The Model Garage: Barrels, Barrels, Barrels

It's time to make some barrels. Before I get into the process I'm need to mention one company - Smooth-On(www.smooth-on.com). If you don't know who they are then get to know them! They are everything silicone and plastic so if you're going to be molding and casting your own parts this is the place to go - but more about that later.

Let's get started with the barrels. I started with a block of balsa wood and turned it in a lathe to a barrel shape. From there I coated the balsa in Aero Gloss Dope. This really helps seal the wood. When I was happy with the shape and look of the barrel I sprayed it with primer.

Now this is where Smooth-On comes into the picture. I wasn't going to make five separate barrels so I planned on making a master and molding the rest. To begin I glued the barrel on a piece of foam core. This is a base for the mold. In the past I have tried a few different silicones to make molds but this time I thought I would try Smooth-On's "ooMoo" - yes, that's what it's called. It is very simple to use and is a two-part silicone which you mix in a 1:1 ratio. After mixing the two parts together I began covering the barrel. At first I stippled the silicone over the barrel with a 1" chip brush then I slowly poured it over the top and let it drip down. With a craft stick I then made sure it was covered on all four sides. This silicone takes about 75 minutes to cure but it begins to setup in about 10 minutes so you have to work relatively quick.

The silicone is not stiff enough to cast as it is so there is a need to make a mother mold. I chose to make it from plaster bandages. Now that the silicone has cured (I left it overnight) I make a dividing wall down the center with plasticine clay. I then cover one half of the mold in plaster bandages and let that setup. This takes about 30 minutes. Now it's time to cover the other side but first I have to make sure the plaster bandages don't stick together. I remove the plasticine clay and then coat the plaster with vaseline on any surface that the new plaster will come in contact with it. As I did before I cover the other side and let the plaster bandages setup.