the best foam layex tutorial. so thorough and informative. and amazing how you touched upon issues my main issue is I have a prosthetic that is a fibreglass mould, I brush in foam latex, slowly close.but have to drill screws to lock in. I tap on table to reduce air bubbles. and I still get loads . it is reptile texture. and struggling to get good details. I've also tried not tapping. I do similar mix to yours but nowadays I've tried adding distilled water to try to be slight funnier to fill horn areas. no matter what I tweak and change it seems to have major air bubbles . can you advise
Honestly mate, i don't know if you still read those comment. I mean, it's been 4 years. But really, thank you. I'm creatings stuffs and i want to learn new techniques, hoping maybe one day i'll be able to make a living out of that. My lack of experience is real, and i feel like i really should look over to those techniques you're demonstrating on this video. This is such a pleasure to find someone on the internet who's passionate, and who's explaining, giving advice... Feel like i'm gonna need it, this world looks really huge, filled with stuff you have to know to work properly. But, hey, i'm gonna do it. Thank you. Really.
As everyone has said this is a great and descriptive video. Thanks alot for the help. I do have a question when i run foam the volume increases about as much as yours but I cant pour it like you do its way more viscous any tips? From reading the comments an update/faq video would be greatly appreciated by alot of people me included Thanks so much
Thank you so much for your tutorials. Its so helpfull. But my problem is, im just have an latex liquid. Did any ways/chemicals to make my latex foaming and cured. Because in my country hard to buy latex foamer.
I really am glad I found this and I recognise you from a friend of mine who works for you in Hong Kong ( Elena). I am still quite new to foam running and its interesting the different nuances foam runners have in their methods. This was very educational and kind of you to record. More thorough than anything else I have checked out My friend Rob Smith here in the UK likes to add his pigment in with the gelling agent so you are able to see that all the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly rather than at the beginning with the base, foaming and curing agent.
I also have considered adding it to the gelling agent for precisely that reason. I chose not to as I was not sure that a Ph shift that late in the process would not interfere with the batch in some way. I also like tinting the whole 5 gallon bucket so that it is all very evenly pigmented and predictable. I am glad you found the tutorial informative and useful. Also, we love Elena here. She is so much fun and an incredibly hard worker.
@@toxicimagestudios9547 Thanks for explaining the whole pH shift thing to me , I'll pass that on. I have realised I was doing a few things wrong from this tutorial and I'll apply them to my runs tonight. Do you have an Instagram handle where Ican find you? .. Would you mind me messaging you for some advice if you do? I know you are incredibly busy out there but I would be very appreciative. You have a unique perspective in my experience I haven't quite encountered until now .
Thenoncrapulentfool I am not 100% sure that it will effect the Ph balance. Many years ago (maybe 15?) I was having some issues with my foam. I called and spoke with Gil Moscoe (creator do GM Foam... before Burman bought it and it went downhill) and one of the questions he asked was at what point I was adding my pigment. I told him it was at the beginning and he said that was fine. That always stuck with me all these years, so I have never really tried to add it at the end. In all honesty it may be fine, but from Gil’s comments I always kind of had a mental note in the back of my mind that it may be problematic... so I have avoided it.
if you are referring to a hand turned egg mixer then no, that would not work. You wont get enough speed to get the rise you want and you wont be able to maintain an even speed whilst refining to avoid bubbles. You should use an electric mixer for sure.
You would need a lot of it, but I dont see why it could not be used for those things. Just make sure to wash it well to remove any residual sulphur smell before using it
Hi i know this vid is quite a few years old now but hoping you can give some recommendations... I'm having a really hard time with the smell, is there anything I can apply to the foam latex to eliminate or at least minimize it? Thank you in advance!
Hi Samantha. The smell comes from both the ammonia used to maintain a liquid state and the sulfur needed for the foam to cure. For a while I used to add some vanilla essence to my foam to mitigate the smell… but the price rise made that cost prohibitive for me. If you can afford it it works well
Thank you thank you thank you! Awesome video. Quick question- I’m having trouble with air pockets, and most of those reasons were sorted out by watching this vid. However I’ve run two batches of foam that cured beautifully, but they look much thicker than yours- almost like a merengue. Should I cut down on my mix time at high speed? I also have minuscule gelling time- so I’m planning on cutting back my gelling agent. Thanks!!
