Help Gipetto Learn to Cast

[Gipetto0812]

Hey guys!

I apologize in advance if there is an existing thread, but I looked through the search and couldn't find any tutorials so I figured who else would be better to learn to cast from than the many great casters here in the SW Custom Forum.

So, if anyone can possible give me some sort of step-by-step in depth tutorial on how to cast and what materials to use and where to get such materials (in the US i.e. local stores?) I would be so great full as a handful of fellow freaks and friends have ask for some of my sculpts and I hate having to turn them away.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Dorgmal Snow]

Well first off I suggest getting on youtube and watching tome tutorials, they can be fab! I am not the best chap to ask as I think I have a bit of a maverick attitude to casting!
But silicon is all pretty similar I think. Resin can be cheap but I am not a fan of that sort of stuff... I am so impatient I use quick set stuff and its FAB I love it and its so tough but chuffin pricey!!!!

I will tell you one thing mate... once you start you will not stop!!! but your dollie fund will suffer its not cheap.

If I can help in any way then please just ask... the more folks casting stuff and sculpting the better I think.

To give you an idea of prices.... when we made the `Republic Commandos there were over 30 moulds I made and we bought busts and all sorts to get the project off the ground.... it cost well over £1000 just to get a set or armour!!! PLEASE dont tell the mrs!

 

[Gipetto0812]

thanks for all the advice Snow! good to hear from you as well!

but wow! £1000 on just an armor set! I'm on a small budget as it is right now looks like I'll have to wait until the Christmas money comes in then

luckily though right now, there is no Mrs. to speak of so no yapping from her lol but there is mother who will think I'm even more crazy than she already does for this hobby

but back to the topic at hand...
What do you use to make the molds?

and is silicon cheaper than resin? seems like resin is the common thing to use or am I mistaken?

thanks again for your help man!

 

[ToyTowersMan]

Think you understand something wrong!

Silikon = mold
Resin = molded parts


Resin is much cheaper as silikon, but 2 different Usage purposes!

here some usefull links:

https://cast-a-walker.blogspot.com/
https://www.danperezstudios.com/workshoppages/molding_casting.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL33dO8mQuQ
and so one...

 

[the dude person]

Think you understand something wrong!

Silikon = mold
Resin = molded parts

Resin is much cheaper as silikon, but 2 different Usage purposes!

that's a bit misleading.

See,

silicone = mold

but

resin = castings.


silicone is rubber of course, and resin is a type of plastic. Both come in 2 parts that must be mixed together for them to set up.

Silicone mold base is mixed 10 parts to 1 part silicone catalyst and left to set up for about 24 hours.

Resin comes in parts A and B, which are mixed in equal proportions, and usually produces a hard plastic about 2 minutes after mixing.

I usually get 1 lb. sets of each. They cost about $40 (for a pound of either silicone or resin)

You can sometimes find silicone and resin in hobby stores, especially ones geared toward model-making. I seem to have depleted the entire supply of the stuff in my immediate area, I bought several sets from the hobby stores nearby and now all of them are out of the stuff and haven't ordered more.

So for around $80, you can make several small molds (like at least 2 or 3 for something like, say, a 1/6 figure's head) and you can get quite a few castings from 1 lb. of resin if you roto-cast your parts.

"roto-casting" is just a fancy word for swirling the resin around inside of your mold while the resin is still hardening. This coats the the inside of the silicone mold with resin, but leaves the center of the resin cast hollow, and so uses less resin per cast. (Also, for headsculpts this means that there's less drilling to do for neck posts!)

I buy my supplies from Alumilite, and each box comes with rudimentary directions for both molding and casting something.



oh, and some advice from personal experience: resin is somewhat like a Mogwai. It HATES water (if your resin is contaminated by water, your casts will come out with a jillion bubbles all over the place)

just thought you should keep that in mind.


Good luck on your casting quest!

 

[Gipetto0812]

thanks everyone for all your help!!! I'm a wee shy of $80 right now but I will definitely get some trials underway once the next wave of financial aid comes in for next semester.

I really want to get some of my casts out to ppl later on, I will start an interest thread after I get the first good cast done.

the dude person: thanks for all your in-depth help!

ToyTowersMan: thanks for the links man!


I looked up some youtube vids like you said Snow and they were definitely helpful and doesn't seem too difficult to do.

Thanks again guys!

 

[the dude person]

You're quite welcome Gipetto! Glad I could help.




And oh yeah, I just remembered that the first kit I got was a starter kit that came with smaller amounts of both silicone and resin. You might want to look into that.

Check out https://alumilite.com/

This is their starter kit page: https://alumilite.com/Category.cfm?Category=Starter Kits

they have ones ranging in price from $15 to $70 that come with everything you'd need to mold and cast something. Of course, you don't get as much in the cheaper kits, but at least you don't have to buy more than you need.

 

[duck of death]

I use Smooth-on brand products and have had no problems using them to cast heads. The mix ratio is 1:1 for both the silicone and the resin. I started using the Oomoo 30 silicone, but these days I prefer the Oomoo 25 because the cure time is only 75 minutes and I am very impatient! I use the smooth-cast 300 resin.

The silicone should run you about $25 for a kit almost 3lbs of mix which is enough to make a bunch of molds and the resin is usually a little bit less for the same amount of material. The total should run you less than $50 plus whatever shipping costs. You can buy it directly from Smooth-on, but I think their shipping is pretty outrageous so I just use their site for tutorials and to find out about products and then Google to see who has the best price online.