Catching Up....

Sad to say, I just worked hours on a new post....only to discover it vaporized!  But in doing that post,I also discovered that I need to learn a bunch more about formatting because that was what took me so long!  I would just get the page to look right while I was creating it, and then I would preview it and it would look way different!!!  So here goes with a second try.... 

I have been working on all sorts of props and crafts lately.  I am going back into Dropbox, to see what is on my Camera Uploads:

Food Props!

Kim (my AWESOME intern) & I did a whole bunch of fake chicken for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. We made molds of actual real fried chicken!  We tried molds of plaster and of Silicone Rubber.  Both worked good, only for plaster, you have to do a two-part mold, and the chicken gets a bit gross....be sure and do both parts in the same day!  (Freezing the cooked chicken is the best idea, too)

     Once the molds were done, we coated them with Holden's Casting Latex to form a rubbery skin.  Once it cured, we poured Smooth-On's FlexFoamIt 5.  Because we also put a bit of baby powder in the mold before the latex, the chicken came out looking like it was all floured and ready for the fryer!  

     Next came some sprays of Honey Stain from Design Mater Paints and a darker brown.  The finish chicken is in Seven Brides, I will try and get photos of the Finger Lickin' Good Final Product!

Joseph Throne

The scene shop recycled a 2x4 clunky chair for Joseph (and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) to make a throne.  They added the curves, I added the Barbie heads, claw feet and paint. (With Kim's help, of course.)  We also made the feather fans.  (This time, my assistant Minnie helped!)

I am going to publish these now, in hopes of NOT losing it to the CLOUD!

What I learned today......

I learned:  MAKE A BETTER BOX!  And:  BUY RICE.....
I was trying to make a mold of a dagger for Tarzan.  The You Tube videos from Smooth On (my product of choice) says to make an acrylic box and to ratchet it closed, then pour the rubber over your model.  Another You Tube video had said that really, any acrylic rectangle would work to make a box.  My problem with making that kind of box was that I could not ratchet it tight.  The hot glue did not hold my box together and I had an oozing mass of Mold Star 15 (SLOW CURING) rubber all over the table, all over Ally who was filming the process and all over myself!  We hastily tried to scrape some up and save it.  Then I used Corroplast (corrigated plastic like they use in yard signs) to build a better box.  Then I used duct tape for the ratchet and taped the box completely around it!  The result was that the mold finally worked but I have a weird and huge GLOB of cured rubber I don't know what to do with!

The dagger I carved that I am trying to cast in a flexible plastic or rubber.

The cured mass of Urethane rubber....such a waste!

After that mess, I moved on to a successful mold of a spearhead/rock I need to do.  Again, the You Tube videos say to first pour rice into the mold, then pour the rice into a clear container.  This will give you an idea of the volume of liquid plastic you will need to mix to pour into the mold.  Well, I did not do that!!!  (I was in a hurry and Ally was filming and all...)  I mix up the Smooth Cast 320....this only has THREE MINUTES TO CURE!!!!!  I start pouring and have a cup full left!  I race around trying to find older molds to pour the remaining plastic in, I don't want to waste it!  I am telling Ally, there must be SOMETHING we can make!!  I find a couple of molds of flat decorations.  PERFECT!  I start to pour, and SCREECH!  The plastic cures mid pour!

(HARD AS A.......well Hard as Smooth Cast 320!)

Luckily, the casting turned out fine, but still, the WASTE!!!  

Ally is the one that reminded me.....next time......BUILD A BETTER BOX AND BUY SOME RICE!!!

The Better box....duct taped  and waiting for tomorrow, when I try expandable foam to make the dagger....THAT ought to be a hoot!