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Post by gbvarese on Feb 7, 2021 18:58:43 GMT
Dear all, During the Napoleonic period a lot of Hungarian regiments were part of the various Austrian Army Corps that fought the French and their allies. Since the poses of set 8027 didn't satisfy me very much, I therefore decided to make my own rubber mold based on a modified Hat soldier. This is the result: a battalion of 24 men cast in resin. They are not perfect, I know, but I think they can honorably stand on the battle field, along with their Austrian colleagues. I would appreciate your comments. Gio. Varese. |
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Post by davidmac on Feb 8, 2021 18:02:50 GMT
Arr, them be fine figures you've cast!
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Post by gbvarese on Feb 8, 2021 21:30:38 GMT
Dear Davidmac.
Thanks for you appreciation
I took me very long time before deciding to make my own mold. I asked many people, much skiller than me, to do the work for me, even with laserprinter, but the answer was always tha same: scale 1/72 is too small. I've therefore watched many videos to learn how to work with plasticine, rubber mould and resin. It was really frustrating at the beginning, but insisting and never loosing the enthusiasm, I've obtained encouraging results. I have got now about 6 mold, and the work goes on. In spite of this, I'm still waiting impatiently the release of Hat's Austro-Hungarians.
Gio.
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Post by cpn on Feb 20, 2021 15:57:16 GMT
Dear Gbvarese,
So I think I will have to go down the same road for Awi or other projects.
Your experience is really important for me to understand.
Could you tell me once you made the rubber mould did you use melted plastic from the sprues?
Could you share the best video tutorials you saw, in your opinion?
Finally could you post a picture of your molds?
Kind regards
CPN
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Post by gbvarese on Feb 27, 2021 18:57:05 GMT
Dear CPN.
Sorry I've seen only now you message (it is sad to say, but I've been very busy with my profession in the last months).
For sure! I'm preparing some pictures for you to explain how it works.
Gio.
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Post by gbvarese on Feb 27, 2021 21:44:12 GMT
First of all I've worked out a new model using a figure of Italeri and a head of Hat's Austrians, adding a new pon pom, a cocade and the Hungarian knots on the breeches. Then you've got to take a square o plasticine, in this case 7 mm thick, where you will gently press in, your original. After that, with the help of a smooth thin spatula, the plascticine must be modeled in order to perfectly adhere to the original model. At the same time you've got to create appropriate ducts to enable the exit of air when the resin is poured. In the figure you see the little cardboard box, which allows to contain the liquid bicomponent rubber of the first half of the mold, before it dries up; you can see also some segments of electric cables to create the above mentioned air ducts. Normally it takes 12 hours for the rubber to dry, depends on the product you use. Once the first half is ready, you will use it as the base to pour the second half on it, keeping in place the original soldier. Don't forget to sprinkle the surface with either vaseline or a similar material to prevent the to halves to stick to each other. And now it comes, to me, the most difficult part of the operation: pouring the resin. It took me a lot of time and frustration to develop a suitable technique. I adopted bicomponent resin: it hardens very quickly so that it must be rapidly poured. In order to enable the resin to reach all the finest details, before pouring the resin, I spread the negative of the figure, with part of the resin. Then the resin is poured into the two half of the mold and they are quickly put one on the other and kept in place with the help of two adjustable plastic pliers. It is also possible to match the two part of the molds and inject the resin using a syringe. The resin I use hardens in half an hour but it is better not to open the mold before one hour. What you obtain is a soldier with a thin layer of resin around it, which must be removed with a modeler scalpel. The resin can be paper sanded to smooth imperfect surfaces. I've tried to answer your question at the best of my current knowledge, and I hope to have satisfied your request. To provide you with further images, you can write me: gbvarese@inwind.it. Best regards. Gio. |
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Post by cpn on Feb 28, 2021 10:38:54 GMT
Good morning,
Thank you very very much for your time explaining me.
I believe Hat will probably not deliver any AWI in the timescale of my own life needs. Therefore, I need to find another solution and your example might be the way.
Thank you very much again
Kind regards.
CPN
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Post by gbvarese on Feb 28, 2021 15:06:09 GMT
Dear Cnp, With regard to most suitable material to adopt you have to see on line what is available in your in country (USA?) where I'm sure there is much more of what available in Italy. You asked about videos on line: I've watch many of them and I realized that most illustrate subjects of bigger scale, as 1/72 is considered too small and therefore too complicate. Here I attach the pictures of two molds made from the old AIRFIX set 01744 (then remade by, Hat 7008). They consist of: a casualty, very easily done as one single mold is needed; the second is a standard bearer duly converted, painted as belonging to the Saxon Army. Do not not hesitate to ask more questions. Gio. |
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