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I've done a fair deal of pressmolds to reproduce stuff in GS, which worked fairly well but it does got some downsides. Casting in GS using pressmolds never qute manage to capture all those finer details of the original pice (although the mold itself often does). Whatever you are casting inevitable gets thicker than the original pice (not that much if you know what you are doing, but still) than the original. And last but not least, the curing time for GS makes it a quite slow procedure as well.
So, I'm hoping to get around some of these issues with resin but since I've never tried it I don't know where to start really. I've done some research and found two companies that seem to be mentioned quite often which are "smooth-on" and "Alumilite". Both companies got starter sets, are these a good way to start? Is there any difference between the companies? How much can you expect to cast with their starters? Alumilite also got their "Amazing mold putty" (I believe its called), how is that compared to silicone rubber (in terms of capturing details and so on)?
Any response will be appreciated!
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2012/11/24 18:08:34
As this is a touchy subject with the mods, I will only say that as a professional in the industry, Alumilite is the way to go. You can get their starter kits relatively inexpensively online, though you will be limited to fairly simple things out of the gate. Their amazing mold putty is nice for simple one part things but the silicone that you pour provides better results. If you want to go beyond simple things you are going to have to invest in a vacuum chamber and a pressure pot down the road. Feel free to PM me for anything more detailed as I do not want to raise the ire of the mods beyond what I have provided here.
You say that I am crazy. I say that you are right!
commissarbob - Ok didn't think casting your own creations were a touchy subject. But considering it's probably easy to misconcieive the intent of anyone looking into resin-casting and certain company's scourging of internet forums I suppose that's understandable.
To anyone else, I'm just going to cast my own stuff for my own personal need, nothing else!
I started my own casting adventure not long ago, I simply picked up resin and RTV silicone on ebay though. I've seen putty/clay being used in tutorials to seal mould boxes and to hold parts in place when doing a twopart mould, haven't used it myself though. Simple LEGO mould boxes have worked fine for me, I've only done onesided ones though. I've looked at tutorials for twopart moulds and you can suspend the piece in midair, rather than using putty. Important part there is release agent between mould part pours.
You'll want an electronic scale for weighing silicone, catalyst and resin parts, as often they're not mixed 1:1.
Volumewise I did some quick measuring and weighing, and you can pretty much compare resin to water, as in if you buy 500grams (or 0.5L) then you'll be able to cast 500 cubic centimeters, say a 5x10x10cm box for example. If you put extra effort into parts you can make a hollow endmodel, thus saving resin, or if you only cast small parts you'll be able to cast quite a lot.
Johnno - Thanks for your insights! Have you experienced any problems with bubbles, I've heard that migt be a pain? I'm planning on using lego as well (already using it for making pressmolds), but considering Lego got tiny gaps between the boxes, are there any problems with leakage during the mold making process?
Cheers!
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/11/24 20:33:57
A couple of years ago, I gave my own silicone molding a try. I got the starter kit from MicroMark, a US distributor, although they do sell an international version without the aerosol mold release.
The advantage is it's a simple 1:1 mix with no need for vacuuming, air bubbles are nonexistant. Same with the quick-cure resin, no need for extensive prep, just 1:1 and pour, although I poured white metal and my molds stood up fairly well for a half dozen casts, nothing you could rely on commercially (possibly if you just stick with resin though).
c0un7_z3r0 wrote: Have you experienced any problems with bubbles, I've heard that migt be a pain?
Yeah, they're a pain sometimes, but normally not a huge issue. A couple small bubbles per piece is to be expected. I've made my masters simple on purpose, so that any holes are easy to fill in with (liquid) green stuff. I add small detail such as studs/rivets manually afterwards. Some pours have had more bubbles than others, have to be careful not to mix in air when you're stirring the resin parts together, also I've had some pours that I suspect were poorly measured/mixed (happens more often when I mix small amounts) where an excess of bubbles is created and the finished part either takes very long to properly cure and/or is very fragile.
I've read that a pressure pot/chamber will compress bubbles so that they're less of a problem, but it's a somewhat hefty investment. I've only done small scale casting so haven't bothered getting one.
I'm planning on using lego as well (already using it for making pressmolds), but considering Lego got tiny gaps between the boxes, are there any problems with leakage during the mold making process?
I seal the inside of my mould box with tape, just regular transparent packaging tape. I then tape the mould box down onto the plate I've glued my master piece to. I haven't experienced any leaks but have noted that occasionally the silicone will creep ever so slightly in under/between bricks, that'll just result in a thin sliver of "flash" silicone on the finished mould, easily removed with a knife or scissors and is more an aestethic issue than anything. If you're worried about leaks though just tape the mould box, on the inside for a pretty finished mould, on the outside for ease.
c0un7_z3r0 wrote: Johnno - Thanks for your insights! Have you experienced any problems with bubbles, I've heard that migt be a pain? I'm planning on using lego as well (already using it for making pressmolds), but considering Lego got tiny gaps between the boxes, are there any problems with leakage during the mold making process?
Cheers!
There was a video I saw somewhere a while back where they used a brush to fill in fine details and to make sure there weren't any bubbles showing.
Dreadnought13 wrote:A couple of years ago, I gave my own silicone molding a try. I got the starter kit from MicroMark, a US distributor, although they do sell an international version without the aerosol mold release.
The advantage is it's a simple 1:1 mix with no need for vacuuming, air bubbles are nonexistant. Same with the quick-cure resin, no need for extensive prep, just 1:1 and pour, although I poured white metal and my molds stood up fairly well for a half dozen casts, nothing you could rely on commercially (possibly if you just stick with resin though).
