Shrinkage..

[Wayneb]

Just wondering how much distortion or shrinkage there is between the original sculpt and the casting?
I used to cast a bit but never really paid much attention........

Wayne

 

[valiant]

Fairly minimal with resin and white metal - probably less than 1% - not like the 12% which we had with bone china!!

 

[yellowcat]

Picture of resin vs metal casting from the old thread AuthorSculpt Samurai horseman 54 mm.
The metal casting looks terrible. So much shrinkage when compare to the resin casting. May be just a bad mould and metal casting.

 

[valiant]

Probably more to do with the fluidity of the metal - looks like it has cooled too quickly and not run into the cavity fully. Unlike resin, which cures relatively uniformly, (if mixed correctly), metal cools from the outside in, so tends to shrink away from the sides of the mould, causing some minor distortion, when gravity filled. Also, any slight moisture in the mould can cause air locks.

You tend not to get such problems with centrifugally cast metal.

 

[Wayneb]

Looks like more than 1% to me......here lies the question.....So I'm not the only one who wonders this....

Wayne

 

[valiant]

Question is - have they both been cast from the exact same mould? If not, then there could have been several versions which may have been reworked, then remoulded....