0 intro

1 Safety
2 other stuff you will need
3 Making the origional
4 Copyright
5 laying up the mould
6 pouring the rubber
7 demoulding the origional
8 pouring the resin
9 bubbles
10 advanced techniques and other resins

0 intro

If you have bought this kit then you are probably at the state I was in. I had a few models I'd made
up and wanted a unit of them for my wargames! THis tutorial is intructions for casting multiple
resin figures from an origional model.

The first section is about how to make your origional model. It contains the instructions for using
Pro Create. It also discusses the tecniques needed when sculpting a master model for mould
making.

The second section deals with making the mould. There are detailed instructions about how to
make the basic mould type, a split mould, from silicone rubber.

The third part details the casting process. The tutorial describes how to cast mutiple copies in
ployester resin.

1 Safety

The materials covered in this tutorial are hazardous. They should not be handled by anyone
under the age of 16. As they are liquids Goggles should be worn at all times.
The chemicals used are

Procreate
Silicone and Catalyst
Polyester Resin and Hardner

All the chemicals are classified as "sensitisers". On contact with skin sensitisers will usually tingle.
They attack the tissue mebranes and can cause irritation and rashes on sensitive skin. Prolonged
contact is not advisable. The greater danger though is contact with eyes or inhilation of the
fumes. Sensitisers are the chemical danger class below irritant, so they are considered a low risk
material. It is advised to protect your hands by coating them with a thin coating petrolium jelly
before putting on gloves.

Never eat while working with the materials. If any is swallowed drink plenty of water and seek
medical advice immediatly. Always wash you hands after handling the chemicals or their
containers. Dont store them near food. Dont store them near any heat source or combustion risk.
Store them securely out of reach of children. The chemicals in the resins may break down in time
to become unstable and combustible. Do not store the materials in an area of fire risk or near
fuel.
Procreate is a very mild sensitiser. When mixing it wearing gloves is advised. When handling
during scultpting you should be ok to touch it though. Never eat Procreate (I know it looks
yummy) or any of the chemicals supplied.

Silicone rubber is fairly harmless straight out of the tin. Again it may cause irritation. However, the
catalyst, xxxx, is dangerous. Contact with eyes can cause blindness. Always wear eye protection
and gloves If contact occurs, rinse the eye in running water for 15 mins and seek medical advice
immidiatly. .
When mixing the silicone rubber and catalyst, a chemical reaction occurs. The mixture will take
about 8 hours to set and about 24 hours to cure totally. During this time it will give off poisonous
fumes. All work using the un cured silicone should be done in a well ventilated area. This means
outside, in the garage or shed with the door open. Basically an area with a very good thorugh flow
of air. DO NOT use the material or leave the curing moulds in you bed room, kitchen or any other
place that people or animals will use.
Once the silicone rubber is cured it is harmless and can be handled completely safely.

Ployester resin and its hardener are hazardous. Always wear eye protection and gloves when
handling them or thier container. When mixed, the resin takes about 1 hour to set and 8 hours to
cure. After this it is safe to handle. As polyester resin sets it generates heat thorough an
exothermic reaction. Large quantities of it are not safe to leave mixed. May present a combustion
risk. However, casting individual figures will not create enough head to be dangerous. Again,
always use in a well ventilated area due to the risk from inhilation of fumes. Ployester resin smells
pretty bad while its setting too!

It is advised to use a respirator while working with these chemicals. A normal organic filter is
sufficient.There are quite reasonably priced, and if you intend to work more with these materials
its advisable to invest in one.

Any spillage should be soaked up immidiatly with sand, sawdust, toilet roll or other absorbant
displosable material. Put the contaminated material in a bag and dispose of it sensibly.

Data Sheets for the materials can be obtained from Ramshackle Games. SImply contact us by
post or though our web site at www.ramshacklegames.co.uk

2 other stuff you will need

During this tutorial you will also need the following materials and tools.

