Questions and Modeling Tips

Vacuum equipment for casting question.

feeds@yuku.com (NextPhaze) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:48:54 GMT

I have seen some other postings and sites about vacuum equipment. Some of the equipment is more involved than I wanted to get so I started to think about the requirements for removing air bubbles from casts. I don't make molds to any great extent so degassing molds is not required...just removing air bubbles from casts. In your opinion, would a shop vac have the power (negative pressure) to remove the air bubbles from casts?

I plan on making a hood 5" X 18" X...

So how do you store your terrain?

feeds@yuku.com (twesterm) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:46:50 GMT

I got my molds in the mail today and I'm going to start making my dungeon this week but then I realized I don't have a lot of good places to store these things and I have no clue how I'm going to transport these.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to store and transport your terrain? I'm starting with the basic dungeons (#45 and #201) but I imagine I'll start making more as I get more experience.

Dungeon Twister: Prisons

feeds@yuku.com (jegan22280) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:24:12 GMT

I searched th forums and could not fins an answer. I am bilding a Dungeon Twister: Prisons Board set which is a bit different from original DT. Some of the walls need arrow slits. I have Hirst Arts Mold 88 to work with, but would be amicable to the idea of purchasing another if need be. Any Idea of how to get my arrow slits into the current wall section? I thought of just pocking holes but that seems tacky.

First project

feeds@yuku.com (MrSleep) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:35:19 GMT

(Yellow areas are Walls and Pillars)
Hi folks! As I am a glutton for punishment I've decided to slowly build D&D's first level of Undermountain (combination of the old and new descriptions) one room at a time.
Currently mold #201 is being shipped to me so, I sat down and made a floor plan of the first room (The Antimagic Room) I'm attempting.
1/2" foam basing...

What did you build over the Holiday break?

feeds@yuku.com (bensrpgpile) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:52:37 GMT

Hi All,

What did everyone build over the Thanksgiving break? Certainly you had some time off while the wifey braved Black Friday:) Or, maybe you were granted a full day of Hirst bliss.

I got quite ambitious. First, it was a casting-festivous of...

Lego - How much will I need?

feeds@yuku.com (Olaf the Stout) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:49:51 GMT

I'm about to get started in to Hirst Arts molds for the first time and I have seen that Lego is highly recommended for keeping things like walls straight and square. As I don't currently own any Lego I'm going to have to go out and buy some. I've found a place online that I can just get the basic regtangular Lego bricks from.

The question is, how many do I need and what size is best?

Do I get the 2 wide by X long bricks or the 1 wide by X long bricks?...

Jet Dry

feeds@yuku.com (Blockhead36) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:13:57 GMT

Having looked at multiple tutorials using the "wet water" solution, I was wondering how to get Jet Dry.

I'm in Wales, UK. Can you get the product here or is there a good alternative.

Thanks

Block

Two Part mold idea

feeds@yuku.com (ZombieEngineer) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:49:55 GMT

Background:
I have a series of tournaments coming up in Jan/Feb for a local gaming club (GW WFB / LoTR / 40K). One of the things I would like to do is make a series of weapon piles (spears, swords, daggers, etc).

A quick search has failed to turn up a source of cheap weapons so it looks like a case of make my own. To do this properly would require a two part mold, bottom filled to reduce air bubbles. The following is a picture of a concept I am currently...

expand the circumference?

feeds@yuku.com (Harold) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:10:05 GMT

Hello everyone, I am new to the boards and am working on my first Hirst project, The Ruined Tower. I purchased molds 65 and 61. I want to expand the 8" circle in order to build a lager ruined tower so it is more playable. I am not a whiz at Geometry. Is it possible to use the blocks from those 2 molds to make a 12" or16" circle?
Any thoughts would be most welcome.
Thanks, Harold

Selling items for charity?

feeds@yuku.com (Hinton) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:11:57 GMT

Hi all and especially to Mr. Hirst.

I did some searching and couldn't find this question/answer anywhere, so I thought I would go ahead and ask.

