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I'm in a bit of a quandry.

GW has no bits service worth spit anymore.

I have several Immolators that I am wanting to dual purpose as Rhinos. This wouldn't be a problem, except that the "hatch seal" is apparently the clear plastic view screen for the Immolator.

I've done some very rudimentary green stuff casting before and I am pretty sure I could do the same here for the Rhino parts, then paint the windows in, but I was hoping someone might have some insight on a basic "clear" resin that would work well for this instead.

Thoughts, suggestions and experiences are appreciated.

Clear might be difficult. If the material has any bubbles in it it it's going to be not-clear.

Maybe to avoid this (and the whole casting argument) you could do something different... use the hatch seal for Immolators, and construct a less ornate but serviceable hatch for when the vehicles are in use as Rhinos?

Possible, yes.

Depends on how clear you want it though.

Clear-ish (like semi-frosted glass) - I've seen Lictors and stealth suits and harlequins done like this. Using a clear resin. With a light sanding AND a clear coat of nail varnish they do end up looking like clear glass, though.

Transparent clear like glass (not easily from a DIY perspective) canopies? Easiest way to do this is with a vacformer (but not a beginners job by any means).

This is the method used by hundreds of model aircraft enthusiasts for "more accurate" canopies than those provided in kits. and the way that many R/C car shells are made.

All that being said, I've seen clear resin castings before. At least one site had one of a custom card headlight cover thingy that came out absolutely crystal clear, but I believe that required vacuum chambers and the like.

yea someone on here that has made a few REALLY NICE titans was messing around and made the front part of one of his titans out of some clear resin he had sitting around. that too came out pretty clear. dont remember who it was but I know it can be done

Clear is possible but you need a good mold and some good 2 part resin. Usually the mold for resin casting is rubber but the type depends on the composition of the material you are going to cast into it. If you want to get crazy go to the smooth on rubber homepage and have a ball, you can even get a free sample of a mold rubber or casting platic/resin that is enough to do a bunch of small stuff. They have a nice crystal clear resin that pours like water.

A proper mold release is essential when casting almost anything especially resin. If you are going to cast into green stuff you might want to ask around about what kind of release agent to use so the mold and the part do not become one.

If you ever cast a mold or positive part as soon as you finish the pour give the table it is on a few good thumps to drive the air bubbles up and out

The only way to get 100% bubble free clear resin is by pressure casting.

wynnstudio

That is what i was suspecting on clear casting. Oh well, time to raid the bitz box and see what I can come across.

clear casting is possible, and as easy as any form of casting. you just need clear cast resin, and 'platinum' mould silicon.

normal silicon will leak alcohol into the clear cast resin when it cures, making it cloudy. 'platinum' silicon is a special compound that doesn't leak the alcohol, allowing for shiny clear casts.

of course, it's more expensive than normal casting products, and you would need a good vacuum chamber to get out all those bubbles. :/

You could try a simple method - create a greenstuff mold, coat inside with some olive oil and use acrylic water with it.

I read a review of water options, and several were quite sturdy. I think this might have been one:



Worst case - you end up with some water effects for other uses!

You could also use the greenstuff mold and simply create a greenstuff impression and paint it as a window.

Cheers

Pressure casting with small moulds are not impossible. Most of us have tried "exploding" various food products in a clear glas jar and a bicycle pump with the valves turned around.

If you're just trying to make a thin piece like a windscreen or shield, why not try thermoforming instead? Create a solid mold of the shape you want out of medium or high density foam (not pink or blue foam) or wood if you want. Heat up a sheet of clear plastic in your oven until it's pliable and pull it over the mold until it hardens. If the shape is simple enough you don't need a vacuum. Otherwise, apply suction from the bottom of the mold (doing so requires a bit more setup but it's still pretty cheap and easy from home--google for home built vacuum form setups).

Not saying that you can't cast a clear object, but this is much easier IMHO if you're dealing with thin parts.

I have no clue what you're trying to make, but have you tried just cutting a blister apart. I don't really know how complex a thing you want to cast.