This project is very experimental for me for a number of different reasons. Most notably for the materials I'm using. I've chosen to use Flex-iT! V (5lbs per. sq. ft). This is an expandable soft urethane foam made by Smooth-on, and, although I trust smooth-on products implicitly whenever I try something for the first time, there is always a learning curve.
First thing first. Pictured here is the original knife carving (primed in white) and a few of the supplies I picked up to get the project rolling. This is not intended to be a replica prop from a movie or game; it's just a design that I sketched out and then carved out of a 4x4 chunk of scrap wood. Keeping it simple for the first go.
This photo shows the beginnings of the mold box. It's constructed out of 1/2 inch MDF (medium density fiberboard) laminated together with Gorilla Glue to create sturdy 1 inch thick walls. This will serve as a structure to pour the silicone rubber into and also as a mother mold later on down the road.
I have a habit of rushing projects sometimes when I get too excited about them which makes me much more likely to screw them up. I've found that pacing myself is much easier when I take the time to plan things out extensively and label things as I go. It helps me keep my work space neat, my progress consistent, and, most of all, it allows me the time to troubleshoot problems I think I might run into and figure out ways to avoid them preemptively. Here you can see I've marked the MDF pieces so I don't loose track of how they will be glued together.
Here I've clamped the end pieces together. To make sure the smaller section is centered, I've used two scrap chunks of MDF as spacing guides at the edges.
After the side walls of the box were finished, I used some left-over paint to seal the edges. This was arguably unnecessary, but it could potentially serve to extend the lifespan of the box. So, being given the opportunity, I took it.
A short note about my hobbies:
I get bored very easily, and I think most of my hobbies are a byproduct created by the attempt to stave off that boredom. One of my most beloved hobbies is Sidereus live role playing. The beautiful (and daunting) thing about this game is its limitless potential to be fuel for projects like this one. As the staff member in charge of prop building for this game, I'll tend to focus most of the content on this page to be Sidereus related. My hope is that it may prompt people to learn more about Sidereus as well as inspire our current players to try out and share some projects of their own.
