Thoughts on casters milking the mould

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Wayneb

A Fixture
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
3,103
Location
HUDSON,OHIO....U.S.A.
This has been bothering me for awhile.
I have gotten a few resin castings with some major flaws that really bother me.Not to the point that they can't be fixed with a little putty and work.But for the cost of some of these pieces it gets me a little chapped.Don't want to bad mouth anyone;but I've had to butter up some pieces that I originaly thought were great castings until they were primed.I'm not talking about just air bubbles and I'm not talking about recasts.
I'm familiar with the mould making and casting process and know that the silicone will break down eventualy,inparticular fine details and undercuts.
Maybe I'm answering my own question or maybe I'm looking for reenforcement that there is someone who's thinking the same thing................Regards......Wayne
 
No it pisses me off too!

When a mould is so torn up it leaves scars on the casting, steps at the cuts and blobs of jagged resin all over the place it needed retiring ages ago!!!

I spent a good hour today cleaning up one leg of a casting! and it will need putty too!!

:cry:
 
I've just got rid of 90% of my resin kits, with some of them I just opened the box went OMG and put them on Ebay. It would be more acceptable if they were substantially cheaper than white metal. I'm allergic to the dust anyway so almost any resin kit requiring, cutting, sawing etc is a no go area for me. I've had a few resin kits that required almost no clean up....so it can be done.

Keith
 
I have to agree fellas. When you spend hard earned cash on a figure you expect a certain level of quality control, I understand clean up maybe a small fill on a torso but when you have to re-sculpt major sections it a #**!!!............
If you wanted to sculpt it, great, but sometimes it is nice to do a out of box , I do have several figures that are just paperweights now ,
The thing is Quality is the thing that brings a customer back to buy another figure.
Right had my rant and as housecarl said its modelling so I'm off to push alittle paint do a little groundwork and cause a little mischief
Cheers
Chris W:D:ROFLMAO:
 
Glad I got a little response on this..........Ever get a casting where you had to pick out bits of silicone?
I have and the detail is there,..but feel sorry for the guy that got the next casting,..unfortunately for the guy that got the next one probably won't know the difference;and it goes down hill from there........maybe they think we're all stupid.
Or maybe it's just me.........(n).....Wayne
 
Have any of you had experience of casting in resin?

Just asking, I have not, but I am curious.

I hear a lot about 'hard earned cash' being spent by people, and poor 'quality control' but this is such tiny hobby of very few people. The hobby we celebrate is only 30 years old, and is unlikely to outlive us, it's nearly finished even now. I look at old copies of Mil Mod and laugh, Sanderson, Historex, All the Queens Men....

No new blood....nearly finished.

The quality accepted once upon a time was laughable compared to now

I'm not trying to justify bad casting, but just saying this hobby is small.....what's you contribution?
 
Hello Barke02,
If you are talking to me;(you talking to me?:)).
Yes; I am experienced in making moulds and casting with resin which is mixed in two parts and sets up in approx. 20 min.;give or take depending on what you are using.
The silicone is also a two part mix, which after put in a vacuum to draw the air out to eliminate air pockets.
Been a while since I've done that.
That being said;..what is your contribution to this conversation?;Are you trying to say what we do for fun and enjoyment is nearly dead?
I don't think you got the drift of the original post.....................Have a good night and think about it.................Wayne..................By the way....got a dog named Bark
 
Hi wayne

Great thread !!!

You bring up some very good points. As a caster and producer of kits i try as hard as possible to provide a kit to you that i would be more than happy with...and i dont like crap !!

If the kit you got was crap you you should have contacted the producer and either got a replacement or your money back...its that simple. You no longer need to put up with rubbish.

By not mentioning the caster/ producer you are also doing yourself and the hobby a disservice because that company will be cheating somebody else and getting away with it....thats not good. Its up to you !!

I back all my kits up with the fact that if your not happy i will change it or refund your money and i know i am not alone in this fact.

The hobby as a buisness is tough believe me but because it is i for one try to give a good quality service and quality of product.

I hope this helps

Stuart
 
As per Stuart, return the product and get either a replacement or a refund and and explanation would be nice, if this company refuses then maybe name and shame through the review section of this site.

Cheers Zane
 
Fully agree, there is no excuse for poor quality casts and boils down to laziness and not replacing the mould, that and poor quality control.
Definitely ask for replacements and stop buying from them.
Best wishes
 
Also feeling a bit aggrieved at Barke02 contribution. Not sure where he gets the idea that out hobby is only 30 years old and nearly dead. I was doing this lark over 50 years ago and the only difference to today was the materials used for casting and painting. The craftsmen and innovators were still there then and they will continue to be there as new technology comes along. If you have such a downer on the hobby why do you do it. Thats my contribution.
 
So....this hobby, that I have been involved with for thirty eight years, is only thirty years old eh! :confused:....wonder what I did for the first decade then....must have dreamt it :LOL:

We have all experienced bad casting. In my case, more so with metal than resin. I do disagree with the view that it is to be expected in 'modelling' that we should have to repair/refine/re-sculpt.
I feel that we are very lucky to have producers such as CGS and Stormtroopers, to name but two, who take their craft and customers very seriously where quality is concerned.
Although it's a long time since I 'binned' a piece out of frustration at the amount of work that would be needed to rescue it, when it did happen, it was because of the lack of customer support associated with that producer.

Ron
 
Although I dont paint much in the way of other manufacturer's figures (due to time constraints with sculpting!) I do get to see some other commercial products as the other guys in my club bring them in. I am continually mystified as to the placement of seams, casting plugs, etc on very visible, detailed or textured areas by some makers. As a former industrial modeller, these areas were always kept to a minimum or placed where they were at their most unlikely to be seen. A master figure was always taken as a first cast, which is then used to make further production moulds, when the original ones get worn out.

The wargames figure market is another area where moulds get overused. There are some fantastic figures out there but get them when they are new, because when the moulds get worn there is an unacceptable amount of cleanup involved, with excessive flashing and big chunks of metal where the mould has ripped, due to the cost of remaking moulds, etc. Obviously, this is not all manufacturers, by any means, but you need to be vigilant.

thats my two pennyw'th, anyway,

Steve(y)
 
Hi!
Silicone molds and resin copies seems to be so easy that I am tempted to practice a bit, but what looks easy is not always the case.
If possible, can one of you explain to me two things: how long a cast of silicone and how many pieces you can copy?

This video might help to avoid the future imperfections in silicone moulds:

Cheers,
Pedro.
 
Hi Pedro,

As with all these things, it will largely depend on the grade of silicone used and the complexity of the original. Generally, the softer it is, the fewer the casts, but as a "rule of thumb" between 12 to 20 pieces before the mould deteriorates noticably; less if there are complex seams.

Steve(y)
 
No new blood....nearly finished.

That's a bit pessimistic, mate! I'm 36 and plan on modelling until I kick the bucket.
And judging from the number of young painters we get entering models in our yearly comp down here, and the quality of their work, this hobby is far from finished.
Add to that the choice and quality of figures these days - its more the golden age, than twilight I'd say....
(Sorry to comment a bit off topic, Wayne)
 
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