Help! Moldmaking- how to mold an eel?

For the most part, I agree with what Chris said. Except, I would mould the interior of the mouth seperately. This will help allow you to detail the mouth more intricately, AND avoid some serious undercuts. Also, by doing so, you could use the mouth opening as your pour spout, without altering the body.

Depending on how thick you want the latex skin, you might consider making the mould out of White Hydrocal instead of Ultracal-30. Ultracal-30 is very dense. Therefore, it will not create as thick a latex skin. White Hydrocal is much more porous, allowing the mould to suck up more moisture, quicker. This will in turn create a thicker latex skin. That being said, Ultracal-30 is a more durable "stone", which makes it ideal for casting foam latex, ('just not an ideal material for slip-casting regular latex). White Hydrocal on the other hand is the hardest, most durable "plaster" available. It is what is traditionally used for casting latex halloween masks.

Now, to clarify the difference between "plaster", and "stone". White Hydrocal is a plaster, like Plaster of Paris, but MUCH stronger. Ultracal-30 is clasified as a stone, (it contains a small portion of plaster, (approx. 40% plaster), and a much larger proportion of Portland Cement, (approx. 60% Cement). The exact proportions are a trade secret, (but, this is the general jist. I know this can get a bit technical, but it is an important difference.

In regards to the underskull, (if you'd rather avoid fiberglass & polyester resin), you might try "Worbla", which is a "thermo-setting plastic" sheet, 'favored by a lot of co-players. All you would need, equipment-wise, would be a heat gun, scissors, and maybe a box-knife. Best of all, it is very non-toxic, (unlike polyestesr resin).

For the eyes, if you want to install them seperately, rather than have them be a cast part of the latex skin, I would recommend checking out "Van Dyke's Taxidermy". They have a wide assortment of painted, glass eyes, that look pretty good, and are very affordable. At the very least, if that does not interest you, I would still recommend getting their print catalog. It can be a great resource for inspirations, for possible paint schemes, to make your creature look more real.

In regards to the number of mould pieces, I would think a simple two-piece mould would work well for the creature's main body, (split right up the middle, left-side & right-side). And, of course, a seperate, one piece, open mould for the mouth interior, (essentially, the mould would be kind of bowl-shaped). I would also suggest making a seperate mould for any, and all fins. (You could directly model the fins onto the finished puppet. But, if you intend to make more than one casting of your creature, moulded fins will allow better consistancy.)

Keep up the good work. It looks like it has a lot of potential!

-Jeffrey Warren Park

'My appologies. I made the assumption that you were located in the USA.

Unfortunately, I don't know much about the plasters & stones available in Europe. I believe there is a close equivalent to White Hydrocal, in Britain, called Crystacal. It may be worth contacting some of the suppliers there. They would be able to give a better answer to what you can find, closer to where you live. Also, you might want to contact Kryolan. Being based in Germany, even if they don't carry what you need, they should definately be able to refer you to more local resources.