Gorehowl update and new project

Gorehowl is still in progress. Rivets have been cast and I am currently coating it in gesso to get a nice flat finish on the foam and worbla. Doing the coats and then sanding will take a while longer, but then it’s on to the fun painting part.

While I have been waiting for pain to dry and resin to set I decided to start an new project – a Fallout 4 laser pistol. I have done a lot of larger stuff and wanted to do something a bit smaller, although it’s still pretty big for a pistol!

20160814_170853

It’s been build in sections and will be assembled  near the end when final filling and sanding will be done.

 

Gorehowl update

This project is turning into a big learning experience , I think I’ve spent just as much time playing with materials as I have making.

These were the first back spikes I made by cutting out a basic shape then using a dremel to try and shape them. I wondered how they would turn out without covering them in worbla….this didn’t turn out very well. If I make make stuff from foam I’ll need more practice at doing this.

The second attempt worked a little better, although to blend and attach them with the rest of the axe I did cover them in worbla. A thought also occurred while covering them – why not try and shape some worlba over the skull I made. I messed the first one up but got the hang of it the second time and made a really good copy of it. The axe is starting to come together now. Just need to sand/glue the blade until I’m happy with it, add the resin rivets and tidy up some of the worbla joins.

It’s looking really brutal now 🙂

Gorehowl

While on the look out for new things to make a few months ago, I was playing the CCG Hearthstone. One weapon card available is a weapon called Gorehowl, a rather large orc axe and the card image and text got me curious (this is the second WOW prop I have made). I started looking for reference images and had gathered a few before I found this version by Kamui Cosplay.This and reading Bill Doran’s new Foamsmith book was pretty much my inspiration for making it from foam, plus I have only made one foam prop before. It also used worbla which I hadn’t used before and wanted to give it a go. A blueprint was then made using some of the reference images and then scaled and printed.

I plan on adding and changing something to make it my own such as more swirls cut into the axe head and angular spikes.

20160730_174159

 

Phaser Rifle mold making and casting

The phaser rifle is nearly complete but ran into a little difficulty with producing the  orange section on the top of the scope. Here is my experience of creating molds and resin casts first by myself, then looking for help ……..

I wanted to make this part from resin but had never done a mold  from silicone and produced a resin cast, this was going to be a learning experience. First I made the master part from 3mm foamex, filled and sanded it.

My first two attempts at creating a molds:

  1. the first was a basic one part mold made from silicone putty – I mixed up some and then pushed the master into the putty and built up the sides. The top was left exposed to pore in the resin. The sides of the cast were fine but top wasn’t flat and didn’t fully set- possibly due to being exposed to dust.
  2. next I tried using liquid silicone to create another one part mold with only the thinnest back part of the master exposed.  I created a box from card and hot glue to hold it. Some wire was used to  hold the master in place from the top while the silicone set. When it had the resin was pored in…. next day when I came back and found the resin had bonded to the silicone :-/

What had gone wrong? Well reading the instructions would have been useful, but I learned from forums and videos that  it is best to post cure the mold and then apply a mold release to it.

Using the remnants of previous molds, a little extra silicone and the tip I had picked up, the third mold and cast turned out perfectly 🙂

Finished pictures of the Phaser are coming soon.

Useful links:

http://www.therpf.com/

http://punishedprops.com/molding-and-casting/

 

 

 

Fury’s Song COD Black Ops 3 WIP

A few months ago Man at Arms Reforged (a team of Blacksmith’s who feature on the AWE Me You Tube Channel – here) made a version of Fury’s Song from COD Back Ops 3.

I knew I had to have a go at making my own. I had tried mdf on my Thunderfury build and wanted something a bit more lightweight. I decided to have ago at making it from 0.8mm foamex which should be light and pretty strong. I also want the center section to light up and cover then grip in Worbla which I have never used before.

20160717_153919

It currently needs finishing and painting. A full build process will be up soon