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Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: The_Wisecrack on October 08, 2008, 12:35:41 AM
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so i sat down with a bunch of ebob armatures in hand and thought....."what could i sculpt that is in high demand" and instantly i thought ZED (zombie). most of the dudes over on the future wars forum seem to be going bezarck for zombies at the moment. so i set about making one, basic features. and gave him a lopped off gory arm!
i was going to put him up for sale painted in his green state, but i decided not to and i decided to go one step further.....and cast him up.
most of the stuff needed to cast was provided in the kit i bought,
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1461.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1463.jpg)
>silicone rubber (for making the molds)
>metal (for casting with)
>ladle (melting metal) chalk (for mold) release agent (to prevent walls of mold box and mold halves sticking together)
>catalyst (to help the silicone set)
and some other bits and bobs.
but i also needed (from home)
>two pans (one old and destroyable-reason being if there is over spill you might burn the pan) and one new or old (it doesn't matter)
>elastic bands
>Lego
>scouring pad
>thick or leather gloves (NOT woolen)
>matches or cocktail sticks
>tissue
>balsa wood
heres how the casting process went in stages
1. i took some Lego bricks and built a rough box around the figure allowing about 1-2cm on each side. (just to get an idea of measurements)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1465.jpg)
2. i then took some of the plastecene with the kit and pressed it into the box (only built to "2" bricks high"
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1466.jpg)
3. i then half embedded the figure face down into the plastecene. and put a Vallejo paint lid in the top of the plastecene (to act as a weight in the gravity casting) and a small length of wire going to a part of his head.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1467.jpg)
4. i then built up the remaining two layers of bricks and gave the whole thing a liberal spray of mold release. (i MEAN liberal) i also stick a pencil nib into the mold a few times to create holds, to align the two halves when they are used in casting.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1473.jpg)
5. i measured out by eye the amount of silicone i needed and weighed it, then by using the manual worked out how much catalyst i needed.(it was about 16 drops). after giving the whole thing a good mix i poured it into the mold. and left it to set for four hours (you can leave it for longer but this is the minimal time i think )
6. when the mold is dry you can slowly pull away the bricks outside the silicone and peel off the silicone, if it is obviously not dry as you start to peel leave it over night.
once you have peeled it off and admired your work you can turn the mold in the box give it a very big spray of the release agent, remix the silicone and mold the second half.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1475.jpg)
......repeat step 6.....but at the end also leave the mold open for an hour to dry the two halves thoroughly.
7. i then took the two dry halves and talcked them with the French chalk. using the scouring pad. i blew off excess and bashed the two halves together lightly.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1480.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1482.jpg)
8. i then put two pieces of balsa either side of the mold and pressed it together. and wrapped it in elastic bands tightly.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1485.jpg)
9. i put the old pan on the stove and heated it for about 5 minutes.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1488.jpg)
i put the new pan next to it on the marble surface and put the mold in it, the point of this is to catch over spill.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1486.jpg)
then i put the ladle on (with the , may i add. rather stupid PLASTIC handle) the pan and added enough metal to fill the mold.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1488.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1492.jpg)
i actually used one stick to make about 8 figures. at this point i also put on my gloves
Remember children ALWAYS USE PROTECTION
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1489.jpg)
10. i let the metal melt for about 2minutes reaching a very fluid consistency, and then i poured the metal straight into the mold and carefully/ LIGHTLY. tapped the mold with a wooden spoon.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1497.jpg)
11. i left the metal to dry for about 5 minutes the first time, but you really only need to let it dry for about 1-2 minutes,
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1500.jpg)
KEEP IN MIND THE METAL WOULD HAVE BEEN MOLTEN THEREFORE STILL VERY WARM AND MAYBE HOT!!!
once dried i slowly pulled open the mold and found sadly that it hadn't worked.
MAIN REASONS WHY IT WONT WORK FIRST TIME AND NOT TO GIVE UP HOPE
> no air escaping (need to vent the mold) (might be a term i made up but it means that you need to cut lines with the sprue cutter to the top of the mold to let air out)
>not enough metal (just take the metal used RE-melt it and add more then try again.
>mold not ready / mold melts and or breaks. (sorry no fix you will have to start again)
if it does work CAST CAST CAST.
here are some of my results (varied success rate)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1503.jpg)
and here are some painted pics and scale pics.
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1504.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1505.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1507.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1508.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1515.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1516.jpg)
(http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/lovinggiants/100_1517.jpg)
thanks for reading i hope this tutorial helps.
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Nice one. Moulding seems quite straight forward. You seem to have got some good results there. How much was the kit and where did you get it? 8)
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Good, straightforward 'howto', wisecrack.
(I like your Napoleon Dynamite teeshirt)
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Well done my friend.
Some good results there.
I can't do anything like that at all.
