Carving from Belgorod

[HAIIAPHNK]

David, thank you very much for the high appreciation of my efforts. I truly value it.

I won’t try to judge different techniques of execution or say that working with power tools is somehow worse. To me, this is largely a matter of taste—just like opinions about painting or music. Everyone perceives things differently.

Personally, I like it when subtle traces of the knife remain after carving. I deliberately avoid heavy polishing with abrasives after the work is done. I want the faceted quality of the surface to stay visible. Of course, when I apply oil to the sculpture, it inevitably makes its own adjustments: it softens the edges and adds a certain roundness. As a result, some of the sharpness is lost and the forms become gentler.

Sometimes that works in favor of the piece, and sometimes it doesn’t.

I also know very well that I will never achieve the same results as those who work extensively with power tools. What I do will inevitably look rougher compared to their work.

But perhaps that’s a good thing. It’s good that there are many different tools and approaches, allowing people to reach results through different methods.

 

 

 

[HAIIAPHNK]

 

At the very beginning I was naïve and trusting. I watched several videos about mold making, familiarized myself with the basic methods, chose the one that seemed suitable for my case, and ordered the necessary materials. To avoid mistakes, I even asked questions to the fashionable new AI.

I settled on the two-stage pouring method. Its principle is simple: the model is divided into two parts. One half is covered with plasticine, while the other is left open and poured with silicone. After the silicone cures, the plasticine is removed and the remaining part is poured with silicone in a second stage. The result is a two-part mold from which the master model can be removed and plastic can then be cast. In theory, everything looked straightforward.

The author of the video worked at home, without vacuum chambers or complex equipment—ordinary plasticine and simple containers. Exactly the same conditions I had. If it worked for him, it should work for me as well. Besides, I already had plasticine on hand, so as soon as the silicone and resin arrived, I got to work.

 

 

 

This is what the figure looked like when it was prepared for pouring. Today, experts would probably be clutching their heads—but at that moment I had no idea what was coming.

 

 

 

I made a test mix of the silicone to check the proportions and make sure it actually cured.

Everything went fine, so I poured the mold.

 

 

 

Apart from minor leaks through small gaps, the process went smoothly. I checked the mold from time to time, but nothing alarming happened until the very end.

The problems became apparent during demolding. The silicone had cured—but not everywhere. On the side where the wall was covered with an additional layer of plasticine, it remained liquid. It became clear that the plasticine was to blame: something in its composition interfered with the curing reaction.

I knew that silicone should not come into contact with certain materials. I even asked the AI about this and was told that plasticine containing sulfur should not be used—but the AI assured me that my children’s plasticine was safe and could not contain sulfur components, especially since such plasticine cannot be sold in Germany. Moreover, the tutorial video used ordinary plasticine without any issues. Yet I ran into problems. Can you imagine my frustration? Why I didn’t think to test the silicone together with the plasticine beforehand remains a mystery to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was most worried about the figure itself. It was completely covered in sticky slime. The reaction was mutual: the silicone didn’t cure, and the plasticine became viscous and tacky. I washed Alexander, rinsed him in solvents, and cleaned out every recess with a needle. It was a painful process—above all emotionally.

That was the end of my first attempt.

After I calmed down, cleaned everything, and threw the plasticine away, I decided to try again. This time I chose a single-pour method: pour the model completely, wait for the silicone to cure, cut it open with a knife, remove the original, and cast the plastic. There should have been no surprises this time.

 

 

 

 

 

This is what the preparation for the second attempt looked like. I went with the simplest possible approach. The only addition was wire: after pouring the silicone, the figure started to float upward. Fortunately, the curing time allowed me to solve the problem quickly by fixing it under the bottom of the container.

How the second attempt ended—I’ll tell you in the next installment.

[Keith Black]

 Thankfully you were able to save the figure, Aleksandr. 👍

[HAIIAPHNK]

45 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Thankfully you were able to save the figure, Aleksandr. 

 

I was really scared—but I managed to clean it off

[druxey]

I use RTV rubber, but this should work with silicone. My variation is to suspend the figure in the wood or heavy card box and pour the lower half of the mold first - no plasticine. I then cut some keys into the lower half and coat the surface with mold release (most important!) before pouring the second half of the mold. The example below was for casting carronades in pewter. There is also an outer plaster jacket for support, as soft rubber can easily distort. (This is now an old and deteriorated mold!)

[HAIIAPHNK]

55 minutes ago, druxey said:

I use RTV rubber, but this should work with silicone. My variation is to suspend the figure in the wood or heavy card box and pour the lower half of the mold first - no plasticine. I then cut some keys into the lower half and coat the surface with mold release (most important!) before pouring the second half of the mold. The example below was for casting carronades in pewter. There is also an outer plaster jacket for support, as soft rubber can easily distort. (This is now an old and deteriorated mold!)

 

David, thank you very much for the suggestion. This really is a good way to make a two-stage mold without using plasticine. I will definitely keep this in mind and use it if I ever dare to take on making copies again in the future.

I did use a release agent and didn’t forget that the model must be coated before pouring. I had this particular release spray.


https://www.amazon.de/dp/B083D6NJDX?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
 

Only now have I started to wonder whether it might also have influenced the result in some way. Perhaps it simply isn’t suitable for the silicone I was using?

[druxey]

I don't know, Aleksandr. Check with the manufacturer.

Edited 1 hour ago by druxey