Thinking of trying my hand at molding some shoulder pads.

[Surrender_Monkey]

I'm pretty much at my wits end with transfers, my Angels of Absolution are OK, the transfer essentially being a small rectangle, but I'm fed up with my Crimson Fists, I've never been able to get the big circle to fit onto the pad nicely, so I want to take a different approach.

 

I'm thinking it might be possible to make a mold from the fist icons that comes in the drop pod and if I'm careful make a cast of the fist that is thin enough to bend onto a shoulder pad. It seems about the correct size and I'd like to be able to retrofit these onto my existing models so moulding just the icon seems like a good plan.

 

I've also been doing some Deathwatch guys and wondering if it might be possible to take a cast of the shoulder pad from the command squad sprue. I bought the metal kill team set and made an 11 man kill team (using one of the two plastic pads I had) but it'd be nice to do a few more guys, notably the pilot on my storm talon.

 

So I've got some green stuff already and am thinking of picking up some Oyumaru, which as I understand is pretty much the same as the Instant Mould I've been hearing about.

 

Is this a sensible course of action, do you have any dos and don'ts regarding this kind of moulding? Bear in mind my experience with greenstuff to date has mostly been gap filling and not actual sculpting.

[T14]

Practice makes perfect.
 

I have used instant mold for making base counterweight masters to cast in rtv silicone.

I have never done shoulderpads, but here is how I would start out:

1) make a stout inside corner out of two small blocks of wood.
2) clue the homemade pad master into the corner, hiding the inside cavity completely.
3) heat two sticks of IM, and squish into the corner. Let cool. Mark off where the IM blob meets the wood.
4) gently lift off IM, pry off pad and glue in a shoulder joint instead.
5) apply GS to shoulder joint, and jam in IM, making sure to line up with the marker lines. Let dry

6) Trim off flash and repeat.

[Grotsmasha]

My recommendation is to make a mould of the icon on a pad. Then carefully enough GS for the icon in the mould then push in a normal pad, letting the GS cure in the correct shape, rather than trying to shape it afterwards. It may take a couple of goes to get the right amount of GS, but should save you time in the long run.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[skawolf]

My recommendation is to make a mould of the icon on a pad. Then carefully enough GS for the icon in the mould then push in a normal pad, letting the GS cure in the correct shape, rather than trying to shape it afterwards. It may take a couple of goes to get the right amount of GS, but should save you time in the long run.

 

Cheers,

Jono

I tried that and it was very difficult. I just ordered a silicone mold making kit and am going to cast full shoulderpads now as it seems easier.

[Surrender_Monkey]

If I can get whole pads coming out nice that's what I'll do, but I've got a bunch of models that I'd like to retrofit some icons to, so I'll need to get just the icon. I reckon if I can get the greenstuff thin enough it should be bendy enough to fit.

[skawolf]

If I can get whole pads coming out nice that's what I'll do, but I've got a bunch of models that I'd like to retrofit some icons to, so I'll need to get just the icon. I reckon if I can get the greenstuff thin enough it should be bendy enough to fit.

I hear you on that. Thats the reason I tried to do it that way in the first place.

[Grotsmasha]

If I can get whole pads coming out nice that's what I'll do, but I've got a bunch of models that I'd like to retrofit some icons to, so I'll need to get just the icon. I reckon if I can get the greenstuff thin enough it should be bendy enough to fit.

On that note, head over to Lamenter's site, Master of the Forge, it has details on how to do all of it now that I think about it. But basically, for the icons, let the GS cure for an 1-1.5hrs in the mould then carefully pry it out on the edge with a knife and using a clay shaper, push it on the pad 'shaping' it. The hr lets the GS cure hard enough to not take fingerprints, but soft enough to shape onto a curve.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Major_Gilbear]

If you mix the Greenstuff with an asymmetrical ratio, you can get it to cure and still remain flexible. I think* you need to have slightly less than twice as much blue as yellow, and you need to *really* make sure it's 100% mixed. Non 50:50 ratios will have different curing times, but the blue-heavy mix keeps a slightly rubbery flexibility even when cured for a few days. After curing, you can cut it with a fresh scalpel, but you can't file it well. However, it does let you get a good cast, and to get it out of the mould without damaging it, and yet still fix it to the shoulder pad properly (it glues with superglue just fine).

 

 

*I usually use "grey stuff" AKA "ProCreate" by Kraftmark instead of GS. I prefer it for being less sticky when mixed, and for having better memory properties for what I want. It is highly similar though.

[Surrender_Monkey]

That liquid blu stuff sure is interesting, looks perfect for casting those bits you never quite have enough of, like combi weapons, but for now I am going to try the Oyumaru, being reusable seems like a major advantage for my clumsy hands. I haven't got a hell of a lot of greenstuff left, so I might grab some grey stuff when I run out.

 

I am having second thoughts about using the drop pod icon as the basis for the cast, it looks like it might be too difficult to get just the fist and not the circle, and I think the circle might be a wee bit too big for most shoulder pads. Do you think it's worth picking up an etched brass sheet from forge world? I am thinking of ordering some doors from them to help refurbish an old Land Raider I have (I am probably going to have to rip the doors off it) so I could tack that on the order.

 

I'll try my hand with the pod icon first though.

[Bryan Blaire]

Have you thought about simply cutting the circle away from the icon?  It would make the fist have a really thick back, but you wouldn't have to worry about casting it then.

[Surrender_Monkey]

Yeah I was thinking the fist would end up way too thick.

[Seleucus]

Using the etch brass sheet from FW can be done but is VERY fiddly as the brass is so thin.

 

Personally, I used some of the old metal IF/CF pads that GW sold and made GS push moulds of the icons on them, trimmed with a sharp knife/scalpel, and superglued them on plastic pads.

 

There will be areas where there are small gaps, but soft GS or liquid GS can be used to fill them in the usual way.

 

I am sure you are already aware of the CF 'bitz' packs that GW sell, but just in case:

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1600072a

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1600074a

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1600076a

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1600066a

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod330005a

 

Getting one or two of these for a vet/command sqd and then using GS moulds of the fist icons should do you!