News paper. This is used to protect any work surfaces. Dont work on your mum or fiance's best
chipendale dining table! You probably know this though...
Absorbant material. For soaking up spillages of the chemicals. This can be sand, sawdust, toilet
tissue or any other desposable absorbant material.
Knife. With plenty of fresh blades. You will use it for many and varied purposes.
Files. A good set of needle files is handy as it a big metal work file. A large file may seem like
over-kill, but they can be exremely precise if used carefully.
Glue. You will need super glue. You might also want to use PVA and poly cement.
Wire. You will need a length of stiff straight wire and some wire for building an armature with. The
best armature wire for small figures is copper wire stripped out of electric cables. Old electric wire
can be easily come by, so recycle!
Sticky tape. This is for assembling the moulds with. The best type is parcel tape as its quite wide
and sticks to most things.
Weighing scales. THey should measure in grams. Dont use ones that will be used for cooking
ever again.
Petrolium Jelly. Sometimes called Vaseline. It is used as a barrier against the harmul effects of
the chemicals. Simply rub a little on you hands before starting work.
Sculpting tool. A sculptor will have thier own favourite tools. However, they can be extrmely
expensive if bought commercially. Therefore a good habit to get into is making your own tool.
That way, if you loose it, you can always make another one!

How to make a sculpting tool.

The best thing to make a tool from is a wire coat hanger. Using your large metal
file, cut a striaght section about the lenght of a pen. To make the sculpting head, file one end into
a long tapering wedge shape. Next file the tip into a spear shape. Once the tool is shaped, use a
needle file to smooth it off. Gradually lesson the pressure untill the tool is totally smooth. Lightly
run it over your finger. If it feels even slightly rough, you need to do more smoothing. You can also
use fine sand paper or "wet and dry" to get a good finish. This will be used for fine detail work, so
make sure it is as fine as you can make it. However, avoid putting a very sharp edge on the tool
as this will make scuplting harder.
Finally, round the other end off. The round end is used for roughing out shapes
and creating folds in fabric. Again, make sure it is as smooth as you can possibly make it.

3 Making the origional

This tutorial focuses on mould making. Therefore it is not seeking to teach you everything about
sculpting. Whilst it does contain hints and tips, some knowledge of sculpting techniques is
assumed. Before beggining a sculpt, some fundemental casting principles must be understood to
achive the best results.

casting fundamentals
As with all processes, casting and mould making have thier limitations. Its all very well wanting to
make a flying super being formed of delicate strands of filigree but it probably wont survive
casting or handling! This kit is designed for amatuers and novices, so some basic principles need
to be examined.
When designing your model its best not to have any thin protruding pieces. This might include
swords, arms or banner poles. If you character is holding a sword, then position it down by the
character's side. The simpler your model is, the more chance of it coming out of the mould well.
The ideal shape to cast using the technique covered here would be a cylinder with a rounded top.
As this would not make a very convincing miniature some consessions must be made.
The basic problem is bubbles. When mixing and pouring resins, air is trapped. As the resin
hardens, the bubbles will remain in place and ruin the cast. The most common areas for trapped
bubbles are faces, extremities, hands, weapons and other protuding detail. Turn your design
upside down and try to image where bubbles might form. In home casting, its often nesissary to
resculpt casts that have come out badly. However, vents can also be run off the mould to allow air
to escape.
Also, a "mould line" must be thought about. The mould is split to allow removal of the origional
and subsequent castsings. Any loops or under cuts away from this line will cause problems. The
best way to learn about this is to look at other models in your collection. You will notice that
almost all models are designed so that they will easily pop out of the mould after casting. More
complicated poses are cast as multi piece kits.
Polyester resin is also brittle, so thin parts will easliy snap off.
A model's groin can also be problematic. It easily catches bubbles. However, this can be
addressed at the design stage too. Imagine making an historical knight, with a dramatic pose,
legs astride. In this example the groin guards will almost certainly catch bubbles, and the spindly
legs will be weak. Consider however that knights would often wear tabbards or tunics that
reached the ground. Why not simply design the model with flowing fabric covering the space
between the legs? It will greatly improve strength and castability.

