Fixing the Sculpt to the Mechanism, Sculpt finishing and Looking at Painting

Due to the slightly uneven nature of the 'back plates' on the cast I affixed an acrylic part in place instead to be sure of its accuracy as this is crucial for the correct functioning of the mechanism. Once correctly placed I filled the remaining gaps in the cast with filler and began an arduous sanding ritual for the next few days between other jobs.

Fixing the mechanism arm (above) in place made it clear that I would need to remove further thickness at the front of the mechanism to prevent problems as the head piece tilts backward. This is annoying given the thorough thought I have put into everything up to this point. There could be much worse problems though.

Although I cannot be 100% sure until the sculpt is secured to the mechanism, there is a slight issue with the sculpt making contact with the body as it moves (see above). This could cause paint to scratch off which would look really bad once the sculpt is returned to the start position. I will try to prevent this from happening by adding 'guide' pieces to the side of the mechanism housing which will overhang the body by approx 1mm to ensure the sculpt can’t rock and make contact when moving.

Once I had sanded back the body filler I was able to apply a coat of filler primer and identify flaws in the finish which I can repair over the next few days with more filling and sanding. I sanded back flawed areas to be filled (below)

I was also able to mix up some silicone with black pigment (Mouldlife £5 per small bottle) to re-cast the grip that will slide the cards out as the dispenser is operated (below) The fit on the arm is tight which means there is no need for further fixing of the part which is beneficial.

Paul told me about a new product available at Mouldlife (http://www.mouldlife.co.uk/) called Illumilux which produces a highly durable metallic finish. I rang Pete Tindal at Mouldlife who informed me of its specifications. In short, they were out of stock and it can cost hundreds of pounds for a small tin! The product sounded perfect and Pete said it is being used more and more in film work because of its durability. Here’s a video of a chrome coat being applied: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzlFhtypmI&feature=BF&list=PL2048B65896FCA71F&index=5

Pete said gold finished would be created by putting a gold tint over the top of the standard chrome finish.

To keep the project moving and due to its cost I have decided to look for cheaper alternatives. I bought some Plasticoat Metallic Gold paint and 'Clear Super' (a clear lacquer) to increase the durability. I intend to do a series of paint tests next week to determine how the piece will be best finished.

Talking to Jake, a fellow course mate, he suggested using car paint and lacquer as he had used on his interactive piece last year. My one problem with this is that most gold car paints don’t have the brilliant shine that I want to achieve. I will buy one as a sample anyway.

I decided to make casts of the face of the sculpt to act as my paint test pieces (above). Initially spraying primer and the gold resulted in a lot of pitting in the paint which I can only put down to contamination on the surface, perhaps wax from the mold? I have thoroughly rubbed them all down with wet and dry and hopefully won’t have any more problems next week.