Figures/Personnel
Figures/Personnel
Not sure if this is the right board for this query, but does anyone have any suggestions re techniques and materials for modelling 4mm scale people. I've looked at the usual commercially available figures including those blanks sold in batches of a hundred, but I'm interested in 'casting' with various situations/interactions in mind.
Re: Figures/Personnel
Resin casting? Or white metal casting? Plastic?
I would say the easiest is casting in resin, but one does need to learn a few prods with a cocktail stick to prevent bubbles. Mind you, bubbles can easily be filled.
O scale is easier for making things ready for casting, but smaller scales can be done.
It is "Normal" for castings to need to file down any excess material, but resin is really easy to work with. Mistakes or bubbles are easy to fill or correct using a filler (I use DAS modelling clay or I take filings of cured resin and add a few drops of superglue and it instantly sets hard. Superglue is the glue used for working with resin (Runny type) as one can even place a little superglue on the outside of two parts to be joined and the glue will suck itself into the join. Resin is a lovely material to work with).
Try buying a Sylmasta Resin Casting Kit. Surprizing how far the resin goes when casting so always provide oneself with extra moulds... (Does not have to be the moulding rubber moulds as one can cast into an imprint of playdough or plastacine), and one can even pour a mould half full and fill the other part when one casts ones next item. The resin really goes a long way so only mix in small batches.
When making moulds using the moulding rubber, if one wants to copy a lightweight item, first stick it down as they can end up floating in the moulds before the mould has cured! Also found I used way too much rubber in my moulds. Took 48 hours to dry! Resin itself cures quickly but allow around 30 minutes before removing the items, as though they solidify within a few minutes, they are somewhat floppy until they harden. Thirty minutes should be more than enough time for most items to harden with the resin supplied in the Sylmasta casting kit. Other makes and types of resin will vary.
I tend to keep things simple by making single piece moulds the same way as one does when making plaster casts of footprints, but for more complex items one could do with making two part moulds and the instructions on how to do this are included in the kit. I bought the smaller G26 casting kit and it has been one of the best buys ever! The resin lasted me a few years before I finally ran out, and I have used it for all sorts of things from making insulated sections for trackwork to repairing a warped coach roof. (Pushed a healthy coach roof into playdough to make an imprint, carefully removed it, poured in some resin, and then placed the inwardly warped roof in the mould and the resin cast itself around it and displayed the shape and features of the good roof that the origional imprint that the resin was cast into. There was a bit of filing to do afterwards but it repaired an inwardly warped roof on an old Triang utility van which I also made resin castings of the doors as it had some missing. I no longer have pictures of the roof as I showed them on another site which had deleted them in an update, but I do have these on this site which are useful to get a gist of what can be done.
viewtopic.php?t=52212&start=15
I would say the easiest is casting in resin, but one does need to learn a few prods with a cocktail stick to prevent bubbles. Mind you, bubbles can easily be filled.
O scale is easier for making things ready for casting, but smaller scales can be done.
It is "Normal" for castings to need to file down any excess material, but resin is really easy to work with. Mistakes or bubbles are easy to fill or correct using a filler (I use DAS modelling clay or I take filings of cured resin and add a few drops of superglue and it instantly sets hard. Superglue is the glue used for working with resin (Runny type) as one can even place a little superglue on the outside of two parts to be joined and the glue will suck itself into the join. Resin is a lovely material to work with).
Try buying a Sylmasta Resin Casting Kit. Surprizing how far the resin goes when casting so always provide oneself with extra moulds... (Does not have to be the moulding rubber moulds as one can cast into an imprint of playdough or plastacine), and one can even pour a mould half full and fill the other part when one casts ones next item. The resin really goes a long way so only mix in small batches.
When making moulds using the moulding rubber, if one wants to copy a lightweight item, first stick it down as they can end up floating in the moulds before the mould has cured! Also found I used way too much rubber in my moulds. Took 48 hours to dry! Resin itself cures quickly but allow around 30 minutes before removing the items, as though they solidify within a few minutes, they are somewhat floppy until they harden. Thirty minutes should be more than enough time for most items to harden with the resin supplied in the Sylmasta casting kit. Other makes and types of resin will vary.
I tend to keep things simple by making single piece moulds the same way as one does when making plaster casts of footprints, but for more complex items one could do with making two part moulds and the instructions on how to do this are included in the kit. I bought the smaller G26 casting kit and it has been one of the best buys ever! The resin lasted me a few years before I finally ran out, and I have used it for all sorts of things from making insulated sections for trackwork to repairing a warped coach roof. (Pushed a healthy coach roof into playdough to make an imprint, carefully removed it, poured in some resin, and then placed the inwardly warped roof in the mould and the resin cast itself around it and displayed the shape and features of the good roof that the origional imprint that the resin was cast into. There was a bit of filing to do afterwards but it repaired an inwardly warped roof on an old Triang utility van which I also made resin castings of the doors as it had some missing. I no longer have pictures of the roof as I showed them on another site which had deleted them in an update, but I do have these on this site which are useful to get a gist of what can be done.
viewtopic.php?t=52212&start=15
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aleopardstail
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Re: Figures/Personnel
depending how much time you have, or know someone who has there is a software package called poser, designed for well posing human figures, adding props etc - if you have the basic model and more time Blender can do similar with more effort.
then this can output files 3d printer software can work with.
a more basic approach involves a 3d scanner and a willing victim who can stand still
having done 3d mould and resin casting for gaming figures I'd say seriously look at resin 3d printing, means you can generally create in one part without needing to assemble stuff the way a lot of resin mould techniques require.
Blender is a free download, work grabbing and have a go, there are video tutorials on how to repose figures and various 3d files of people can be found, also for free (especially since you likely don't need massive detail). worth having a play - and can do that without the printer.
then basically ask about if you know anyone who has one if they can help test a few things
then this can output files 3d printer software can work with.
a more basic approach involves a 3d scanner and a willing victim who can stand still
having done 3d mould and resin casting for gaming figures I'd say seriously look at resin 3d printing, means you can generally create in one part without needing to assemble stuff the way a lot of resin mould techniques require.
Blender is a free download, work grabbing and have a go, there are video tutorials on how to repose figures and various 3d files of people can be found, also for free (especially since you likely don't need massive detail). worth having a play - and can do that without the printer.
then basically ask about if you know anyone who has one if they can help test a few things
Re: Figures/Personnel
Thank you Mountain ans aleopardstail. Possibilities I had never thought of there. At the moment, I'm experimenting with DAS and fine wire 'skeletons'.
Firefly.
Firefly.
Re: Figures/Personnel
Correction: For 'ans' read 'and'.