Completed Bee Mold

This is a follow up to yesterdays post on making a plaster mold of a bee. Today the plaster has hardened and it's time to make the first bee.
Step one is to remove the plaster from the plastic cup. In my case the mold popped open easily. If you have trouble use a screwdriver to slowly work the seam open. work around the piece, not just from one side.
In this photo you can see the keys for the mold, which helps get the registration correct when you put it together. 

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Slowly and carefully remove the bee from the mold. This is critical. The mold is still wet, so it will easily bruise or chip if you force it. Here I am using a little hooked tool to work the legs free (this part grosses my TA out a little).

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Done. Once I have removed the bee I look for undercuts, places where the clay might get stuck into the mold. I have a few in this one, so I gently rubbed the edges to open them up a little. I know I am not going to get a perfect replica of the bee, but I expand as little as possible.

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Even though the mold is wet I go ahead and make a first impression. This one is going to be tossed anyways, since it will have a little plaster powder/ oil soap on it. Now I'll set the mold aside for another 24 hours to dry completely before making a series. That's it. I really like how this one came out, the wings are up, and they make a really interesting form. Much more abstract than the first one. 

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