RE: [Epic] Replicate Miniatures

From: Mike Bowen <mbowen_at_...>
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 10:01:13 -0500 (CDT)

> >
> >Although copying lead figures in plastic is neither expensive nor
> >difficult...
> >
> >Agro
>
> Plastic, eh? I thought that was harder than metal. Enlighten me just a
> bit.
>
> Chirs Miller
>
Very easy, if you mean resin=plastic. The 50-50 mix resin/hardener will
hold excellent detail with RTV molds, esp. if you have vacuum and pressure
equipment to deair the RTV, using a vacuum to remove air bubbles from the
newly mixed RTV, about 20inches Hg, or 500mm Hg for you metric people.
 
Multipart molds with venting will give better results.

 The resin can be mixed with powdered metals, like steel or bronze,
to increase the weight or improve the finish. Pour the freshly mixed
resin into the mold(you have from 3-7 min. before the stuff hardens)
and get the mold into a pressure chamber, and pump to 50-60 psi.
that reduces most air voids that give you those nasty pinholes.

!Warning! you must use containers rated for these pressures! otherwise
it CAN be dangerous! Do NOT underestimate to power of a chamber that
has been pumped to 28in Hg or to 60 psi! It CAN hurt you. Badly.
/!Warning!

You can still get good results without the pressure/ vacuum equipment.
you take the mold(with unhardened resin). put in bucket. tie rope to
bucket. Swing bucket with vigor. stop after a few min.

spincasting the cheap way.

Casting with metals is not much worse, but you need more equipment.
like casting furnace, metals, vent hood and high temp RTV. Also, RTV
rubber will only be good for a couple metal casts, but with Resin you can
get 30-50 casts, depending on the mold

**
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion, it is by the beans of
Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking
becomes a warning, it is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

mike
**
Received on Tue Sep 23 1997 - 15:01:13 UTC