Just ordereed some Hydrospan 100 and 400

[LonnieFisher]

I've got a Baron Karza head mold curing right now. Tomorrow I'll make a hydrospan casting and take pictures before I start the water soak. I'm going to enlarge it to go from a 6.5" figure to a 24" figure. I'm not sure how many times I'm going to have to re-mold and re-cast to get it that large, but I hope I have enough hydrospan. That stuff is expensive. And I just realized I need more silicone...

[LonnieFisher]

Hydrospan sucks to pour. It's so fricken thick! I'm trying to get enough in the mold to make a copy, but it's very hard to get down the pour hole. I am trying to inject it and see if that works better.

[palitoy]

I found the syringes used to give babies medicine worked best. Other wise it's trying to put molasses through a key hole.

[David Lee]

Pressure cast it... I make he mold with a large reservoir at the top, to hold extra material. Since the expansion stuff it's not terrible time sensitive, you have time. Also, squeeze the mold before you pour and hold it. Now gradually release it and it will actuality "suck" the resin into the cavity.

[LonnieFisher]

My molds aren't degassed, so pressure casting would look terrible. Injection seems to work way better than trying to pour.

[megowgsh]

My molds aren't degassed, so pressure casting would look terrible. Injection seems to work way better than trying to pour.

I've never had to "inject" my molds with Hydrospan. Slice the mold up the back and spread it apart and then pour. This will form a natural vacuum when you release it back to its original shape. Then put a rubber band around it to hold it in place.

Of course, everything I stated above will be moot if your molds are not made using a pressure pot and/or a vacuum chamber AND if your Hydrospan 100/400 casts are not made using a pressure pot and/or a vacuum chamber. If these two steps are not followed you will have minimal success and probably become very discouraged with the process.

Trust me. I know. I've been doing this for 12 years and I learned from David Lee who's been doing it for 15 years.

[palitoy]

Oh yeah, don't do it without a pressure pot, it's bubble city.

[LonnieFisher]

I got a casting of the Baron Karza head that is just missing the tip of his nose, and a couple of spike tips. I can fix that later, after is enlarged. After my accident a few years ago, I got rid of my pressure casting equipment. And I loaned out my vacuum chamber, and never got it back. So I'm stuck with lame silicone and no pressure capabilities. It wouldn't be worth getting new equipment, because nobody really buys the stuff I make. I'll post pictures of the Karza head later today.
I was thinking about making a hydrospan mold of the hydrospan head. It might be a great way to save silicone, and a couple of steps in the process. If I enlarge the head and then enlarge the mold, I can cast another hydrospan head and see if it's large enough.
Has anybody made hydrospan molds before? Did it work?

[LonnieFisher]

[megowgsh]

It is IMPERATIVE you let that sit for 24 hours before putting it in water! If you do not it will split like the head of Terminator 2.

[LonnieFisher]

It has four hours to go, then it's into the water. Thanks for all the advice, and any future tips.

[LonnieFisher]

Here's my practice Karza head, which is incomplete at the bottom. I have a better casting soaking, too. This one is for me to mess with while leaving the other one undisturbed. It needs another week to soak, but this is about the size it will be. Then to make a mold and cast another in hydrospan and make it even bigger!

[LonnieFisher]

Before any clean up. I'll make it nice and make another mold. Then recast in hydrospan again.

[LonnieFisher]

I decided not to fix the casting, and just cast another Hydrospan head. I'll figure I can just fix it next enlargement. This Hydrospan casting came out nicer than the resin one, anyway.

[LonnieFisher]

Hydrospan 400, aka hydroshrink, version of the Baron Karza head.