Molding and Casting Tutorial or the Blind Leading the Blind

Step 1: Turn back now while you still can! Okay? Seriously...


























Still here? Wow, alright then. Keep in mind I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing either but this is what I have learned so far through trial and error.

Step Two: PLANNING, sure it sounds like a good idea now but the reality is probably more insane than you anticipated.

You're going to need:

1. Mat/table covering/cheap cutting board - something to keep all the chemicals from spilling onto your workspace.
   
2. Plastic/rubber gloves - don't let this stuff touch your skin.
3. Ventilated area/hazmat suit - don't breathe this stuff.
   
4. Disposable strong stirrers - I use tongue depressors.
   
5. Dixie/paper/see-through plastic cups - for mixing.
   
6. Small measuring cups - try to find something disposable or something that will be dedicated to this process forever.
   
7. Plasticard - go to a hardware store and get some 'For Sale' signs, see below.
8. Clay/stopgap material.
9. Rulers and pens - for measuring.
   
10. Your custom model, mold and casting mixtures.
11. A plan - what the hell are you really trying to accomplish? Why are you making multiples of this thing? Do you REALLY need to make multiples of this thing?
    

So let's start with something simple aka something I actually made that didn't end in disaster: custom bases.


So you made some custom bases and you'd like to make them over and over again consistently say, for your whole army or whatever.

Step three: planning the mold. This is a lot more difficult than I originally thought it would be.

A mold needs:

• to be a stable piece that allows you to pour a casted material into it without spilling or creating unnecessary mold lines or flak lines on the model.
  
• to allow easy access to the casted piece. If it is a pain in the ass to get the original piece out you can guarantee the casted piece will have the same problem.

I found that drawing out a design works best.

Step four: a box for the mold. Since you are pouring liquid around the model you'll need to be able to contain it. You need a box to contain the model and it needs to be the right dimensions so go buy yourself a ruler and a protractor, maybe even one of those fancy rulers that has a built-in right angle so you can accurately make corners.

For materials I would NOT use cardboard! The mold material sticks to it. I would use plasticard and I would buy it from a hardware store: these are perfect!
Cheap, lots of it!

Measure the dimensions of your model (the bases in this case) and then build a box to contain them. Keep in mind that you're going to want the box to be deeper (or taller, etc) so that when you pour the mold mix over it the mix will cover the model completely!

Now that you've got a solid container, make sure the edges are filled or it will make a huge mess.
But what's this!
That's going to drain straight onto something so fill it with something:
Clay works well and generally can be re-used. Coincidentally this was originally the material I was going to use to sculpt with.

Now that the box is secure arrange your models so that they don't touch each other or the walls. You can secure them to the box with clay or a little glue.

Now that everything is ready we can look at the mold material.

Step Five: the mold.
Meet Oomoo: (the website and the instructions I received say two different things) a two part, 1:1 ratio mix by volume, no heat or vacuum sealing required mold compound from Smooth-On. I recommend starting with the $25 trial size as it will last you for your first baby steps towards bigger things.

Words of caution:

• this stuff is sticky, lay out some sort of cutting board or some sort of mat you can throw away later and wear GLOVES
• VENTILATION, these are chemicals which are not friends with your lungs, eyes, and other vulnerable tissues
  
• Part B is a blue substance that pours like thin syrup (slower than water at any rate)
• Part A is a pink substance that comes out in GLOBS and has the consistence of molasses
• the bottle do not lend well to pouring and tend to drip hence I started keeping them in plastic bags because the unmixed substance does not clean off easily.
  

Start off by taking the measurements of your box (height x length x depth) to get your volume estimation. Of course, if you're any sort of scientist you'll just measure in metric and realize 1 cm^3 = 1 mL and it's an easy day. Otherwise you can convert your measurements via Google if need be. You could try to determine the volume by merely pouring water into your box and then measuring the amount of water with the model in it. I wouldn't recommend this tactic... Unless your model is huge I wouldn't bother with this because you'll need a little extra anyways to cover your model entirely. Better to have more than you need vs. not enough!

Now take that number and halve it (one half will be part A the other B). Measure out equal potions of each. Being a little off isn't going to ruin anything as far as I can tell so far...

