Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Limes on February 09, 2025, 07:59:12 PM
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When I was a kid, I remember I always wanted to try out casting metal miniatures myself. Somehow I never got round to it. Fast forward a couple of decades. This Christmas I finally decided to stop putting it off any longer and I got a couple of moulds from Prince August to finally try and make some minis.
This is the basic setup:
(https://i.imgur.com/afGCDiQ.jpeg)
I was actually really surpised by the crispness of the cast:
(https://i.imgur.com/qSoO4am.jpeg)
Painting went smoothly:
(https://i.imgur.com/BYdjaNN.jpeg)
And here he is with the base done, waiting for some adventurers to start trouble:
(https://i.imgur.com/ALAq2iz.jpeg)
Satisfied with the test cast and model, I've now started to cast more from the different moulds i bought. Still a couple more to go but this is where we are at the moment:
(https://i.imgur.com/juLrcZ3.jpeg)
I think, I'll cast one set from each mould and then paint them all together in one batch. Also, I decided to magnetise the bases for simpler storage. No idea what game I'll be usting them for, but we'll see when they are done...
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Awww man, that was a trip down amnesia lane. It was Napoleonics for me back in the day. I had no idea they are still going. Hope you have loads of fun!
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That looks quite good!
A bit more than a year ago I was bumbling around Ireland and serendipitously happened upon Prince August's factory, popped in and bought a few molds (not fantasy stuff). I must get around to using them. This might be the push I needed!
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This is really cool. What metal to you use? Also are there any issues with metal getting into all parts of the mold?
I am just curious.
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They have come out really nicely. It is a fun aspect of the hobby and quite addictive.
From experience, if you clip off the big cast on bases close to the feet (as you are basing them anyway) you can re-use the excess bits and get a couple of extra figures from your metal ;)
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"happened upon Prince August's factory"
Where is it?
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That's amazing. I had no idea such a thing existed.
You're a very bad man sending me off down what may become another rabbit hole.
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Great results there.
I have always wanted to stumble across it. but wrong country, I suspect my wife might not wish to, if we ever get to Ireland
They have a visitor centre
https://toysoldierfactory.ie/
https://shop.princeaugust.ie/
It is a wonderful thing, and as soon as I can I intend to get the box of casting stuff out and do so - its a project I have not had a chance at for some years, but I will, I tell you, I will.
especially when you see they can come out so well.
Just wish they did some newer fantasy stuff to, but the classics will have to suffice.
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Ah that takes me back.
Prince August were going to provide masses of cheap rank & file troops.
Linka was to provide villages of interesting (& cheap) buildings.
Never quite worked out like that. :-[
I didn't have the temperament for slogging away at the moulds,
nor the patience. I was forever trying to take things out of their
moulds too soon.
You are doing much better than I. Keep it up. :)
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"happened upon Prince August's factory"
Where is it?
Macroom, Co. Cork. I was driving west from Waterford to Bantry Bay and saw a sign that said "Toy Soldier Factory, this way!", so I followed it and the subsequent smaller signs (some of which were ambiguous on which way to turn . . .) None of the signs named the company and it wasn't until I saw the big building with "Prince August" in big letters on the side that I knew it was them. I was kind of expecting to find a one-man operation in a garage or something, and was pleased to find what I did!
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Those Orcs have come out really nicely, and they paint up well too! I bought one of their solder pots and made some silicone moulds which have worked surprisingly well, although some fine detail is lost compared to spin casting.
Like you I wanted to have a go at casting since I got into the hobby, I think Prince August sold their kit on the top floor of Hamleys maybe during the early 90s? I’ve yet to get any of their moulds but I think I’ll have a go at some less detailed sculpts for home casting.
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Your painted orc looks great. The castings are good, too. Prince August molds are great for thinking about having projects too big to buy commercially, as long as you don’t think too hard about how much work it’s going to be. :D But seriously, soft detail doesn’t matter too much when you’re deploying them by the horde.
I’ve mostly got the “classic” fantasy molds, as they mix better with the rest of my “true 25mm” collection of vintage fantasy figures.
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I've seen people use Prince August molds before (great that this company still is going!), but this must be the best result I've seen. Great stuff, and thanks for showing the details of your setup!
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Yeah, these casts look pretty good, especially the painted fellow! I used Prince August moulds for my armies in the late ‘80s. They were fun and did the job (and getting commercially cast figures was a challenge in my area), but they never looked as good as these. Of course it might have had something to do with using metal melted down from car batteries and wheel weights…. :?
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Wish I'd had the larger orc moulds like these back in the day, They look ace. I had lots of the smaller goblin/orcs and men, as can be seen in this 2012 'reenactment' of a 1st ed 1984 Warhammer Fantasy Battle:
https://forum.oldhammer.org/threads/first-edition-warhammer-battle.169/
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As others have said: these look great! And it’s a little miracle Prince August have made it to this day and still sell their stuff (which has aged remarkably well)!
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The cast has come out wonderfully and a great paint job to match!
I've often thought about picking these moulds up, but I'm not sure about the size against the rest of my collection. I already have a pretty extensive collection of middle earth miniatures (some of their mithril range as well actually) but their moulds don't really show how much the 25mm + 28mm scales differ from each other or other ranges. Haven't found many comparisons online either.
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"I think Prince August sold their kit on the top floor of Hamleys maybe during the early 90s?"
There was very definitely a section selling them there in the late 70s or very early 80s, including a really impressive diorama of the fantasy figures in a glass case. I wonder what became of that?
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Awesome. That's really cool. I tried casting in metal at one stage but didn't have the right equipment so quickly gave it up. Good to see it's worked out nicely for you.
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Oh wow, nostalgia indeed. Casting these was how I originally got into minis, the local toy store had a selection of moulds.