casting yer own resin stuff
- me_in_japan
- Moderator of Swoosh!
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casting yer own resin stuff
It can be done!
Ive gotten fed up with spending ages painting a mini then having to spend ages making and painting the base, too. Particularly with armies (as opposed to skirmish games or special individual models) basing can take fething ages, so I decided to take the plunge and try casting some of my own. After all, if all these wee indie internet companies can do it, why cant I?
I have the added advantage of casting purely for myself, so I can rip off GWs stuff as much as I want
So, for those who are interested, here's what I have learnt so far about casting:
1) It's not cheap. It is, in fact, cheaper to buy about a hundred bases from one of the more reasonable online retailers (say, dragonforge) than it is to cast them yourself. On the other hand, you get complete creative freedom, and if you want to make loooooots of bases (ie. an army's worth) then I reckon DIY might be cheaper. Just...
2) Silicon is where it costs you. There is very little resin involved in most minis or bases, so you can buy one bottle (well, 2, since it comes in 2 parts) and itll last for ages. Silicon, otoh, is no cheaper than resin, and you use a lot more to make a mould than you do to cast a piece.
3) Casting is pretty unforgiving. If you screw up, ya gotta write it off and start again.
4) an electric toothbrush will be your new best friend. Set it to vibro mode (no idea what this is supposed to be used for...) and hold it against the side of your mould. Up come the air bubbles, lickety split. I daresay there are other...ah, 'items' you could use for this, but youd have to ask a lady friend
5) have a plan when you make masters. Keep em sensible with no undercuts. Its also very important to not have too much height on em, as a single sticky uppy bit means a doubling or even trebling of the amount of silicon you'll need to fill the mould. Cast sticky up bits separately.
So, heres an example of what Ive managed:
any lack of definition comes mostly from a crappy photo, and partly from the fact that i over-sanded the master when making it. The mould itself and the cast produced from it is razor sharp fine in terms of detail. (i.e. inconvenient fingerprints are also copied... )
I have more than this, but theyre all much of a muchness. I was going for "ruined ancient civilisation", an idea that i blatantly ripped off from dragonforge. Mine have more GW bitz on em though
so, next, I'm going to try casting something that doesnt have a flat bottom, as this requires a totally different mould-making technique, wot looks a bit fiddly.
-d
Ive gotten fed up with spending ages painting a mini then having to spend ages making and painting the base, too. Particularly with armies (as opposed to skirmish games or special individual models) basing can take fething ages, so I decided to take the plunge and try casting some of my own. After all, if all these wee indie internet companies can do it, why cant I?
I have the added advantage of casting purely for myself, so I can rip off GWs stuff as much as I want
So, for those who are interested, here's what I have learnt so far about casting:
1) It's not cheap. It is, in fact, cheaper to buy about a hundred bases from one of the more reasonable online retailers (say, dragonforge) than it is to cast them yourself. On the other hand, you get complete creative freedom, and if you want to make loooooots of bases (ie. an army's worth) then I reckon DIY might be cheaper. Just...
2) Silicon is where it costs you. There is very little resin involved in most minis or bases, so you can buy one bottle (well, 2, since it comes in 2 parts) and itll last for ages. Silicon, otoh, is no cheaper than resin, and you use a lot more to make a mould than you do to cast a piece.
3) Casting is pretty unforgiving. If you screw up, ya gotta write it off and start again.
4) an electric toothbrush will be your new best friend. Set it to vibro mode (no idea what this is supposed to be used for...) and hold it against the side of your mould. Up come the air bubbles, lickety split. I daresay there are other...ah, 'items' you could use for this, but youd have to ask a lady friend
5) have a plan when you make masters. Keep em sensible with no undercuts. Its also very important to not have too much height on em, as a single sticky uppy bit means a doubling or even trebling of the amount of silicon you'll need to fill the mould. Cast sticky up bits separately.
So, heres an example of what Ive managed:
any lack of definition comes mostly from a crappy photo, and partly from the fact that i over-sanded the master when making it. The mould itself and the cast produced from it is razor sharp fine in terms of detail. (i.e. inconvenient fingerprints are also copied... )
I have more than this, but theyre all much of a muchness. I was going for "ruined ancient civilisation", an idea that i blatantly ripped off from dragonforge. Mine have more GW bitz on em though
so, next, I'm going to try casting something that doesnt have a flat bottom, as this requires a totally different mould-making technique, wot looks a bit fiddly.
-d
current (2019) hobby interests
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
Re: casting yer own resin stuff
Funny you should post this now as I was looking at doing something similar.
