12–15 bone-shaped pieces that are flat on the back, bone-shaped on the front, painted metallic gold, and slightly flexible so they conform to Phillip's face. Our makeup artist will attach them with liquid latex on shoot day.
The trick: silicone candy molds shaped like bones. They're open-faced, so every casting comes out flat-backed automatically. We pour a material in, pop it out, rub gold on it. That's the whole build.
Phase 1 — This order (~$30)
Order just the mold + gold rub. We already have a hot glue gun — hot glue casts beautifully in silicone molds and flexes nicely. We make one test bone, gold it, and check how it looks on camera and how it flexes against a face.
Phase 2 — Only if the test passes (~$50)
Order the proper casting resin (Smooth-Cast 45D) and run off all 12–15 pieces, plus spares. If the hot-glue bones actually look great on camera, we may skip Phase 2 entirely and just make them all from glue.
| Item | Notes | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| Skeleton bone silicone molds | The bone-shaped candy mold set Ammon found. Open-face = flat backs. | $10–14 |
| Rub 'n Buff — Antique Gold | Small metallic wax tube. Get Antique Gold (or Gold Leaf for a brighter gold). One tube does everything. | $8–10 |
| Order 1 total | ~$20–25 | |
| Item | Notes | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth-On Smooth-Cast 45D (trial size) | Semi-rigid urethane resin. Cures bone-hard but thin pieces flex. Trial kit makes dozens of bones. | $40–50 |
| Order 2 total | ~$40–50 | |
Whole-project budget: roughly $60–75 total (we already have the glue gun, gloves, cups, and stir sticks).
Warm soapy water, rinse, dry completely. Any water left in the cavities will make bubbles and pits in the casting.
Get the glue gun fully hot. Start at one end of the bone cavity and fill slowly in one continuous pass — pushing the nozzle down near the silicone helps avoid trapped air. Slightly overfill, then drag a popsicle stick across the top to level the flat back.
Wait 10–15 minutes (or a few minutes in the freezer). Flex the mold and the bone pops right out. Trim any wispy glue strings with scissors.
Squeeze a pea-sized dab onto a fingertip (wear a glove) or soft cloth. Rub a thin layer over the whole bone, let it sit a minute, then buff with a clean soft cloth until it shines. Thin coats beat thick ones — build up 2 coats if needed. It dries to the touch fast; give it a few hours before heavy handling.
Text Ammon photos/video. If it passes, we might just make all 15 from hot glue and be done for $25. If the glue feels too floppy, too melty-looking, or the finish is wrong → Phase 2.
Work on cardboard or wax paper in a ventilated space (garage/open window). Gloves on — uncured resin shouldn't touch skin. The mold needs no release spray; urethane doesn't stick to silicone.
Smooth-Cast 45D is two bottles, Part A + Part B, mixed 1A : 1B by volume (equal amounts — confirm on the label). Pour equal amounts into a cup and stir briskly for ~30 seconds, scraping the sides. You have about 2–3 minutes of working time, so mix only enough for 3–4 bones per batch (a few tablespoons).
Pour in a thin stream from a few inches up (helps bubbles break). Fill each cavity just to the brim, then drag a stick across for a flat back. It turns from clear to opaque white as it kicks — that's normal.
Pieces pop out in ~30 minutes. Re-pour immediately — the mold is instantly reusable. An afternoon gets you all 15 plus a pile of spares. Let everything cure 24 hours before painting or skin contact.
Rub 'n Buff every piece — thin coat, buff, second coat if needed. Do the flat backs' edges too (any sliver visible past the latex should be gold, not white).
| Phase | What | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Order 1 (now) | Bone mold set + Rub 'n Buff gold | ~$20–25 |
| Order 2 (if needed) | Smooth-Cast 45D trial kit | ~$40–50 |
| On hand | Glue gun, glue, gloves, cups, sticks | $0 |
| Worst case total | ~$75 | |
| Best case (hot glue passes the test) | ~$25 | |
Questions → Ammon. Gustav thanks you in advance. 💀✨