How Miniatures are Born
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- I get asked all the time exactly how are miniatures made anyway? Here's the basics on how its done.
I also get asked what my equipment looks like since its home built. I'll give you a little tour.
If I miss anything, or you want something expanded upon, let me know!
((I apologize for the audio variation. The Helmet-cam isn't great at picking up audio.))
Thank you for this very informative video.
I have been spin casting for some years now using an alternative cold cure rubber system on a very small scale, and was very impressed with your home made approach.
Spin casting is just one of a number of things I do here in the remote Falkland Islands, and as an experienced taxidermist and sculptor for 40+ years I'm very familiar with the use of cold cure silicone rubbers of various kind and mould making, so this is why I opted for the cold cure rubber method. However, over more recent years the demand for my pewter work has grown and having now seen your setup (almost as messy as mine) I'm now inspired to look further into making my own vulcanising system.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
First thing I thought when I saw the "spinner" was, "Drill press". For those looking to make one of those simply buy an old drill press and use the top part that has the same motor/belt assembly. You'd have to attach the circular plate to the top of the pulley system but that would be easy enough. You'd also have the added benefit of multi speed and reverse.
This was an awesome video for me. I am going the DIY route for my fishing lures and this helped a ton
My table is a disaster too, but I could pick things out blindfolded... I swear. lol...
very interesting! I would like to see more of how the pattern is molded into the flat disc. I am only familiar with pouring liquid silicone or something around the patterns.
Such a great video. Thank you very much for sharing your process and showing alternative to buying big expensive machinery!
Molds last thousands of spins. I have acquired some molds that were made in the 80s that still run fine.
You sir are a prince... now to find out how much to have someone build me the vulcanizer and the plates...
I love seeing stuff like this. It's always fascinating to see how stuff is made.
I had no idea it was done this way! No wonder miniatures are expensive! This was informative AND helpful. Thanks so much.
Dat Invader Zim poster at the begining. O_O ME GUSTA
Very nice, also nice Absolute Sandman in the back
I don't really know anything about Miniatures or do anything with them but I watched your vid anyway and found it really interesting. Thank you.
I am completely self taught. I have always been 'mechanical' so that helped quite a bit. Lots of trial and error!
I agree, this is the video of the year man.
I want that picture in your back! I need it! Best picture I have ever seen ^^
Where are the tacos?
Wow that was pretty cool! I've played mini games for years and never had any clue as to how they were cast. Thanks!
So I noticed after looking around online. The online stores I bought it from is kinda expensive, I think I paid 300nok for 150gr of pewter and a melting pan, but I've seen UK stores with better offer for bigger amounts. Lately I've casted pewter in air-dry molds and delft clay sand, and I think the clay actually gets better result. My goal is to sell jewelry, so I need molds that doesn't cost too much.
Its an inch deep when closed, but the cavity is an inch and a quarter. The top has an inset so it seals nicely if you can't get it all the way closed. Doesn't smell much when cooking as long as you close it all the way. With pewter I can remelt my mistakes and cast again.
They can be made of several things: Two-part epoxy putty like kneadatite or procreate, milliput, pewter, copper, brass. If you are using low-temp silicon molds you can use some plastics or 3d prints. Often masters are combinations of these things. Brass and pewter for weapons and putty for flesh and clothes, for example.
That was truly awesome! thank you for doing all that and putting it up....recently been looking into such things myself, but with the cost of the machine sit was never going to be a realistic option for me- but now you got me thinking!
TBH the best i could personally hope for was just hand pouring/ gravity fed molds, only done resin so far but even those metal melting pots are ahrd to come by and expensive! maybe one day...
Thousands and thousands of spins. I have some molds from the early 90s.
Built from scratch winging it as we went. I plan to do a more detailed video of some of this stuff since there is a lot of interest.
making my first resin mold this week, this has helped me a ton thank you.
Dude! How many molds do you have?!
thats insane xD
I am getting around 600rpm.
The Lee pots do corrode, but still seem the best option. They last a little more than a year are are easy to recover from if they do leak.
love this video !!! awesome stuff and great set up !!!
That was interesting and fun, thanks for posting. Loved the first person casting...felt like I was playing Skyrim for a bit there :-P
Muste be very fun to make this kind of work!! The dreams comes true for us Warhammer nerds hahahahah... I have always think how the hell could the figure be so good, and here is the answer =)...
Cool video. Very interesting.
Yes, that makes sure the metal flows evenly.
awesome tutorial and info session!
awesome vid. very interesting to watch even if i never actually do it. just seeing the process has been... educational. so thanks for that. subbed and am keen to see what else you get up to.
I learned something new -- Thanks!
I usually pay $12-15US per pound of pewter in the US. Since pewter relies on tin, and the price of tine fluctuates wildly the price is always moving. Just a few short years ago I was paying $6 per pound.
