Squishy Statues | Interactive Ancient Art With Flexible Foam

This project is a bit of a weird one, but hear me out. There are a lot of items on the market that allow you to squish, punch or fidget with. Those items are great for people who use sensory stimulation as a method of relaxation, for anxiety attacks or to relieve boredom.

Problem is- I haven't seen any of those items made in a "professional" style. They are all usually brightly coloured and "fun", but not something you'd bring to the office with you. So, I decided to make one myself, something that wouldn't look out of place in a zoom call, something that serves a purpose, but doesn't distract you from your tasks. Using reproductions of ancient statues seemed like a good idea, plus, they will look great in a professional setting,

My idea for this project is to use 3D printed busts/faces to make silicone moulds and cast the replicas using soft foam and thin, squishable rubber.

They are super fun to play with, you can leave them hanging around the desk or fix them to a wall and use them that way. I recommend headbutting the foam replica with some witnesses present- it freaks people out.

If you are from UK, I recommend getting supplies from https://www.mbfg.co.uk/

You will need:

1. 3D printed bust, face or statue- size and material is up to you

I can't list the exact amounts of products, because it will all depend on the size of your bust. I will give you estimates of how much product I used for my project in brackets {_}

1. silicone for casting - condensation cure silicone preferably {1kg}
2. additives for silicone: softeners if necessary and thixotropic additives

1. for casting soft replicas: Polyurethane rubber {200g} (the softest you can find, A20 shore hardness or lower) and Polyurethane foam {300g}(also the softest you can find)
2. polyurethane pigments (I only used white, but you can use black and white and imitate marble for example)

1. plaster of Paris {2kg}, plaster bandages or Jesmonite - to create a rigid shell for your silicone mold
2. spray on expanding foam
3. kitchen scale - ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY !
4. some wooden boards (could also be plastic or cork), varnished or covered in vinyl wraps
5. glues- epoxy, hot glue and superglue
6. disposables- cups, gloves, stirring spatulas,paint brushes

1. if you want to hang them on the wall, you will need some hardware and wood- some screws, hanging hardware and a small, square piece of wood to embed at the back of the replica

Pay attention to the softness/shore hardness of your foam and rubber. You can get products soft enough to make a very soft squishy, but if you use a wrong product, you will end up with a harder, more rigid replica.

Buy, borrow or 3D print your chosen design (here's the one I used https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3282838) and make sure the original is well prepped. You have to sand it, spray it with filler, smooth it with acetone or epoxy resin - whatever you need to do to make the face/statue smooth and line-free. Any imperfection will show on the replica later on.

1) Stack two boards (covered in vinyl wrap or varnished - it will be easier to remove silicone later on) on top of each other. They can be wooden boards, plastic, melamine or cork. Flat, large, strong and not flexible.Small one at the top should be a bit bigger than the 3D printed face.

2) Glue the small board to the large one with a tiny amount of hot glue at the edges - use small amounts, because it's only temporary and you will have to pry the glue away at the end.

3) Glue the face to the small board with small amount of glue also.

4) Use some cardboard strips and hot glue to create a border around the face, so your silicone doesn't escape everywhere.

1) Spray the face and your wooden boards with grease or mould release.

2) Mix a small batch of silicone and paint a thin layer all over the surface of the face with a paintbrush. This first, thin layer will be able to capture the fine details of the face and it's absolutely necessary.

3) Wait for the silicone to set and then mix and apply a second layer, this time thicker. You might have to repeat this step several times, it all depends on your skill, which silicone you use and what extra tools/products you have. If you have it, you can use thixotropic additives to thicken the silicone and simply spread it around the face like frosting. It will save you some time.

The most important thing about this step is to make a smooth silicone casing and leave absolutely no undercuts. Any hollow spaces should be filled with silicone. More is better.

Last silicone layer should be liquid, it will smooth all the imperfections.

Allow it to set and afterwards remove cardboard strip border from around the face.

Trim the silicone edges and tidy up.

Now we have to make a hard, outer shell made out of plaster. Silicone mould on it's own will be too flexible to use properly, it needs to be propped up to prevent warping.

Mix a small amount of fast drying plaster and pour it gently over the silicone-encased face. It won't be quick or easy, because plaster slides off silicone. You have to take your time and add little by little and build a thick layer. You will have to come back and mix several small batches of plaster to build a good, thick wall.

You can also use jesmonite or speed up the process by using plaster bandages. You can also use strips of muslin fabric, soak them in plaster and use them to build the thickness of the shell.

Overall, 1/2 inch thick shell should be sufficient enough.

This step is optional.

To make things easier and more stable, once the plaster shell is dry as a bone, you can spray about half a can of expanding foam over the top of the plaster (from DIY section) and place a small, thin board on top.

With this step, when everything is dry and set, you will be able to flip your silicone/plaster mold upside down and it will remain level, it won't wobble.

When all products are dried and set, you have to disassemble the mold completely.

Flip the mold upside down and use chisels or spatulas to pry open parts that have been glued earlier (in Step 2). Separate silicone from plaster and wash and dry the former (soap and warm water) before next steps.

Make sure to keep the small wooden board we used in Step 2. It will be used later on.

Reassemble the dry and clean mold.

1) Mix a small amount of polyurethane rubber and dye it white - you need enough mixture to create a 3-4mm thick shell on the inside.

2) Pour it into the mold and spend the next 3-4 minutes gently swirling liquid rubber all over the insides. It sets quickly, so won't take more than 3-5 min.

3) You can also use a disposable paintbrush to move the rubber around and cover everything. If you end up with any bald patches, you will have to make another, smaller batch and use that to cover up the remaining spots.

4) Pay extra attention to any deep-set parts of the mould (like nose of chin). Rubber has a tendency to pool in those deep pockets and if you don't control the flow, you will end up with a very thick layer that won't be too flexible.

5) Leave it to set completely.

Now it's time for liquid, expanding foam.

If you are using super soft foam, this step is very easy: prepare the foam mixture according to instructions, pour it into the mold and watch it rise. If you don't gauge properly the first time, you can make more foam mixture and top it off until you are satisfied.

If you are using regular soft foam, like the one I used, you have to apply a different method and use some additional supplies.

Instead of pouring a large batch of foam into the cavity, you will have to mix several small batches of liquid foam and apply them the same way we applied rubber. Small batches and a lot of swirling around to cover the internal walls in a layer of foam.

This way you will end up with a 0.5-1 inch thick layer of foam on the inside. The remaining empty space will be filled with something soft and squishable like wadding or pillow fillers.

First, layer the inside of the cavity with some wadding fabric, just to see how much to use, and take it all out. Then, mix a small batch of liquid foam and use it to glue the wadding to the inside of the cavity. Stuff all the wading inside and cover the top of it with foam liquid- it will seal it all inside. Cover the opening with a cling film or baking paper and put something flat over the top (like that small cork board we used in Step 2 that I told you to save for later) to weigh it down while the foam is expanding.

If you want to hang your replica on the wall, you have to embed a piece of wood at the back of the head before you pour your last batch of liquid foam.

To do so, you have to temporarily screw a small piece of wood to a large board that you will then use to cover the opening of the mold with.

You will pour the foam into the mold, cover the mold with the board and wait for the foam to rise and envelop that small piece of wood. Then, after all is set and done, you will simply unscrew the board from the wood and unmold.

Unmold the replica and use scissors to trim any rubber overhangs from the edges.

Fix the replica to the wall or frame and have fun with it.