MOLD MAKING PROBLEM SOLVING

Tom LucaTom Luca ✭✭
edited September 3 in Lab work
Any LAB TECHNICIANS in an Art Department here know the solution to this problem? See that blue silicone mold by Smooth-On? Well, my Lab gang at IMAGINATION WORKSHOP STUDIO needs to make a silicone mold or two of this set piece (the 2 photographs pictured) to cast many (10-20) for a real-world "used-look" of mesh flooring inside of a space freighter for a proof of concept short film sequence. To solve the problem of not needing thousands of dollars casting hundreds of these things we're going to use a gigantic mirror to give the illusion of the corridor looking like it's a mile long. An old trick I learned from a Production Designer Peter Lamont in England that worked on the movie ALIENS (1986). Pure Genius. 

Comments

  • Chris EllerbyChris Ellerby Admin
    Based on the part design, mold making and casting seems like it might not be the right fit.  You could save a lot of money by going with laser-cut or CNC-cut parts.

    My advice would be to laser cut or CNC cut sheets of acrylic into strips, each with notches that are half the strip deep.  When combined they would form your grid.  The ends of each strip could have a tab that inserts into an outer border strip that has slits in it that correspond to the tabs.

    Otherwise, you could make a large silicone block mold of your original part and cast copies that way, if you feel you could not get the desired result using laser/CNC, cut pieces.

    /Chris
  • Tom LucaTom Luca ✭✭
    Chris Ellerby said:
    Based on the part design, mold making and casting seems like it might not be the right fit.  You could save a lot of money by going with laser-cut or CNC-cut parts.

    My advice would be to laser cut or CNC cut sheets of acrylic into strips, each with notches that are half the strip deep.  When combined they would form your grid.  The ends of each strip could have a tab that inserts into an outer border strip that has slits in it that correspond to the tabs.

    Otherwise, you could make a large silicone block mold of your original part and cast copies that way, if you feel you could not get the desired result using laser/CNC, cut pieces.

    /Chris
    Hi Chris, Thank you, well although the majority of studios or shops these days seem to be housing CNC and/or Laser Cutting machines, and every new toy that comes out of production, my company's division IWS hasn't anything like 'em yet. Just good ol' fashion equipment, tools, and supplies and techniques used for centuries, although we do keep up with what's out there. Maybe someday our bottom line revenue will catch up to all the Jones's to allow us to purchase new toys? But I don't see it happening anytime in the near future. But great idea though, just the timing is off is all. Since you confirm that we could in fact make a large silicone "block mold", which is fine for our budget, we'll do that. And I feel more at ease now, Thank you. And give my best to all at SWSCA. You are a big help. 
  • Alexander HAlexander H ✭✭✭
    I'm curious - why not purchase steel floor grating? Perhaps you have a specific need to mold and cast it, but it seems like it'd be cheaper/more time efficient to buy some. Also, are you going to be walking on it? If so, can the resin casts not only handle the weight, but also the wear and tear over time?
  • Tom LucaTom Luca ✭✭
    Alexander H said:
    I'm curious - why not purchase steel floor grating? Perhaps you have a specific need to mold and cast it, but it seems like it'd be cheaper/more time efficient to buy some. Also, are you going to be walking on it? If so, can the resin casts not only handle the weight, but also the wear and tear over time?
    Well, Alexander, that's good that you're curious and you are correct in that the real thing would be easier and less costly, but before you jump into solutions for this problem you should question whether or not this project will be on a film. If it is, which it will be, as a Production Designer and Special Visual Effects Supervisor I must take into consideration if there will be Stunts and Actors performing stunts on this picture. In which case there is a scene in the script where a female space freighter crew member is running scared and falls to her face knocking herself unconscious and a transition reveals her waking up and the ship in silence with a creature lurking about. Well, we can't have the Actress getting hurt on set now can we? Can't film that stunt on actual steel grating, could we? No. That's why we need to cast resin set pieces and some expanding foam set pieces. To cushion her fall so we can avoid hospital bills and legal issues. We're going to use clear or transparent polycarbonate underneath the grate corridor flooring to strengthen it for walking on. It's a bit costly but not as costly as lawyers fees and hospital bills and career pitfalls. As for wear and tear over time? It will hold up and we won't be filming with it for months unless the proof of concept gets financial capital to make the rest of the film as a feature. In which case I'll have my gang whip up more in the IWS shop. I hope this answers your questions and Thank you for taking part in it.
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