Over at the WaMP forum, I have become involved in a fairly huge contest/charity drive. Basically, it's one extremely massive contest where people will paint, sculpt or do whatever that is related to the miniatures hobby with the condition that they auction their pieces. All the money will go directly to the Little Angels...

My little mold making experiment (4 big pics)

feeds@yuku.com (raleel) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:16:58 GMT

It's kinda late, so forgive my abruptness

I wanted to make a modular dungeon. So, looking over the pieces, I knew it would take a long time with just the molds I had. So I decided to make my own. I read all the stuff. It actually worked. Here's what I learned

1) just suck it up and do it. I spent a lot of time agonizing over lots of details that didn't matter.
2) I didn't think...

Mold material for low temp metal?

feeds@yuku.com (jasony3131) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:19:08 GMT

Hi all, I'm wanting to cast a cannon barrel from low temp model metal and wondered if oomoo 30 would work. Would it melt under the heat? What material has everyone used for casting stuff from metal?

Thanks,

Jason

Easter Island Mold

feeds@yuku.com (jasony3131) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:16:51 GMT

Neatorama has a link to an easter island head ice mold. Could be neat as a tiki temple idol or something. Thought I'd pass it along.

Jason

http://shop.neatorama.com...ce-cube-tray-pid570.html

Furniture

feeds@yuku.com (gobblinal) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:33:43 GMT

I'm not so good at the furniture bits. I like all the stuff various people have posted but I can't tell from some of them what they used or how they chopped it all up to use it the way they did. Ideally I'd like to just chop up the wooden planks mold to make tables and the like (and a ladder to get to a second floor of course), and I really like the use of the Dragon's Inn shutters that I saw someone use to make a chair and some bookshelves, but I can't quite figure out...

Best way to protect finished models?

feeds@yuku.com (Littlemonk101) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:10:40 GMT

Hey all!
I've been tapped to make a chess set for my best friend's wedding present. I'm making it out of hirst blocks. Her one stipulation was that it needed to be durable and last for years and years. So my question is, what do you use when you need to make something as durable as possible? Do you use stronger glue when gluing the blocks? Does anyone use Gorilla Glue? I've stuck with Aileen's or wood glue in the past, but am wondering if stronger is better for this...

Gothic Floor Tiles

feeds@yuku.com (gobblinal) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:24:00 GMT

Mold #205
http://www.hirstarts.com/.../...floor.html#gothicf

What methods have people used to paint these floor tiles? I've seen just doing everything all grey, as if they were just carvings in stone. I've seen the edging painted in gold while the floors were painted like store. I'm wondering if anyone's tried other techniques? One thing I'd like to try is using some of...

making the submerged head and arm

feeds@yuku.com (Abaroth) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:46:56 GMT

How I added the head and arm to my dead marshes base:

Instructions

How deep of a mold can safely be made with Mold Max 30?

feeds@yuku.com (Minileed) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:04:44 GMT

I'm thinking about mass production molds, and I wonder about doing molds that would work well for dungeon sections and building walls. In the past I attempted a 2 inch high mold with the Micromark 1-1 RTV, but it was a complete waste, as the mold tore apart before I could even get all of the masters pulled. Am I just asking for trouble in general by trying to do molds that are four bricks high?

Question about carving custom bricks...

feeds@yuku.com (Minileed) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:01:32 GMT

I know several folks have participated in the CMP, and while I haven't previously attempted to hand carve any bricks, I think it would be a fun addition to the hobby. I'm thinking that plaster of paris would be a good way to go, using Bruce's basic blocks as a starting point. What materials do most folks use when getting into custom bricks in general?

Additionally, I'm wondering what tools would folks recommend generally as being the most valuable for the hobby?...

vibrating table

feeds@yuku.com (hybertz) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:55:26 GMT

inspired by Bruce vibrating table I decided to make one. In stead of an vibrating massager I had an old shuffle sander I would use instead of buying a new one.

I took a piece of plywood I had laying around, and fasten the sander on the back side with some scrap wood and secured it with some metal plates I had. I put it on top of a plastic box with the sander inside it, cut some holes do the heat could escape.
On top I used some scrap pieces of moulding to make 3 boxes to hold...