As an experiment into the use of materials I decided to continue with the notion of plasticity I have been exploring to date, not only in the material sense of using actual plastics but also the idea of the plasticity of the body whereby it has the power to both give and receive form. From this one of the plastics that fit was Silicone, a material that has an elasticity and a power to be cured into different shapes whilst retaining the ability to be flexible even when solid. As an initial experiment in testing the limits of this I produced a mould using a set of the 3D printed teeth as the source object that can later have copies cast using various other plastics. The process was relatively straightforward, the teeth were positioned in a plastic container and any areas filled in as necessary with modelling clay. The silicone rubber was then mixed with a catalyst in order to allow it to cure into its solid(ish) state, then it was poured over the teeth and left for 24 hours. The releasing of the teeth was the most difficult part, trying to prise the silicone away from the detail sections between the teeth need some help with a scalpel. This has left a rougher finish than I was hoping for but the impressions of the process to create it may give some interesting effects when a copy is cast.

The next step is to produce the cast copy, for this I have polyurethane resin and an orange pigment.