Figure Making Can Be Fun - Articles

Casting

This is the sixth in a series of figure making articles that deals with making a cast head for a professional style ventriloquist figure. This particular article will deal with casting a head shell. The previous two articles discussed how a 'mother mold' is made for supporting a rubber mold, such as a latex rubber mold for the head.

Making a cast head shell for a ventriloquist figure can be a challenging project. At first glance it may not seem that hard to do. Those who have tried it know otherwise. I have made vent figure heads out of many different materials over the years using a lot of different processes, and of course I have my personal favorites. Some of them take a fair amount of mold making or casting experience. What I would like to present here is a material and technique that are within the reach of most budding figure makers.

Magic Sculp is a two part epoxy putty compound that was first introduced to the figure making community by noted figure maker Rick Price. Magic Sculp is a unique material with some very interesting properties. A lot of first time figure makers ask, "What is a good material to make my first figure out of?". I believe the answer to be Magic Sculp! Due to ease of use and being a lot less toxic than some other casting materials, many find this a great way to get started.

Note: a small percentage of people can develop an allergic reaction to epoxy putties. Always wear rubber gloves (disposable latex, nitrile, or vinyl) when working with the uncured material. If you develop any rashes, get puffiness or redness around your eyes or eyelids, even with the use of gloves or other protective equipment, discontinue use immediately. You may be one of those who simply can not work with epoxy putty.

You can purchase Magic Sculp from the manufacturer (see link below) or it is often times available from hobby shops or taxidermy suppliers locally. Fiberglass mesh (used in this technique) should be available from a home building store near where you live.

Purchase Magic Sculp from.....

The Complete Sculptor

Click on photos to enlarge

Treat the mold with mold release. Magic Sculp is an epoxy compound and is adhesive in nature. Ease release 200 (from A-R Products) is a good spray release. Click on photo at right for more info.

Mixing Magic Sculp: This product is a two part clay like compound that is mixed in equal proportions by volume. Click on photo link below for complete mixing instructions.

It is best not to mix up more than you can use in an hour or two. After the Magic Sculp is thoroughly mixed take small amounts and make little pancakes of the mixed material. Press these firmly into place inside the mold overlapping each piece by 3/8" of an inch or so. Fill in the ear cavities solid for some extra strength. In the rest of the mold press the Magic Sculp in very thin. You will be doing two layers with a total thickness pushing 1/8" inch thick (see next step). Cover the entire inside of the mold completely with one very thin layer before doing the next step.

Magic Sculp when cast thin can be brittle, so when adding the second layer it is important to add some reinforcement such as fiberglass mesh. Cut the mesh into smaller strips. Mix up more Magic Sculp. Lay a strip of mesh against the first layer, and then press fresh Magic Sculp firmly over the mesh covering it well. You should overlap the mesh and Magic Sculp by 3/8" of an inch as before for ultimate strength of the finished piece. Keep adding more mesh and Magic Sculp as needed to complete the second layer.

Use the same techniques outlined here to cast the trap door area of the head mold. Let the Magic Sculp castings in both the main part of the mold and the trap door area completely set up. Over night is usually sufficient. Remove the mother mold and carefully remove the latex molds from the castings. (see 'Mother Mold' section for photos of demolding the head). Completed castings can be sanded and patched with more Magic Sculp. The head shell can be primered with automotive spray primer or may not need primer depending on the paint used. A small test is always a good idea. Also see 'Magic Sculp' web site for painting and finishing tips.

Successfully casting with Magic Sculp can lead to working with other interesting casting materials. The beauty of this style of mold is that you can use a variety of casting materials and techniques. Pressing in Magic Sculp, laying up fiber glass (polyester or epoxy), and slush casting with urethane are a few of the many possibilities with this kind of mold. In the last segment of this series you can see a fiber glass casting that I did in this same mold. Again, you do not have to cast two separate halves and then bond them together later. Quite an advantage over other techniques. Click on 'Mechanics' or 'Next Article' button to go to the last article in this series.