I thought I would show people were I cast up my figures . I use a camping gas stove and gas bottle to melt the metal , (my wife ominously said "I do hope you will be able to clean it up for when we go camping in the Spring !" Oh dear !). I use elastic bands to hold the molds together and then clamp them with two pieces of MDF . I put the mold in a old saucepan which has some sands in the bottom to catch any spillages .
The workbench with my collection of molds in boxes , in the bottom right hand corner some old figures for melting down . Our outhouse is unheated and has a concrete floor so is a bit chilly in the present weather so multi layers of clothing are needed .
A figure is removed from the mold , I try to have 3 or 4 molds in use at a time as this allows them to cool down . It is surprising how long the metal remains hot and no casting session passes without a minor burn and bad language - I believe this placates the Goddess of Home Casting .
The finished product , these will be a Saxon Guard unit when I get around to painting them .
nice to see the workshop.
ReplyDeleteI use an eletric hotplate to heat up my metal then pour into molds on a old piece of board; after an initial cooling period they come out of the mold and I put them is some lukewarm slightly soapy water to cool them down and to get off the release powder.
I manage to give myself a minor burn at least once and indulge in some colourful language at the same time :)
-- Allan
This brings back memories.
ReplyDeleteI used to make my own masters and then my own moulds.
My foundry was based on the kitchen cooker with a sink full of cold water handy. I still got the odd burn though!
Not sure my current 'brownie points' would allow me to do that again.
Jim
A jolly interesting post. Very tempting. But, then again..
ReplyDeleteThose "minor burns" are what separate the old school men from the boys... ;)
ReplyDeleteOne must suffer for ones art
DeleteReminds me of Santa's Workshop! Nice to see the inner-workings of the Mosstrooper .... Jeff
ReplyDeleteThanks for the peak. The sand in the pot to hold the mold is a good idea. I feel like such an amateur or sissy, the closest I've come to burns is occasionally mistaking just cast figures for ones that have cooled but then I always wear leather work gloves.
ReplyDeleteSadly my casting operation is currently caught up in a re-org of the workshop/woodshed and is naught but a jumble in 3 places. I need to get set up and any last bit of casting done before winter sets in properly.
Impatience is the reason I pick up hot metal by mistake ! , have tried wearing gloves but don't like them - so I just dance about sucking my finger and quietly cursing !
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