For this week’s assignment, I wanted to make something truly hideous. I decided to create Kirby with a human face and feet, which my TA Anthony humorously coined as "Kirby from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure." This project was a deep dive into molding and casting, and I learned tons along the way. While the result is strange and unsettling, it was definitely a fun process!
I started by using Fusion360 to 3D print the mold block. This was tricky because I needed to slice Kirby properly and align both mold halves perfectly, ensuring the two parts would come together without issues. Huge thanks to Sam Bruce for helping me with the CAD work! After 5 hours, I successfully printed the 3D block needed to begin the molding process.
The next step was to melt beeswax and coat it over the 3D-printed mold. This helped smooth the surface, ensuring that layer lines wouldn’t appear on the final cast. Once the wax was applied, I poured OOMOO silicone into the mold and set it under a heat lamp for 3 hours to cure.
After the mold was ready, I mixed drystone to a smoothie-like consistency and poured it into the mold. I let it sit for an hour to harden. The first attempt had air bubbles, causing Kirby’s toes to fall off. On my second attempt, I used a toothpick to push the drystone into every corner, ensuring no air was trapped.
I also experimented with adding a flesh-colored dye to the drystone to make Kirby appear more human-like. Unfortunately, the dye didn’t mix well, resulting in a strange color. Despite the challenges, the process was enjoyable, and it was exciting to see this bizarre idea come to life!
This project was a great introduction to the molding and casting process. From learning how to align mold parts in CAD to dealing with air bubbles, I gained valuable hands-on experience. The most challenging part was getting the toes right without air pockets, but with some patience and a toothpick, I made it work.
Experimenting with the dye was fun, even though the result wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I now have a weird, unsettling Kirby to show off! Big thanks to Anthony for guiding me through this delicate and time-consuming process.