The nearest I ever got was play doh with the kids and that never turned out well.
Dodge
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Nice tutorial. :)
Looks like a Tiranti mould set?
http://tiranti.co.uk/
I had one and experimented some years ago. It great for doing one off individual figures.
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Excellent tutorial - thanks.
I half remember those old casting kits that Prince August used to make. A friend at school had some of the molds and we cast up dozens of goblins. The mold were bought though - would be great to make your own, and your tutorial definitely helps with the inspiration.
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Excellent tutorial - thanks.
I half remember those old casting kits that Prince August used to make. A friend at school had some of the molds and we cast up dozens of goblins. The mold were bought though - would be great to make your own, and your tutorial definitely helps with the inspiration.
i used those as a kid to build up fantasy armies quickly.
They were great fun, I always thought it was a shame that there were too few variations then but that was 25 years ago. And if it didn't work you could emelt and do it again fanatastic
I wonder if they still do them.
dodge
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Excellent tutorial - thanks.
I half remember those old casting kits that Prince August used to make. A friend at school had some of the molds and we cast up dozens of goblins. The mold were bought though - would be great to make your own, and your tutorial definitely helps with the inspiration.
I believe Prince August just released a mold making kit... LINK (http://www.princeaugust.ie)
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Excellent tutorial - thanks.
I half remember those old casting kits that Prince August used to make. A friend at school had some of the molds and we cast up dozens of goblins. The mold were bought though - would be great to make your own, and your tutorial definitely helps with the inspiration.
i used those as a kid to build up fantasy armies quickly.
They were great fun, I always thought it was a shame that there were too few variations then but that was 25 years ago. And if it didn't work you could emelt and do it again fanatastic
I wonder if they still do them.
dodge
I had some of their Napoleonic moulds when I were a lad; French infantry, cavalry and a cannon from memory - Happy Days!! :)
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And they still do stuff like that as well as what hammers said, make your own mould kits.
They were happy days those :D
dodge
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Nice job. I would highly recommend eye protection also. I had a stray drop or pewter hit a tiny drop of water on my counter and it exploded. If I had not been wearing glasses I would have suffered pretty serious eye damage.
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thanks for the remarks .
Good, straightforward 'howto', wisecrack.
(I like your Napoleon Dynamite teeshirt)
hahahaha, i didn't even think napoleon dynamite when i was painting him, i was thinking more Rolf Harris in a vest but thanks for the idea.
the kit is from tiranti and it is £44.00
on turning up at the door its a bit disappointing with everything being so small, but once you get started its amazing, nothing i mean NOTHING has been more satisfying in this hobby for me as casting and painting my OWN miniature.
would anyone be interested in a series of zombies (only maybe) at 75p a cast or 3 for £1.50 i am sculpting some more and wouldn't mind making a profit, ALSO
keep your eyes peeled as im casting my ent up soon. !!!!!
p.s MALAMUTE PM PM PM PM PM
TW
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So if you buy a casting kit but don't or can't sculpt . o_o
Not that I have or would can you make moulds out of ordinary figures or wouldn't it work ?
Just chewing the fat really.
Dodge
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haha, im not exactly sure im with you? i understand about making molds of ordinary figures, you can but it IS illegal (:P) buuutttt as for your first question i have no idea. ???
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haha, im not exactly sure im with you? i understand about making molds of ordinary figures, you can but it IS illegal (:P) buuutttt as for your first question i have no idea. ???
There was only one question and you answered it. I didn't prhase it exactly clearly did I ?
Surely though it would only be illegal if you sold on to the public or advertised, if you just built up you're own forces who would know?
apart from anyone reading this?
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Most commercial minis are very difficult to cast using this method - to prevent problems with undercuts, etc., the mold would have to have an irregular fit (try looking at how the mold-lines run on a mini).
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TECNICALLY you could. for example some big kits like the lotr troll comes with like 10 times more arms and heads than it does legs and body, so you could cast them up. but it would have a limited use.
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Thank you .
I was just wondering if you could that's all.
I don't know anything about it really, I'm impressed by your sculpting attempts.
As I have said play doh with the kids is as far as I've got - didn't go well at all. They produced better models than me lol
dodge
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starting the ent mold today, also finished a green of a wild west rancher boy with pistol, kneeling. and working on a green for another zombie.
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thanks for the remarks .
Good, straightforward 'howto', wisecrack.
(I like your Napoleon Dynamite teeshirt)
hahahaha, i didn't even think napoleon dynamite when i was painting him, i was thinking more Rolf Harris in a vest but thanks for the idea.
Ummm, I was thinking of the 'Vote for Pedro' Tee... Or doesn't that have anything to do with the flick?
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i thought u meant "like the napoleon dyno T on the figure" which although he isn't it kinda could be and it made me laugh.
:D lol