Step 2 - Mix and Pour and Wait and Mix and Pour and Wait

 Now I start the rubber mold making.

First I mix the two mold chemicals together in equal parts, and I now have 8-10 mins to paint it on the clay original before it becomes too thick.

 

 

 

This is the first coat of six. It is important to smear the rubber over the entire surface and with the brush ...  scrub it over every surface, and into every crack and crevice. This first coat picks up every little mark, and in my case fingerprints. This sets the surface texture of the final casting. 

If this coat does not set correctly, I will have to start over but I wont know until the entire mold is done, the ceramic shell is made and I cast my test piece.

Now I wait 90 mins. and add the second coat, wait 90 mins. next coat, etc. until all six coats are done. 

I am doing a single piece first just to get the timing correct with the mixing and coating times, as it is all according to room temp. and humidity. 

Note to other sculptors
No one told me when I was in high school that I should pay more attention in chemistry and geometry and physics classes because as a sculptor I would need to know what chemicals to mix for the molds, castings ... what chemicals to use and in what amount for color patinas and timing of the coats ... how much clay, metal and foam I will need for a piece based on size and shape ... for large sculptures indoors weight of the piece based on lbs./cu foot of the materials bronze vs. marble vs. granite... and the load limit of the floors it is sitting on ... outdoors I need to be aware of temperature extremes to determine which patina chemicals to use ... wind directions and speeds in a normal year for how much torque the sculpture will take and where and how many holes I need to have for the wind to go through ... if in a rainy and snowy environment I can't have areas where the water or snow will collect but will run off...

Tomorrow I will do the other two sculptures together if this one works out well.