The Imperial Shipyards
Imperial Creative Engineering => Resources and References => Topic started by: DocOutlands on March 13, 2011, 11:13:27 PM
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As some of you know, I've been working on learning how to use multi-piece molds. This lets the caster recreate masters with extensive detailing on all faces or extreme undercuts. Most importantly, it allows for recreating hollow masters such as shipping crates with removable lids and BaD astromech heads.
Today, I (finally!) had a pair of successful casts in a two-piece mold. The master I was replicating is the Senate Holocam Droid - a packin with the Chancellor Palpatine and Orn Free Ta figures (and possibly others as well). I'm still not at 100% success, as the antenna continues to resist taking resin, but I have plans. I'm working on a true tutorial to be posted - and FULLY illustrated - in the future, but for tonight, I wanted to share today's successes.
Oh, and these were NOT pressure-cast. Not yet...
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Looks like a great start Doc!
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I have plans for that part right there, oh yes indeedy! I mean, other than the fact I plan to list it in my parts- thread.
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Looks good from here, doc. Are you just pouring resin onto the bottom mold and slapping the two molds together to top off through a hole in the top 0ne?
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Not yet - that's part of the revamp. ;) I'm filling both halves and waiting until the resin mix starts to change color, then I clamp them together to make a resin sandwich. I have assymetric notches cut/molded into the halves for alignment.
I do plan to either remold or modify this mold to allow for pouring and using as a resin reservoir for pressure casting. THAT should fix the pesky antenna issue!
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So here's sjpts of stuff I've accomplished casting-wise over the past few days...
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries002.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries003.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries004.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries005.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries006.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries007.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries008.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/sundries009.jpg)
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Awrighty, some info on the pics, now!
In the first pic:
Yes! That *is* a cast RA-7 head on the droid. Nest to it as a GI Joe BAT head, modified for molding. Bottom right is the hollow drum you saw being poured and slush-cast in the video. The sprue of parts at the lower left include a superglue cap, a lamp from the Playmates Star Trek line, and a couple of misshapen Lego parts. I catually was not trying to mold them, they just happened to catch some resin overflow. Up from there is an ammo-crate from the Hoth Escape R2 and then four control panels.
In the fourth pic:
I was hoping you could see inside the drum, but apparently my lighting source was lacking.
In pics 5 & 6:
Another drum, also slush-molded. Again, you can't see inside it.
In pic 7:
This is the mold I went thru desperate measures to save. The box failed to stay fastened down and actually floated up out of the silicone. The knob on the side was part of the effort to retain a usable mold. I did manage to pull it off, but the end product is ... not nearly as professional as I would like. Another mold of this cargo crate is being made right now, this time in stages.
I also experimented with colored resin on this. I think that part worked out quite well.
In pic 8:
Two very nice holocam droids and a brace of bombs from the Cobra Gunship - also suitable for a number of other applications.
Still underway - the "iconic box" from Spooky's thread. I'm saving the silicone I was able to find on Tuesday for making that mold. Anything left over will go toward finishing off the other cargo crate mold. (assuming I'm not struck by a wild hair and roam off on a LONG adventure to pick up more..._
Comments and suggestions welcome! I'm making these for sale or trade, so if you have something specific you want to see cast/recast in resin, let me know. I might even manage to pull it off. ;)
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YES! Looking good Doc! I like what I see and will be trying to do more trades as you get more bits like this. I have another bag of bits to send you as I have been going thru my bins working on these mini rigs. keep up the good work and watch out for those wild hairs, they get me too!
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Ooooh!! More bitz!! I've gone thru almost THREE POUNDS of HSIII in two weeks - with more masters on the bench! I think I need an industrial-sized supplier...
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Well now Doc that is looking great!
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First up, here's a cargo crate Master Sprywalker loaned me for molding. So far, I have made two molds from it. I'm not totally satisfied with either mold for various reasons, but the results *are* perfectly functional.
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Next up is the first pull from the "iconic box" mold as detailed by Spookymufu over here (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=6511.0). This is the VERY FIRST pull from this mold and I managed to under-fill the bloody mold. Geez! At the moment, it is a solid piece. I am investigating ways to cast it hollow so dio-builders can fill it with items as desired. At some point, I would like to even make a lid for the hollow version.
At any rate, on to the prize! It is the one in white, with the master used to make the mold set alongside it. Keeping those two company are a couple of other shipping projects I started ages ago that may well see the light of day again - and feel the touch of silicone themselves.
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Doc, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that box, it's beautiful man **wipes a tear away**
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Watching that first box appear out of the mold was almost like watching one of my children being born!
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Nice looking bit of work there, Doc. Congrats on the background cube. It looks perfect.
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Looking awesome Doc! Now what is the redish piece I see?