I only have one question for you, where did you get the silicon and resin?
I only have one question for you, where did you get the silicon and resin?
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- me_in_japan
- Moderator of Swoosh!
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Re: casting yer own resin stuff
Tokyu hands, 6th or 7th floor (canny mind)
silicon was 3k or 4k for a litre. Resin cost 3800ish for 2 x 1l cans, and release agent was 1500, tho i suspect you could live without that.
btw - resin is not as fragile as people make it out to be. I have a cast of the bottom of a paper cup that I got when I didnt use it all up in time (unforgiving...) and so far I have found it to be pretty indestructible. Ive thrown it at the floor, tried to snap it with my fingers (its a disc about 2~3" across and 4mm thick) and its resolutely taken everything Ive thrown at it.
silicon was 3k or 4k for a litre. Resin cost 3800ish for 2 x 1l cans, and release agent was 1500, tho i suspect you could live without that.
btw - resin is not as fragile as people make it out to be. I have a cast of the bottom of a paper cup that I got when I didnt use it all up in time (unforgiving...) and so far I have found it to be pretty indestructible. Ive thrown it at the floor, tried to snap it with my fingers (its a disc about 2~3" across and 4mm thick) and its resolutely taken everything Ive thrown at it.
current (2019) hobby interests
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
Re: casting yer own resin stuff
Well, I'm glad you're having fun with your new toys. Now just knock out 50 or 60 more and you'll be set.
Having tried resin casting stuff, I can confirm that it isnt that cheap, and if you include the time it takes to do it, you're probably better off buying the real thing. Unless of course, you are an artsy type like M_i_J and prefer custom made stuff.
Having tried resin casting stuff, I can confirm that it isnt that cheap, and if you include the time it takes to do it, you're probably better off buying the real thing. Unless of course, you are an artsy type like M_i_J and prefer custom made stuff.
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450
Re: casting yer own resin stuff
Guess who will be casting up a shot load of home made grot tanks
Stuff painted in 2014 56
Stuff painted in 2015 118
Stuff painted in 2016 207
Stuff painted in 2017 0
Stuff painted in 2015 118
Stuff painted in 2016 207
Stuff painted in 2017 0
- me_in_japan
- Moderator of Swoosh!
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- Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 2:46 pm
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Re: casting yer own resin stuff
Badruck, now that youve given him the idea...
current (2019) hobby interests
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
- me_in_japan
- Moderator of Swoosh!
- Posts: 7405
- Joined: Fri May 14, 2010 2:46 pm
- Location: Tsu, Mie, Japan
Re: casting yer own resin stuff
that's the plan, chief. That's the plan...Well, I'm glad you're having fun with your new toys. Now just knock out 50 or 60 more and you'll be set.
You mean you don't enjoy it? I think it's quite fun, in a messy-kid-with-paint kinda way. I also think that watching resin cure is the first time in ages ive thought "wow! I didnt know thats how that happened."if you include the time it takes to do it, you're probably better off buying the real thing.
(for those who havent seen it, its a lot more interesting than it might sound. about 2 mins after mixing, it changes from a clear liquid to the white solid you see in the photo. It does this VERY fast once it starts i.e. about 10 seconds. Then you leave it for 10 mins or so to harden completely, at which point you can pop it out and do batch 2. Dead fast, so it is. Unlike silicon, which remains workable for 20mins or so, and takes overnight to cure completely.)
current (2019) hobby interests
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
eh, y'know. Stuff, and things
Wow. And then Corona happened. Just....crickets, all the way through to 2023...
Re: casting yer own resin stuff
The 2 part moulding process is a lot of fun and pleasantness. I'm sure you'll have as much fun with it as I did.
Not really.
However, if you do want to make your own original parts (and more than 1 of each), this is probably the best way of doing it.
Not really.
However, if you do want to make your own original parts (and more than 1 of each), this is probably the best way of doing it.
Painted Minis in 2014: 510, in 2015: 300, in 2016 :369, in 2019: 417, in 2020: 450
- Admiral-Badruck
- Destroyer of Worlds
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Re: casting yer own resin stuff
not me mate I do not have the will for such endeavors... and more than anything I just want get my ork Army painted along with the other 2 armies that I have siting on may game table.. casting just is not for me...ORKS IS STOOPID AND CANT READ RUULZme_in_japan wrote:Badruck, now that youve given him the idea...
"i agree with badruck" -...
MIJ
Consider me a member of the "we love badruck" fan-club.
MIJ
MIJ
Consider me a member of the "we love badruck" fan-club.
MIJ