I have run foam that has turned out much less runny in the past. This mostly happened with GM Foam as their base became incredibly inconsistent from batch to batch. It is easier to get air pockets with thicker foam as it does not flow as well through the mold to the overflow. You can purchase a flow increaser from your foam manufacturer if you want to reduce the viscosity. The problem with whipping it less is that the foam becomes less soft. It will also give you longer gel time as you wont have whipped out as much ammonia during the running process. Those are choices that only you can make. I hope this helped :)
Thanks a lot for all the very useful information! I have and older oven that bakes as low as 100 degrees. Could I use that you think? Also, is it possible to mix less product to do just one prosthetic at a time?
I never have, but I am also sure I have killed some of the few active brain cells I had left with the ammonia fumes. I dont know anyone who wears a respirator to run foam, but if you feel more comfortable doing it then do what makes you feel better
Lots of great tips! Thanks! When doing a full head mold do you put the mold in the oven on the face, back of head or standing straight on the shoulders when baking?
It really depends on how you have structured your mold. If you are filling a mold that does not bolt the eyes of the core to the mold then usually you will bake it face down as the weight of the core will give better edges. That is how I fill and bake my ultra cal full head molds. I will be making a video covering this soon.
@@toxicimagestudios9547 Thanks for the reply! I had another question. I am looking at the monster makers foam latex instructions and it says 170g of base is enough for one medium sized full faced appliance. Should I double the base because it's a whole head or should I go somewhere in between?
@@FrozenShield it is really hard to say as it depends entirely on the sculpt and how much rise you get with your foam run. My philosophy is to run more than I think I will need and have extra molds standing by that I can fill with the extra foam. This always made more sense to me than hoping I had enough and possibly wasting the entire run by failing to fill the mold. At least for the first run. It is your choice entirely, bu those are my thoughts on it
Thanks for the video recommendation! This is very helpful. One question, you say something about needing to cook off the extra moisture the first time you use an ultracal mold, how long does it need to bake for? Thanks again :)
I buy it from one of monster .makers distributors in Los Angeles and have it shipped out to me. You can go straight to monster makers and order it or find a local distributor near you.
it really depends on what material your molds are made out of. Ultracal 30 molds can be baked at a much higher temperature for a shorter period of time. Epoxy or fibreglass molds need low temperature for longer periods. I bake at around 135oF for 7 hours. If the room is very cold in winter it can take an extra hour. In summer when the room is warmer it takes about 6 hours as it does not lose the time it takes to get the oven up to temperature. Ultracal molds can easily handle 165oF-175oF for around 4 hours. Just be sure to allow the molds to cool down in the oven for at least an hour before you take them out otherwise they can crack
I'm actually getting started with all of this but I couldn't find a video for foam latex prosthetics until now. Thank you for posting this! also, does it matter the kind of oven used for baking the prosthetic? because i have a gas oven and I don't know if that would work.
Thank you so much for this! Really helpful! I was wondering if you could use any oven to run foam? I have no idea how to get that big of an oven but I have a gas oven that’s pretty big with dimensions 120x55x70 cm , would that work?
no no.... if you use a regular oven you will risk ruining your molds. I bake my foam at about 130oF. you can go up to around 160oF but you risk steam laking and burning out your molds. You want a low temperature convection oven. I usually just build my own. I will be doing a video on this shortly
Hi, Thank you for the informative video tutorial I was curious about your oven you are using to bake the foam latex in and maybe if you can ellabyon it’s construction; I’m hoping to possibly make an affordable oven to bake in my laundry room where the fumes won’t creep into my home. My shop doesn’t run a lot of foam at the moment so I’m looking to build something that can bake at least on or two face molds. Thanks again! 👻🎃❤️
The easiest and cheapest oven you can make is a plywood box with insulation board lining it. Put in a shelf (I used a BBQ grill for my first oven) and then throw a heat gun in the bottom not facing the molds. You dont want to get a hot spot on a mold where it will over bake that area or damage your mold. The fan in the heat gun will produce a convention effect. I used this method for years. You can regulate the temperature by craking the hinged door a little to let out a controlled amount of heat. It is not a safe option if you are leaving the house though. I have two ovens constructed differently that I use. I might do a video which covers them and the various elements. One uses heat lamps and the other a pancake griddle. I plan to construct another larger oven when I return from Hong Kong in November after my 3 month annual gig there. I will probably make a video of that
Thank you for the video! It is really good and helps a lot with the latex issues! I have one question only, the tint that you put in to the running latex what it's made from? Is it acrylic paint or alcohol based or anything special? Thnx!
