Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I’d like to explore making my own molds and casting my own resin minis. I’m looking to make everything from your average sized mini on up to bigger things like terrain pieces or buildings in the future. So I’m looking for advice or tips or instructions if anyone here has some tips to share. I’ve read the Hirst Arts mold making page, which was informative, but it doesn’t seem to have changed since the last time I read it many years ago.

Wondering if there’s any new techniques out there that I should be looking for. I think I remember reading you need some kind of vacuum chamber to get the bubbles out… is that true? And if so, where does one acquire such a thing? And what other equipment would I need? What are the best rubbers to use for making the molds? And the best resins to use?

Check out resinaddict and read through all of it. That's what I did.

The consensus is you need to pull a vacuum to degas the resin and you need to apply pressure to the resin to crush the bubbles that are left. There are different qualities of silicone and resin, sulfur free clay for forming sprue, mold release agent, and patience to make mistakes that you will need. It's a fun hobby in my experience. Pull a well cast mold is like opening up a new box of minis. There is an entrance cost and a learning curve though.

If you only want to cast a few minis and you don't want to pay the high prices for the equipment or you just don't like casting then you could also get someone else to do it for you. That website has a few people who do things like that, I'm just a lurker on that site but I am one of them.

I would recommend checking out Smooth-On's website. They seem to be the go-to company for casting supplies. They also have a ton of info on their website.

I know people have done good casts without a vacuum chamber if you use different resins - some of the slower cure types are more forgiving re: bubbles and filling the molds (but with a slower demold time).

Lots of vids on Youtube as well.

I have an article from an old model building mag that goes into great detail re: resin casting that you might find useful. Pm me and I can send it to you. I'll see if I have anything else I can dig out of my archives :-D

First of all, its quite an adventure - and making molds and casting is a fun art (there is a lot of nuances to it).

I would suggest watching as manyvideos on youtube you can.

Some basics;
molds are made from silicon - there are many vendors.
Vacuum - used to get bubbles out of the silicon before it sets.
Pressure chamber - used to force resin (and silicon) into tiny areas, and reduce the size of any air bubbles you have.

THere is a lot of art on how to make a mold - how to place the object, the angles the silicon will flow, understanding where to place the resin channels, etc. This has a STEEP learning curve to do anything other than simple one sided impression molds.

Not trying to talk you out of it, not at all, its a lot of fun.
(my wife is an artist and sculpts things, and I cast them, so its a cool hobby).

Now, the real question;

Why do you want to do this?

I make my own bases, and use it for other arts projects.
If you are thinking of using it to try and save money on kits you an buy - this is a LOSING proposition.
The silicon is expensive, and the resin is not cheap - and there will be a LOT of lost molds and resin while learning the process.

Not to mention the TIME invested.

By all means, if you want to do this for some fun arts of crafts, or other creative reasons (making your own bases to sell, for example) this could be a lot of fun. But if you are trying to save a buck or two and copy minis - its just not worth the effort or time.

Regardless, read as much as you can, and watch every video you can on casting.

Right now I’m just curious and want to learn, I don’t think I’d be doing anything I’d want to sell for quite a while. I imagine I would start with things that can be done in a single mold, like terrain pieces that will lay flat on the table or special bases, and eventually move on to other things like walls or fences for 2-part molds. Some day I would love for my company to be totally self sufficient where we sculpt and cast all of our own minis, but that is a long ways off and several thousands of dollars away as I would need to get a worthwhile 3D printer first. So in the meantime I just want to learn and experiment with resins to get the best results and stuff like that. Then there’s also the concern that I live in a small condo and don’t have a basement or garage workshop that I can be ok with “messing up”. I imagine if I spill rubber or resin on the carpet, it’s not coming out. So yeah, I just want to start small and move my way up, and see if it’s even something I think I’d like to do.

Anyway I was checking out smooth-on, looks like they have lots of great info so I’m gonna start there

You can 3d print resin

True, but at the cost of several thousands of dollars for a printer. And the printing is very slow, I don't think it will be practical to print 300 copies of 20 different minis to fulfill a kickstarter

I am looking to get invest in a 3D printer myself at some point, but for making my own prototypes / master models. I would like to be able to get to the point where I can sculpt my own minis in zBrush, print out a few copies, make a mold out of them and then be able to cast a bunch of copies at once.

I have worked professionally in the miniatures and model industry, I would suggest taking a look here for resins, rubber, and casting equipment.

http://www.alumilite.com

I use the RC3 resin, it cures quickly and yields a good durable result. The resin is actually strong enough to use as masters for making a vulcanized rubber mold, so have no fear whether it will stand up to use on the table.