How do Pendraken do multiple cast moulds?

Started by Last Hussar, 13 June 2011, 12:11:06 AM

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Last Hussar

Idle curiosity - just that some of your figures which should be the same appear to be slightly different to each other.  Specifically at this moment I am painting WSS Imperial Curassiers, and the position of the riders legs appears to change slightly between casts - sometimes I can get a spot of paint in behind for the blanket, sometimes I can't.

Could just be my crap painting.
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Leon

Not sure on that particular figure, could be a slight variation in the original masters.  There's no way the position of a leg could change once the mould has been made.
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Last Hussar

I realise that!  Do you have multiple masters to make the moulds from?  Or do you have just one mould per figure (surely not!)

I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry

Gandalf

A quick summary:
The sculptor produces a "dolly" which is used to made a master mould
Casts are taken from the master mould until enough are available to make a production mould.
There are roughly thirty figures in a production mould eg 3 lots of 10 Spanish Civil War or 30 Franco-Prussian War, 30 American War of Independance etc.
Have you seen the rivets on that?

Matt J

The same master is used to make multiple indents in the mould.

correct me ifI'm wrong....

http://www.tekcast.com/Intro-to-Spin-casting/c1/p5/Spin-Cast-in-6-Easy-Steps/pages.html



(I work in the jewellery trade the casting process is different but the principles are the same ie the master is the key, good master = good product)
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Gandalf

15 June 2011, 11:17:02 AM #5 Last Edit: 15 June 2011, 11:19:37 AM by Gandalf
Good link.  That would have saved me a bit of typing.  :) The principle (and probably the equipment) is exactly the same.  One of the biggest contract casting companies for wargames figures began as a jeweller.
Have you seen the rivets on that?

Matt J

no different equipment.

Jewellery casting is wax loss casting and we tend to use vacum rather than centrifugal casting now-a-days. I thought the process was the same myself until I looked into miniature casting. I couldn't understand how pendraken knocked out the castings so cheap, a jewellery casting is 35p minimum just for the labour.

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Leon

There's a lot of companies who use a contract casting company, charging £2-3 per spin...!   :o
www.pendraken.co.uk - Now home to over 7000 products, including 4500 items for 10mm wargaming, plus MDF bases, Battlescale buildings, I-94 decals, Litko Gaming Aids, Militia Miniatures, Raiden Miniatures 1/285th aircraft, Red Vectors MDF products, Vallejo paints and much, much more!

Last Hussar

The WSS Austrian Curassiers definately have a bit of variation in the leg position.  This is not a bad thing.
I have neither the time or the crayons to explain why you are wrong.

GNU PTerry