Weekend Photos - November 2021

[Rufus T. Firefly]

For all the hoopla over release agents, I've never used them for plaster casting and not found that they do anything to prolong the life of molds whether it be for plaster or resin.

But, what I have used on/off for molds with significant undercuts when casting resin is Testor's Gloss spray paint. That acts like a release agent adn the casting binds to the paint with the part coming out of the mold primed and ready to use.

Hmmm, that's interesting (spray paint inside the mold). Do you give it a shot of paint, then immediately pour the casting, or do you wait a bit until the paint sets?

Let it nearly dry. I used to use Testor's Gloss Gray for resin trolley end castings; had a can of Gloss Blue that I used but that was just a bit too garish and the gray was a great primer color to paint over.

[healey36]

I'll save that for next attempt. Meanwhile, I poured a new set last night using Woodland Scenics recommended use of a wetting agent (two drops of dishwashing soap in 6oz. of water). I thinned the plaster mix down quite a bit from the first batch, this one much more soupy. We'll see how it goes. I was thinking about firing the basement dehumidifier back up to see if that would accelerate the drying process without any dire effects.

Patience, my wife tells me, is a virtue...

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'll save that for next attempt. Meanwhile, I poured a new set last night using Woodland Scenics recommended use of a wetting agent (two drops of dishwashing soap in 6oz. of water). I thinned the plaster mix down quite a bit from the first batch, this one much more soupy. We'll see how it goes. I was thinking about firing the basement dehumidifier back up to see if that would accelerate the drying process without any dire effects.

Just what are you using for plaster anyway?

Patience, my wife tells me, is a virtue...

Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

[healey36]

Just what are you using for plaster anyway?

DAP Plaster of Paris.

I have a carton of Hydrocal; should I use that instead?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Just what are you using for plaster anyway?

DAP Plaster of Paris.

I have a carton of Hydrocal; should I use that instead?

I only use Hydrocal for plaster castings....maybe I'll drag my bucket out and pull the foundation stone molds out for a week.

[gregj410]

Just what are you using for plaster anyway?

DAP Plaster of Paris.

I have a carton of Hydrocal; should I use that instead?

I only use Hydrocal for plaster castings....maybe I'll drag my bucket out and pull the foundation stone molds out for a week.

I started out using hydrocal but converted over to POP due to its availability. If I had to guess the hydrocal would be stronger however I’ve had nothing but positive results with my POP castings

[Rufus T. Firefly]

DAP Plaster of Paris.

I have a carton of Hydrocal; should I use that instead?

I only use Hydrocal for plaster castings....maybe I'll drag my bucket out and pull the foundation stone molds out for a week.

I started out using hydrocal but converted over to POP due to its availability. If I had to guess the hydrocal would be stronger however I’ve had nothing but positive results with my POP castings

That's good! Cheaper and just as you state, available. But it's slightly different in behavior.....

I spent 4-5 years testing different casting resins until I got to one that I prefer. Different stuff for different people for different applications.

[RBH29]

Hey guys,
You may find this site useful. hirstarts.com
It has lots of information about casting and various types of plaster. From the home page go to Casting Instructions. There's also information on using surfactants or "debubbliizers"

Richard

[G3750]

Patience, my wife tells me, is a virtue...

I wouldn't know. Never met the gal.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Patience, my wife tells me, is a virtue...

I wouldn't know. Never met the gal.

Hmmmm................................

[healey36]

Hey guys,
You may find this site useful. hirstarts.com
It has lots of information about casting and various types of plaster. From the home page go to Casting Instructions. There's also information on using surfactants or "debubbliizers"

Richard

Thanks, Richard, some good pointers there, plus many, many molds available. Some of those roofing molds look pretty neat.

The wargame community has a ton of this sort of stuff. While I've never been into the Dungeons genre, some of the folks that are build some rather incredible tables.

[healey36]

Being the rather impatient slug, I went ahead and ejected the castings from the mold last night. They look good, no bubbles that I can detect prior to painting, but my diluted mix seems to have greatly increased the brittleness of the castings. One works without any cutting, so I went ahead and glued that into position with a glob of Loctite Power Grab. After that set up for a couple hours, I backfilled with the lightweight spackle. Once all of that dries and I do a bit of touch-up, we'll get some paint on it and see how it looks.

Until then, I've got some 1:1 casting to do. I have a spot on the front lawn where grass no longer grows, primarily the result of a rather shallow-rooted pin oak (Quercus palustris) that both drains the soil of most moisture while also shading it extensively. I've tried growing grass seed recommended for shaded areas without luck. Even English ivy (Hedera helix), an invasive that seems to grow everywhere, struggles. I've had the concrete mold forever, so I figure I'll start gradually filling in the dirt spot with fake stonework.



Won't take long, just tedious.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Until then, I've got some 1:1 casting to do.

Fun!

I have a spot on the front lawn where grass no longer grows, primarily the result of a rather shallow-rooted pin oak....

Chain saw?

[healey36]

Great tree, would never take it down. Grown from a sapling planted just a few years after I bought this place (that and a willow oak nearby). The mistake was not understanding how shallow-rooted the oaks grow.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Great tree, would never take it down. Grown from a sapling planted just a few years after I bought this place (that and a willow oak nearby). The mistake was not understanding how shallow-rooted the oaks grow.

Neighbors on one side have 2 of them - huge trees; can't get my arms around them...... Looking forward to the day that they get them seriously pruned. Other neighbor had one about 30" diameter - I'll finish it off in the fireplace this winter. Bit stringy to split, but burns nicely.