I use the foam latex pigments made by GM. It is the only thing I use from them anymore. I used to ONLY run GM foam back when it was run by Gil but since Burman bought him out their foam has gone downhill in my opinion. Anyway, I have a recipe I use for a custom tint color for my pieces. I have found that the straight out of the bottle coolers look too pink or too orange.
How do you make master copies of your sculpts? With normal latex you need to up the size a bit to account for shrinkage. If you create a master latex copy of each sculpt I would imagine the positive you press into the mold to cast foam latex would be too big to fit.
I also have a smaller oven (roughly 3ft cubed) which I heat using heat lamps. You can then run them through a dimmer switch to increase or decrease the temperature
Hi first off thank you for the video it was very help full ^^ However i have a small problem when i try mixing foam latex myself and was hoping you might be able to help me. I tried using the same brand as in the video, but when i mixed the components together i ended up with a creamy latex rather then it still being liquid, and therefore i can not pour it. Do you have any idea as to what might be the reason for this? Hope you can help ^^
I would need some more information from you before being able to offer any suggestions. What was the viscosity of the latex base like when you poured it in the bowl? Was it thick or fairly thin? Did you shake it really well? How much rise did you get on your batch during the run? Often if you whip it up really high it can form almost a meringue like consistency and you need to spatulate it out of the bowl. What was the size of the batch you ran (grams of base)?
@@toxicimagestudios9547 I tried making a batch of both 150 grams base and one of 37,5 grams (so a fourth of the recommended amount of all components). Both had the same creamy consistency, but the 150 grams one did start to set slower then the smaller batch which i suspect is because the batch was bigger and therefore had less exposure to air overall. The latex base seems fairly thin when i pour it and made sure to shake all the components well before use. The foaming agent looked quiet lumpy when i first opened it but after shaking it, it eventually also became liquidy. The creamy consistency came after i began mixing it together. Wiped it for 11 minutes overall (ish) and had i guess at least dubbe (if not close to three times) the volume i had before wiping it. I'll try cutting back on the mixing time as i guess this could be the issue?
@@marianne7272 sorry, I just found this reply. When you say creamy, do you mean it is thick and not runny? It sounds like you whipped it a lot, which will give you nice soft foam but it makes it difficult to get into all the details and can cause some air pockets as ot does not flow so well when placing the core into the mold. The way you can fix this is to a) don't whip so long (this will slow the gelling time), b) add less foaming agent (this will speed up the gelling time) or c) add some flow increaser to make it runnier (this will slow the gelling time). Most brands I have used of Foam Latex have their own brand of flow increaser. You CAN also add a small amount of distilled water to do the same thing if you like, but it can cause shrinkage and other issues if you add too much. Hope this helps
Thank you, finally an in depth video on foam! One question - do you put the molds in the oven already at temperature or with the oven off, put them in, then turn it on?
@@toxicimagestudios9547 thank you! Is there a reason you couldn't just wait for it to fully gel and then put it in the oven? I read you can actually cure foam without heat but it takes a LONG time 🤔
@@amyi5914 you absolutely can leave it as long as you want before baking. Ideally you want your foam to gel within about 10 minutes so as to avoid pin holes etc. having said that, it won’t hurt it to sit for weeks before you bake it. It is true that after a very long time it will finally cure. I have no idea exactly how long, I just know that after a few months when I break out my large injection gun after not using it the foam is cured. You can also leave the molds in the boot of your car (trunk for you American speakers) during hot weather and it will also cure it. May take a couple of days though. For me, I wait until the foam that squishes out around the core is fully gelled. I then throw it in the oven and walk away, usually to go to bed lol. I need to turn my molds around a couple of times a day and so I don’t have time to really wait around. I rarely have any problems.
