Fiberglassing!

I've started to make a new mold for the top of k9's head. I think I should be able to use the rest of the mold I've already made, but getting the top right is key. I've taken some step by step pictures documenting the process.

Step 1: Gelcoat. I've applied gel coat to the top of k9's head where I plan on putting the fiberglass. Note, I've included the sides where I'll have a lip. That'll make it easier for me to have good edge definition once I have the mold complete.

Step 2: Fiberglass application. I've shown two layers of fiberglass here. One layer of fiberglass cloth with a layer of fiberglass mat. For both materials, I use tools that are essentially spatulas to spread the resin into and across the material. I waited a little over an hour between applications.

Step 3: Demold, and touch up. At this point you pull your original out of the mold. If you didn't do a great job with prep this can be challenging. Like it was here. Note all the gel coat that stayed on the model. I didn't have this happen the first time through. >shrug<>

I'll be sanding the mold this weekend and hopefully I'll be able to cast a suitable top piece of the head with what I've got.

Fiberglassing :(

Not too much has been happening with K9 lately. I've made a fiberglass mold of the head and started to cast. This is what I've learned about fiberglassing.

• Its not as easy as it looks on the internet. Shocking, I know.
• Resin cures really, really fast at temperatures above 100°F. Cure kinetics in action - guess those years of polymer science classes weren't a waste.
• The above fact makes using resin in Phoenix AZ in August pretty awful.
• Gel-coat from the local fiberglass shop is expensive.
• Fiberglass resin gets everywhere. And it smells.

So as you can tell, I'm having a ball. I'm going to try a different approach since the first piece I casted was a disaster. In the mean time, I'm going to work on the ears and other miscellaneous k9 bits. But just to prove I've made a good effort, below is a picture of the mold for the head.

Supplies

Nose Blaster? Check.

Just a quick update this evening. Added the nose blaster to the head, sanded and primed. There's a few rough spots around still, but I think I'll be ready to make a fiberglass mold this weekend.

A little paint goes a long way

Over the weekend I managed to finished up the head - sort of. I still want to add on the nose blaster, but in the mean time, I slapped some primer on the head to give him an even surface finish. And, you know, cuz grey makes him look more like k9 and less like a craft project. Enjoy!

A good head on his shoulders

I had been juggling what I should do next, as I saw it I had two options. I could either learn fiberglassing and make a fiberglass version of the body or I could get k9's head taken care of. Realizing that I have absolutely no idea how to fiberglass, I've opted to do his head.

Construction has been pretty straight forward - 2 side pieces cut using the patter in the blueprints referenced in the first or second post of the blog. Tried to use the same MDF I've been using, but that wouldn't bend. Then I tried cutting grooves in the MDF, and well, I screwed that up. Fortunately, I had a 1/8 inch piece of board in my garage from a poster. So I cut that up for the sides of his head. Its working pretty well.

Once I got the two sides connected I started connecting them with 1/2 x 1/2 basswood cut to the proper size. With wood glue, clamps and my brad nailer in place I started putting the head together.

Once I got a few points between the side connected, I noticed the head was a bit wobbly. So I added some structure by using 1/2 thick MDF for the front part of the "mouth" and the nose area. Finally I've used some thin sheets of hobby plywood to cover the top of his snout. This is the same thin plywood I used on the curved back of the body and I will also use it to skin the curved parts of the head.

The Body

No, no, not a post about the excellent Buffy episode about Joyce's death, instead a quick picture of K9's finshed body. Enjoy!