PICS
Bubbles examples
knight
spindly bits
uptunred/dowturned arms
vents
anatomy
head anatomy

Sculpting basics.

All the models pictures in this tutorial have been made using Pro Create sculpting putty,
styrene(plasticard), and scavanged nicknacks. The ProCreate has been moddled over a wire
armature, with details adden in styrene. ProCreate is used for making organic shapes, fabric and
some details. Styrene has been used to make items such as swords, guns and other metal
objects.

The best way to get the best results is a combination of good design, practice and study. Look at
your favourite models and even try to copy them. Look at great sculptors work, like Michealanglo.
All great sculptors have a thorough knowledge of anatomy. Its a good idea to always draw out
your figure design before scultping too. Even if you aren't a good drawer it will help solidify your
idea and work out deatils. Your first models may not come out as you hope, but keep trying and
you will soon improve.

Wire Armature

When you strip wire out of old electric cables, it comes out as copper strands. Twist the strands
togther. Simply bend the wire into the rough shape of your model. Its a good idea to have another
model handy as reference. If you compare your armature to the models it will help you get the
correct height and proportions. Once you are happy, cover the armature in a thin layer of
ProCreate. Once this is set you are ready to start sculpting your model.

Using ProCreate
ProCreate comes in two parts. Mix together roughly equal amounts of the grey and white parts.
Then apply with your fingers and sculpting tool. ProCreate takes about 8 hours to set.
Its best to work on small sections of your model at a time. If you try to do the whole thing in one
go its easy to ruin the work you have already done. Start with the most recessed parts of the
model. This is usually the skin areas, under clothing or foot wear. Remeber you only need to
sculpt the parts that will still be visable on the finished model. however its often worthwhile
making the feature in entirity, then laying the subsequent layers over the top.
The head and face of a model are usually the hardest part. Being only a few millimeters in size,
heads are tricky to sculpt! A good knowledge of anatomy is your best ally in this situation. One of
the most common mistakes is placing the ears too far forward.
Dont worry though, even if you make a mess you can simply cut it off and try again.

Plastic assembly
Its often easier to make a part from plastic or metal. Trying to sculpt weapons can prove to be
extremely difficult. Mechaical devices, bionic limbs or any piece with straight edges are best
made from styrene sheet or scavanged odds and ends. Gearing systems from small toys or
watches are a great time saver. Wire, especially guitar wire, is great for making tubes and pipes.
A good model maker should always be on the lookout for interesting and usefull tridlins!
Bases
It a good idea to base your model before making a mould of it. This increases the chance of the
feet coming out properly and is generally easier to cast and demould. The models pictured have
been designed to fit onto 30mm lipped bases, so they have been mounted on round disks of
plastic that will fit snugly into the plastic bases. The bottom of the base will be where the resin is
poured in when casting, so will gome out a bit messy. This is ok, as the imperfections can be filed
off ready for mounting on our plastic base. You can make your model with a totally integral full
base, but be advised that making the bottom totally flat will be difficult, and some finishing work
will be needed.

4 Copyright

It is illegal in most countries to buy a model, make a mould of it and produce copies. Its
technically illegal to even convert a model as this is considered copyright infringement. However
companies cannot expect that as hobbyists customers will not customise thier miniatures. The
same is not true of making copies.
The bottom line is dont copy other peoples models. Some comapnies take a very serious view on
counterfeiting and will prosecute offenders.Having said that though, the case is more
complicated. If a customer buys a Ramshackle Games figure, changes the gun on it and casts
out a gang for Nuclear Renaissance of all the same model, the issue would be taken no further.
However, if the model was then offered for sale it may harm Ramshackles sales, and so become
a problem
Using this kit to counterfeit models is not endorsed, encouraged or allowed by Ramshackle
Games. Ramshackle Games accepts no responsiblity or liablity in any way for the use of
materials supplied.

