Mass production

Now that the toy making is in full swing, I think its time for a little bit of reflection on the whole process - the rights and wrongs, and what id do differently:

• The clay model that was used as the basis for the figures was probably to complex and not smoothed down enough. Most vinyl/resin toys are very 'boxy or curved in nature; there are no over hangs, and normally no gaps in the same piece. My clay model had an over hang for the mouth area, as well as gaps for the cheeks. The silicone mould as a result has taken an absolute battering over the course of the project. A small gap equals a small piece of silicone and as it gets used more and more, it begins to break apart. With regards to the simplicity of the head I think i should have stuck with the more square shapes I sketched in my work book as opposed to the more detailed sculpt I went with. However I have been quite fortunate that the mould came out as well as it did, so it's probably a more stylistic choice.

• I wouldnt have used the Daz clay for the ultimate sculpt. Although I found a more malleable version of the stuff, it still didnt react too pleasingly with water and it actually totally broke apart during the making of the mould. Whether this was a chemical reaction or just a matter of dampness I'm not sure. What i am sure of, is that my first 7 or 8 toys to come out of the mould had clay residue on them! Not fun to pick and sand off!

• If money and time werent issues I would have stuck with my resin plaster mix as opposed to the plaster/sculpty crap I've ended up using. Its just far stronger and less volatile aaaand takes paint far better. However it also takes an hour to dry at a time and did more damage to the mould. Oh and its about two pounds more expensive then the stuff ive used for the last batch of toys per kilo which works out to quite a bit in the long run

Considering this is my first venture into 3-d work of any kind let alone making a mould and toys, Id say im extremely happy with the outcome. Yes, the toys could be smoother in appearance and probably a wee bit more professional looking. If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago how I was feeling, the response would have been " like death". When my mould was setting it would have been " sh*****ng myself".

Now, im pretty darn pleased :)



However there were casualties along the way ( thanks Geoff!!)