Grimstonefire:
I use the same resin as Ishkur, though I suck mine up in hobby syringes, squirt them into a cheap plastic beaker then mix with a small wooden spatula thing. I then use a third syringe to put it in the mould.
I’m curious Ishkur how you make sure you have enough resin in both halves if you’re not adding in any after they are put together? Do you heap it up a little once its slightly thicker then press together?
My entry for the Golden Hat is a resin cast model. Its certainly the most complicated model I’ve cast thus far.
Something I would recommend to people is that any part of the model deeper than say 12mm should have a bit of wire sticking out past the model to accumulate trapped air. On my immortal the upper arm is quite far away from the mould line, so I tend to get large air bubbles in there. I think if I’d added the small piece of wire I could have avoided this.
I use the “3 pour way” for any larger models, but for small components I’d use 2 pour.
GRNDL:
@Grimstonefire
Rather than sticking bits of wire onto the model, or into the model, you could just drill or cut vents in the mold after its set. I do this as part of the troubleshooting phase - do a test cast, see whats screwed up, try venting as a solution. The worst that can happen is that you have another bit of flash to clean up.
torn:
yeah GRNDL im going to try exactly that with the mold im making at the moment.
i also use syringes. i use them to suck the rubber out of the tin. i just use a spoon for the resin as it doesnt slop off a spoon too badly.
im just a bit curious as anyone here actually tried metal casting?
Sojourn:
is this what people have been recommending I do for wings on my faeries?
Xander, I’m gonna need your help! O_O
Grimstonefire:
@Sojourn
If I were you I’d look for a transparent resin. You can buy this in places (no links to hand). I would recommend resin casting wings, as it will save you loads of time.
@torn
I’ve done a bit of metal casting (created a unit), but I moved house fairly recently and I can’t find the bits I need :(. Any specific questions?
@GRNDL
Problem with drilling mould rubber is that it just reshapes over the cut again, so you have to drill wider than you really need to, which might mess it up more. I may have to try this though, as it’s no fun having to resculpt the same arm every time.
It would have been better to incorporate wire flash points whilst I was making it IMO.
I’m currently working on an Ironback boar I plan to cast in metal. The one I’m doing will include casting of GW black orc legs, but I can always cut these off if I later decide to sell.
torn:
i was just curious about the heat sources and materials, the thickness of the molten metal etc. any lingering smells, that sort of thing. basically if its viable to do in the kitchen on the cooker, or with a camping stove in the spare room. that sort of thing.
Grimstonefire:
I’d buy a single ring hob. I got a cheap dual ring one for £20 I think. You will probably be spilling molten metal from time to time, so I wouldn’t do it in the kitchen 
Get a big piece of hardboard to protect any surfaces.
All the other specific materials you need you can get here. Note that you can also get the resin casting stuff there (including the G26 resin Ishkur has used). I got myself some Number 2 Low Melt Alloy a while ago, so I’ll let you know how good it is.
You’ll also need some talcum powder, and hobby saw (for cutting the metal ingots, unless you are melting old figures)
The smells from it is minimal, more from the stuff it accidently burns… I do it in the garage, so keep the door open anyway.
A melting pot would be ideal for getting the correct temperature, but at £390 aprx is a bit pricey. Getting it right is more a case of practice doing it in a ladle.
A fixed clamp would also be very helpful. I use a workbench with adjustable handles.
GRNDL:
@GRNDL
Problem with drilling mould rubber is that it just reshapes over the cut again, so you have to drill wider than you really need to, which might mess it up more.
Grimstonefire
I don't disagree with this observation about drilling. I mention it only as a means of getting a precise alteration. Most of the time I cut a wedge or chunk out of the mold with an X-Acto knife, but its imprecise and sometimes hard to get at the bit of the mold you want to get at. Still, all you need is a little "extra" bit beyond the detail to allow the resin to go in.
Ishkur Cinderhat:
My entry for the Golden Hat is a resin cast model. Its certainly the most complicated model I've cast thus far.