5 laying up the mould

Prparing to make a mould is often called "laying up". Before starting, its worthwhile truning your
model upside down and seeing where bubbles are most likely to form. If there are any major
bubble traps consider whether they can be alieviated by adding a small detail or by filling any
gaps. If this cannot be done then vents can be crested to allow the air to escape.

air vents

Air vents are simply a length of wire or tubing running from the protruding part to the base that will
allow the bubble to escape and the resin to flow into the detail. If needed, mount the model on a
section of card and run the vent to that instead. Identifying bubble traps is a skill that will come
with some experiance. Your first mould may not come out so well, so be prepared to cast a few
before achieveing good results! For best results, its often a good idea to run a vent from the
model's head as well.

deciding where the split goes

The type of mould you will make is called a split mould. The model will be set into a solid block of
silicone rubber. A cut,or split, is made in the rubber to allow it to be prised apart. THe original can
then be removed and resin cast into the resulting cavity.
Deciding where this split goes is very important. It should be made in such a way that the model
can be removed. It should not be run through any detail if possible, as the split will leave a "mould
line" which has to be removed later. Models should be layed up in a way that will facilitate thier
easy removal. The best result will be two cuts made in the mould running down either side of the
miniature. Somethimes its only nessisary to have a single split at the back of the model. However,
more complex detailed models should have two splits. THis will make the model easier to remove
without damaging the detail. Sometimes it will be nessisary to run a third split into the mould. This
can be for several reasons, but usually it results from bad design desisions! A mould with three or
more cuts made into it will be weak and easy to damage. Again, deciding where to make the split
is a skill that will come from making a few moulds.

card walls
To contain the silicone rubber while it is liquid walls should be made around the model. The
easiest wat to do this is to make a lidless box with the model attached to the bottom. Included are
some templates printed onto glossy card. Simply cut them out and fold where indicated. Its best
to score along the printed lines to make folding it easier. Fold the creases in before advancing to
the next step. Face the glossy side into the box. The silicone will not bond very well to the glossy
surface, and makes demoulding easier.
Next glue the model onto what will be the bottom of the box. Use a little super glue. This is only to
hold the model in place while the silicone is pured. It also stops the miniature floating away!
If your model does not fit into the template provided then you can make the box using other card.
The best type to use is card from cerial boxes. Make sure to put the glossy side facing inwards. In
the illustrations you can see that thats exactly what I've done. Use the model as a reference for
size. Make the mould taller than the model! I marked my mould out with a ball point pen. This
scores the card and makes it very easy to bend into shape.
Once the glue is dry and the model secure, fold up the edges of the box and secure in place with
some stick tape. Finally, seal any holes that still remain with more tape. Holes will allow the liquid
rubber to leak out.

6 pouring the rubber

Next comes mixing and poring the silicone rubber.

The first thing to do is prepare the work surface. Make sure the area is free of items and covered
in news papaer. Have your absorbant material handy for mopping up any spillages. Protect the
floor if nessisary. Dont work on carpet as you will never remove of any spilled silicone.
Find a suitable container for holding the liquids. A plastic bowl or yougurt pot is ideal for this. You
will also need a mixing stick. Make sure both are clean and dry. Any water containating the
mixture will effect the way it sets and may ruin the mould.
Put on gloves and goggles before handling any of the containers. Once donned, open the silicone
rubber and catalyst.
To make the liquid silicone turn solid, a catalyst is added. The amount added needs to be as
accurate as possible. Five percent catalyst is added, measured by weight. The best way to do
this is with scales. Put the mixing pot on the scales and zero them in. Then estimate how much
silicone will be needed to fill the mould. Work out 5% of this weight, and add this ammount of
catalyst. Thoughly mix the two parts. The runnier catalys can easy be splashed around while
mixing so make sure your goggles are in place.

Once the rubber and catalyst are mixed allow it to stand for a minute or so. This allows some of
the air bubbles that just got mixed in to escape. Then slowly pour the liquid into your mould and
over the miniature. The slower you pour, the less chance there is of bubbles forming so take it
easy. The mixture will remain pourable for at least twenty minutes so you have plenty of time.The
mould should be filled so that the rubber covers the entire model. Its a good idea to be genrous
when poring. The last thing you want is any part of your model being very near the outside of the
mould. This can cause complications, and weakens the mould.

