Flexible black resin?

[j.chris.beynon]

Hi there Mego folks!

I'm new to this forum and fairly new to customizing (if you don't count putting Aquaman's head on Thing's body when I was 8)...I was a HUGE fan of Megos in my childhood and they seem to be a growing obsession in my adult life as well...

I've been messing around with casting heads and accessories using the Smooth-On starter kit as well as their quick setting black resin...The problem with the Smooth-On resins I've used (especially the black) is it's so rigid and brittle...I'd like to start casting utility belts in black but they're not much good if they snap in two when you try and bend them around a figure's waist...

Has anyone out there used a softer resin that they can recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Chris.

[boss]

you may want to try heating the resin part in hot water or with a hair dryer. That should make it soft enough to bend. Once it cools down in will solidify in the new position.

[SeattleEd]

^^What he said.

[Confessional]

Smooth-On has a variety of casting products with a range of flexibility; you could even cast in rubber. Best to match materials to your project.

Dig around their website; a ton of great information is available. They are also used to customers contacting them for help to find the right product for specific or specialty applications.

[j.chris.beynon]

Thanks for the quick responses!...

I have tried heat but still snapped the belt trying to get such a long skinny piece of plastic around a narrow Mego-style waist...

I'm going to take you up on your advice, Confessional...an email will be on it's way to Smooth-On in minutes.

Another solution I'm considering is casting individual pouches and supergluing them onto a plain belt but a one piece belt is preferable.

Here's the belt I'm copying...the castings snap around the buckle:

[j.chris.beynon]

A bit of a side note: The CTVT Speedo in the above pic is INCREDIBLY tight fitting...I actually double checked my order to make sure they were for 8" figures and not 7"...they ended up ripping in the process of sliding them over the figures hips...

[dr_cyclops]

Might want to check out this post:http://megomuseum.com/community/show...ill-care-about

[LonnieFisher]

Or Sugru.

[j.chris.beynon]

Thanks dr. cyclops!...and Lonnie for the original post...I am redoing our main bathroom (a project that would probably already be done if I wasn't "wasting so much time" casting utility belts and Batman heads), so I have lots of silicone kicking around...Hopefully I'll have time over the weekend to try this out and I'll let you know how it works!...I'm thinking of going with a raised, textured bat emblem for one of the Batmans I'm working on and this could be perfect for that!

[j.chris.beynon]

The silicone belt experiment was a bit of a failure...Despite using liberal amounts of mold release, the mold stuck to the silicone belt material...

I wonder if I made the mold out of smooth-cast resin and then made the belt out of oomoo molding rubber whether that might yield a better result...It would certainly make for a more durable mold...

Has anyone out there attempted using smooth-cast as a mold material?

[stuart]

That's in interesting concept. Use the products backwards. The real issue is going to be life span. If you're using Oomoo 25 or Oomoo 30 the life span is short. After several months, your belt will be very brittle. Check with Smooth-On for a silicone that's appropriate for a belt, harness, etc.

[captact]

Hi j.chris.beynon,...

Advice: Make a mold from an original or custom made belt... flattened out. Buy "Black Plasti-Dip" which comes in different size cans,...it pours out like thick paint,..so pour into mold until desired thickness, wack the mold a few times on the table to avoid bubbles,.... wipe off excess (as if you were making Creepy Crawlers)..and let it stand to dry for two whole days to make sure its completely dry....once dried,..proceed to remove...and Voula!!! a new flexible black belt!
Hope this helps....

[Starroid Raiders Dagon]

The silicone belt experiment was a bit of a failure...Despite using liberal amounts of mold release, the mold stuck to the silicone belt material...

I wonder if I made the mold out of smooth-cast resin and then made the belt out of oomoo molding rubber whether that might yield a better result...It would certainly make for a more durable mold...

Has anyone out there attempted using smooth-cast as a mold material?

That is kind of strange as silicone normally only adheres to silicone. Are you using 100% silicone (not caulk, right?). Vaseline will work well as a mold release, too.

[LonnieFisher]

Silicone is naturally self releasing. Or so they say. Resin or plaster molds will both work.

[j.chris.beynon]

Yeah...As it turns out, I was using bathroom caulking, not pure silicone...Upon reading the tube closer, I realized it says "bonds to all surfaces"...Their claims are accurate...

I'll make a new mold and try the Plasti Dip over the weekend and get back to you early next week...

Thanks for the advice captact and everyone else!