Latex & Silicone Molds
Casting with molds lets you reproduce props: skulls, hands, body parts, decorative elements. Make one master, create a mold from it, and cast as many copies as you need. This is how you get matching sets of skulls for a bone pile or identical gargoyle heads for fence posts.
Mold Types
Latex Brush-On Mold
Brush liquid latex over a master form (an existing skull, a sculpted piece, a found object). Apply in thin coats, letting each dry before adding the next. After 8-12 coats, you have a flexible rubber mold you can peel off and use to cast copies. Latex molds are cheap and easy but take multiple days to build up and don't last forever (they degrade over time).
Silicone Mold
Pour or brush two-part silicone rubber over the master. Silicone molds are more expensive ($30-80 per kit) but produce more detailed copies, last longer, and cure much faster (hours, not days). For most haunters, silicone is worth the extra cost if you plan to make many casts.
Casting Materials
- Plaster of Paris — Cheapest. Fragile but fine for static props that won't be handled.
- Hydrocal / dental stone — Stronger than plaster, still relatively cheap. Good for outdoor props.
- Resin — Strongest and most durable. More expensive and requires careful mixing.
- Expanding foam — Spray foam into a mold for a quick, lightweight cast. Messy but cheap.
- Paper mache — Layer paper mache inside a mold for a free, lightweight cast.
Tips
- Apply mold release agent to the master before making the mold, and to the mold before each cast. Without release agent, things stick and tear.
- Start with simple shapes (a skull face, a hand) before attempting complex forms
- For deep or undercut shapes, you may need a two-piece mold with a seam. This adds complexity.
- Paint casts using the painting and weathering techniques