I haven't found a good measuring tool. This stuff is opaque, is a pain in the ass to clean, and generally clings to any surface it touches. Right now I wrap a metal measuring tool in plastic. This is not ideal but it has worked so far.

Those little cough syrup things might work too.
Now dump both into a cup:
As you can see here I used one of those disposable paper cups. I actually recommend see-through plastic cups so you can see if you've scraped the edges off enough. I haven't used them myself but the paper has worked so far now.

You've got 75 minutes before this stuff solidifies (cures) so take your time.

Stir it up. I got some tongue depressors because this is a thick mixture and lesser stirring utensils might snap. Stir until it is a solid purple and make sure to scrape the edges and the bottom to get it all together.

Place the box on a level surface and then pour the mold mix into one spot in a steady slow flow and let it fill.
Use the stirrer to scrape it all out until the top of the model is submerged and has a little substance above it. If you didn't mix enough the top of the model will show through and you'll have a hole. If you're quick you can mix some more and cover it... This may have happened to me because I didn't plan ahead.

Now set a timer and go do something else for 75 minutes or more, if you're so inclined.


Welcome back!

Step Six: recover (hopefully) the original model and mold. With the bases this is rather straight-forward: take the entire mold out of the box (this might require you to destroy said box) and flip it over. Since you had the bases face-down that is what you should be seeing: the bases facing up at you with their tops inside the mold. Pop them out and see if anything has gone amiss:
If you look closely at the top row 1st and 3rd from the left bases you can see that there is mold material stuck inside the original model. The irregular arrangement of edges or your careless hands have cause bits of the mold to break off into the model. As of yet this can not be repaired as far as I can tell. The skull base (2nd row, 2nd from the left) also has some of the mold in it.

Additionally there may be some edging or lines that aren't supposed to be there on the mold. You can clean these off this a knife but BE CAREFUL. One wrong deep cut will pierce right through the mold.

Also any problem you have getting the originals out will also happen with casting. For example I tried to make some custom skeleton parts and then cutting the mold in half to retrieve them. I was too hasty and this is the result:
Now if I try to cast it the pieces not only come out irregularly but they are a pain in the ass to get out. Keep this in mind when you plan your mold as retrieval is crucial and may make the mold effectively worthless.

Step Seven: casting!
Meet Smooth-Cast 300 white liquid plastic. 1:1 mix by volume, no vacuum sealing (degassing), etc.

Words of caution:

• Part A and B are clear mixtures.
• These things pour FASTER than water. This was a nasty frakking surprise after the mold mix.
• You've got 10 MINUTES to pour this stuff after you mix it.
  
• Curing is a EXOTHERMIC reaction! It gets really hot!
• The container you use to mix this and the stirring rod will be covered and unless you intend to re-use them for this exact process, will be coated in solid hard plastic.

Preparation for this one is tricky because you're measuring the volume of the model itself. Remember the water technique I mentioned for measuring out the volume for the mold mix? That's the only way I've discovered to measure it all out without ending up with a lot of extra material.

So measure, mix, pour with a steady hand. Pour too quickly and bubbles will form or you'll overfill the mold. Pour at the lowest point of the model and let it fill to the top. You can take your mold and sort of pick it up a little and drop it down to slam some of the bubbles out, be careful though.

Wait 10 minutes (you can actually see it change from clear to solid white and it heats up, NEAT).

Take out the casted piece just like you did with the originals:
Did it work? Are there any mold lines? Did some of the mold break off into the piece? Mine did so now the next casted piece will show that deficit.

Try it again and again:
Here you've got my small bases, medium, and beetle.

Step Eight: practice. You get better over time, naturally.

Here are some resources:

Smooth-On: one of the more friendly websites for this process and one of the few that isn't so brutally technical that you can't understand it. I buy everything here for now. There are LOTS of things you can do with their products and some neat tutorials. Be sure to read up on whatever you buy first or you'll end up with products you can't use properly!

They actually have a product called Sorta Clear that acts as a semitransparent mold mix so you can cut into it and SEE what you are doing rather than cutting a mold blindly. Problem? It requires to be degassed. Degassing vacuum chambers are stupid expensive (like $500 for the pump alone) so I wouldn't bother unless you get really serious about this process or you find something cheaper.