Dreadnought13 - This all sounds really promising! How did the casts turn out? What were the downsides (if any)? What's your general experience of the whole deal?
Jonno - Ok, great, it's good to know what results to expect! I kind of figured you'd use tape, but it's always good to hear it from someone who got experience! What is your over all experience so far?
RivenSkull - Ah, OK. I read something about brushing-kits and thought that might be reason, might be worh a try once I get started, thanks for letting me know!
theunicorn wrote: I have a bunch of tutorials here on casting and moldmaking.
c0un7_z3r0 wrote: Jonno - Ok, great, it's good to know what results to expect! I kind of figured you'd use tape, but it's always good to hear it from someone who got experience! What is your over all experience so far?
Takes a bit of time, effort and money, but overall it sure beats scratchbuilding the same thing over and over if you're wanting several.
Takes a bit of time, effort and money, but overall it sure beats scratchbuilding the same thing over and over if you're wanting several.
Heh, the pain of scratchbuildning loads of identical things have actually been a huge roadblock for me. My hopes is that with resin I will only need to make one master, really carefully, and then just do duplicates, the bare thought of it is sweetness!
With the smooth on / smooth cast products I used in the tutorial you don't need a vacuum chamber or pressure pot to get good results. I do have a vacuum chamber, and a good pressure setup is on my list. But again neither is needed for the products I was using.
theunicorn wrote: With the smooth on / smooth cast products I used in the tutorial you don't need a vacuum chamber or pressure pot to get good results. I do have a vacuum chamber, and a good pressure setup is on my list. But again neither is needed for the products I was using.
That sounds rater promising! The cast I saw at your blog was quite big compared to what I, mainly, tend to do. Have you been casting any smaller items? And what's your experience with that?
Within 2-3 molds, I had gotten the process more or less ideal. I was able to reproduce various test pieces, ... that being said, It was damn near indistinguishable, and while resin required a bit more work on air release, the results were just as impressive. I know you've said Lego is going to be the way to go, and that should work just fine. If you want to stick with Smooth-On, their OOMOO line would be ideal for beginner mold making. As far as value in the $100 beginner package, it's a steal especially if you plan on sticking with resin. The sulfurless clay is highly useful and wont tarnish the silicone. I'd say the best thing to do is start looking over the figures you've already got, especially the raw unpainted ones youve got lying around (and if you dont have any lying about; what are you doing in this hobby?) and get a feel for where their mold lines are. look how they dealt with the gap between the legs, or a complicated arm position. I do not promote counterfeiting with these techniques but try making a mold from an existing model and follow the existing mold lines for practice if you need. with any 1:1 silicone rubber and a decent 2 part resin, you can absolute replicate the most minute detail. One thing is when pouring the silicone, do so into one corner, and pour in a long thin stream, as this will remove any possible remaining air bubbles from stirring. also the biggest secret to mold making is the same as french cooking; have your ingredients all set up and laid out beforehand, dont ever stop to go off searching for something you should have had on hand already. Once made, these silicone molds have a nearly inexhaustible reuse if handled with care and kept away from extremes of temperature.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/11/26 08:33:17
c0un7_z3r0 wrote: RivenSkull - Ah, OK. I read something about brushing-kits and thought that might be reason, might be worh a try once I get started, thanks for letting me know!
Here is the video I was referring to. He goes into talking about pouring the resin and using the brush at around 10:30 or so.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/11/25 15:17:39
theunicorn wrote: With the smooth on / smooth cast products I used in the tutorial you don't need a vacuum chamber or pressure pot to get good results. I do have a vacuum chamber, and a good pressure setup is on my list. But again neither is needed for the products I was using.
That sounds rater promising! The cast I saw at your blog was quite big compared to what I, mainly, tend to do. Have you been casting any smaller items? And what's your experience with that?
I have cast items as small as Genestealer heads, you cant tell the difference once they are primed. so yeah it does small stuff very well.
Dreadnought13 - Thanks for your honest straight forward answer! I appreciate all the hands-on advice! I'll probably go with a set from http://www.sylmasta.com/acatalog/Casting_Kits.html]Sylmasta since P&P is staggering from America and there seem to be few dealers in Europe that stock Smooth-On products. But I'll give it a thought once more, prowl the web in hope for a European dealer or a resonable p&p .
RivenSkull wrote:Here is the video I was referring to. He goes into talking about pouring the resin and using the brush at around 10:30 or so.
Great stuff thanks!
theunicorn wrote:I have cast items as small as Genestealer heads, you cant tell the difference once they are primed. so yeah it does small stuff very well.
OK, that sounds pretty promising, thanks for sharing!
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2012/11/26 12:04:30
Sorry for the minor threadomancy here.
I thought I'd give a fellow countryman a tip on where to get Smooth On products.
I purchased mine from a Irish seller on eBay.
The postage was quite reasonable and the shipment only took a few days. Great service from these guys!
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/glassfibreresinsuppliesireland
I'm an amateur caster myself, who's just starting to learn the process.
I recently built my own pressure chamber which I'm yet to try out.
Not sure if I will need a degassing setup as well.
Anyone in the know who can tell me if pressure alone is enough for good casting results?
! Desperately looking for Carcharodon transfer sheets !
with most Smooth On products, you don't need pressure vacuum. FW uses smooth cast 65D for most of their pieces. no Vacuum and I don't think they use pressure either.
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