Everything began with a mold from the fender
This is Mikes masterpiece - The Skull Fender Lamp
I started by building a plaster positive of the fender to shape the skull on. I wrapped the fender in saran wrap and put together a few layers of plaster bandages. Once they put in place, I popped it off the fender and implemented extra bandages to close off the open back side of the mold, then filled the mold with Plaster of Paris. I built it up to a thickness of approximately an inch and a half. Once it was all set up, I peeled the bandages off and gave it a gentle scuff with some sandpaper to clean it up a little. Several coats of clear lacquer to seal it and it was all set for the clay!
Plaster bandage fender mold
Plaster of Paris in the mold
Peeling the bandages off
Our next step required a lot of cussing and drinking as the form of the skull got shape in the clay. I used Roma Plastilina clay #2 since it never dries out, and good thing too.. I think I spent near to three months total before I was satisfied with the sculpture. I’d improve it.. let it sit for a week or so, then change it.. let it sit.. then change it again..
The finished plaster fender
Finished clay sculpture
BOO!
After i eventually had the sculpture exactly where I wanted it, I built up a mold wall around it and added silicon mold material all over it. Entertaining stuff silicon.. and really worth the investment if you need to pull a rigid final positive.
The mold wall in place
Brushing on the silicone
Silicone mold material in place
As soon as the silicon was put in place the following day, I covered it with a layer of fiberglass. Once that was set up, I popped the entire shebang off the plaster fender and dug the clay out of the mold.. voila! Nearly done! NOT REALLY!
Fiberglass outer shell
Dig that clay outta there!
Ready for fiberglass
Eventually I was getting somewhere.. I broke out the fiberglass once more and poured a couple gell coats into the mold just before building up about 4 layers of fiberglass cloth inside the mold. There after long, tedious, messy procedure I at last pulled a completed fiberglass positive from the mold.. now on to the fitting phase.
The first gel-coat
Finally fiberglass!
First shaping
I sanded, trimmed, and sanded even more till the fiberglass matched the curve of the fender as effective as it was going to, then covered the fender with saran wrap once more and put a layer of fiberglass cloth over it to ‘seat’ the skull to the curvature. I needed as much ‘purchase’ area as possible when I glued the skull to the fender, and placing the skull right into a layer of fiberglass wrapped around the fender allowed me to make a good inch of surface area under the skull to get a great glue joint. I trimmed and sanded some more, and built up the fiberglass inside the skull to mate it to the new base. After that came the moment of truth.. time to really attach it.
Fitting to a fiberglass base
View from the bottom
Ready to Attach!
I got out the fiberglass for what I wished will be the last time, and slathered it on the fender, then plopped the skull home and held it in position ’till it set up. Then it was time for sanding, sanding, sanding. I used an automotive high-build sanding primer, and spot putty to finish out the transition between the fiberglass and the fender. I ran a tiny wire through the hole in the fender and through one eye hole on the skull just before gluing it down, so I could pull an electrical wire through for the lights at a later time.
And it’s glued on finally
Final sanding begins
Filler, primer, filler, primer
After days of sanding, puttying, sanding, priming, sanding, ad nauseum, it absolutely was finished. I fished a wire through the skull, wired the LED’s for the lights and popped them into their holes! AHHHHH… eventually done.
Final spot putty coat
And there it is, eyes aglow!
From the side
This is Mikes masterpiece - The Skull Fender Lamp
I started by building a plaster positive of the fender to shape the skull on. I wrapped the fender in saran wrap and put together a few layers of plaster bandages. Once they put in place, I popped it off the fender and implemented extra bandages to close off the open back side of the mold, then filled the mold with Plaster of Paris. I built it up to a thickness of approximately an inch and a half. Once it was all set up, I peeled the bandages off and gave it a gentle scuff with some sandpaper to clean it up a little. Several coats of clear lacquer to seal it and it was all set for the clay!
Plaster bandage fender mold
Plaster of Paris in the mold
Peeling the bandages off
Our next step required a lot of cussing and drinking as the form of the skull got shape in the clay. I used Roma Plastilina clay #2 since it never dries out, and good thing too.. I think I spent near to three months total before I was satisfied with the sculpture. I’d improve it.. let it sit for a week or so, then change it.. let it sit.. then change it again..
The finished plaster fender
Finished clay sculpture
BOO!
After i eventually had the sculpture exactly where I wanted it, I built up a mold wall around it and added silicon mold material all over it. Entertaining stuff silicon.. and really worth the investment if you need to pull a rigid final positive.
The mold wall in place
Brushing on the silicone
Silicone mold material in place
As soon as the silicon was put in place the following day, I covered it with a layer of fiberglass. Once that was set up, I popped the entire shebang off the plaster fender and dug the clay out of the mold.. voila! Nearly done! NOT REALLY!
Fiberglass outer shell
Dig that clay outta there!
Ready for fiberglass
Eventually I was getting somewhere.. I broke out the fiberglass once more and poured a couple gell coats into the mold just before building up about 4 layers of fiberglass cloth inside the mold. There after long, tedious, messy procedure I at last pulled a completed fiberglass positive from the mold.. now on to the fitting phase.
The first gel-coat
Finally fiberglass!
First shaping
I sanded, trimmed, and sanded even more till the fiberglass matched the curve of the fender as effective as it was going to, then covered the fender with saran wrap once more and put a layer of fiberglass cloth over it to ‘seat’ the skull to the curvature. I needed as much ‘purchase’ area as possible when I glued the skull to the fender, and placing the skull right into a layer of fiberglass wrapped around the fender allowed me to make a good inch of surface area under the skull to get a great glue joint. I trimmed and sanded some more, and built up the fiberglass inside the skull to mate it to the new base. After that came the moment of truth.. time to really attach it.
Fitting to a fiberglass base
View from the bottom
Ready to Attach!
I got out the fiberglass for what I wished will be the last time, and slathered it on the fender, then plopped the skull home and held it in position ’till it set up. Then it was time for sanding, sanding, sanding. I used an automotive high-build sanding primer, and spot putty to finish out the transition between the fiberglass and the fender. I ran a tiny wire through the hole in the fender and through one eye hole on the skull just before gluing it down, so I could pull an electrical wire through for the lights at a later time.
And it’s glued on finally
Final sanding begins
Filler, primer, filler, primer
After days of sanding, puttying, sanding, priming, sanding, ad nauseum, it absolutely was finished. I fished a wire through the skull, wired the LED’s for the lights and popped them into their holes! AHHHHH… eventually done.
Final spot putty coat
And there it is, eyes aglow!
From the side
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