Help with casting foam for a puppet

[TML]

Hey ladies n gents, this summer, a friend and I have been working on a Miss Piggy head beginning with a clay sculpture. We are now at the point of making a mold and casting it out of foam, but we're kinda stumped. Making the mold is the easy part, but can you create a plug so you don't have to hollow it out? Has anyone here used a cold cast foam that works well on puppets? Any help is appreciated.

 

[TML]

No one?

 

[propologist]

No one?

Hi TML,
Well it is not as easy as just pouring it in to a mold. First off you need to decide which foam and which density that you want to use. Are you going to use a self skinning or are you going to coat the mold with a skin and then cast the foam. If you are going to cast foam that is not latex based you will need to seal the surface of the mold and use a mold release that will work with the foam you have chosen. The core/plug can be plaster or fiberglass just make sure it is keyed to the main mold. This also needs to be sealed and mold released as well. One of the most important things to be aware of is that all of these products give off gases that are not good for you. So do it in a well ventilated area. It can also be very messy so do not do it in your living room. Cold cast foam is also tricky as it can expand for 2 x its volume to as many as 20 x so think of that as you use it. I have had it shoot out of a mold and stick to the ceiling which is 20 feet up. Always wear a face shield when using cold cast foam. I do not want you to think that I am discouraging you just be safe when you use any of these products.

Mike