The foam latex should pretty much gel and then you can just peel it off anything non fabric tht it gets on. It is pretty easy to clean off everything. You can use paper towel and wipe it off still wet, but that wastes paper towel and is messy
I use a sunbeam mixmaster. Any mixer that does not have a motorized base where the bowl turns can be back bowled. So for example, a kitchenaid mixer locks the bowl in place and the beaters rotate around the bowl. I know people who use these with great success... I don’t like them myself, but it just comes down to personal preference really. I am very much a creature of habit lol.
should be the same. All depends on how fast your desired rise is obtained, but that will only effect the speed breakdown (refining times). I usually dont change my times according to batch size. It is more to do with temperature of the environment
what if I'm using BJB1630 mold, could it be run foam latex to create soft prosthetic masks? As I am using the BJB1630 mold for running the foam latex, but couldn't comes out with the good result, even it cannot be in use too. So wondering is there any recommendations for me please?
The molds in this video are made from different materials. I believe they are mostly either TC1630 or Epoxy. I have made videos covering how to make both types on molds on here. I have not yet covered working with Ultracal but will be doing that once I get back from my current 3 month gig in Hong Kong.
I have many molds that are just BJB 1630. The foam comes out fine. Anytime you run foam in a non porous mold it will come out a little wet, as the moisture has nowhere to escape to. This can lead to steam lakes if you bake at too hot of a temperature. I bake at around 130oF for about 6 hours.
Not nearly as bad as you might think. The benefit of this is that you are able to precisely replicate the make up as many times as you need to. Also, build up moves poorly and does not have the same detail or finish to it. It depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Thank you so much for this video! It’s so hard finding a foam latex tutorial that’s descriptive
You're very welcome :) If there is anything else you would like to know please leave comments on any of the videos
ExcellentbVideo !! You are about the only video that shows Foam Latex mixing Thank you for doing this !! Keep Foam Latex Alive !!
the best foam layex tutorial. so thorough and informative. and amazing how you touched upon issues
my main issue is I have a prosthetic that is a fibreglass mould, I brush in foam latex, slowly close.but have to drill screws to lock in. I tap on table to reduce air bubbles. and I still get loads . it is reptile texture. and struggling to get good details. I've also tried not tapping. I do similar mix to yours but nowadays I've tried adding distilled water to try to be slight funnier to fill horn areas. no matter what I tweak and change it seems to have major air bubbles . can you advise
Honestly mate, i don't know if you still read those comment. I mean, it's been 4 years.
But really, thank you. I'm creatings stuffs and i want to learn new techniques, hoping maybe one day i'll be able to make a living out of that. My lack of experience is real, and i feel like i really should look over to those techniques you're demonstrating on this video.
This is such a pleasure to find someone on the internet who's passionate, and who's explaining, giving advice... Feel like i'm gonna need it, this world looks really huge, filled with stuff you have to know to work properly. But, hey, i'm gonna do it.
Thank you. Really.
I always read comments, mate... thanks for the kind words 🙂
As everyone has said this is a great and descriptive video. Thanks alot for the help.
I do have a question when i run foam the volume increases about as much as yours but I cant pour it like you do its way more viscous any tips?
From reading the comments an update/faq video would be greatly appreciated by alot of people me included
Thanks so much
Very good tutorial. Where can I purchase facial feature molds or learn how to make them??
Thank you so much for your tutorials. Its so helpfull. But my problem is, im just have an latex liquid. Did any ways/chemicals to make my latex foaming and cured. Because in my country hard to buy latex foamer.
thanks for a well done detailed informative tutorial
are there generic positive face forms you can get for this process?
Is possible use a vacuum camber for clear bumbles?
You have any tips on how to make a foam latex oven staying at a certain temp of your liking?
