Kydex guys, got a question!

[DarkRose]

Had a question asked of me today, since I was talking about the fact that I've started playing with some Kydex, and I don't know the answer...

Can Kydex stretch when it's formed?

Reason for asking: A friends mother works at a local Ivy Tech college running a simulation lab for nursing students. She wondered if Kydex could be used to make a "form" of a face on a mannequin so she could cast some practice pieces to try some moulage on them without risking anything to the pricey mannequins... She said if it would stretch enough, it sounds perfect to make a re-usable mold, as due to multiple opening in the mannequin head (it has speakers and mics inside also), liquid casting mediums couldn't be used (or she wouldn't even try them, either way...)

Would it stretch enough to form to a mannequin face? Just back to the ears, not including the ears...
I realize it would need some THICK foam to press it solidly against the contours.

 

[cubby]

kydex will stretch. but not in a very useful way, too far. barely any useful amount of "stretch". but with something like this, you can just use a larger piece of kydex and form with a heat gun.


if you are heart set on kydex, i would make a form of the face with a piece of kydex, then make a cast and then make COPIES from that....

personally, i would think there is a better material/easier way.........

 

[DarkRose]

kydex will stretch. but not in a very useful way, too far. barely any useful amount of "stretch". but with something like this, you can just use a larger piece of kydex and form with a heat gun.


if you are heart set on kydex, i would make a form of the face with a piece of kydex, then make a cast and then make COPIES from that....

personally, i would think there is a better material/easier way.........

That's what the plan was, the Kydex would just be the form or mold, a one time process. She just thought it sounded like the perfect stuff, because no vaccum table or anything would be needed. She could use the Kydex form to cast either resin, or silicone rubber, or plaster, or whatever.
Again, one of the reasons was she said she would/could not use a liquid medium to make the mold of the face.

 

[cubby]

right. but if you make a mold of kydex, and then fill THAT with the liquid...... kydex is just not a great thing for alot of detail and 3D stuff..... it works GREAT on smaller items, flatter items, but something so domed and detailed as a face is gonna be TOUGH!

 

[DarkRose]

right. but if you make a mold of kydex, and then fill THAT with the liquid...... kydex is just not a great thing for alot of detail and 3D stuff..... it works GREAT on smaller items, flatter items, but something so domed and detailed as a face is gonna be TOUGH!

that's what i was thinking, these aren't incredibly detailed, more like a store mannequin with a more open mouth for the speaker and use of tongue depressors and airway openers and such...

Kydex is cheap, she could give it a shot, lol.

 

[cubby]

yep. grab a heat gun!

 

[DaKruiser]

Try some thin kydex, it will form tighter, and find some dense foam that you can use to press it into all the small indentions.

 

[DarkRose]

Try some thin kydex, it will form tighter, and find some dense foam that you can use to press it into all the small indentions.

If she decides to go for it, will probably try 0.060", and plan to use some thick dense foam with maybe a board across the top, weighted on each end to push the Kydex down for forming... (probably just have someone hold it on each end for the 5 mins or so to cool)

 

[Dtrap]

I think it is defiantly doable. It would be much more so if you used vacuum forming. It would require you to cut the head to have a flat side on the back. You can make a vacuum forming box pretty cheap and with .060 it should give you plenty of detail. You can also make a few relief cuts in the kydex prior to forming to allow it to better mold around the shape of the head.

 

[DarkRose]

I think it is defiantly doable. It would be much more so if you used vacuum forming. It would require you to cut the head to have a flat side on the back. You can make a vacuum forming box pretty cheap and with .060 it should give you plenty of detail. You can also make a few relief cuts in the kydex prior to forming to allow it to better mold around the shape of the head.

Cutting the head is out of the question, lol. These are nursing school animatronic training mannequins... Probably 6 months worth of salary to me, lol.
I thought about vacuum forming, but then realized the head would need a flat bottom, and making a table would be a hassle....