Help Looking to start casting parts

[Crowsfoot]

Ok guys as I move away from painting for painting sakes and get more focused I want to start making diorama etc and will want to cast scenery etc.

I know a few of you have done this already but can you point me to materials for making the moulds and materials for casting?

Tutorials etc would also be handy.

Cheers guys

 

[Warden]

Ok guys as I move away from painting for painting sakes and get more focused I want to start making diorama etc and will want to cast scenery etc.

I know a few of you have done this already but can you point me to materials for making the moulds and materials for casting?

Tutorials etc would also be handy.

Cheers guys

Well I have some experience casting warhammer models, and have only just begun casting some minor scenery stuff. This includes mostly Bretonnian Knights, but also some men-at-arms bodies, peasant archers, and my jungle trebuchets. Most of my casting WIP pics are over at the Round Table.

I have only more recently tried casting chameleon skinks and temple guard bodies (and some dragon wings!). The biggest issues I have found are air bubbles and flak lines, but for scenery that isn't as much of an issue.

The company I have the most experience with is Amazing Mold Rubber (www.moldputty.com), also easy to find on Amazon:

Spoiler: Mold Examples

I have about ten of these right now, I have gotten most for around $10-15 at either hobby stores or online.

Spoiler: Tutorial: how to make these molds

Step 1: find a container (***THAT DOESN'T LEAK***) and glue the things you want to cast to the bottom. This prevents them from floating to the surface after you pour the mold material inside it.



Step 2: Follow the mixing instructions on the box to mix and pour the mold substance. Normally takes a few hours, I leave it ovenight to dry. You might need to do the math to see how much of the container will be filled. I have a line drawn on the side of my mold container so I know not to stack minis too high.



Step 3: Next day, gently pull the minis out. It can take a while, and you may need to cut open the mold with a craft knife. But the mold is rubbery, that is what it is made for.

Step 4: Mix the resin and pour. I try to leave them in for about 5-15 minutes, then pull them out before they get to hard. The larger and less tiny pieces, the better the resin cast tends to come out.




Some more completed molds:

My brother also has experience with this company: Moldmaking & Casting Pourable Starter Kit.



I borrowed his two-part mold to cast a set of dragon wings.


Only other one I can think of is Hirst Arts blocks. I haven't used them myself, but there are tons of great examples on pinterest of people who have used their stuff. They sell molds that you can make bricks from. Seems to be a pretty good company, but I would probably just make the molds myself for cheaper. They sell a lot of other terrain-related casting materials though, definitely worth a look.