[bobwoodly]

Guys I just bought the Alumilite kit after reading the suggestions here. I'd like to start small with some bumpers, drivers, heads and maybe glass replacement parts. I'm just starting my education and have seen some of the videos and read the material from Aluminite.

I'm assuming all of these items would take two piece molds? Or could I do a bumper with a one piece mold (leaving the back "raw")? For heads and drivers how should I split the mold - side/side, front/back or does it matter? For something small like a head could you simply make a one piece mold and cut it in two rather than make two mold pieces?

Once I'm able to reproduce some parts I will be trying a car but just trying to get my feet wet first. Thanks!

 

[grungerockjeepe]

windshields would come out beige with this stuff, so that might not be where you want to start. You could go with a 1-piece slab mold for the bumpers but you'll save yourself a LOT of work in the trimming and finishing department by going 2-piece. Ive been able to do heads in a 1-piece mold but the alumilite silicone will eventually start to tear.

 

[bobwoodly]

Thanks for the input! I've got the Crystal Clear resin as well and am looking for a pressure pot for the glass but will start with some bumpers.

 

[grungerockjeepe]

Youre definitely going for it full on, buddy! I dont know too many resin casting noobs who go right for the throat and get the pressure pot. I learned to cast a while back and still dont have one.

 

[bobwoodly]

grunge - pure stupidity on my part I'm sure! But it sounded like you need it to get bubble free glass. I'll try one first as see how it comes out. Just did my first mold - used legos which seem to make a great box. I forgot to do any reference dimples in the clay so the mold pieces fit together well, maybe next time

 

[bobhch]

Way to jump in and start molding...go,go,go!

pressure pot...yeah you lucky Dog!!!! I don't have one either...Yet

I used the Legos for making mold boxes and the LEGO dimples become my reference dimples. Will post some pictures up after dinner to give you an idea of what I am saying.

Bob...dive right in why don't yah...zilla

 

[grungerockjeepe]

pure stupidity, nothing! Thats the way to start casting right. Thats how traxs, RRR, hellonwheels, etc get the superior quality in their castings. That, and taking the time to set up the master properly.

And legos are easily the best way to make a mold box. You can make any size you need and its a uniform shape so it wont waste silicone.

 

[Bad Dawg Slots]

casting 101

I've been molding and casting since 1978 so I guess that is 32 years. I learned as an apprentice in the first model shop I worked in back east . I use to dig the so-call empty 5 gal. buckets of rubber / cat. and resins out of the dumpster and take them home and scrap them for my material . I bought my first pressure tank from Sears and a small air compressor someone gave me . I lived in an apartment and we had two closets in the one bedroom we had . One had our clothes and the other was my small work shop with all my dumpster goodies . Got to a point where when they were done with the cans they set them by my car instead. They seem to leave more in the cans for me . Sorry, but the first castings I made were trains .... sorry slot car guys. I use to dig scrap styrene out of the trash to and old clay to make my molds with and took a baby food jar of styrene glue home from work ...hope the statue of limitation is out on that steal .. Any way that's how I got started in casting and you know what I have learned alot over the years just by trial and error and I still don't know everything yet . I have to admit I love reading these threads about guys starting out it brings back memories. Especially the rugs I have wrecked with rubber and resins . Keep up the good work guys . I added some hints in this so I hope it helps .

 

[bobhch]

This thread needs pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

Well here are a few pictures of some molds I made. This first 2 piece mold picture shows an Aurora Indy car body that was clayed up on a sturdy platform of those skinney LEGOs with legos going around the body.

After pouring the first part of my mold (the top of the body) I removed the skinney LEGOs platform, removed the body from mold, removed the clay from the body, cleaned up the body & then put the body back in the first half of my 2 piece mold. Now I add more LEGO BLOCKs and pour the second half of the mold.

The first half of the mold picked up the LEGO BLOCK pattern from the Skinney LEGO platform. When the second half of the mold is poured that mold picks up the LEGO BLOCK pattern from the first half. Now you have a mold that locks in place almost perfectly. Ta-Da!!

Here is a window mold I made. It got molded up in black but, someday will mess around with some clear resin. I don't completly hate blacked out windows.

Here is a pallet of luggage and crates molded from the top of a very old Matchobox Land Rover. This is a one piece mold and the bottom just ends up flat. If you needed to it could get sanded down quickly on a belt sander rather easily if to much resin got used.

This luggage is going to be used for my Las Vegas Hotels on my layout. I will be making some of those carts and placing them in front to make things look busy. In Vegas there are people coming and going constantly.

It is so fun to build a slot car that you casted up or give some bodies to fellow slotters to see what they do with them (don't ask because, I am not casting anything right now )....yeah baby!

The next step for me someday will be to design a custom body and cast it. I have a few in mind...no hurry I got plenty of landscaping to do and lots of bodies to work with already.

Bob...hope these pictures help...zilla

 

[Bad Dawg Slots]

lego man

Zilla, I must admit I also do the lego thing ,almost I guess. I also do spin casting also for metal ,but don't let that out ..ok. Any way they sell at spin cast supply house the little caps like in the buttons sticking up on your lego plates . I have a bunch of them and after I develope my parting line in clay I stick these caps or lego bumps on the clay surface and mold them into my cavity. Then once I mold that half I take them out of the rubber and then spray my parting agent or mold release on the rubber before I pour the second half or core half. Anyone ever make a zipper mold ?