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Post by sw1 on Feb 18, 2014 23:30:05 GMT
Hmmm ... Why do I get so side tracked these days.
Anyway I've been trying out new moulding techniques for a little side project. Won't go into details on the board but I'm now testing moulds to destruction to see how many casts I can do. Only had a single mould start to break on me yet after 5 casting runs. The rest has been going strong 10+ casting runs and looks stable enough to break the 50+ casting runs. I've took a knife to the failed mould and found the failure was down to an air bubble in the rubber too close to the casting surface. Lessons learned ... Be more careful when pouring.
Just need to test what I can do with basic casting kit and see if it will scale up with more high tech stuff. You may see models cast by me for a 3rd party at some point next year in resin if I can prove my skills in the next couple of months. Maybe not the best timing with a baby on the way but it's a chance to possibly make a break from the current job which would be amazing. So I've ended up putting more time into that than the other bits I've meant to be doing Goblins/30k/scenery. My only worry is if I make my hobby my job and succeed will it remain as my hobby?
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Post by Farseer Kyladras on Feb 19, 2014 9:04:01 GMT
Hmmm ... Why do I get so side tracked these days. My only worry is if I make my hobby my job and succeed will it remain as my hobby? I think our very own Zog could be a good person to answer that question :0) What I will say is that if you do go for it the SWC members will not only all wish you the best of luck but I reckon some will also support you in your new business as well... FK
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Post by Lord Draconiroth on Feb 19, 2014 10:03:56 GMT
It depends really, by definition it won't be a hobby anymore. But as a fun thing it may start slipping. I know I use painting and modelling as an escape once I get home, mainly as a way to express my artistic side.
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Post by Stretch on Feb 19, 2014 17:56:30 GMT
I use it for my autistic side
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Post by sw1 on Feb 23, 2014 1:21:20 GMT
Lol ... Cheers for the comments guys.
The 1 part moulds for example the bases I created are now coming out cleaner than I've ever done before since I've changed the lubrication and pouring technique. So I think I'll be working on expanding the range I can offer with them. I'm also looking at doing some scenery that can be cast up probably in dental plaster mainly for myself which is what pushed me to do the bases in the 1st place.
However I'm currently having too much flash on the 2 part moulds to really make them worth doing on mass professionally. So I need to practice more at the old casting for now with the 2 part moulds. Basic shapes seem to be pretty easy, it's the more complex shapes for example ones with returns where the model bends back over itself that I really need to work on.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 11, 2014 23:59:09 GMT
More ideas and plans have been zooming around in my head. Not really got time of late to actually put them into practice or try out. So I've been filling up a note book with random scribbles. Not Sure if the notes will make sense when I get time to actually crack on with things at my old pace post baby arriving.
Saying all that I'm hoping to be ready to make a mould for some scenery before the baby arrives as long as I can get all the bits I need together. I've got a chunk of it already built but need to make sure it works in a modular form. So working on making things square/straight at the moment.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 16, 2014 8:52:27 GMT
Had fun yesterday trying to work out how to make modular boards without them being solid pieces of resin or having to revert back to using plaster which won't transport very well.
I think I've come up with a possible solution using foam board as the central core and then encasing it with resin. It should reduce the amount of resin required by well over 80%.
Next issue to resolve is how to glue the foam board to the resin. Superglue melts the foam, PVA warps the foam board too much. So it might have to be the old hot glue gun unless anyone has any other thoughts on how to glue them together?
Working long shifts till Tuesday, so will be aiming to prototype it Tuesday/Wednesday.
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Post by badfang on Mar 16, 2014 9:25:16 GMT
Next issue to resolve is how to glue the foam board to the resin. Superglue melts the foam, PVA warps the foam board too much. How big are your moulds - would it be possible to pour the resin and simply squash the foamboard into the back of the resin whilst still wet? So it might have to be the old hot glue gun unless anyone has any other thoughts on how to glue them together? Won't hot glue melt the foamboard?
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Post by sw1 on Mar 16, 2014 9:56:57 GMT
Built plenty of scenery with foam board n hot glue gun so no worries on that front. The moulds are not going to be full pieces. There will be sides/corners a bit like the movement trays GWS produce. I'll stick these around the edge, then I'll glue different bits on top of the board so it's a solid top. If I can embed either metal or magnets into the edging I can make connecting strips so they won't slide about when gaming. The aim was to make the resulting tiles about 12" x 12". But using the system they could be any size/shape. Big plans might work and then a again it might not work. It's all part of the fun of the hobby.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 18, 2014 8:29:34 GMT
Woke up this morning thinking I'm going to need to do the mad rush with the school run then getting sorted for work. Just realised I've booked it off. So a quick call to my brother and there will be some hobby stuff done this morning! Not sure what quite yet but something will be done even if it's a quick 500 pts battle.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 18, 2014 13:16:03 GMT
No gaming happened but a batch of my brothers chaos cultists got cleaned up. I've also managed to get the main parts for a bridge sorted out of an old railway bridge, plasticard n some textured card. Just need to work out the underside details. Pics will be forthcoming later on.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 19, 2014 22:29:50 GMT
I'm now on the hunt for funky looking bits that will replicate in a 1 piece mould so I can make scenery. Bits of broken toys, interesting tubes, sheets of different textures, bits from broken old TV's n computers.
Lol ... The wife's going to kill me for hoarding junk.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 20, 2014 3:25:51 GMT
Whoops ... How did it get to 3am?
This evening/night I've rummaged through a load of different bits and bobs. I located a load of old metal Ogryns which I decided to throw into a jar ready to strip. The same goes for the beakies and OOP grey knights which have been thrown into a separate jars as well for the same treatment.
All in all that adds up to an awefull lot of lead. Think I'll grab a few hours kip will upload pics in the morning.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 20, 2014 11:14:48 GMT
Just a few Ogryns ready to strip. Really enjoying just sorting through stuff and getting it sorted so when I'm ready to crack on with that particular project I'm not spending days trying to locate different bits.
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Post by sw1 on Mar 20, 2014 12:20:04 GMT
Last night I started sorting out the mould for the bridge sections. Think I may have been a little over tired when I did it. Just checked on part of the bridge I've glued down to a sheet of plasticard and I applied too much plastic glue. It's oozed out along the sides n spoiled the piece. Going to have to see if I can slice n sand it back into a reasonable state. I've also realised on my way downstairs last night I must have knocked over a few tubs of bits. Lol ... Maybe late night sorting isn't quite as good an idea as I originally thought.
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