Dreads - The Continuing Saga...

[AlphaTech686]

I just saw Wonko's post. I did have a hole in the tip of the none split mold which was really for air to be able to escape but I guess it helped with pulling them out also. I did make several and never used mold release either. You could use the hole to hold the string in place also.

 

[wonko]

I have to say, I'm really diggin' all the info between this thread and the one I started.  I think the info will be a great resource for those who want to start doing their own dreads.  Plus, there seems to be a demand for dreads, and this may allow a few people to help out those who don't have the ability to do it themselves.  Thanks to all those who have helped the new guys.  This place ROCKS!!!

Brian 

 

[BonzRus]

When I did my molds, I hung the clay plug in a tube and poured the silicone in around it.  The molds turned out good, but it did take allot of silicone the way I did it.  I would have liked to do a silicone jacket mold with a fiberglass mother mold around it.  It would have saved silicone and allowed me to pull the dread without cutting the silicone (I think).  As it is, I had to cut the mold because even with mold release (which I no longer use) it created enough of a vacuum that it would tear before pulling free.  Maybe a very small hole in the end would help with that.  I cut one seam, and when placed carefully into the tube, the seam is so light you can hardly see it.  My curiosity has got the best of me now, and will order the BJB in the next day or two.  I used Mold Star 30 platinum cure silicone for the first mold I made, which to me was a little unnecessary.  The rest of my molds are Mold Max 30 tin cure.  My advice to you is save yourself some $$$ and go with the tin cure... the platinum stuff is twice the price ($200.00 for a gallon), and there's no real advantage.  Hope some of this was helpful.  Keep us updated!

Brian

Thanks Brian. I am glad to know what you have experienced with these. I am planning to order Mold Max 27T tin cure silicone from Smooth On and tint the different layers for my bio mold. I am planning to use the same silicone for the dread mold but I was also concerned about using a lot if I go the tube route as you describe. I just don't have a large budget for silicone so I may try to paint the silicone onto the plugs and build it up. Because my plugs are foam and very light weight they have no problem standing upright so I may mount the large ends to a disk of clay, keeping enough distance between them for a paint brush and with them all standing up vertically in a ring, apply the silicone. That way I could still have one mold for all five sizes. I will also be getting some Thi-vex to thicken it which will help keep it in place as I build up subsequent layers. I had not even thought about a vacuum being a problem for releasing the dreads if you don't split the mold. I will have to think further on that one. Perhaps a small slit near the tip of the mold would allow air in but keep the foam from leaking out. This is good stuff...I will of course be curious if you get some of the TC265 how that works out since you are miles ahead of me on this.

Steve

 

[BonzRus]

This is awesome...while I was replying to Brian, Jeff responded. Yes, Jeff, I did see that thread of your sculpted dreads...now I know what you are talking about. Are your sculpted dreads made from BJB TC265? They are awesome! Sorry, I am still learning to put together who is building what here. 

I agree Brian, so many good ideas and feedback on a topic that does seem to be somewhat elusive. I am anxious to give this a go as well as my bio...my goodness I am also feeling the need to start foam sculpting my armor...ahhhh...it's happening......can't..get...free.

Steve

 

[BonzRus]

Just ordered the molding materials for this project as well as for my bio. YAY!

Steve

 

[Eaglewood]

check out my youtube video here-- maybe this will give you some ideas-- Jeff and I agree on this!!!! Jeff is great as well-- he comes up with some awesome stuff!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M3PEg-5RGI

 

[ThePriest]

man this is good stuff i ordered some smooth on also i cant wait to try my habd at that stuff

 

[BonzRus]

