Should I use a stone core or resin core?

Ashley Bosworth

I'm molding this cowl and going to run this in foam latex. Unfortunately, I sculpted this on a Monster Maker's resin core, which I'm not sure if it will distort if I bake it. I don't have an oven, so I was wondering if it would be possible to bake it outside because it's pretty much summer here. I live in Massachusetts and there's A LOT of humidity. Is this something that would work? Can I cure this outside in this core and will the core potentially be ok and not distort? Will the humidity affect it? Or should I cut the cowl apart and transfer it to a cast of the core in stone?

Chris Ellerby

The baking temp for foam latex is around 160°F (up to around 185°F) which is not super hot.  I would reach out to Monster Makers and ask them about the core material and what temperatures it can withstand.  Foam latex can also be baked at lower temperatures for a longer period of time.  I'd check with the manufacturer of your foam latex formula and see how low it can bake if you discover the core may not like the default recommended temperature ranges.

Working on a stone core can help avoid temperature concerns, and can even help wick moisture out of the foam to help it cure, but running foam in epoxy/fiberglass/silicone molds is increasingly common.

As far as humidity goes, that is a concern for mixing the foam, and I believe it also needs to be taken into account for baking.  I don't work much with foam latex, and I'm in a low humidity environment, so I can't say what variables would need to change based on the humidity level.  The manufacturer may have more info on that.

Here's the info for Monster Makers foam, which covers the baking process: https://www.monstermakers.com/content/pdfs/MMFoaminstructions.pdf

Awesome looking sculpt by the way!

/Chris

Ashley Bosworth

Awesome! I'll see what the company says and hopefully I won't have to rip my sculpt apart! Thank you!