: Hi there,

: Slightly off topic project, but it's going to be the same skills, right? I'm
: planning on making myself a face mask (for a ball), and thought I could do
: far worse than to use glass fibre. I've done loads of patches and fills
: and things on my old river racer/squirt boat, but I've never made anything
: from scratch. The intimidating part, then, is realising that I need a
: mold. What do I make the plug from and then how do I take the mold. I've
: made bang plates for my river racer using gooey blue release wax, friends
: have used cling film, but I'm not entirely sure.

: Also, to put on an outside layer of glitter (I'm a squirt boater - glitter's
: the only reason to undertake the project ;-), is the best way to lay in a
: layer of gel coat first, then put the glitter in that before laying on the
: cloth layers? I've got loads of glass mat, epoxy and mold release - how
: essential is gel coat to the project.

: I figure that if I get a reasonable result, I'll start some larger projects -
: squirt stix?

: Thanks for anyone who takes the time to help out. If there's a FAQ website,
: I'd much appreciate a link.

: Pete

As for as the mask. Depends how involved you want to get. Easy- I suggest going to a party store and buying a simple mask and add on your glass and resin and whatever else tickles your brain.

OVER THE TOP- sculpt a wild mask from clay or wax, make a mold and laminate up a fiberglass mari-gras head.

To do this, I suggest getting the book Figure Sculputre in wax and plaster by Richard McDermott Miller (Amazon.com maybe?). He explains how to model human feature in wax and plaster and make plaster waste molds for casting the finished product. He casts plaster into the plaster mold but you can use the same mold with the Additional of PVA mold release and laminate a epoxy glass mask.

I have created life size sculpture using fiberglass and polyester resing in plaster waste molds.

Plaster is actually very similar to epoxy in that without the glass it is fragile. With fiberglass dipped in plaster, the plaster becomes very strong like other glass laminates. I made sculture with fiberglass reinfored plaster. The advantage is that plaster is very easy to work in an additive subtractive way.If you gat the Miller book he explains in detail.

As for the Glitter for squit boat business, I'd suggest talking to John R. Sweet. He's a supplier for all kinds of WW boat building materials including glitter. Call him at (540) 468-2222.

All the best,
Rob