Thank you, i am trying to set my son up with similar system for different products in epoxy.
Cool! Let me know how it goes or if I can help.
R98. Those other bits of metals in small percentages help flow and shrinkage as it cools.
I use regular organic rubber from Conquest in California. Temperature-wise I don't think normal organic rubber will run that hot. Well, it probably will but the mold won't last long.
Fantastic information! Thanks for sharing.
ok, I have search after casting mashine but they are expensiv... I hope you upload more videos, is awsome to see figures borns =)
Thanks for making the video, very cool!
Mold blanks are $15-20 each. A pound of pewter goes from $10-15, and is your biggest expense besides initial startup costs for the machine and vulcanizer. The day to day doesn't cost much.
Please We desperately need that thing.
I miss metal GW Warhammer minis, yes it limits the amount of poses but they are so much nicer when it comes to doing conversions or say if you dont like the paintjob after a couple years and want to strip it its so much easier to strip metal than plastic
A dimmer won't work because its a capacitor start motor. If I switched motor types it might, but then I'd have other issues with the constant on/off. These troubles could also be because I am using an ancient motor. Might clear up when i rebuild the thing.
Thank you. You helped me so much man.
Used to go to the Ral Partha factory in Cincinnati back in the mid-80s when I was a D&D playing-high school kid. Really neat to see it can be done at home. Any plans to show how you make the initial figures that are used to make the molds? Thanks for posting the vids.
One of my other videos on mold vulcanizing covers how I do a mold from the start. I would link but youtube won't allow links in comments.
Resin should work in spin-casting. You would probably gate the molds differently.
That machine is... really something. I'll trade you some plywood for miniatures.
@minitzonthesun You cannot in a normal mold. The paint would boil and make a mess. You might be able to do it in some of the nicem low temp molds, however, I wouldn't try it. Your best bet there is an RTV, or room-temperature mold that you pour by hand and let sit overnight and then pour resin into instead of using a centrifugal machine.
This is really cool
Would love to see more info on how you built your spin casting machine? I plan on building one within the next few weeks. And could sure use any help or links to others that's done the same thing.
The easiest way would be to get some RTV rubber and resin. Look at Smooth-on, they even have handy videos.
Sorry, a bunch of these were marked as spam, not by me, and I missed them. Low temp molds are cooked for 2-3 times as long.
Awesome video! Thank you so much for making this. Would love to try this myself.
And your machine is beautiful BECAUSE it has duct tape on it! :)
Would like to see more about how the mold itself is made, though, unless that's one of your trade secrets.
Awesome video!
thanks for putting together a great video
Hi, nice video, I enjoyed it very much.
Nice video! I learned a lot just seeing this video...I really appreciate the knowledge and work people like you do as I tried making molds b4 and epic failed at them :).
That was awesome. Video of the year.
I do have a couple of questions.
Do you cast master in pewter?
How many times do you spin a master to get the production castings?
Also double posted to TMP...
Would be interested to know more on your set-up please? Size of Motor/RPM etc etc? Shame the camera didn't pick up the shots of how pulley mechanism was set up. Great work. Cheers
There is no 'cheap' pewter! Unless you get leaded pewter, which is fine, and even legal to sell, but might drive people away. You can gravity pour pewter into silicon molds, I have done it a number of times. You won't get the exact detail you get from spincasting and your mold life will be really short.
Very cool video! Thanks!
This is superb! Nice one for doing it all yourself, that's a cool setup you've got going there! If you need any plumbing doing ill exchange services for necromunda style miniatures lol! I live in England mind so place might be flooded by the time I get there.
Wow, really glad I found this. This is one of the coolest mini videos I've ever seen. What game are these molds from?? Cheers from Canada!
Zombiesmith.com !
You can get a Lee melting pot for $30-50 depending on size. Just make sure to get the one without a spout.
Pewter. Which is a mix of tin and other metals.
Fantastic.
Very impressive! and educational too. =)
Thanks a lot.
@donaldleggett I do cast my masters in pewter, I do all my casting in pewter. I run the master mold a dozen times or so. Enough to make a production mold and then some casts to set aside for safe keeping.
You can buy smooth-on in smaller quantities. There is a $30 or so kit. Plaster doesn't sound like a good idea to me!
Great video, thanks for posting, I did just in my first RTV molds and casting 1/72 scale of Roman soldiers (a copy of caesar miniatures, of course, for own use). I would like to try a spinn casting, but I think it is too expensive / difficult to make a few ten/hundred (max) fiqures .. ... (hmm .. thinks) ...... well, on the other hand, how to separated the boys of men ....what they pay for their toys. Post more videos for centrifugal casting ,please, thanks a lot.
Not a question just a serious thank you. I had wanted to do a few things that weren't balljoint doll types (small things like this) and this video is /excellent/. I dunno why the good videos don't have the hits they should :|. Anyway, thank you!