I really am glad I found this and I recognise you from a friend of mine who works for you in Hong Kong ( Elena). I am still quite new to foam running and its interesting the different nuances foam runners have in their methods. This was very educational and kind of you to record. More thorough than anything else I have checked out
My friend Rob Smith here in the UK likes to add his pigment in with the gelling agent so you are able to see that all the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly rather than at the beginning with the base, foaming and curing agent.
I also have considered adding it to the gelling agent for precisely that reason. I chose not to as I was not sure that a Ph shift that late in the process would not interfere with the batch in some way. I also like tinting the whole 5 gallon bucket so that it is all very evenly pigmented and predictable. I am glad you found the tutorial informative and useful. Also, we love Elena here. She is so much fun and an incredibly hard worker.
@@toxicimagestudios9547 Thanks for explaining the whole pH shift thing to me , I'll pass that on. I have realised I was doing a few things wrong from this tutorial and I'll apply them to my runs tonight. Do you have an Instagram handle where Ican find you? .. Would you mind me messaging you for some advice if you do? I know you are incredibly busy out there but I would be very appreciative. You have a unique perspective in my experience I haven't quite encountered until now .
Thenoncrapulentfool sure, no problem. Everything social media is under badassbodypaint... makes it easier
Unique perspective in what way?
Thenoncrapulentfool I am not 100% sure that it will effect the Ph balance. Many years ago (maybe 15?) I was having some issues with my foam. I called and spoke with Gil Moscoe (creator do GM Foam... before Burman bought it and it went downhill) and one of the questions he asked was at what point I was adding my pigment. I told him it was at the beginning and he said that was fine. That always stuck with me all these years, so I have never really tried to add it at the end. In all honesty it may be fine, but from Gil’s comments I always kind of had a mental note in the back of my mind that it may be problematic... so I have avoided it.
Great video, Josh!
thanks mate
I’m trying to build creatures just for funzies from my home, would a regular ol’ egg beater work or do I have to use a food mixer?
if you are referring to a hand turned egg mixer then no, that would not work. You wont get enough speed to get the rise you want and you wont be able to maintain an even speed whilst refining to avoid bubbles. You should use an electric mixer for sure.
Hello sir foam latex in this above video. Can it make latex pillow or latex mattress? Thank so much for your video ❤️💗💗💗💗💕
You would need a lot of it, but I dont see why it could not be used for those things. Just make sure to wash it well to remove any residual sulphur smell before using it
Wonderfully informative. Thank you for sharing.
Hi i know this vid is quite a few years old now but hoping you can give some recommendations... I'm having a really hard time with the smell, is there anything I can apply to the foam latex to eliminate or at least minimize it? Thank you in advance!
Hi Samantha. The smell comes from both the ammonia used to maintain a liquid state and the sulfur needed for the foam to cure. For a while I used to add some vanilla essence to my foam to mitigate the smell… but the price rise made that cost prohibitive for me. If you can afford it it works well
Thank you thank you thank you! Awesome video. Quick question- I’m having trouble with air pockets, and most of those reasons were sorted out by watching this vid. However I’ve run two batches of foam that cured beautifully, but they look much thicker than yours- almost like a merengue. Should I cut down on my mix time at high speed? I also have minuscule gelling time- so I’m planning on cutting back my gelling agent. Thanks!!
I have run foam that has turned out much less runny in the past. This mostly happened with GM Foam as their base became incredibly inconsistent from batch to batch. It is easier to get air pockets with thicker foam as it does not flow as well through the mold to the overflow. You can purchase a flow increaser from your foam manufacturer if you want to reduce the viscosity. The problem with whipping it less is that the foam becomes less soft. It will also give you longer gel time as you wont have whipped out as much ammonia during the running process. Those are choices that only you can make. I hope this helped :)
Thanks a lot for all the very useful information! I have and older oven that bakes as low as 100 degrees. Could I use that you think? Also, is it possible to mix less product to do just one prosthetic at a time?
Is that 100 Fahrenheit or celsius? Also, yes...you are able to run smaller batches of foam. The smallest I run is 100gm but I need a smaller bowl.
do you need to wear a respirator while mixing this?
