Casting Sunflower Heads

[Planet Glass]

What is the best way to create a cast from a sunflower head?

Should I simply plaster it, or do I need to coat it with something first?

[Mike Jordan]

There are a number of casting products that will probably work. One of the ones that you spread a coating on first, might be best. Here's one link that might give you some ideas: http://www.smooth-on.com/

You could also do a sand casting. A mixture of Olvine sand can hold a lot of detail in the sand. Then you could slump glass into it or even do a pot melt type pour into it to fill it with glass.

You might have a problem with the seeds coming out if the Sunflower is pretty ripe. You might need to do something like spray glue or lacquer or something over it to help hold everything in place.

Mike

[Kara]

Do you just want one side of it or two?
what are you going to use it for?
if you plaster it, I use dish soap as a release. You can coat the flower with krylon clear varnish first before soaping it.
I like poly tek products myself for rubber molds. see demo
http://www.polytek.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MoldMaking_NewDVD&Category_Code=011

if you want a good but quick and dirty solution. You can use window seal caulking, the 100% silicon kind. I accually used this to make the mould of my mermaid lamp, that I cast in wax and then bronze. If that interests you, I can tell you how thats done.

[Planet Glass]

I want to do one side only.

Mike, that's one fantastic link! Oo-weeee! Great products.

I do have Krylon (that should keep the seeds in place) and mold soap on hand...

Now I need the sunflowers to grow.