Layout Party II
Thanks for the compliments everyone. This project is really getting addictive. I’m beginning to like this Layout party thing, a lot. This project would’ve taken me half a year to get this far with out some pressure. This is a great motivator.
Next installment
I needed to put a lining of sorts inside of my river tunnel arch. I had an extra brick mold from a previous mold-making mission that was available for a project just like this one, so I was in pretty good shape, so far. I really didn’t take any measurements because I knew that I would have to rely on whatever cylindrical item I could find that would be close, would have to be good enough. So, after about ten minutes of searching and a handful of hopeful candidates I finally decided to go with the tube of silicon caulk.
This actually killed two birds with one stone because I was planning on using silicon for water effects and would have to have searched for it later on. As long as I don’t misplace it, I’m all right.
I knew that it was going to be a pain to bend the mold, wrap a piece of styrene over the open side of the mold and then tape it, I did it, but it wasn’t easy. Curving a mold is one thing, bending it 180 degrees and forming it into a horseshoe, well that’s another story. Semi stiff silicon rubber, small diameter plastic surfaces and greasy styrene (Vaseline from previous molding job) don’t stay still. Even if I had two extra hands, I don’t think it could have been any easier. All I could think about was a greased pig. I will have to do something different next time.
Looking at the pic below you’ll notice the cutout in the mold adjacent to the styrene. This is the sprue hole to pour the plaster. The mold was originally designed for flat-back service, not for bending around caulk tubes, so when I cut out the sprue hole I compromised the mold’s integrity and ended up with the mold kinking at the tube side. Come to think of it I should have turned the mold 90 degrees and poured as if filling a U from one leg. The stresses on that spot would be more natural and conducive to keeping the molding form correct. Next time.