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That is a "Specimen Cage / Power Generator / Atmosphere Conditioning Unit" available in hydrostone from Naloomi's Workshop (http://www.nalsworkshop.com/specimen-cage-power-generator-atmosphere-conditioning-unit-p-218.html) or in resin from Itar's Workshop (http://www.itarsworkshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/39/products_id/130). They are made from parts cast from Hirst Arts molds. I have two of these units, one in resin and one in hydrostone. I also have the molds to make the individual pieces. I also have an idea for a variation on this unit that is designed to sit flush against a wall.
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Finally got a chance (ok, finally MADE TIME) to try out the new clear resin I got for R&D purposes. Here are the results.
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/talllamp.jpg)
This piece is from a Playmates ST:TNG figure. I think it was labeled as a "survival lamp" or somesuch. I believe it makes a nice table-lamp for SW figs. Cast opaque, it also looks like a nice heavy-weapon barrel.
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/democharges.jpg)
This was done sorta as a lark. I have a new mold for the Endor Han demo charges that makes some nice product. Since it was handy and I had a little clear resin left, I poured them up. These were the results.
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/cobrabombs.jpg)
Clear bombs from the ROC Cobra Gunship. Just because.
So now let's move into the real reasons I wanted to try out clear resin.
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/glasses001.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/glasses002.jpg)
Yes, cantina glasses. The top set are actually Lego pieces, but look great posed on tabletops around the galaxy. The lower set are molded from SW figure pack-ins. One of them looks like it got an air-bubble at the top - not sure if the mold is messed up or if there was an air bubble in the resin.
I do have several other glasses in different styles that I plan to mold, as well. One of these days, you'll be able to order a turn-key cantina set! Tables, drink-dispensers, and glasses - all in one easy kit. ;)
Last - but certainly NOT least...
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/r3dome001.jpg)
(http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u239/LosLejanos/Outland%20Station/molding%20and%20casting/clear%20casts/r3dome002.jpg)
An R3 dome. I'm not satisfied with the milky finish on it. It appears this resin gets milky/translucent on the thinner parts. One of my contacts in the costuming community has suggested it may be a cloud of micro-bubbles trapped in the resin. Given that all I did was pour it up and let it cure, he may well be right. Further testing is in order.
OTHER NOTES:
I tried using my pressure pot to cure molds this week. That was an unmitigated failure. Pressure *molding* resulted in distorted mold cavities. Pressure casting, on the other hand, has produced some cautious successes. So, certain molds have to be repoured. Too bad this wasn't the 40% off coupon week at Hobby Lobby! ;D
I do now have functional molds for a very small datapad and Luke's macrobinoculars. They were - thankfully - not affected by the odd pressure-molding mess.
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Wow, Doc I hear that clear stuff is hard, but you nailed it.
Gonna sell these? I bet all the Cantina guys are gonna want em!
I will get this on the fp by tomorrow too. Nice work.
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Oh, yes - these parts WILL be available for sale. I'm working on sorting through my molds to determine which ones are viable production pieces so I can take pics and get them all posted.
Clear is definitely a challenge! It is a lot more expensive for one and it has the mold tied up a minimum of 24 hours, rather than 30 minutes for the white stuff. So if I make a clear piece, that's effectively 47 other pieces I *can't* make. Then there's getting it clear... *sigh* But it does come out looking *GOOD* when you get it right!
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It sure looks good to me.
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Looks awesome Doc and you know I am wanting a few clear astromch domes!
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I think I found my new best friend!! :)
Ill catch you in the chat..
Nice work, Ive always wanted to learn how to do this stuff.
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sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!! ;D
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I'm going to take another shot at the dome tonight after supper. So, come Friday morning, we'll see if my modified approach makes a noticeable difference. I'm really REALLY hoping to attain a better degree of clarity without having to invest in a vacuum chamber and industrial chemicals...
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I hope you're able to get the Hoth tach screen clear, not to put any pressure on you but that does have to be clear....
But, I dont need my boxes to be clear so I hope that takes some pressure off ;)
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*WHEW*! ;D
Yeah, the tac-screen is one of those that'll hopefully do well in clear. That's part of what this is leading up to. ;)
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On the front page Doc, keep em coming.
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Good work Doc.
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Ha! Wow, thanks! Yeah, I was hoping to get out in the shop last night, but that didn't happen. I've got a lot of yardwork waiting on me while the sun is out, so I'm figuring on getting some more clear stuff poured up late this evening. Hopefully, I'll manage to relocate the other mold of cantina glasses and can get some of them poured up while I'm at it.
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*WHEW*! ;D
Yeah, the tac-screen is one of those that'll hopefully do well in clear. That's part of what this is leading up to. ;)
YEAH MAN! Put me on your list to buy some of those. Great work!
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WOW now that is some AWSOME work!