Author Topic: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three (UPDATE 3/19)  (Read 5095 times)

Offline DocOutlands

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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...

« Last Edit: March 19, 2011, 08:09:37 PM by DocOutlands »

Offline Luke Sprywalker

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2011, 05:32:36 AM »
Looks like a great start Doc!

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2011, 07:49:51 AM »
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.

Offline Clonehead

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2011, 08:54:26 AM »
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?

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2011, 09:01:12 AM »
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!

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2011, 09:36:58 PM »
So here's sjpts of stuff I've accomplished casting-wise over the past few days...









Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2011, 09:54:20 PM »
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.  ;)


Offline Luke Sprywalker

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2011, 05:18:05 AM »
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!

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2011, 06:10:30 AM »
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...

Offline Tamer

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2011, 07:55:58 AM »
Well now Doc that is looking great!

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2011, 08:01:56 PM »
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.


Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2011, 08:08:19 PM »
Next up is the first pull from the "iconic box" mold as detailed by Spookymufu over here.  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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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three (UPDATE 3/19)
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2011, 08:28:41 PM »
Doc, my heart skipped a beat when I saw that box, it's beautiful man **wipes a tear away**

Offline DocOutlands

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three (UPDATE 3/19)
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2011, 09:33:39 PM »
Watching that first box appear out of the mold was almost like watching one of my children being born!

Offline Clonehead

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Re: Boryla Sector; Outland Station, Production Platform Three (UPDATE 3/19)
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2011, 12:11:43 AM »
Nice looking bit of work there, Doc. Congrats on the background cube. It looks perfect.