Hirst Arts: makes scenery molds and has some good tutorials as well as BRILLIANT things to make into REALLY customizable scenery.

Sersi's DakkaDakka custom army thread: details this cool cat Sersi's production of some FINE sculpts followed by making custom molds. I haven't entirely figured out how to duplicate the process but it is one of the better pictured productions that I've seen.

Well that's that. I'm trying to sculpt some models right now with the intention to mold them. I'll let you know how it all turns out!

What the Cryx?

I might have done something bad. I'm not entirely sure yet. What I do know is this:

Deathripper Bonejack
Defiler Bonejack with sign pointing to the Caspia (the Cygnarian Capital)

Warwitch Deneghra

Slayer Helljack

Cobblestone base

I know what you're thinking: "What have you done, you fool?!"


At first I would have agreed with you. Initially buying the Cryx Starter Box was on a whim. I've always eyed the Warmachine game by Privateer Press. People have always been talking about it and then a friend mentioned he had Cygnar models and then suddenly I was at the War Store ordering the Starter Box, Rulebook, and the Cryx rulebook.


Maybe I got a little carried away. Once everything came in the mail I sort of sat there wondering what I had done. Then, swallowing hard, I opened the box and looked at the models. 'Where's the spru?' I thought to myself. Each model was individually wrapped and ready to assemble with a minimum of flock to clean up. A large color fold-out page with the basic rules and the stats for all the other faction starters was included. Everything I needed to play the game was in the box. All I needed was an opponent.


The bases are unique, the inner circle is slightly lower than the edge so you have a natural barrier to tell where the edge of the base is and a spot to make a neat base without disrupting the base itself. Naturally I took the massive collection of Games Workshop spru and made cobblestone then added sand in between the blocks. For Deneghra I added a couple of straws for pipes and a rickety little causeway. Turned out pretty well but the pictures above are crap.


The models themselves are smaller than I originally thought they would be. Deneghra is the only 'human' sized thing and she is roughly the height of a Games Workshop figure but her pose is pretty dynamic. The bonejacks (the little ones) are merely heads, torsos, and legs so there isn't much in the way of assembly. The Slayer had shoulders and forearms to make more interesting poses. They are big but not big like GW models are big. However these 'jacks are weird fusions of magic and technology [read: thermapunk aka steampunk].


The game itself is a strange because it really breaks away from the way GW works. Primarily because your turn involves using one unit at a time rather than a movement, magic, shooting, close combat phase on each turn. I suppose I could go in-depth with the differences but I haven't even played a game yet.


Either way I love the models and I enjoyed spending today putting them together and their bases (which took the majority of the time). It was a breath of fresh air doing something different.

What have you been up to?

I've been SCULPTING!

The role out sheet contains a cheap but sturdy set of metal sculpting utensils that I got off of Amazon.com. Now traditionally people use green-stuff to sculpt. I detest the stuff because I have to decide pretty quickly if what I've made is worthwhile or crap before it cures and solidifies forever. So I looked for a material that would be a little more forgiving: FIMO clay is cheap but really really soft AND you have to bake it. Not something for gap filler or conversions. It is really hard to work with because of the overall softness. Not really the material for sculpting fine detail BUT if I don't like what I've made I can squish it and start over.

These were made with FIMO, the body I created to attach these arms to, sadly, was not spared my wrath.

After attempting several different sculpts a friend of mine gave me something he calls sculpty or something. It is more of a firm material than FIMO so it is much easier to attempt finer work (you still have to bake it).

So I started Mylecia, she was supposed to be my first Slaanesh fiend and thus I started to compose each part separately with the intention to cast and mold the figure (more on that later).

Several problems became immediately apparent:

+ I started with a plan.
- I had no concept of scale (see last picture).
+ The wireframe (made of paperclips) really helped define a pose.
- I tried to make each piece separately.
- Despite the wireframe clay still seemed to slip off.
- I did not have a good way to hold the model while I worked with it.
+ I intend to work on an intermediate stage: you can see here Mylecia is darker than the original sculpty clay as she has been baked and assembled. Now I can add extra layers of clay for further detail.
-This is really hard and potentially time consuming.
+ This is really fun and there's no where to go but up from here.

What's next:

1. Add a fur/feather/something detail to her and the legs. The original plan was a sort of fin that connected the legs and tail but I might leave that out.
   