Remeber that the mix is giving off toxic fumes. Try to hold the material away from your face. Its
best to use a respirator when working with these chemicals if you have one.

When the mould is filled tap it gently a few times on you work surface. This is called "tamping" the
mould and will help to dislodge some of the bubbles.

Finally place it out of the way and allow it to cure. Try to make the top of the liquid as level as
possible. Curing times vary depending on temperature. If the air temperature is very warm, the
curing time will be greatly reduced. At normal room temperature the silicone will ususally take
about 8 hours to set. If the air is very cold, it may not set at all! If you are casting in cold
conditions, then place the mould under a normal 60 watt desk lamp. This will be warm enough to
set the mix but not so hot as to present a fire risk. To test if the mould is cured, poke the surfce
with your gloved finger or a splint. If it comes away wet then the rubber is not set yet.

Here is a step-by-step guide to using the silicone

PREPARATION
Prepare work surface and mixing pot
PUT ON GOGGLES!
Put on gloves and respirator if you have one
Place the moulds where you want them
Protect the scales from spllages by placing a plastic bag over them
Open the containers

CASTING
MAKE SURE YOUR GOGGLES ARE IN PLACE
Place the mixing pot on the scales and zero it
Measure out the silicone rubber, RTV
Add catalyst as 5% of the weight of the silicone
Mix and allow to stand for a minuet or so
Slowly pour into mould
Tamp and store
Seal up containers and wipe up spills
Wait for it to cure

7 demoulding the origional

Once the silicone is cured carefully peel off the card walls. The card will rip where the model was
glued down. This is ok. You may damage your model while demoulding, so be careful.

You will now have a rectangular block of silicone with the models base showing at the top.
Carefully peel the rubber away from the model. You may find that your model will come totally out
at this stage. If this fortunate event occurs, all the better. However, if not then you must put some
cuts into the mould.
Take a fresh blade for your knife. If you blade is not sharp, it will be difficult to cut the silicone, and
either damage the mould or leave a ragedy seam. Carfully prize the mould apart and cut around
the edge of the model. Keep cutting until the model easily peel out.You will need to cut to about
two thirds of the way down the model in most cases. If there are any protruding pieces at the top
of the model (now the bottom of the mould) you may need to slit all the may along them.

Be careful when cutting the mould not to damage your origional. You will see that its possible to
pull the rubber away from the surface of the model as you cut.

8 pouring the resin

Mixing and pouring the resin is almost the same process as working with the silicone. The resin
and harner are mixed in a different ratio however, four percent of the weight of the resin should be
added as catalyst instead of five. Use a different mixing pot from the silicone. Polyester resin can
attack some kinds of plastic and melt the container! Use more flexible plastic containers, such as
old plastic salt containers or coke bottles.
Prepare the mould by putting an elastic band around it. This should stop the resin leaking while
its poured. Make sure as well that the parts of the mould seperated by the split match up as
accuratly as possible.

Once prepared, don the goggles, gloves and repirator if you have one.

Measure out the resin. Add 4% of the weight of the resin in hardner. Then add some of the filler.
This will bulk out the mixture slightly and will make the finished model opaque. If you dont mix in
any filler then the resin will set transparent. This makes it very difficult to see the detail and so
spot bubbles.

Slowly fill the mould to about one quater. Then turn the mould allowing the resin to flow around
inside. This reduces the chance of bubbles forming. Be careful not to spill resin everywhere! Then
fill the mould up to the brim. Give the mould a bit of a squeeze, as this will push out big bubbles.
Tamp the model a good amount too. Refil to the brim then place out of the way to cure. Again, try
to get the resin surface as level as possible. If your mould sufferes from an unlevel base you may
have to prop it up as the resin sets.

