Polaroid Photo

Wed
23
Apr '08

Time to make the donuts

For Steve and Idi I need a fake jelly donut.

Cutting the shape from blue foamI started with blue foam, the stuff used to insulate your house, and laminated two sheets of 1″ foam together to get the right thickness for the donut. Then I cut it out on the bandsaw.

Rounded with sandpaper
My beltsander and I rounded the thing. I used an exacto to carve the indentation that runs around the middle of a donut as well as adding the hole for the jelly.

Painted donutI used acrylic paint to cover it, with a healty dose of gell medium for gloss and elasticity. I would normally cover the donut with a protective layer first, but am going to try this one without it because we need it to be insanely light for a special effect.

Donut with jellyAnd here’s the donut with the jelly installed. The jelly is red paint and a ton of gell medium. When it’s dry, it should have a translucence. At the theater, I’ll add talcum powder to look like it’s got powdered sugar on it.

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16 Comments

  1. Jim C. Hines Jim C. Hines on 23.04.2008 at 11:32 (Reply)

    I love these prop-making entries. I’m so impressed with how well they turn out!

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 23.04.2008 at 11:33 (Reply)

      Thanks! I’m constantly surprised that people like reading about foam and such.

  2. Julia Julia on 23.04.2008 at 12:25 (Reply)

    I want doughnuts now.

    Were any baby bunnies sacrificed in the end?

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:41 (Reply)

      I eviscerated one, to make it more compressible, and then we decided not to go with the compression route.

  3. Jeff Jeff on 23.04.2008 at 14:09 (Reply)

    That looks terribly edible. I think I need a donut.

    If it looks that realistic then you didn’t follow the 40-40 rule ;P

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:42 (Reply)

      I wish! It’s a 100 seat house and the front row is very close to the donut.

  4. Charles Tan Charles Tan on 23.04.2008 at 16:54 (Reply)

    Just because I know it’s fake doesn’t make the donut less appetizing.

    And yay to more prop-making entries. =)

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:42 (Reply)

      I will try to oblige with more in the future.

  5. Pat Esden Pat Esden on 23.04.2008 at 17:46 (Reply)

    I’ll remember this one. I might need it someday.

    This afternoon, I got to build a swamp for a funeral. The woman’s father loved duck hunting, so in memory of him she wanted a huge arrangement that looked like it didn’t have a container was totally natural–with iris and cedar and moss and dead leaves and pampus grass. I had great fun hacking mushrooms off trees and spray gluing dead leaves to stuff. Almost as much fun as making donuts.

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:43 (Reply)

      Did you post pictures of that?

  6. Alethea Alethea on 23.04.2008 at 18:48 (Reply)

    Regrettably, one bunny perished in the making of that lovely donut…

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:43 (Reply)

      Poor bunny.

  7. Elizabeth Barrette Elizabeth Barrette on 24.04.2008 at 00:19 (Reply)

    That so looks like a donut! I am impressed with your crafting ability.

    I keep hoping someday we’ll get some theatre geeks on the faculty at the Grey School of Wizardry and add some dramaturgy classes.

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 00:43 (Reply)

      Thanks! Clearly, theater geeks are a necessity in every walk of life.

  8. -e- -e- on 24.04.2008 at 01:23 (Reply)

    “The front row is very close to the donut” may have to be added to a “things said at work” entry

    1. Mary Robinette Kowal Mary Robinette Kowal on 24.04.2008 at 08:20 (Reply)

      Heh. Done.

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