Thanks! I need to make some follow-up videos.
Very cool and interesting vieo .. one question ... I know you quickly went over the vulcaniser but hew do you creat the molds from the blanks ? I take it you buy the rubber moulds in, fit them in the vulcaniser sandwitch your sculpts betweenthem then cook the molds so they melt round the sculpts then you take out and vent/gate/channel them etc .. am I right ? have you done a video on this process in its own righ ?
+Caustictherapy I did a slightly more in depth video on that here: th-cam.com/video/70QGqNMPZJw/w-d-xo.html
What is the cost per figure if you have original master figures to make a mold taking into account the cost to make a rubber Mold ? thanks this has been very informative
The master mold cooks at lower temp so my masters survive the process. They could be run in the high-temp molds, but there is a better chance of the masters crumbling and cracking.
325F
RPM... I need to calculate it. I am not positive.
@Gravegore Molds from Conquest. Pewter from them or Rotometals or Ney Metals.
Two questions first what kinda start up cost did you have? I know you had an in with the machine shop side but ballpark. And second would you consider doing a video on your green models? Do you make your own protopieces or do you buy them?
Thanks man.!. I found this interesting AND entertaining.
Really liking this, seems like your system could achieve greater and smaller details. Questions; how were these molds formed? How could I do so, and how detailed can your pieces be in your experience? I'd like to do some relatively small casting work myself and greatly appreciate your time and input. Sweet sword btw
Alex Farlin If you look at one of my other videos it will explain how vulcanizing works, which is how I make my molds! The molding process can pick up a fingerprint in my sculpting medium. It picks up detail great.
Yes it was, Thank You!
Talcum powder would make the release of your molds much easier
one2exile That is what I use. ;)
Awesome video! Thanks for sharing. :-)
You know, I hear about this a lot, but its barely noticeable. If you took a cast and made mold after mold of the same piece, like photocopying a photocopy, you would see it.
Wow man, thanks so much for sharing all of this information, totally very cool of you! One thing I have a question about, is where do we get these little figures carved? Is there someone you can recommend to carve scale human figures and other items? Someone I can pay to crave the figures, and then I can own the rights to? Thanks for any info you can provide.
Thanks for sharing!!
The disk blanks are pre-made and then I make a mold using them. Is that what you're asking?
I'm currently a Newbie at this, I recently started making pewter jewelry in my kitchen, using air dry clay and oven baked jewelry to press into the mold (it's a start), but I was wondering: Where do you buy cheap pewter and mold material? I've been thinking of silicone molds, but I'm worried the hot pewter will melt it.
As for the bigger machines and melting pot, I'll get that later when I'm better this.
Super neat video, I was looking at Roto metal's site and I was wondering which pewter mix do you find works best for miniatures casting and how does the percentage of the other metals like copper and antimony effect your finished miniatures? That might be a dumb question but I just always thought pewter was pewter. I suppose that's why I'm the one painting miniatures and not the one pouring them.
What did you use for the shalft? Guessing you used Pillar blocks top and bottom? I thinking about using 1/4" plate for both of my plates top and bottom do you think thats good enough?
Looking forward to getting this build and start pouring.
Sorry, I typed that comment into the wrong video...however I find this Video OUTSTANDING! I have a few questions if I may ask them. How deep is your vulcanizer form? 1 and half inches...3? Also dose it smell much when it is cooking? Also you views on plastic vs pewter would help me. Thank you.
Hey, this video is 100% awesome, You are really prO! I'm from Poland and I'd like to start some metal casting on my own but I faced a real problem. Maybe this is easy for You, but for me this is HORROR! :) What kind of alloy/metal do You use to cast miniatures? I was looking for some bismuth but the price is very high. Should I use lead, zinc alloy? Please help me! Best regards!
Hi, Watched your video it was excellent. I have made all my figures from two-part moulds either Prince August or more recently Nurnberger Meisterzinn aluminium moulds. Saw an eBay advert for spin cast moulds which I didn't 'win' and from that found your video. Are you self taught or did you learn how to cast at college etc.
Regards from Wales (UK)
OR8 From Conquest Ind in California. It is actually pewter.
could you do a video on that sometime, I think that would be awesome to see
mad skill
Nice video and very informative, thanks!
I got a question, Is your mold vulcanizer made from 316 steel as well?
this was a very amazing video, i learned alot - THANK YOU! I do have 1 question; when making the master mold, what are the figures made of when you sandwich them in the oven disk? Are they also pewter, or some other material? I am asking because I also wonder what the original figure that is hand carved is made out of, and if that is what you use in the oven master mold. thanks!
I do hate working on toilets. Maybe something can be arranged! ;)
@donaldleggett Well, they survive the process when i send them off to Historifigs to do my master molding. Running the silicon molds is a milder process.