I never have, but I am also sure I have killed some of the few active brain cells I had left with the ammonia fumes. I dont know anyone who wears a respirator to run foam, but if you feel more comfortable doing it then do what makes you feel better
Great video!! Great attention to detail, it's been along time since I ran foam (GM) can't wait to start again!
Lots of great tips! Thanks! When doing a full head mold do you put the mold in the oven on the face, back of head or standing straight on the shoulders when baking?
It really depends on how you have structured your mold. If you are filling a mold that does not bolt the eyes of the core to the mold then usually you will bake it face down as the weight of the core will give better edges. That is how I fill and bake my ultra cal full head molds. I will be making a video covering this soon.
@@toxicimagestudios9547 Thanks for the reply! I had another question. I am looking at the monster makers foam latex instructions and it says 170g of base is enough for one medium sized full faced appliance. Should I double the base because it's a whole head or should I go somewhere in between?
@@FrozenShield it is really hard to say as it depends entirely on the sculpt and how much rise you get with your foam run.
My philosophy is to run more than I think I will need and have extra molds standing by that I can fill with the extra foam. This always made more sense to me than hoping I had enough and possibly wasting the entire run by failing to fill the mold. At least for the first run. It is your choice entirely, bu those are my thoughts on it
Hi sir thanks so much for sharing your experience with us you really explained well
Thanks for the video recommendation! This is very helpful. One question, you say something about needing to cook off the extra moisture the first time you use an ultracal mold, how long does it need to bake for? Thanks again :)
i usually bake them at around 130-150 for about 8 hours
Thanks for a great video! Can recommend a mixer for foam latex?
I like the Sunbeam Mixmaster
How do I get this product? Is there an amazon? Foma Latex, please answer.
I buy it from one of monster .makers distributors in Los Angeles and have it shipped out to me. You can go straight to monster makers and order it or find a local distributor near you.
how much time cooking foam latex? (cuanto tiempo lo cocinas?
it really depends on what material your molds are made out of. Ultracal 30 molds can be baked at a much higher temperature for a shorter period of time. Epoxy or fibreglass molds need low temperature for longer periods. I bake at around 135oF for 7 hours. If the room is very cold in winter it can take an extra hour. In summer when the room is warmer it takes about 6 hours as it does not lose the time it takes to get the oven up to temperature. Ultracal molds can easily handle 165oF-175oF for around 4 hours. Just be sure to allow the molds to cool down in the oven for at least an hour before you take them out otherwise they can crack
I'm actually getting started with all of this but I couldn't find a video for foam latex prosthetics until now. Thank you for posting this! also, does it matter the kind of oven used for baking the prosthetic? because i have a gas oven and I don't know if that would work.
you dont want to use gas as it gets too hot. Also, never use your kitchen oven as it makes everything smell like sulphur that you will bake in it
@@toxicimagestudios9547 got it. Thanks for replying back!
@@T-Rus no worries, mate
@@toxicimagestudios9547 what oven would be better? Electric?
@@T-Rus i always just build my own low temp cpnvection oveb
Thank you so much for this! Really helpful! I was wondering if you could use any oven to run foam? I have no idea how to get that big of an oven but I have a gas oven that’s pretty big with dimensions 120x55x70 cm , would that work?
no no.... if you use a regular oven you will risk ruining your molds. I bake my foam at about 130oF. you can go up to around 160oF but you risk steam laking and burning out your molds.
You want a low temperature convection oven. I usually just build my own. I will be doing a video on this shortly
Hi,
Thank you for the informative video tutorial I was curious about your oven you are using to bake the foam latex in and maybe if you can ellabyon it’s construction; I’m hoping to possibly make an affordable oven to bake in my laundry room where the fumes won’t creep into my home. My shop doesn’t run a lot of foam at the moment so I’m looking to build something that can bake at least on or two face molds.
