I just stumbled across this while checking out minis on eBay and I was wondering: has anyone bought this and tried it out? I don’t imagine that this would work well for finer features and definitely not an entire mini, but if it could at least be used for small things like the old CD shields, then it might be worth it. I liked how in the video, he took a section of some wall and copied it, then slapped it on a base. I think that may be what intrigued me the most and what might give me the greater benefit. It looks sort of like silly putty for miniature hobbyists.
I’ve tried it and it was just as easy as he shows in the video. One of the locals down here uses it constantly and swears by it. The product is good for simple and small stuff - shields, heads, swords, etc. I never tried a full body but if it had no arms in crazy positions, it should work fairly well. If anyone has more experience with it, I’d like to hear any other positives or negatives.
I've tried it and it was just as easy as he shows in the video...Overall I give it a thumbs-up!
Grimbold Blackhammer
Grimbold Blackhammer
So far I like what I hear. I hope you don't mind if I pepper you with a few questions:
1) What about detailing? I'm wondering how well this stuff can fit into the finer details and capture this detailing.
2) What casting material do you use with the mold? Do you use green stuff or some other epoxy putty? I'm wondering what would work best with it to be pliable enough to carry over details, while still remaining resilient after casting.
3) Does the mold retain the shape for a while, or does it break down over time or number of castings?
4) How long have you had it and have you noticed any deterioration in the material as it ages?
5) Roughly how much of this did you get? In the listing, they only say "6 sticks" (I assume they mean 6 sticks of the molding material and not of the green stuff). Is what he used in the video a single stick?
6) How do you heat up the material--do you put it in boiling water?
7) Any tips on using it?
For those smaller projects where I only need a little something, this could come in real handy.
I also bought some for testing purposes. Less enthusiastic now than before I bought it. I think the potential is there, I just need to “get” it.
1) Should not be a problem from a material perspective (except perhaps if “copying” some resin stuff). The main issue is making sure you apply enough pressure to get the IM into all detail.
2) Greenstuff and Milliput are my two test materials. What you want depends on what you “copy” I think. Milliput dries harder and smoother (even the cheap version I have) but for some items this might not be ideal. Say a Grot head with ears which could break if too unflexible.
3) In principle the mould holds it’s shape. It kinda depends on how you treat it though. If you make a basic press mould with the help of lego backing it should last forever, or until heated up enough! But if you make a mold you have to twist at to get the item out you’ll eventually break it apart, if nothing else from internal bubbles you wasn’t bothered to get rid of since they didn’t affect detail.
4) Used it intensively for a few weeks and there’s really no degradation. With one caveat. Try and not get anything else stuck to/into it! Dropping it on a dusty floor isn’t good when it’s malleable.
5) 2 sticks, seems to be the standard pack. The one you originally linked is just one stick. Should be enough for most “normal” things, as you don’t use that much for each mold. Though you won’t be running many concurrent projects this way. IM probably shouldn’t be thought as long time mold material, for that you’d probably want to make a real mold and make resin castings. The BoW video uses 1 stick at least as far as I watched.
6) Exactly.
7) with regards to 4) & 6) I’m not entirely satisfied with the hot water. Trying to juggle the IM when it’s soft and hot trying to get rid of scalding hot water isn’t always easy. And you don’t want water to get trapped against the detail. It’s difficult to get it dry, a towel or paper is strongly discouraged! And of course the IM cools all the time hardening again.
The Milliput also tended to leave residue but that can mostly be washed away. So I sorta prefer Greenstuff, but depends on the item in question.
I’ve been using Blu-Stuff recently. It’s stupidly easy, really quick and you get loads of the stuff. You make a mold in a couple of mins and can use it half a dozen times before it’ll degrade. Looks much easier and economic than that stuff.
Thanks to everyone for all the help. And thanks, Snowblizz, for those extra tips. Something tells me I would have decided to take a paper towl to the IM without thinking about it. I think I’ll have to pick up some of this stuff…but first maybe I’ll check my local game store to see if they have it. If so, then I’d prefer to support them first. I imagine this is something that I’ll have to get online, though.
I wanted to mention the issue of judging the correct amount of material. Easier if you don’t try 2 piece molds. But I find you pretty quickly end up trying those. Can be a real issue when trying to make say a weapon…
Eg, don’t ask me about Chaotic halberds. Dunno if I should post some examples of what I’ve tried?
I actually found mine in the local gaming store. I was a bit surprised so I had to buy it to give it a go.
I wasn't happy with the details. The facial features of the masks I did wasn't as good as with a green stuff mold.
Smog
Yeaahhhh, that's what I was figuring...
But I found the idea interesting because I had often thought in the past how cool it might be to have something reusable for these little one-shot deals. I had heard of the tip of using a bit of green stuff + vaseline to make a quick mold, but didn't like the idea of wasting green stuff like this. With this instant mold--if it works as billed--I can at least use it for basic items. It may not work great with fine details, which is a pity, but as long as it can do weapons and shields, it may be worth it. Plus, I'm a hobbyist and I do things other than these little miniatures--namely some 1/19th scale stuff. And for that, there's not nearly as much detail. I've already contacted someone on eBay who not only has a great price, but I've bought Battletech minis from him before and may again, if he offers a good discount.
Again, many thanks to everyone who responded to my message. The fact that this many people have tried it is reassuring. I was worrying that it might just be some item that sounds good but only works a couple of times and then stops working. I'm looking forward to getting it and playing around with it now.
Dunno if I should post some examples of what I’ve tried?