OK...I have vowed to myself that I would get back to doing something more with this project so here is a brief update. I have acquired some Burman Industries TC-266 foam that I am going to try for starters. I contacted the company and they indicated that the TC-266 was replacing TC-265 with just a slight difference in the fomulation of the product. I also picked up a bottle of their Ultra Black tint. I have reviewed and taken into consideration the different soft foams out there and have zero experience with any of them but for some reason this is what I am feeling I need to start with. Now, as is somewhat true to my form I am not going to be doing this the same way that I have seen so many do it. This may lead to a huge failure on my part but if it is something we can learn from then so be it. I will be using the same silicone I used to make my bio mold, Smooth On Mold Max 27T. I want a mold that I can play with the back pressure on rather that just letting it free rise so it will be a 2 part mold but not split the length of the dread. I want seamless if I can get it but am doing this in a way that will give me the option of sliting the mold if plan A does not work to my satisfaction. I am shooting for consistent processes in the end but here are my thoughts. I am not planning on using any kind of mother mold but rather building the silicone up thick enough to support the shape. I am not planning on using any kind of seam on my mold except for one around the top widest circumference. I will be using a knotted piece of black paracord passed through the center of the dread as a means of helping to both remove it from the mold as well as secure it to a mask. The cord will pass out of the top and bottom of the silicone mold and allow for me to play with the back pressure. As crazy as this may sound, it is what I am going to try. Here is where I am at the moment.

I started by making a stand or 'tree' to help facilitate both making the various length molds and eventually suspending them vertically (point downward) for the sake of pouring the foam. First up is the largest dread, if it works then I will do the others. In the end of the dread I inserted a 1/8" styrene plastic rod that will eventually allow for the paracord to pass through the silicone mold. The large end was set in about 1" thick modeling clay so the mold seam will be about 1/2" from the large rounded end of the dread plug (which should make any potential seam just about hidden when installed on a mask) and my usual plastic corrugated sign board side barriers were hot glued in place. At this point it is ready for me to apply the silicone. I hope the pics help make sense of my madness....

More updates coming soon.

Steve

 

[Eaglewood]

very innovative Steve-- I like the paracord concept-- Hopefully it releases from the cleanly and without tearing on you or sticking in the mold. I havent had that luck so Im anxious to see how it goes-

 

[AlphaTech686]

Steve looks all good. I am assuming you are going to brush on the silicone? I have to say using a split pvc pipe as the mold walls/mother mold does work very well.

 

[BonzRus]

I hope to find out soon Clay. The paracord may help to break any vacuum created in the mold that could hinder the release and I would also have the option to squeeze the mold gently to help loosen the dread inside. The foam manufacturer recommends squeezing the foam to force gasses out of the cells and allow air back in anyway so timing of this could help get the dread out of the mold. Another option I will have is to introduce a small amount of air pressure into the mold where the paracord passes through the bottom tip to help it up and out while I am gently tugging on the top of the cord. These are all just some of the things I have been thinking about with this. In any event, I anticipate learning a lot on this one. Hopefully more good than bad.   I love to try new things like this though so we shall see. It is just part of the adventure and if at first you don't suceed...

Steve

 

[BonzRus]

Jeff, yes, I do plan to thicken the silicone and brush it on. I have considered a tube as a jacket to contain the silicone but that uses a lot of silicone which I am trying to avoid although a tube that is sized right could help reduce the amount of silicone used. Hmmm....you have atcually just got me thinking about something else I could try....hmmm.

Steve

 

[wonko]

I used the split pvc pipe on all mine, and only have one seam.  I'm hoping to get back to work on mine in the near future, and am looking forward to your progress on these Steve.

Brian

 

[BonzRus]

I used the split pvc pipe on all mine, and only have one seam.  I'm hoping to get back to work on mine in the near future, and am looking forward to your progress on these Steve.

Brian

Hey Brian, If plan A does not work out then I will shift to plan B, a split mold. Shooting for seamless for starters though...there must be a way.

