Once the mold has been removed from the clay sculpture you can clean the surface of the mold with Isopropyl alcohol and a soft rag. Only do this if there is clay stuck to the plaster and has left an oily residue on the plaster. After you are satisfied that the mold is clean you will want to examine its surface for flaws. You need to look for air bubbles in the plaster, any more clay, any part of the mold surface that may have broken off during removal from the sculpture (this is rare but it does happen). If you find any air bubbles you will want to fill them with some wet plaster. Before you can do this, you will have to soak the mold in water. Let the mold absorb all the water it wants. The reason is that if the mold is left dry before the patch work is done, it will suck the water out of the wet plaster that you will use to fill the air bubble holes. This will leave you with weak plaster that will eventually come loose and break free of the air bubble holes that it is being used to fill.

If a part of the mold (the part with the detail) has broken off, you can try to re-attach it with a small amount of super glue then do any additional repair with wet plaster (remember to soak the mold after the glue has dried).

Before I use my molds, I make sure they are completely dry. That means little or no free water (as described in lesson 3) To do this, you can either let the mold sit for several days to a week, until it is dry or you can force dry the mold by putting in an oven at about 150 degrees F for 5 or 6 hours. You will know the mold is dry when it no longer feels cold and clammy. Of course, if you heat up the mold, you won't know if it's still cold and clammy until it has a chance to completely cool down. Another thing about dry plaster molds. You will know they are dry if you put your tongue on the mold surface and it sticks a bit. Don't let anyone catch you doing this though. They will accuse you of being romantically involved with your mold….

I like to close my mask molds with duct tape. Make sure the mold is closed completely before you tape it shut. Stretch the duct tape tight as you wrap it around the mold. I like to place one piece across the mold flange line then wrap the mold with the tape until I'm convinced it will stay shut during use. 8 or 9 wraps should do it but it's always better to be safe than sorry… Ever have a mold open that is full of latex? I have and It makes quite a mess.

I usually dust my molds with talcum powder before each use. This is optional but it helps protect the surface of the mold so that it will last longer. The theory is this: If latex sticks to the plaster mold, it will remove a very thin layer of the mold as it is removed. This will happen with each mask that you make. If you give the latex something else to stick to, it won't stick to the mold. So, by brushing on a thin coat of talcum into the mold, you are giving the latex something besides the mold plaster to stick to. Thus, you extend the life of the mold. Pretty neat huh…..

You will need to position the mold with the opening facing up. Make sure that the mold is secure and will not start to move as you pour the latex. I use this metal planter seen in the picture. Sometimes I use an empty 5 gallon bucket or a cardboard box. You might even want to make a simple stand out of wood or PVC tubing.

I try to always have enough latex on hand to completely fill the mold rather than resorting to pouring some latex in. Sloshing it around. Pouring it out then repeating the process 4 or 5 more times.

Pour the latex into the mold. Try to pour it in such as way as to not introduce air into the latex. Pour the latex at a steady rate. Once the mold is full, I let it set for 15 to 25 minutes depending on the mold material and the water content of the latex. Dense molds made out of Ultracal-30 or other hi strength hydrocal will take longer to absorb water out of the latex . Plaster is a very porous material that readily absorbs water. I've heard that some mask makers only leave their latex in the mold for a minute or less. Wow! That must be a really absorbent mold! Mine never act like that.. 15 to 25 minutes.

After the latex has set up to a thickness that you want, pour the rest of the latex out of the mold and back into the bucket. I like to set the mold on top of the bucket so the excess latex can run out. I will leave the mold on top of the bucket for 10 minutes to a half hour. I really don't time it… I will take the mold off the bucket then set it on the floor with the opening facing down so that any residual latex can still drip out. After an hour or so, I will turn the mold over, opening facing up. By now the latex will not be flowing. By turning the mold over you allow air to circulate in and around the mold. This will help the liquid content of the latex to evaporate faster. In order for the latex to become solid, the liquid within it must evaporate. If I'm in a hurry, I will help the process along by blowing hot air into the mold with a blow dryer. By doing this, you may be able to remove the latex slip in a few hours but it's really better to just let the stuff dry for at least 18 hours (it depends on the thickness of the latex slip and how well air can circulate in and out of the mold.

After 18 to 24 hours of dry time you should be able to feel that the latex is dry. You can carefully put your hand into the mold and touch the latex in the deepest part of it. If it feel wet or moist then it isn't dry yet. If it is dry you will probably notice that the latex is no longer stuck to the mold in certain areas. This is because the latex shrinks as it dries. The percentage is proportional to the thickness of the latex and the surface area of the mask. Generally speaking, the mask will shrink somewhere in the area of 5%.

Before you attempt to remove the latex slip from the mold you will want to dust it with talcum powder (baby powder). This will keep the latex from sticking to itself as you fold it in upon itself to get it out of the mold. Gently move your fingers between the latex slip and the mold surface, carefully peel the mold away from the plaster. Once the latex is released from the mold surface, gently collapse it and take it out of the mold. Once out of the mold, I like to put the fresh latex slip on a Styrofoam wig block for at least a few hours but usually a full day before doing anything else to it. This will give the latex a chance to completely dry out. It is important to store the latex slip in it's intended shape, not folded or laying on it's side. Never is this more important as when the latex slip is fresh since any fold in the surface of the slip will become permanent as the latex dried completely. If you don't plan on painting the mask right away, it is a good idea to cover it with a plastic bag and also to keep it out of sunlight. Grease from your fingers can deteriorate latex and so can ultraviolet light from the sun.

Now that you have the latex shell, you will want to paint it. Stay tuned for a new tutorial on painting.....

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