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hello peeps,
im from the philippines and miniatures are extremely hard to get here. i have to order them online or purchase them when i travel.
i decided to start making my own miniatures but i cant seem to find good tutorials on how to create miniatures for casting/molding and mass producing.
my questions are:
1. whats the best kind of resin to use?
2. what are the best machines for mass producing miniatures?
3. any good techniques/advice would be greatly appreciated.

If i do get to start mass producing my minis, im sure it will be cheaper than the minis out on the market today because labor and materials should be cheaper here in the philippines. i hope.

so i recently started learning how to sculpt, here is my 1st product made of super sculpey firm.
http://imgur.com/OYjZeGf

 godmusico wrote:
hello peeps,
im from the philippines and miniatures are extremely hard to get here. i have to order them online or purchase them when i travel.
i decided to start making my own miniatures but i cant seem to find good tutorials on how to create miniatures for casting/molding and mass producing.
my questions are:
1. whats the best kind of resin to use?
2. what are the best machines for mass producing miniatures?
3. any good techniques/advice would be greatly appreciated.

If i do get to start mass producing my minis, im sure it will be cheaper than the minis out on the market today because labor and materials should be cheaper here in the philippines. i hope.

so i recently started learning how to sculpt, here is my 1st product made of super sculpey firm.
http://imgur.com/OYjZeGf

I have some experience in moulding and casting, so I'll throw my 2c in.

1. I've generally found a 2 part polyurethane resin to be the best kind of resin to use. There ARE cheaper epoxy resins, but the PU seem to be less finicky. You can get some with some very good detail resolution and capture. For best results, get a resin that has a long "pot life" (working time) as they start to go off (activate) upon mixing. You probably want something in the area of at least 10 minutes pot life (or more. Ambient temperatures DO have an effect on the curing times, the hotter it is, the shorter your working time). You CAN refrigerate the resin components to give you longer to work, though.
2. Vacuum or pressure casting for resin. Resin doesn't behave like metals when cast and is particularly tricky to spin cast (it generally resists more the harder you try to force it into a mould). Vacuum pot to degas the resin - when you mix it, little bubbles form. The vacuum will help get them out).

There are tutorials on youtube about resin casting, what is involved and what would be the best products for your area.

Check out the Resin Addict forums:

http://www.resinaddict.com

Some of the information is older, and hidden throughout the forums, but the majority of it is excellent content and should be essential to anyone interested in mold making and casting.

In the Dr Polymer section, you'll find equipment, technique and supply reviews.

The majority of these folks use vacuum and pressure as part of their casting process, and if you are pursuing professional results, you'll probably want to, too.

Like any endeavor involving sophisticated, powered tools and equipment, this adds an element of danger to the hobby. You need only read the thread with the reports of the Harbor Freight pressure pot exploding on some folks for an understanding of the [admittedly slight] risk.

Edit: forgot to mention how much I like your sculpt!

hey chromedog and hurtmypony!! thank you so much for the tips and resources,vacuum and pressure casting processes sound interesting!! im glad I came to this site for help

hope more help will come. need all the info i can get. i think im the only mini sculptor in this godforsaken island (Cebu, ph)

hello guys,
i recently read online about sculptors who cut their sculpted miniatures after sculpting them. this is so that they can separate the parts for castign and molding. any one have any ideas about this process? how do they cut the greenstuff or polymer clay with such fine lines? especially when its rock hard already???