RUBBER URETHANE VYTAFLEX 40

Rubber Urethane VYTAFLEX 40  from Smooth On was used for the making of both Membros Hydrapipes and Lobstros Antennae.  Here's what I found.

It has a 30 minute pot life and a 16 hour cure time.  It is a 1:1 ratio mix.  I pressurized these @ 55 PSI.  I wouldn't cast period without a pressure pot.  Resin/Rubber or Silicone.  The results are night and day compared to not.  And the casts are more solid and sturdier. 

It is a very thick resin akin to pouring a thick honey.  It will not do well in small detailed Sprue Molds.  I needed to use a straw to help the rubber resin flow through the mold by controlled forced air into the straw.  If you blow into the straw like you are filling up a balloon, you'll blow everything apart.  TRUST ME ON THIS ONE!  ;-)   For larger casts with larger channels it would do better.  The stuff I do is too small and detailed.  And I don't see it taking to rivets all that well.  Also its a very unforgiving resin.  I don't know of a way to hide or fix flaws in rubber.  So it needs to be done in one shot.  The mold needs to be perfect because this resin doesn't hide flaws 

Everything I expected to happen happened with the exception of color.  Im very surprised at how well this took the color.  It will need tweaking, but not nearly as much as I thought.  It was a pleasant surprise.

The VF-40 is actually quite an incredible rubber resin.  I would recommend it more for one piece cast figures.  I find its uses limited for my purposes.  Outside of the antennae I don't have a use for it, so I may have to get creative.  But color options would be limited...unless...I wonder how a double pour would work with this???   MORE TESTING!!!  :-)  It would be the only way to get around single color casts...if it works and I don't see a reason for it not to.

Im also loving the fact I can make a decent rubber cast utilizing my already made silicone molds.  And they are so very polite at being removed from the mold.  It wouldn't surprise me if I was able to get an extra 50% more casts with the rubber because of how soft it is on the mold.  Like all molds,  mold life is greatly influenced by how rough you remove the cast.

The VF-40 worked very well for the Antennae.  Im undecided as to whether it worked well or not on the Hydra Pipe.  Its very floppy because it is so long and skinny.  Im sure repeated attempts at plugging/unplugging the pipe will result in the peg(?) of the hydra pipe simply pulling off.  It stretches incredibly at that thickness, but jeez I don't trust it staying on.

Im gonna play with it some and see if my suspicions hold up or not.  DESTRUCTIVE TESTING!
Man wouldn't you love to be hosting MYTHBUSTERS? Hey man...what do you do for a living?  Me?  I blow shit up.  LMAO

OK...like I said...I didn't want to make a 2 part split mold for the Antennae for many reasons and I was right.  This is rubber, not plastic.  I cant simply sand an incorrect part of the rubber cast.  The length wise split mold has left flash that is a complete PITA to remove.  You need a VERY sharp exacto knife or razor blade to carefully remove it.  Not only does it leave a tell tail sign you cant blend in its too time consuming.  Im remaking the mold to how I recently showed with the magnet so the mold split will be on the edge of the 5 mm peg portion.  No flash.  It has to be done that way.  It'll look terrible otherwise.  You can see it for yourself in the pictures.  But like I said, I really only need to hit the color and I can make these no problem.  I just need to finish the new molds when I get more silicone.

Showing Flash Issues On Rubber Casts

The floppy consistency of the VF-40 Lobstros antennae in comparison to that of the vintage is quite similar.  These might be a touch softer, but unless you have an original in your other hand for immediate comparison, and even then...you would be had pressed to tell them apart.  For making these Antennae, I would highly recommend using this product. 

The lighting plays enormous tricks.  In some pics they look almost 100% identical in color, when in fact they are not.  Lobstros Antennae are a nice subtle orange.  I used yellow attempting to overcome any peculiarities in the resin.  I wanted to be sure a tint would work so I put in an extra drop.  These antennae are a darker yellow...more of a mustard.  It needs some orange to balance it out.

My antennae are NOT exact replicas.  I made the master out of 4340 steel.  It differs in that my spaces on the antennae are slightly closer together than vintage.  This was done on purpose.  If I should manage to hit the color accurately, I want to be sure my work and vintage can be easily distinguished.  I will NOT have my work intentionally misrepresenting original figures or their accessories.

Casts Supplied by Ray Miller /Steel Master Made By Me.
 

I calculated a shrinkage allowance into the 5 mm peg end and it fits nicely.  They are not loose at all.  Its a bit to buy a complete resin package for 2 Antennae if that's the only use you have for it.  So Im gonna pump out a bunch of these for people who need them ONCE I get the color right or at least close and new molds made.  AGGHH!  That Flash is bugging me something fierce..

Again, without an original in hand for comparison, even this shade of yellow isn't that bad.

And the better news...because of their nature and size, I can pop them in an envelope and mail them out for like $2 or $2.50 

But I need to get more silicone and remake these molds the right way.  These current casts are from molds I made a while ago.  Im simply getting some use out of them by doing all my testing on them.