Author Topic: spudafett's casting table  (Read 20678 times)

Offline spudafett

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spudafett's casting table
« on: October 09, 2009, 10:49:28 AM »
my casting table is in the middle of my room, it's not a corner ;)

I poured my first molds last night.  I'm trying a technique I've not seen you all use to get beter detail from the weopons and jetpacks.

I poured a total of 3 molds

First mold was half of a two part mold which has these items in it:
jango fett arena jetpack,
gi-joe firefly gas can,
and a few rifles

second mold is also a two part mold which only had one of my customized rifles in it.

The last mold was a one piece mold and it has 4 removable bat arm pieces in it, two hands, part of the claw attachment, as well as the laser gun attachment.


Tonight when I get home I'll demold them and take pics (my batteries were dead last night...). 


Offline narceron

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2009, 06:49:10 PM »
Did you use my fan idea, I swear I'm gonna crack skulls on here if someone doesn't try it.


Ok, which one of you is the smallest/most crippled/oldest/most imaginary. . .

I'm gonna have to make an example, :)

Offline spudafett

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2009, 07:04:20 PM »
um... sure... I did.... 

well... I have around 3 big box fans going in my room right now... lol...

I have a question about that though.  Does the bubble problem happen while your makeing the silicone mold or when pouring the resin cast??  if so... when do I need to apply the vibration?


Offline Clonehead

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2009, 07:31:46 PM »
um... sure... I did.... 

well... I have around 3 big box fans going in my room right now... lol...

I have a question about that though.  Does the bubble problem happen while your makeing the silicone mold or when pouring the resin cast??  if so... when do I need to apply the vibration?


both actually, Devin. The mold materiel cures slow enough that most bubbles rise to the surface in time. Just be sure to poor the stuff real slowly to give it more time to settle into undercut areas. I have used the compressor vibration technique while pouring the mold materiel. Sometimes, I will pour a mold in thirds and vibrate inbetween out of one pot of materiel. Reguardless, tiny bubbles can still be seen escaping until
The stuff starts to set up.

The bubbles trapped in your resin mix and in the mold as you cast are the bigger problem as the stuff sets up before the bubbles trapped in the resin have a chance to rise to the surface and escape.

Offline spudafett

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2009, 08:30:02 PM »
thanks for the info clint... bubbles took hold and struck in force in the first cast:








as you can see the laser cannon arm attachment came out realy well.  IT has a few bubbles in it and the very tip didn't cast out but that's ok.  The hands however didn't work well.  The fingers held bubbles badly and didn't get coppied.

I'm going to try the hands again in a minute and see if I cant shake the resin down into them.

heres a few shots of my two part molds I'm working on:




Offline Clonehead

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2009, 08:51:09 PM »
Great mold pics, Spud! I really enjoyed seeing those.
For your hand castings, try to pour just the bottom 1/8th inch or so and squeeze the
Mold down where the
Hand is and then poor the rest. See if this helps with the bubbles any. For
Me, it is like there is a learning curve to how each individual mold will cast and with experimentation, most molds will produce a good part. It's alot of trial and error till you get a
Technique that works for that mold.

Doc and the now missing customcloner have used syrenges to inject resin into the tight areas before.

I am anxious to see how your two piece molds turn out.

Offline spudafett

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2009, 09:29:34 PM »

I am anxious to see how your two piece molds turn out.

Me too... the anticipation is killing me.

I tried something else just now with the bat parts mold.  I had some old "crystal clear tabletop epoxy glazecoat"... it's a two part clear resin... so I mixed up a tiny bit and poured it in there to see what happens.  It is a slow set up resin and takes 12 hours to fully cure though, so we'll have to wait till the morning to see what happens... 

Offline narceron

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2009, 10:19:42 PM »
I had a lot more luck with the microwave, also, well, from my two runs, :)

I wanna post pics tomorrow of the next run, seeing your bat doing it, I'm gonna take pics like that, you've seen my spartan bat.  He didn't enjoy traveling the other day, lol.

Offline spudafett

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2009, 10:32:52 PM »
simon are you on drugs tonight?... I can't make sense of half of your posts... oh wait... your not on drugs, I am... I forgot...

what are you talking about microwaves for?

and yes, I loved that spartan bat.  Great looking helmet once it was put onto a figure other than that dumb clone wars guy....  lol


Offline DocOutlands

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2009, 06:37:44 AM »
Microwave might be for preheating the mold.  Supposed to help give better results as far as setting up the resin.

Offline narceron

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2009, 08:45:22 AM »
right on, doc.

Spuda, I'm always on drugs, of some sort.  My doc seems to thinks I'm his personal guinea pig, :)


I thought you were referring to my one word post on St6, lol.  I'm still talking about you get 20 bats for ten bucks or whatever.

I need more bats.

Offline spudafett

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2009, 10:08:04 AM »
well one of my missions is to make a completely resin coppy bat figure....  lol

hey guys, check this out:







the clear table top epoxy resin "glaze coat" works PERFECTLY!!!!!!!

clint, I suggest you go get some from your local lowes and cast us some clear helmets!  can anyone say see through visors?!!!!!?!?!?! 

I'm stoked guys... this is the most fun I've had customizing in a long time.  Dare I say, things started getting methodical for me!  (of course, I'm sure this will too after a while.)


Oh... those "two part" molds, I didn't put a realease agent on them and the second pour of silicone bonded to the first and made one giant one part mold.  DOH!...  I used my exacto knife to cut them apart at the center and get the pieces out.  I don't think they are completely ruined but they aren't what I wanted.

I'll use the vasoline trick on the next set.

Offline Clonehead

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2009, 10:43:47 AM »
Oops! I like that clear stuff.

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2009, 11:01:50 AM »
Excellent work!!  Look out, Rebel Pilot helmets!!

I didn't realize you were talking about mold-release for the *silicone*!!  YES ABSOLUTELY you MUST use a release agent when making a 2-part mold from silicone, because no matter how old the one side, the second pour WILL BOND.

Or that's my understanding from reading up on several different companies' instructions.

My apologies, I assumed you were talking about applying it after the mold was complete and you were ready to pour.

Ok, Spud, do you have coloring dye?  Can you try it in the clear resin and see how it works out?

Dude, if this clear stuff works that well - and takes a dye - I may have found a new medium for many parts.  What resin is it that you are using?  Can you post a pic of the material?

Offline narceron

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Re: spudafett's casting table
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2009, 11:39:03 AM »
yeah, devin post it.


I"m caling him guys, he might be here in town, :)