Thanks again! 👻🎃❤️
The easiest and cheapest oven you can make is a plywood box with insulation board lining it. Put in a shelf (I used a BBQ grill for my first oven) and then throw a heat gun in the bottom not facing the molds. You dont want to get a hot spot on a mold where it will over bake that area or damage your mold. The fan in the heat gun will produce a convention effect. I used this method for years. You can regulate the temperature by craking the hinged door a little to let out a controlled amount of heat. It is not a safe option if you are leaving the house though. I have two ovens constructed differently that I use. I might do a video which covers them and the various elements. One uses heat lamps and the other a pancake griddle.
I plan to construct another larger oven when I return from Hong Kong in November after my 3 month annual gig there. I will probably make a video of that
Did you build your own oven?
Yes I did. I have a video I am editing where I show how I made this last one, but I ran into some issues with my laptop.
Thank you for the video! It is really good and helps a lot with the latex issues!
I have one question only, the tint that you put in to the running latex what it's made from? Is it acrylic paint or alcohol based or anything special?
Thnx!
I use foam latex pigments. Most manufacturers will have a line of pigments that work with their product
what are the materiaLs"?
CAN I ask you a question what brand or kind and where can i get the kind of pigment you using for the color of the foam
I use the foam latex pigments made by GM. It is the only thing I use from them anymore. I used to ONLY run GM foam back when it was run by Gil but since Burman bought him out their foam has gone downhill in my opinion. Anyway, I have a recipe I use for a custom tint color for my pieces. I have found that the straight out of the bottle coolers look too pink or too orange.
How do you make master copies of your sculpts? With normal latex you need to up the size a bit to account for shrinkage. If you create a master latex copy of each sculpt I would imagine the positive you press into the mold to cast foam latex would be too big to fit.
It really depends on the type of sculpt and mold that you are wanting to use. There is no real easy answer that fits all
What kinda dye did you use for the foam?
I used foam latex pigment
Amazing video thank you!
I’m looking to build a homemade oven for foam latex. Quite a bit smaller than yours. Any tips on what kind of heating element to use and thermostat?
I also have a smaller oven (roughly 3ft cubed) which I heat using heat lamps. You can then run them through a dimmer switch to increase or decrease the temperature
Hi first off thank you for the video it was very help full ^^
However i have a small problem when i try mixing foam latex myself and was hoping you might be able to help me. I tried using the same brand as in the video, but when i mixed the components together i ended up with a creamy latex rather then it still being liquid, and therefore i can not pour it. Do you have any idea as to what might be the reason for this?
Hope you can help ^^
I would need some more information from you before being able to offer any suggestions.
What was the viscosity of the latex base like when you poured it in the bowl? Was it thick or fairly thin? Did you shake it really well? How much rise did you get on your batch during the run? Often if you whip it up really high it can form almost a meringue like consistency and you need to spatulate it out of the bowl. What was the size of the batch you ran (grams of base)?
@@toxicimagestudios9547 I tried making a batch of both 150 grams base and one of 37,5 grams (so a fourth of the recommended amount of all components). Both had the same creamy consistency, but the 150 grams one did start to set slower then the smaller batch which i suspect is because the batch was bigger and therefore had less exposure to air overall.
The latex base seems fairly thin when i pour it and made sure to shake all the components well before use. The foaming agent looked quiet lumpy when i first opened it but after shaking it, it eventually also became liquidy.
The creamy consistency came after i began mixing it together. Wiped it for 11 minutes overall (ish) and had i guess at least dubbe (if not close to three times) the volume i had before wiping it.
I'll try cutting back on the mixing time as i guess this could be the issue?
@@marianne7272 sorry, I just found this reply. When you say creamy, do you mean it is thick and not runny? It sounds like you whipped it a lot, which will give you nice soft foam but it makes it difficult to get into all the details and can cause some air pockets as ot does not flow so well when placing the core into the mold. The way you can fix this is to a) don't whip so long (this will slow the gelling time), b) add less foaming agent (this will speed up the gelling time) or c) add some flow increaser to make it runnier (this will slow the gelling time). Most brands I have used of Foam Latex have their own brand of flow increaser. You CAN also add a small amount of distilled water to do the same thing if you like, but it can cause shrinkage and other issues if you add too much. Hope this helps
Thank you, finally an in depth video on foam!
