Now I know the drill

I fired up my new tabletop drill press yesterday. I bought it primarily to make my own eyeballs. I worked on ways to measure precisely, but in the end, eyeballing it (no pun intended) proved to be just as effective. The important thing is that all of the eyeballs be as close to the same in depth and iris placement as possible.







The rough unfinished product is pictured. Every eyeball will still require some sanding and precise iris fitting. I'm not sure this is worth the effort considering I can buy those gorgeous plastic pre-made eyeballs from Puppets & Props for a reasonable price. But there is a certain amount of satisfaction I get from making my own.

I can't move my lips

He can't move his lips yet because he's just a model destined for moldmaking. He still needs lots of sanding and detail work, but now I can see who the fellow is going to be.

Today, I may fire up the tabletop drill press for the first time. I ordered and received 48 wooden balls from a supply house. I'll likely trash a few of them trying to set a correct hole depth to accommodate the plastic iris. I also plan to order silicone rubber for the moldmaking. Oh yeah, it's gettin' scary!

On a roll

Al Stevens is doing a wonderful restoration on Bill DeMar's pal Chuck Norwood. Al's latest installment on his blog includes a 1-minute video demonstrating the eye movements and mechanics. Chuck can even roll his eyes. Very cool and worth a look. CLICK HERE to see it.

Alien?

I bought a tabletop drill press to make eye balls. The machine looms over the room like a monster we all know and love. I still have to bolt the drill press to the workbench. That'll probably make me sleep easier knowing the "alien" can't leave the workshop.

I know it's silly thinking an inanimate object could become life-like.

Oh... wait a minute.

Aaaaah-hmmm

Since I'm trying to segue from conversion figures to figures made from molds, I'm not completing any figures. I find that very frustrating and sometimes depressing. I'm making step-by-step progress, but it's slow with very little to show for it.

The process involves study, acquiring new tools, reorganizing work spaces, experimenting with new techniques and buying (sometimes expensive) raw materials.

When I was happily turning out conversion figures, I'd finish and sell one per month. The last figure I completed was "Cecil" in June. I can't even predict when the next project will be completed.

All I can do is keep leaning forward. I'll be much happier though when I finally turn out my first vent figure made from a mold.

Still crazy after all these ears

Now he has ears that stick out pretty far. I want this fellow to be funny-looking, so big ears are a must. It's a subtle change, but I added some upper lip. Next step... the jaw and lower lip.

In my quest to start building molds, I purchased a tabletop drill press. The tool won't actually have much to do with molds, but it will help me make my own eyes. I've been drilling and routing with a hand drill. I've done okay with it, but a drill press (with laser sighting no less) will result in more precision and fewer mistakes.

Now, if I could just get my wife to teach me how to run that sewing machine...

What I antici-PATE

I covered the rest of this fella's head with Magic-Sculpt. Notice that I had to build up the right side of his head due to the part in Charlie's hair.

This guy's working his way toward being another mold model. Next, I'll add those big ears and I'll work on the lips.

Photos to come.

Cheek tweak

I've added jowels to lessen the "walnut cheeks" effect. Also, the eye sockets have been completed. After the Magic-Sculpt dries, I'll remove the eye tray and cover the rest of the head. Then I'll add a pair of "taxi cab doors" for ears.

Oh, by the way. HOW 'BOUT THEM DUCKS! (Oregon 39, Michigan 7)

Walnuts for the winter?

It's been a week since I posted. We spent the weekend in Eugene. I had a budget meeting with my boss on Friday, so we decided to hang out all Labor Day weekend with our friends. I went to the University of Oregon Ducks football game, which was lots of fun. Especially since we won. Next week the Ducks face Michigan. If you follow college football, then you know we'll be walking into a buzz saw. Michigan is bound to be pissed off at us for two reasons. One... we beat them last time we played. Two... Michigan was defeated last weekend by a team no one had ever heard of, which caused Michigan to drop all the way out of the Top 25 from No. 5 in the nation.

But I digress.

What you're probably wondering is.... "What the heck is going on with those cheeks? Is he trying to swallow ping pong balls? Is he hiding Brussels sprouts? Did he get stung by a bee on both sides of his face?"

(I know, I know. I'm workin' on it.)

Ugly is as ugly does

I know he doesn't look like much now. And I know he might never look like much. But this is the next step in bringing forth a new personality in foam balls and Magic-Sculpt.

The next step will be covering those foam cheeks and forming the shapes around the eyes. I actually have SOME idea where I'm going with this, but it's half the fun not knowing EXACTLY where I'm going.

Remember, just because I don't know where I'm going doesn't mean I'm lost.

Fatter, but losing weight

I may make a mold of this guy when he's done. Maybe I'll finish him as a complete conversion figure.

Usually sculpting the cheeks and nose adds a lot of weight due to the thickness of the Magic-Sculpt. So I'm trying out a new idea.

I bought some foam balls at the craft store. I cut them in half and hollowed out the backs to contour to the cheeks and nose. Then I glued them to the face. I'll trim them up a bit when they're secure. Then I'll cover them with Magic-Sculpt. I hope to achieve fuller cheeks and a larger nose without adding so much weight.

Hey, it may be a conversion figure, but I want it to be a COOL conversion figure.

In the mold of Al Stevens

I've been flirting with moldmaking, but I've been very nervous about starting. Things like mess, fumes, undercuts, and fear of failure have resulted in procrastination. But I have been encouraged by Al Stevens' recent entry on his blog. He describes making a mold of a client's one-of-a-kind figure so that if that figure were ever lost, stolen or damaged, an exact duplicate could be made.

As with Al's "Fred Project" instructions, the process is explained quite clearly. There are photos of each step, too. If you have any interest in moldmaking, go to Al Stevens' blog and read it for yourself.

Thanks, Al.

Plastic rap

I mounted a pair of eyeballs on an eye tray and wrapped them in plastic wrap to protect them. I secured the plastic wrap by twisting the wrap tightly and using a paper clip. Then I glued the eye tray to supports (made of Magic-Sculpt) on either side of the head interior. I used just a touch of Elmers Glue so that I can pull out the eyeballs and tray after I've sculpted the eye sockets.

This technique ensures that the eyes will fit perfectly in their sockets and will move fluidly left and right.

By the way, the eyeballs are the first one's I've made myself using wood balls from the craft store and plastic irises purchased on Ebay.

So fun it's scarey

I hope headmaker Buzz James of Braylu Creations won't freak, but here's what I've done to his recent creation. No need to panic. I actually DO know what I'm doing.

I'm pleased to say that the new Braylu Creations head casting (now offered for sale on his website) is very easy to cut. Much easier than a Charlie head. As some followers of this blog might know, I cut out the eyes so I can sculpt around larger eyeballs mounted inside the head on an eye tray.

I also cut out the jaw, though I'll have to add styrene plastic sidewalls on the jaw. The trapdoor came to me pre-cut, but I thought it was too small for head access. I reattached the trapdoor cutout with Magic-Sculpt and then re-cut a larger trap door. I'm pleased to say that the Magic-Sculpt bonded well to the Braylu head. I roughed up the contact points on the head with sandpaper and a file just to be sure.

My plan is to sculpt a new face on the Braylu head similar to the way I approach Charlie head conversions. I'll share my progress as I move my project along.