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Question about using Ed Head 2.0 Armature filled with hot water to aid in demold
in General
I'm making a latex monster mask, using Monster Clay (medium) for the sculpt and Hydrocal for the mold. I'm using the Ed Head 2.0 Armature for the sculpt, which claims that you can fill it up with hot water after the Hydrocal sets to soften the clay to make release easier.
I want to do everything I can to make sure I have a successful demold, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever used a water-filled armature like this before and what their experience was? I would have to prop up the mold with the top of the head on the ground to fill the armature, and I'm wondering if the weight of the water could crack the top of the Hydrocal mold? Also it just seems like this could be a disaster to maneuver with how heavy it will be. And also, will the hot water even soften the monster clay that much to be worth it?
I scoured the internet for videos/reviews on if anyone has every done this and is it worth the effort but couldn't find anything, so hoping someone here could offer some advice. Thanks!
I want to do everything I can to make sure I have a successful demold, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever used a water-filled armature like this before and what their experience was? I would have to prop up the mold with the top of the head on the ground to fill the armature, and I'm wondering if the weight of the water could crack the top of the Hydrocal mold? Also it just seems like this could be a disaster to maneuver with how heavy it will be. And also, will the hot water even soften the monster clay that much to be worth it?
I scoured the internet for videos/reviews on if anyone has every done this and is it worth the effort but couldn't find anything, so hoping someone here could offer some advice. Thanks!
0
Answers
I've not had the opportunity to use the new Ed Head 2.0, but from what I understand it should work just fine. Your concerns are valid, and I would try a few things to reduce risk. When setting things up to fill the armature I would make sure your mold is supported as much as possible, and likely padded with towels or foam. I would then add hot water and let it sit for a while to soften the clay, drain it, and repeat if desired. Before attempting to demold I would drain the armature again so you are not having to handle all that extra weight.
Best of luck, and please let us know how it goes!
/Chris
For anyone it might help, I first tried demolding without adding hot water to the armature. The back popped off easily, which makes sense since the back of the mold was nearly featureless since I'm going to cover with a wig. The front would not budge, and I did the demold about an 1.5 hr after I finished the mold so it was still a little warm from the Hydrocal setting. I filled the armature with 1 kettle of boiling water + hot tap water and let it sit for about 20 min. Because the back half of the mold was off, I could gauge how warm the clay was getting, and after 20 min it was very soft and pliable. Just to be safe, I siphoned out the hot water and refilled with another kettle of boiling water + hot tap water. After about 10 min, I noticed some give when I put a wooden tool between the armature and the mold, so I siphoned out the water to drain and, with a little effort, was able to pop off the front of the mold with no damage. Very happy right now!
Awesome! So glad the demolding process went smoothly for you. I hope you can share your character with us when it's done!
/Chris