MONSTER MAKING TIPS AND TRICKS

Foam Latex

Tip #1

Metal Bowls vs. Glass Bowls using the Sunbeam Mixmaster

It is normal for the Sunbeam mixing bowl to spin. On some of the Sunbeam mixers the bowl does spin quite fast. Fast enough to whip foam out of the bowl. I've seen this happen particularly with metal bowls. If you have a mixer that spins too fast you might switch to a glass bowl if you have one available and depending on the model you have. The weight of the bowl can slow the spin or you can slow the bowl manually until the foam whips to a higher volume which also tempers the spin. You might also start with a slower speed if you are cranking it up to 12 from the start. Once the foam doubles in volume you will see more foam gather in the middle of the bowl. 

Apoxie Sculpt

Tip #2

Here is a great tip for Apoxie sculpt. Try adding in 1 part Sculpey 3 or any polymer clay to 5 parts of the Apoxie sculpt before you begin to mix. Adding the clay creates a different consistency and also slows down the cure without refrigeration. It is a good and inexpensive way to add some overall color since polymer clays come in many shades. It doesn't take much polymer clay to add a lot of color. It is also a good way to help you know when you have a complete mix. As soon as the color streaks are gone than you are good to go. Be careful not to add too much polymer clay though or you may not get a complete cure, or any cure for that matter, without the addition of heat. As an added benifit, the composite clay will now be platinum friendly.

Mask Making Tip#1

Preping a latex mask for painting

I have not found it necessary to clean a mask before painting when using a latex paint base or rubber cement based paints. Some mask makers say that latex paints do seem to adhere better to freshly cured masks. It seems reasonable, but I have personally not experienced a difference. This may be due to the fact that most of the masks I have painted have had some amount of filler in the casting compound used to make them. From my experience you do get a better adhesion to latex that has some amount of filler such as the RD-407 Mask compound. The only time I have ever seen latex de-laminate is when you have masks made of unfilled compounds.

Seaming a Latex Mask

Here is a great tip I just learned from mask maker, Jordu Schell. When seaming a mask, if you clean the seam or any defect area with a solution of citric acid, any wet latex you add to the area will stick like glue when dry. Normally, wet latex added to dry latex will have a tendancy to delaminate. By cleaning the area with cirtic acid you open the latex pours and dramtically lower the pH which creates the gluing effect.

Paint Adhesion

If you are having adhesions problems using FW inks you can try laying down a thin coat of clear latex paint base first. You can also use ubber cement paint which actually does checmically bite into the rubber and that can work as well. It is interesting to note that you can alternate between mask paints and rubber cement based paints without any difficulty.  The major concern with Mask Paint vs. rubber cement paint is toxicity. Rubber cement paint is toxic whereas Mask Paint is not.

more tips...