2. Sculpt a full model and not in pieces. I'll mold things some other day.
   
3. Plan the scale out a little better.
   

Here's the other thing:


I sculpted a mouth full of teeth. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but I love it. This is the power of making your own stuff: only you will love it, at first...

Let's turn to my other endeavors: molding and casting!

I mentioned awhile back that I found a fantastic dead beetle and attempted to mold and cast it. BEHOLD! The legs... they did not turn out but the body did and for once I was enthusiastic about my future with being able to cast and mold things.

Custom bases:

I just realized I didn't take a picture of the mold itself. The white plastic bases are the new casts with the underside full in order to provide a little more density to the cast. The molding provides fantastic details of the original: the electric chips I used for some of the bases casted so well you can see the grooves in the them (could NOT get that detail in a picture). Also my skull-covered base turned out rather well.

And finally, painted scarabs:

I used the Reaper Mini inks on these and I felt it turned out well. I also tried my hand at layering the yellow lights with a darker yellow and then working my way up to a white highlight. You can't see that in the picture but that's fine as it didn't turn out particularly well. Next time I would like to include more scarabs to truly make it a swarm base, like 10 scarabs crawling over each other towards one edge like a wave! That and more dynamic bases. I like my dark sand but this is basic paint then flock.

-----

That's all for now. I'm going to be playing a 3000 point game with the new rules and the High Elves this weekend. Asur, ho!

High elf production

As promised, the results of my kit:



My battle standard bearer mounted. The base is covered in spackle and sealed with glue. I thought it made it look windswept or like a lava flow or something. No idea what I was doing really but it seemed like a good idea at the time. We'll see how it turns out once painted.





Prince/Noble on foot. This one wears the Armor of Caledor or Silvered Steel giving him the 2+ armor save on foot, nothing to scoff at really. I gave him an axe and the head off of the White Lion Chariot kit making him look, well angry. I wanted a fierce leader and the other High Elf heads look... ridiculous with those ornate helmets. Ellyrian reavers at least make sense with all the feathers but the wings and the sculpted dragon is too much. The long hair and braided top knot with the yelling give him a more aggressive look.

Someday I'd like to pose him jumping forward, axe overhead, ready to swing down at the enemy!

This week: there will be no goals this week as I am going camping. Fear not! Provided bears don't eat me or anything my soldering iron should be waiting for me when I get back. SO! Next week will be to make a skeleton for the phoenix!

Mud and leadership

This weekend was mostly spent at Run Amuck. And by that I mean mostly cleaning myself off afterwards. Being caked in mud gave me some interesting realizations. For instance ever notice how we (and by we I usually mean the royal we) paint something standing in the grass or dirt but their lower legs are unmolested by the ground they walk on?

For example, high elves in their ridiculous white robes usually do not have a spot of dirt on them! Naturally I intend to change this but that is an endeavor for another time. First I need to paint the buggers!

Last week I put together my prince on foot. I did not use the head pieces from the hero box because I think the big HE helmets are a little on the outrageous side. The wings/dragon helm looks neat but at the same time ridiculous in its size. Instead I found one of the extra heads from the white lion chariot kit. The hair is coiled and blowing in the breeze, the face is angry and he appears to be shouting in rage. I gave him an axe and left his right arm free. The pose is simple, he is gesturing with his axe and shouting a command. The look will go well with the white lions. I may even go as far as putting a white lion cape on him furthing the look and feel of a prince from Charce (or is it Charace? Wherever the white lions hail from).

The rest of the hero kit is going to be composed of the mounted battle standard bearer. Again, I don't intend to use the head-piece but everything else, including the lavish pre-made banner will be used. I wanted to do something different for the base so I took some spackle and using my fingers globbed some on the base and then pulled away creating a swept look to it. This created a jagged rocky appearence. After letting it dry I placed a little Elmer's Glue on as a seal. I know it isn't 100% consistent with the rest of my model's look for the base but I wanted to experiment a little. We'll see how it turns out once I mount the model on there.

Pictures to follow later today.


This week's goal: complete the wireframe for the phoenix (great eagle) and order a clear flying base for it. Additionally I may have miscalculated my army list so there might be room for 2 eagles. We shall see!