot what the technical word for the tab I put on the side. Feed hole? Once the plaster is pored, the tab will be the space were I put in the plastic bottle I will heat & inflate.



By the way, I looked up how to make a plaster mold on YouTube. The bottom of the mold will start with clay half way up the box, pore the plaster, turn mold upside down, remove clay, lube the mold with petroleum jelly & pore the second half.
I plan to keep the box frame as a brace for the plaster mold.

It is called a feed hole.

I've only cast metal but do you also need air holes to make sure it fills out properly?

I made some clay for this project. If you like to see how I made it, take a look at this.

https://youtu.be/IpL63WHNqO8?list=PLszC8lLG9th07lXrXTpU3RtmrCO9hbZJ8


I was rushed into making this mold. Bad Timing...Wasn't fully prepared.

I started with putting in the clay at the bottom, to give it a few inches of thick wall to the mold. I filled in the gaps as best I could. My clay was not high quality, it was sticking to everything. Very messy. I cleaned it up & smother it down with a wet sponge. I should have use a ruler to level it out.
I completely forgot to ad a layer of Vaseline to separate the mold later. At the last moment I was about to pore the plaster I remembered, rushed into the house, came back, applied the jelly to the mold & continued to pore the plaster. BUT, I had waited too long & the plaster started to thicken, SO, I had to run over to the rain barrel, grab a jug of water to thin it out.
I pored the plaster, luckily with room to spare, with added extra water.

All I can think now as it sets, "Cross Your Fingers & Hope For Luck".



BTW: This mold is Freak'n Heavy.   UGH!...

I made a video of my progress, so far. If you watch this from the beginning, I a bit long winded in explaining what I'm doing.

https://youtu.be/FUD81bO575M?list=PLszC8lLG9th07lXrXTpU3RtmrCO9hbZJ8&t=277


I don't think I set up my Patreon page correctly...Honestly, I don't know how the site works.