ALL SCI-FI

[Brent Gair]

I'm trying something new that I hope will let me add another useful skill to my modeling pursuits.

I've done a lot of carving, turning and fiberglass layup in addition to kit building. Those processes are fine for yielding one-of-kind things but repeatability is a problem. What if I want to build something that has four identical wheels or three identical engines? I've long had an interest in mold making and casting but there have been logistical problems. Not only are the component chemicals expensive but they are heavy and involve expensive shipping charges if not available locally. Fortunately, I just discovered a large artists supply store nearby that carries a full line of such materials. So I bought some Smooth-On brand silicone rubber mold making material and polyurethane casting resin.

I wanted to practice on something simple rather than waste material on something beyond my capability. I decided to do a mold and casting of the head of the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN kit from Polar Lights. This is an old kit that uses ABS plastic and I feared the head was "unstable" with very weak and thin glue joints. By casting it as a solid piece of polyurethane resin, I would have a bulletproof replacement (and some good experience...if it worked).

There are many superb mold making videos on youtube so I won't detail the whole process other than to show the picture of the square silicone mold formed around the original (grey) head. I poured polyurethane into the mold which hardened into the excellent (white) replacement head.

At the risk of tooting my own horn, this turned out great. Having built a few commercial resin figures and used some resin accessories, my casting is at least as good as most of them and much better than some. That being said, this was a simple project. I will move onto more complex shapes and into multipart molds. However, for my first serious attempt, I'm really happy.

[Bud Brewster]

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My GOD, Brent! You have gigantic fingers!!

(Oh, wait. The head is really small. Sorry. My bad . . . )
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)