Best materials to source
Hi all,
First-time hair puncher here, hoping for some guidance from people with more experience.
I'm working on a sculptural art piece (a wall-mounted, servo-driven dog tail, not a costume or doll) and I've poured a test swatch using Transil 5A from Barnes Products (Shore A5, platinum cure, 8-10 min work time). I'm planning to punch dog hair (sourced as clippings from a groomer, so no root ends) into it using barbed felting/rooting needles.
My question: given how soft Shore A5 is, has anyone worked with a silicone this soft for punching? I'm concerned it might tear too easily around the punch points, especially since the finished piece needs to survive repeated flexing (it's mounted on a servo mechanism that moves it). Would you stick with something this soft, or is there a firmer product you'd recommend for a piece that needs to hold up over time?
Also open to any general beginner tips on the loop/fold punching method for hair without root ends, if anyone's willing to share. Thanks in advance for any advice - really appreciate this community.
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