The setting time for the resin is about one hour. This will be increased in hot temperatures and
reduced in cold ones. Agin, put the model under a 60watt desk lamp to increase curing times.
Touch the resin to see if its set. If it is still jelly-like or very flexible, allow more time.

Here is a step-by-step guide to using the polyester resin

PREPARATION
Prepare work surface and mixing pot
PUT ON GOGGLES!
Put on gloves and respirator if you have one
Place the moulds where you want them
Protect the scales from spllages by placing a plastic bag over them
Open the containers

CASTING
MAKE SURE YOUR GOGGLES ARE IN PLACE
Place the mixing pot on the scales and zero it
Measure out the Polyester resin
Add catalyst as 4% of the weight of the silicone
Add filler
Mix and allow to stand for a minuet or so
Slowly pour into mould untill quater full, then trun the mould
Fill the mould
Squeeze, tamp, refill and store
Seal up containers and wipe up spills
Wait for it to cure

9 Demoulding the cast

When the resin is set, remove the elastic band from the mould. You will not need to wear gloves
now but it is a good idea to coat your hands in petolium jelly before demoulding. The resin may
not be totally cured and can be sticky. Also wear your goggles, as resin spilinters can ping off into
your eyes quite easily.

Carefully prize apart your mould and remove the model. If the model flexes too much and is
bendy, the resin is not set properly yet. Leave for another half an hour.
If the model seems to be stuck in the mould, then the split may not be large enough. You can
extend it now.

Dont leave the resin in the mould overly long. Any more than four hours and the resin will attack
the mould surface damaging it.

Remove the mould lines with a knife and file. File the bottom of the cast. Clean up and roough
area and remove any vents. Bubbles can be filled with ProCreate.

10 Finish
So thats how to make and cast your own figures! I hope you soon have a large force of unique
models for your gaming pleasure. Your first couple of tries may not come out so well, but percivier
and you will soon increase in skill. Any quiries can be sent to us through our email or snail mail
addresses and we will endevour to answer them.

TROUBLE SHOOTING

There will almost certainly be bubbles caught in each casing. Somtimes they are small or in
obscure places. If the bubbles occur in different places each time you cast then this probably
means you are making mistakes while pouring in the resin.
If the bubbles are in the same place each time this will indicate bad mould design. Sometimes its
possible to cut an air vent directly into the mould. Other times you may have to recast the mould
entirley.

If the model keeps snapping when demoulding this may indicate a problem with the original. Try
to make bulkier models when casting with this method.

If the resin sets wierdly this may indicate moisture contamination. Somtimes this will cause the
surface to appear puckered or deformed. In the worst case scenario the resin may not set at all
and can sperate out into a thin liquid and a sticky goo. If this happens, the mould is probably
ruined! Sorry.

ADVANCED
The advantage of using this method to cast models is that its easy. All the chemicals have a nice
long setting time, which means you have plenty of time. Also, the polyester resin is fairly cheap
and not very hazardous to use. Not hot forges are needed either and no sophisticated equipment.
Unfortunately, making models this way isn't the best technique. The resin is brittle and bubbles
are a constant annoyance. There are other materials to cast from, and advanced techniques to
displace bubbles.

Cold casting
Cold casting is what you have been doing in this tutorial. Nothing is heated or melted. Everything
is done at cold temperatures. However, metal figures are cast using hot metal compounds, while
styrene kits are made using hot injected plastic.

Gravity casting
These moulds use simply gravity to push the resin into the mould. Most metal models are cast
into spinning moulds using centrifugal force to push the hot metal into the detail. Styrene is
injection moulded using a big machine.

mould types
Other materials can be used for moulding too. THe silicone and polyeter covered here can be
used the other way around, making rubber figures in a hard mould! Injection moulding uses rigid
steel mould insted.
Its also possible to make the moulds in two or more pieces instead of using split moulds.

pressure and vacuum casting

Pressure and vacuum chambers can be used to help remove bubbles. If cat under pressure,
bubbles will be reduced in size. De gassing the resins in a vacumm chamber literally sucks the
bubble sout of the solution or mould.