Let's say I want to be a terrible person and do recasts for specific components of wargaming models, because buying them in bulk is prohibitively expensive (upwards of $100/10 units). I understand the process, I've got most of the materials, I know what else I'm doing.
For the whole two of you out there who recast- where the hell do you get your resin from? Nearest distributor for Smoothcast to me is 60 miles away and doesn't ship. Is there an alternative that's less... specialized to get?
And while this is certainly 100% unethical, am I also an asshole for considering doing it?
>ethics No one gives a fuck. In fact, your fellow players will love it
Elijah Butler
If the sculpts are out of production then go for it. Otherwise, it is a little dickish
Joshua Ward
> an alternative that's less... specialized to get?
Polyester resin should be available pretty much everywhere
David Roberts
That recast, on the right, is like 100% Lead.
Hunter Ramirez
I don't think there's anything wrong with TiVo ing a show and watching it later, even ripping it editing the commercials out and then burning on a dvd.
Even if you were selling them there would be no way to market them as real. And if you painted and sold them I think you'd be covered by fair use.
Nathan Brooks
Now, don't get me wrong I never got into recasting that much. I did maybe 2 casts and used a hot glue gun instead of resing, becuase I only needed a few small parts.
If you're up for experiments you can melt plastic bottles. You need an old oven, and a place outside so you don't get sick from the melting plastic. Then you just sherd the bottles and melt them in some disposable metal container.
I know it's not resin, but I understood you have problems with aquiring it, so that's the best advice I can give.
Also, there was one user who used to melt lead and one who used melted aluminium cans I think, but I don't remember any details.
If youre casting for your own use its pretty much no harm no foul.
Nicholas Miller
I've been ordering from smooth on for years. Why don't they ship to you user? If you can't get smooth cast give innothane a try. They have some great clear resins too. Have you selected a release agent? Mclube makes some pretty good silicone release agents. I'm going to assume you are making RTV molds and not vulcanizing rubber or creating jackets? Companies I know sell resin >smooth on >innothane >basf
Companies for silicone and rubber >smooth on >Reynolds silicone
Pic not related
Connor Green
Melted bottles is not the same as resin, not even by a long shot.
As for melting aluminum, it's not hard at all. A small foundry can be built for around 20 bucks, with a force air intake using a hair dryer, you can easily melt cans.
The issue with that is proper casting and cleaning. Your cans are going to have a lot of slag from the paint and everything else on it. So be sure to scrape all that off.
David Campbell
Aluminum is usually a no go I'm sorry user. What usually happens is that as the outside of the miniature cools, the core of the mini is still molten. As a result the core starts to suck in the outer layer creating a very bumpy undesired texture. All metals do this but with aluminum it seems to be especially true. If you try and have any luck I would very much like to see the results however. I've just never been able to get it to work.
Brody Harris
I only really ever cast coins for the larp I'm in, so I haven't had much of an issue with details, but I've never tried with them much.
Jaxon Stewart
Also 1200 F for aluminum vs 450 F for pewter. No silicone on the cheap can survive that for too many casts. You'd need a sand mold. I've never tried green sand molds with miniatures.
Nolan Bennett
When I did metal casts for a certain company a while back we had this issue. They didn't want a change in scale but unfortunately with heat everything contracts/shrinks a little so i tried aluminum thinking it would handle vulcanization better. I was right about that but all the masters had some serious Stallone face. with that line of minis it was unnacceptable.
Michael Powell
Smooth cast is the best in my opinion.
You might also try Reynolds advanced materials, they are a smooth cast seller.
Samuel Thompson
I have found metal casting much more of a challenge than resin casting.
It is very difficult to get the right metal recipe, I am still experimenting.
Adam Moore
Not the guy you're talking to, but you get what you pay for with metal.
Suitable alloys are always eutectic alloys and they will nearly always have plenty of Bismuth and/or Antimony to control shrinkage (because they actually expand when they go from a liquid to a solid - only silicon, gallium, germanium, antimony, bismuth and plutonium do this, apparently).
Anthony Hughes
I just use pure pewter. It's pricey sure but it holds details beautifully without being too delicate. What recipes have you tried? I've thought about making an antimony pewter mix for a while now
Eli Hughes
If you think pirating physical models is unethical, Veeky Forums isn't the board for you
Try >>>r/intellectualpropertylaw
Evan Perez
I am casting very small 6mm infantry and for very tiny bits like swords etc... pewter does not fill them even with venting etc..
I have tried a number of recipes.
54pb35bi11sn
Is excellent and fills all of my molds 100% without problem.
However it is simply too brittle for the tiny bits I am casting.
I have tried a similar recipe with antimony and have the same brittle problems.
I know there is a recipe out there that has exactly what I want, high flow properties with decent malleability but I simply have not been able to figure it out yet.
Isaiah Barnes
I don't make anything that small. Lately all i've casted has been 25mm-60mm. I'll have to try that mix out and see what I get thanks :].it seems like you'd need a lead alloy for your master. I use it from time to time but only for resin production molds.
