Project Kos-Mos

This is a page to show the progress of my most ambitious project. This character is from Xenosaga I the android weapons system named Kos-mos. The photos below are the early clay work for the mask. Hee hee I must give credit to the studio making this mask for me Fantesca. 

Below is the mask makers own words on how the mask is made. I hope this provides those with a intrest in making there own mask how to go about it.

First, the sculpture, as approved, is smoothed as much as possible, with hands, rollers, bruches, whatever.  I think it's called 'burnishing the clay."  Makes it nicer.
Then, a wall, or dam, is placed right down the middle, as shown here.  This is where the two halves of the mold will separate. (Note the divit where the ear will attach.)
Then, one side is gel-coated with a brush, to give a decent sandable layer inside the mold.
1)What is that fibrous cloth stuff you
put on with the resin?  Did it come with the resin? 
 
The cloth is fiberglass STRAND MAT, which is sold separately from the resin.  I don't advise using "woven cloth" for masks, strand mat works better for all the odd angles and curves.
 
2)What is the gel-
coat stuff you used to coat the clay before applying the resin? 
 
Gel coat is a jellied form of resin, making it not runny, and more sandable.  The easiest thing to look for is called BONDO RESIN JELLY which comes in a dark green container.
 
3) Where did you get this stuff at? (hardware, boating supply, auto parts
store, etc.
 
All of this stuff can come from an auto parts store, or even the auto section of Wal-Mart, except for the MOLD RELEASE AGENT.  The only place to get the release agent supplies is through a fiberglassing supply dealer, such as www.fiberglast.com  Mold release agent and wax are very important in keeping the mold from sticking to the mask.  You will need PARTING WAX and PVA mold release agent. to finish the inside of your mold before you try to make a mask in it, otherwise it will permanently stick and ruin the mold and the work you have done creating it. It is not necessary to wax and PVA the original clay sculpture before making a mold on it, but a thin coating of PETROLEUM JELLY (vaseline) does make it a lot easier to remove the clay from the inside of the new mold.
 
There is an online brochire that is very helpful to beginners here:
 
  www.fibreglast.com/ contentpages-mold+construction-170.html
 
This outlines the basic steps needed to make a mold and to make a part from a mold. 
 

 

I like to completely finish one side before starting the next, so the next thing is resin:

Then building up of resin saturated cloth over the whole thing.

Until it's covered well and thick, even up onto the dam, which will be a bolt-flange

Then, do it all on the other side, and let it cure hard.

Then, you mold is made... basically, but it still has 30 pounds of clay in it, and it rough edged and still unsurfaced.  First, trim off the excess crap with a large power saw... Time to wedge it open and remove the clay  The original sculpture is destroyed, yet permanently memorialized by the mold.

Then after the very tedious process of removing the clay, and the day-long job of surfacing the inside of the mold, you get it prepared for casting the mask, (wax coats and mold release agent, drill holes, bolts, etc...)

And finally its done! (The mold, at least...)

Then, you build the actual mask inside this mold, through the opening you left in back (the head opening)
It's about the same process as the mold itself, gelcoat, resin, cloth etc.. And if all goes well, out comes a mask when you separate the halves again.  It needs a bit of scrim removal and sanding, and occasionally some spot-work, but usually ends up like the sculpture .  Here's the (Kos-Mos) mask with a rough test-coat of paint:  In shape, an exact dupe of the sculpture..... 

 

The base mask is finished!

Well, on to the rest of the headgear pieces! I've got to use this shell to make sure the headgear is correct. 

Here are 2 photos of the finished head gear for Kos-mos. The mask and head gear are ready to be painted and the wig attached.

These 2 photos are test photos for how the eyes will look. The wig is not in its final form as yet. The mask is getting closer to done.

Author Yuri Tsukino
Copyright © 2005 [Yuris Kigurumi Paradise]. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 05, 2006

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