One question - do you put the molds in the oven already at temperature or with the oven off, put them in, then turn it on?
I put them in cold. That way if there is any part of the foam that is still not quite gelled it gives a little wiggle room
@@toxicimagestudios9547 thank you! Is there a reason you couldn't just wait for it to fully gel and then put it in the oven? I read you can actually cure foam without heat but it takes a LONG time 🤔
@@amyi5914 you absolutely can leave it as long as you want before baking. Ideally you want your foam to gel within about 10 minutes so as to avoid pin holes etc. having said that, it won’t hurt it to sit for weeks before you bake it. It is true that after a very long time it will finally cure. I have no idea exactly how long, I just know that after a few months when I break out my large injection gun after not using it the foam is cured. You can also leave the molds in the boot of your car (trunk for you American speakers) during hot weather and it will also cure it. May take a couple of days though. For me, I wait until the foam that squishes out around the core is fully gelled. I then throw it in the oven and walk away, usually to go to bed lol. I need to turn my molds around a couple of times a day and so I don’t have time to really wait around. I rarely have any problems.
Maybe we can build an bussiness to make latex pillow, because on my country, rubber and latex is rich. Thx
Any tips for cleaning the foam latex off your tools?
Which tools are you getting foam latex on?
The foam latex should pretty much gel and then you can just peel it off anything non fabric tht it gets on. It is pretty easy to clean off everything. You can use paper towel and wipe it off still wet, but that wastes paper towel and is messy
How much is the foam latex equipment
what exactly are you referring to? The mixer? Oven?
Tried my hand at foam the other day. Mine came out like cool whip, though
What should you change if it doesn't cure correctly?
in what way? What is the problem you are having?
What mixer do you use? I’ve been searching for a mixer that back bowls.
I use a sunbeam mixmaster. Any mixer that does not have a motorized base where the bowl turns can be back bowled. So for example, a kitchenaid mixer locks the bowl in place and the beaters rotate around the bowl. I know people who use these with great success... I don’t like them myself, but it just comes down to personal preference really. I am very much a creature of habit lol.
I really appreciate your response, I’ve looked it up and found it. Thank you so much!!!
How do I figure out mixing times for a 300gm batch for MM foam?
should be the same. All depends on how fast your desired rise is obtained, but that will only effect the speed breakdown (refining times). I usually dont change my times according to batch size. It is more to do with temperature of the environment
😂😂 the Egyptian part
May I know what kind of materials you use for the mold? is that usg ultralcal 30 plaster?
what if I'm using BJB1630 mold, could it be run foam latex to create soft prosthetic masks? As I am using the BJB1630 mold for running the foam latex, but couldn't comes out with the good result, even it cannot be in use too. So wondering is there any recommendations for me please?
The molds in this video are made from different materials. I believe they are mostly either TC1630 or Epoxy. I have made videos covering how to make both types on molds on here. I have not yet covered working with Ultracal but will be doing that once I get back from my current 3 month gig in Hong Kong.
I have many molds that are just BJB 1630. The foam comes out fine. Anytime you run foam in a non porous mold it will come out a little wet, as the moisture has nowhere to escape to. This can lead to steam lakes if you bake at too hot of a temperature. I bake at around 130oF for about 6 hours.
Can you help give an ideas how to make fake flesh at the back taking off the skini..
I am not at all sure I understand what you’re asking, mate
nicely done, very comprihensive
I can smell the foam just watching this video lol
right?
Was going to try it, but it looks like a nightmare job, I'll go build up . Thanks for the video though.
Not nearly as bad as you might think. The benefit of this is that you are able to precisely replicate the make up as many times as you need to. Also, build up moves poorly and does not have the same detail or finish to it. It depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Where is you page of prostethic s??
candy diaz what do you mean?
Como puedo evitar burbujas
Hey I’ll buy those fails off of you. What do you do with them? Let me know I’m serious.
My foam is like cool whip, not liquid.
You can get some flow increaser to help thin it out if you meed
Wkwkwkwkwkw Egypt chin 😅