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Post by c0d3monk33 on Oct 11, 2005 15:03:56 GMT 12
The best I've found is www.baueda.com/baueda_home.htmlWho do 'ancients' 15mm and 25mm fortifications and tents. They have some *very* nice resin tents in 15mm. But all ancients which isn't a lot of use to me! I figure it's a good chance to practice sculpting simple drapped cloth. |
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 11, 2005 18:40:02 GMT 12
They're nice, but I see they haven't managed to solve the problem that's beating me, how to cast realistic tents with open flaps.
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Post by dustand on Oct 11, 2005 23:28:40 GMT 12
Can you make a one piece mold like you would for most things then have a spacer that sits in side the the mold?
Havent made a mold so dont know if its easy
otherwise maybe sculpt a tent that has a changeable flap side... cast the oper flap side seperate...
I am guessing though ;D
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 12, 2005 7:38:35 GMT 12
What you suggest there is basically a two piece mold, which is the only way to go as far as I can see, but not worth the hassle for this.
The open flap side would be easy enough to cast itself, it's the hollow tent that would be the problem. Easy with a two piece mold, nigh on impossible with a one piece.
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Post by c0d3monk33 on Oct 12, 2005 12:03:15 GMT 12
Dustan's suggestion is one I've thought about before. At some point I want to create a set of deep molds (say 2cm) for 15mm North African buildings...but I'm such a cheap bugger I didn't want to solid cast them.
So I was thinking of creating a deep one sided mold but when I pour the plaster or resin, dropping in a 'spacer' once the plaster/resin has filled the details. The spacer would displace some of the p/r and leave a hollow centre in the final piece.
With a bit of care you could use the same technique to make a hollow tent from a one sided mold I reckon. You'd probably have to do a bit of cleaning up around the tent flaps on each cast tent though.
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 12, 2005 12:17:18 GMT 12
That's something I've considerred too. there a lot of things I want to make that could be hollow, but don't justify the hassle of two piece molds. Cost of resin being, as you are well aware, a limiting factor. problem with going the drop-in-insert route is it then becomes too labour intensive, and hence not viable (commercially anyhoo, no problem if all you are trying to do is cut down on resin use.
The other option for the sort of casting you are talking about is roto-casting. Know what I mean?
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Post by c0d3monk33 on Oct 12, 2005 12:40:33 GMT 12
Not particularly but I can probably guess...you spin the mold and apply the resin and the centripetal force spreads it all over the mold until it sets?
I'm confident I can do the drop in thing without adding any extra labour because for my one sided plaster and resin casting I already smooth a CD jewel cover over the poured molds to ensure smooth bottoms to the casts.
The only tricky bit then would be ensuring the CD cover (with attached spacer) gets positioned in the right place each time...which wouldn't be a biggie.
Still I've still gotta make my NA buildings to try it out...
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 12, 2005 12:59:00 GMT 12
Roto-casting is simpler than that, and you're half way there with the cd cover method;
pour some resin in the mold, cover it, and slowly turn it around in your hands, letting the resin flow over the mold. keep doing that till it sets (or blooms at least) you may have do this more than once to get decent coverage.
Saves a shitload of resin, but obviously is a lot more time consuming. (as a side effect, your casts will probably be better than those produced normally, as any air bubblers tend to dislodge themsleves) I cast some pieces this way, but not hollow, I keep adding resin till it's full.
Your cd case and spacer sounds exactly like a two piece mold to me, just make sure you have some sort of registration key and you shouldn't have much trouble
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Post by c0d3monk33 on Oct 12, 2005 13:08:47 GMT 12
Hmmm now I think about it you're right of course  . A one sided mold with a key registered CD cover is basically a cheap two sided mold. I've never had much luck with full two sided molds. I have had more luck with what I call 'one and a half sided molds'. This is where the master is pretty much molded into a solid block of RTV with a few vents. Then I cut through a couple of sides of the mold to release the master and pour resin in through the vents. Casts are released the same way. Crude by workable for small pieces in my experience. Rotoscoping sounds a little too time consuming for me...I like to set up my molds and walk away. Handy tip though. |
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 12, 2005 13:24:11 GMT 12
so your one and a half molds don't actually come into two pieces? just sort of hinged?
I never bother with two piece molds unless it's absolutely necessary. i find it's easier to chop complex shapes up into shapes that can be cast in a one piece then glued together.
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Post by c0d3monk33 on Oct 12, 2005 13:30:21 GMT 12
Yeah precisely. Ultrasil RTV is pretty flexible and doesn't seem to tear that easily so it works fairly well. Bubbles are a problem as always but opening and closing the mold flexes it a bit too which can release them. I've only used it for small pieces mind you...
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Post by PitYak Studios on Oct 12, 2005 13:48:15 GMT 12
Interesting technique. Can't think when i would use it, but if i can think of a use i'll give it a go.
I know of folk who make two piece molds a similar way; cast the master into a block of rubber, then slit it open. Apparently much easier than the usual way, but personaly i don't think it lends itself to the size of pieces we are doing.
Arrgh anyway i hate molding and casting. just talking about it is putting me off doing any work.
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. A one sided mold with a key registered CD cover is basically a cheap two sided mold.