How To: Trim/Seam Latex Masks

[Jparr3085]

Alright guys and gals,

Here's another little tutorial on a process that sometimes gets overlooked when the excitement to slap some paint on a new latex predator mask or suit overcomes us. That's the prep work side of trimming and seaming that unsightly flashing that occurs during the molding process. 

That flashing forms where the individual parts of molds meet during the creation of the piece. Sometimes the piece will have the bare minimum and sometimes it'll be a little more noticeable. And what happens when you want a seamless and organic looking creature or piece? That's where trimming and patching those seams comes in. 

 

For this tutorial I was fortunate enough to have a couple of HurleyFX's P2 masks I had been working on recently so I took some photos to catalog the process. If you're ever looking for some excellent quality stuff, you can't go wrong with these. 

Now the first step to removing the flashing that I usually perform is to take cuticle scissors and trim the most I can away manually. I also cut out any other little imperfections I need to off the mask or suit like the little skin tags that happen from little holes in the molds.

I'll then follow that up with a dremel tool with felt tips to cut away the rest all the way down to level with the "flesh" or slightly below creating a little channel.

The next step is to make the cabo patch or latex bondo. For cabo patch youll need Prosaide and cabosil. Cabosil is fumed silica. Be careful and wear a mask when you're messing around with this stuff. It's a very fine white powder that can easily be breathed in and is NOT good for you. So use precaution and wear the respirator. 

I usually scoop some out with a wooden tongue depresser/popsicle stick into a small plastic cup and combine that with the Prosaide. You mix them together and voila, cabo patch! You want a sort of peanut butter consistency. 

 

Now that you have your mixture, you'll apply that to your seams that need patching. I apply it heavy. I then take metal carving tools and add textures that may have been lost when dremeling the flashing or just bridge the gaps of that now missing seam.

Once my shapes and textures are in, I take makeup sponges and a cup of water and gently feather out some of the edges and blend the areas. I can let it dry after that or use a hair dryer to speed it up. As it dries, the mixture has a tendency to shrink, so depending on how smooth I want an area or how visible it'll be I may need another coat. It'll really depend on how thin your first layer was. 

You can add baby powder to remove the tacky feel if you need to, which is a result of the Prosaide, but after you've completed your steps, then your mask should be seamless and patched with smooth transitions in the important areas. Then, add your paint and you're done.

Here's a look at the open mouth of the P2 mask and why I made the vertical joints of mandibles blend in and become invisible.

Hope this helps!

[VeteranHunter75]

Awesome tutorial. Thank you for sharing

[Jparr3085]

12 minutes ago, VeteranHunter75 said:

Awesome tutorial. Thank you for sharing

Thanks. I've been wanting to write one up on seaming for awhile and this opportunity finally presented it so it worked out. That little bit of extra time spent on prep can really make a big difference in the end result.

[MeanGene]

We need to figure a way to categorize true tutorials in good way. So they stay easily accessible.