Steve

 

[Eaglewood]

Hope it works Steve, I was shooting for a no split mold as well but couldnt get it to happen--

 

[BonzRus]

Thanks Clay. We will find out soon enough I hope. I spent a little time last night building a couple sections of PVC pipe that will give me a little stepped taper to the mold. It should reduce the amount of silicone required and keep the mold walls thin enough that I can still work with them but also be more uniform than brushing on silicone. My next step is to stipple on a thin layer of silicone and then assemble the tubes onto the plug so I can pour silicone into the cavity. That is my plan anyway.

I am using 1-1/2" PVC for the bottom with a 1-1/2" to 1-1/4" reducing fitting. I am also reducing the 1-1/4" to 1" PVC. I smoothed the inside joints with a little fillet of modelling clay. On the largest bottom piece I hot glued a flange that was cut to fit inside the mold box. In the flange I also added a straw as a breather which I will plug with clay at the right time while pouring the silicone.

Inside the corners of the mold box I added some clay fillets to help support the PVC contraption.

When all put together it will look like this. I will just use a thin layer of modelling clay to seal the joints between the sections.

That is it for now.

Steve

 

[AlphaTech686]

Very interesting, very interesting. So the silicone will stay in the pvc permanently ?

 

[seahunterr]

This could be very easy if bambooie would just make a tutorial. . Clay is probably a close second on info and materials. Looking good on molds and materials.... Remember they are temperature sensative.

 

[made007]

I have a dread mold that i made but, havent pull out the master from the mold
Lost interest since i did not found the kryolan, i wanted to try it
I guess when i have some money ill buy what jeff recomended me and try that, when it comes to precision bonzrus yo are the master keep going i know you will do some great dreads

 

[BonzRus]

Very interesting, very interesting. So the silicone will stay in the pvc permanently ?

Jeff, my plan is to remove the PVC from the silicone. The Mold Max 27T is relatively stiff and at the thicknesses I will achieve my thought is I will not need the PVC. I will mold the cap (bottom large end) and the silicone flange created will allow me to suspend it vertically in a bracket I have yet to make. My madness will become clearer as I go. Jeff, I would love to see a video of your sculpted dreads in action sometime and maybe get a weight on them as well?

This could be very easy if bambooie would just make a tutorial. . Clay is probably a close second on info and materials. Looking good on molds and materials.... Remember they are temperature sensative.

Hey seahunter...is it Gene? I too wish bambooie was still active making dreads. I joined the Lair just after he seemed to have disappeared. I do hope he is alright. Clay is definitely miles ahead on experience with this and his dreads are outstanding. He has been so helpfull with sharing what he does. I have been storing my materials in a cabinet over my refrigerator and am looking forward to warmer weather bringing the temperature up in my basement. Through the Winter I have had to do just about all my mold making at the dining room table. With the exception of the polyester resin of course....

I have a dread mold that i made but, havent pull out the master from the mold
Lost interest since i did not found the kryolan, i wanted to try it
I guess when i have some money ill buy what jeff recomended me and try that, when it comes to precision bonzrus yo are the master keep going i know you will do some great dreads

Hey Jose, Jeff has experience with the BJB TC-265 (changing to TC-266) and George recommended to Brian (Wonko) to give it a try as well which he did and didn't achieve the best results. Monsterroom also recommended the TC-265. Clay has been using the Smooth On Flex Foamit 6 with good reuslts, Milk uses FF X mixed 2B/1A with good movement results but Brian feels they are a little on the heavy side. He has also tried the Kryolan 2lb foam with great results but the stuff prefers warmer temperatures which would require special processes. I think it is also a little bit more toxic but I could be wrong on that. FF 3 was not successful for Brian either while others have maybe had satisfying results. So, taking as much of this information into consideration as my little brain can process, I have chosen to try the BJB TC-266. I felt the need to just pick something and start working with it. What I am doing different has more to do with my mold and the processes and I won't know the outcome until I try. Thanks for the compliment Jose, I am at the bottom of the learning curve on this one, looking up.  Everyone's experiences with the different products is definitely a huge help.

Steve