Grimstonefire
Oh no, he told the secret! Now he's spoilt it all! ;)
Well OK it's not like nobody knew who made this trophy-bidding model. ^^ But still..
Grimstonefire:
Voting’s closed already I think Xander will put up the results later today.
torn:
just let you all know i tried the 1 pour 2 part mold method with airholes . . and the resin just ran out of them! a lot of messy quick hole plugging was in order.
ill see what the results are like in a few hours. also my artificers entry is being cast as we speak!
AGPO:
Cracking tutorial Ishkur! I have a couple of questions - how much mess does this make and are there any fumes I should know about? I only ask because I don’t have a garden and I doubt those who live with me will be happy with me messing up and stinking out the kitchen, so I’d have to stay at a friends and mass produce them. Also, if you’re making a unit, is it worth making multiple moulds to produce them more efficiently or does this get needlessly expensive? Thanks for the help, you’ve enspired me to create my own units, I wouldn’t of had the patience to sculpt every model
torn:
lots of fumes from the resin. . . . . . . i do it in the spare room with the door shut and the window open, so it only affects me. rubber isnt so bad. it can get very messy, though i am thankful i have yet to drop anything onto the carpet.
and yes ishkur very exciting! my resin is nearly hard but im gonna give it a few more hours!! i really hope its worked!
edit: ok ive taken it out of the mold, althouh its still a little tacky im gonna let the air get to it so it can dry better. im just curious how long it takes for the resin you use to dry properly? mine seems to take quite a few hours, possibly up to 6.
as far as the cast itself is concerned air bubbles still got to the feet, but other than that i havent found any other parts that need re-scultping, although i dont want to be manhandling it much at the moment anyway to get a proper look at it.
Ishkur Cinderhat:
@torn what kind of resin are you using? The typical polyurethane stuff should be rock hard after 30 Minutes at max…?
@AGPO: I bought a clear resin once - which stinks awfully, so it really depends on the material that you use.
Mine (the brand shown in the tutorial) does not smell at all (neither does the silicone) and I actually do all the casting in my living room (I did it in the kitchen sometimes, but then got distracted by something elsewhere in my appartment and then forgot to cast the resin or close the mould ;)). I don’t find the casting process to be messy, other than the occasional drip of resin that will spill during my close-and-press technique. Just have a piece of paper protect the table where you do the casting.
torn:
i think im going to have to dump this resin and try the one your using. not only does it take way too long but it stinks the whole place out.
it is hard but the edges are still sticky. im not sure if it has something to do with the dye im adding.
Hashut’s Blessing:
I have the link to the website that you use to acquire your resin, Ishkur, but I don’t know which links within it to click, nor which resin you use, etc. Any help would be hot!
Ishkur Cinderhat:
Yes LOL they have an English version where almost nothing changes to English. Very useful! here is the same resin that I use.
:o Boy, that’s expensive! The price is quite a bit higher now than when I bought it half a year ago. AND it’s not including P&P which is another 21.83 EUR per kilo. I mean, they ship stuff by courier allright but still the price seems hefty. I’d suggest you better look at ebay or a UK retailer instead.
Grimstonefire:
http://www.tiranti.co.uk/product.asp?Content=Biresin+G26+Urethane+Resin+2kg+-+Polyurethane+Resin+-+Casting&Product=1426
There’s a UK link (where I get mine). The price seems to have gone up by £5 in the last year.
Anyone know of anything better than plasticine for the mould making part?
torn:
Anyone know of anything better than plasticine for the mould making part?
Grimstonefire
i have also been trying to find something. the last mold i made i did add water to the plasticine to make it less sticky but i was still a pain to get off.
i had a few ideas, one of them is pushing the miniature into slightly soft wax. the only problem would be getting wax stuck in undercuts so it would be no good for anything with small details.
i did see something somewhere which was this new kids plasticine type stuff that is in balls, although i cant remember where i saw it.
what i really want is something to consistency of plasticine without any stickyness. im stumped lol.
oh and i had another question about metal casting. do you still get the same problems with air bubbles?
