Casting in Plaster ....your thoughts please

[Nap]

I am posting this small survey on behalf of JOSÉ RODRIGUEZ , PF member “TIgerdio”




José writes


Survey, input is appreciated...please also post any additional comments



OK folks.
As many of you know many of the "little" resin cottage industry folks in our hobby are suffering due to the high cost of rubber and resin to produce new products.

Depending on current economical climate it could get worse and many of us may/will be forced to close up shop or think of other ways and cheaper materials to produce our products with.

Let's be honest here, any high cost on oil and it drives up rubber and resin prices to the point where items are unaffordable and people are tight with the current inflation on everything, so sales suffer due to it.

So trying to get ahead of the curve I am doing this survey.

By producing in plaster rather than resin it will bring down the cost of the product from $80.00 to $40.00-45.00, and the molds will last longer so less replacement costs for rubber and a huge savings on resin.

The one issue could be the USPS, as many of you know they love taking packages and using them as hockey pucks, so now and then no matter how well we package them, there is usually some breakage in items.

Also, believe it or not plaster is a little heavier than resin, so shipping costs may increase slightly.

I have been thinking of casting the main parts of the thicker buildings in plaster, then including the roof sections, doors, windows, etc in resin.
This will save on the overall production of the product and the savings can be passed on to the consumer.

All our bases will continue to be produced in resin, since it is almost impossible to keep them from being broken in transit.

Your thoughts on this are appreciate it.

Thanks

José

 

[valiant]

Not a problem to cast anything in plaster. The issue is that the item needs to be dried fully, otherwise it wont take paint. There are resin bonded water based plasters out there, but they can be very heavy. The mixes need to be constant, otherwise you can get air trapped in the body of the plaster (like Aero chocolate) and therefore can be weak. Plaster casts can have very good surface detail and clean up well. As with any resins, just make sure that you you dont inhale the gypsum dust!

 

[svt]

Apparently, we are talking about a finished product made of plaster. Alas, but this is for large sizes, because plaster is a rather fragile material, and making a figurine from it in a scale of 1/30 or even 1/35 will be quite problematic. Previously, plaster was used everywhere in our hobby, as a material for making casting molds, and even I tried to cast metal figurines in plaster molds. But to make the figurines themselves from plaster, this is the first time I encountered this (so it's hard for me to imagine what it will look like).

 

[Nap]

Thanks for replies

I presume it’s only referring to Buildings etc not figures

Nap

 

[NigelR]

There are some scenery manufacturers that already produce their stuff in plaster - for example Great North Roads use dental plaster. It's fine for scenery. DioDump use plaster for some stuff and offer resin versions at 20% extra. I've used DioDump plaster buildings and they are great.

 

[blaster]

I did fool around with plaster bldgs Verlinden etc decades back. Every time you handle it, some dust gets on your hands.

Rgds Victor

 

[Babelfish]

Never been keen on plaster after negative experiences with Verlinden plaster buildings in the late '90s / early '00s: Fragile, you got plaster dust over your fingers when you handled it, and if you chip the paint even slightly you get very prominent white bits showing through.

Of course modern plasters might be better, I don't know. Prefer resin though either way, even if it costs more.

- Steve

 

[blaster]

I’ve encountered small archi bricks in art shops. Some of these are cast in a tougher type of plaster mix. These seem more durable.

 

[NigelR]

Of course modern plasters might be better, I don't know. Prefer resin though either way, even if it costs more.

They are better, the DioDump pieces I have used are very durable. No crumbling or flaking. But fine detail will be better in resin, some of their more complex pieces are resin only. They tend to use plaster for smaller pieces or ruined buildings.

Here's a couple of shots of a 1/72 DioDump base and building, the whole thing is cast in plaster, it's been transported around the country to many shows and not a chip or flake off it .

 

[socko47]

Plaster of Paris is not strong for thin portions. There are additives to add to the water to increase strength. Fibers can add strength. Plaster is a gypsum product of which there are many types via classification. There are dental products that are much stronger and much harder than Plaster of Paris. There are different colors that help to indicate the product. For example dental stone for lab work is yellow and some other products are blazing white. You will need to do some exploration with a manufacturer to find what product will satisfy your requirements. Different types have different expansion rates upon setting.
The point about dryness of the casting is an important one. Gypsum products will absorb water even after full setting and drying. Probably fine for scenery like walls as it could be sealed before final painting. could be an issue for figures where something like a finger could be easily broken.

 

[Warren SMITH]

As stated, Verlinden produced buildings in a type of plaster for many years, and they are still available today. Jose has covered the main issues, quality plaster and good packaging..
Our hobby is based on risk, small parts eaten by the carpet monster, warped resin weapons, air bubbles, mould lines, poor quality resin, etc
I dont see any reason why plaster buildings could not be re introduced..
Any ideas for reducing costs in our niche hobby should be considered..
In a cost of living crisis, the first things to get cut back are spending on Hobbies, Gym memberships but not BEER, that's an essential.

Smithy

 

[NigelR]

I dont see any reason why plaster buildings could not be re introduced..

There are several manufacturers already producing plaster buildings that are very durable and can hold detail......

The combination Jose proposed of plaster for larger parts and resin for detail seems eminently practical

 

[Henk]

A good medium between Resin and Plaster, is Plastic...
MiniArt do a great selection of buildings in vacuform plastic. Light, sharp detail on all sides of the piece, inside and out.
They are a bit of a fav to put together, but worth the effort.

They do a lot of other stuff aswel, and figures, modern and historic.

https://miniart-models.com/

 

[Ian Pen]

I used to mix in a reasonable priced PVA glue into the mix, something I got from a builders merchant, not a white paper glue. The PVA content is higher in builder's glue and prevented the dust, chipping issues described.