Open wagons from homemade resin castings

[ge_rik]

i would like to have a go at making some castings of my own. any links as to how one would go about it.

I've included some info http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-i-made-my-third-batch-of-open.html < Link To on my blog - but I'm only a beginner. The downloadable article on the Garden Railways website (there's a link to it on my blog) was very useful in helping me to get started.

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

What is the cost per wagon roughly, say for a rake of 6?

The latex for the mould was around £10 (I've used only half so call it £5.00) - the resin was around £12.50 (again, used less than half of that (including some castings I had to ditch), so say £6.00. Then there was VAT (£1.65) and postage (£5.45) - call that £7.00. So, I'd say it's cost me around £18 for the six wagons - plus the cost of the chassis (c£10 each - though you can sometimes get them cheaper - I've bought them for £8 new or even less secondhand on eBay).

So all in all I'd say it's cost me around about £13 for each wagon. I did add metal wheels in place of the plastic ones which come with the Hartland kits - so that would be extra.

Rik

 

[brianthesnail96]

Cheers Rik- not bad at all!

 

[johnsaintjim]

i would like to have a go at making some castings of my own. any links as to how one would go about it.

I've included some info http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-i-made-my-third-batch-of-open.html < Link To on my blog - but I'm only a beginner. The downloadable article on the Garden Railways website (there's a link to it on my blog) was very useful in helping me to get started.

Rik

and my notes are at http://www.evensfordandmidland.co.uk/workshop/resin-casting

 

[GarryH]

Rik

Just spent a great hour or so reading your Blog which has some great tips in it.

Couldn't see any pics of the finished paint job on the Rusty to Pecket conversion................any chance you could pop one up here.....i'm sure that won't fall foul of thread drift ideals.

Great job in the garden Rik

 

[ge_rik]

I'll take a few piccies at the weekend and post them (leave home in the dark, arrive home in the dark during the week). Might start a new thread to avoid drift, though.

Rik

 

[GarryH]

I have realy enjoyed this thread, to me it's what the Forum is all about.
I have attached some pics of a very simple vacuum box. For bubble removal on small projects.
With me cheap is the key.... so £1.69 for the clip fix box platic box from Morrisons. A 11mm whole drilled into the box for a tyre valve, the local tyre fitter gave me this free.
And the sting in the tail is the mityvac which we use in the workshop at work so costs me nothing but the simplest form of these mityvac tools can be bought on ebay around £40.

The pics below are pretty self explanatory.........

I removed the inside of the tyre valve (the tyre valve is only used as a way of attaching a vacuum tight outlet from the box)

As can be seen under vacuum the box deforms quite alot but a simple stage inside the box to put the project on will allow it to remain level.

My failures on the way................I did try a vacuum feed from a vacuum cleaner but no way was that strong enough, I also played with the air intake from a bike tyre pump but again not enough vacuum. (Thought I would add these so save you time and frustration!)
hope this is of some help to anyone who enjoys resin casting.

 

[ge_rik]

Just spent a great hour or so reading your Blog which has some great tips in it.
Couldn't see any pics of the finished paint job on the Rusty to Pecket conversion................any chance you could pop one up here.....i'm sure that won't fall foul of thread drift ideals.

Garry
A few piccies of the painted Peckett as promised. I'll post them here rather than starting another thread as I'm not entirely happy with the paint-job. I had a lot of problems with getting a decent finish from the Humbrol acrylic spray can (I understand I am not alone in that) and I could do with generally tidying it up - a job for the Spring maybe when the weather is warmer! Maybe then I'll do another thread showing the outcome. In the meantime, here's a few pix of how she looks now. She runs extremely well, now I've balanced up the weight (she was originally nose-heavy!). Easy to pile in too much weight in the tank.

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[align=left]You'll notice that the cab steps are missing. These were knocked off by the abutments for the viaduct so they've been left off until I make a few lineside adjustments (another Spring job). Maybe one day, I'll have a go at lining - possibly with Locolines transfers but I'm not at all sure about creating the curved lining round the door and on the cab front. Painting is not an area with which I have a lot of confidence!
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Rik

 

[ge_rik]

I have attached some pics of a very simple vacuum box. For bubble removal on small projects.
With me cheap is the key.... so £1.69 for the clip fix box platic box from Morrisons. A 11mm whole drilled into the box for a tyre valve, the local tyre fitter gave me this free. And the sting in the tail is the mityvac which we use in the workshop at work so costs me nothing but the simplest form of these mityvac tools can be bought on ebay around £40.

hope this is of some help to anyone who enjoys resin casting.

Garry
Looks very neat and simple (I like simple). Most impressive. Must have a go at it myself. I have one of those 12volt tyre pumps which I got for a tenner at the local garage. I wonder if that would produce sufficient suction??

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

Have you tried a cocktail stick for poking the air out? Might not damage the moulds as much as a pin.

On odd shaped bits I find I get fewer bubbles if I 1) start pouring at the deepest end of the mould so the resin flows up any slopes 2) pour slowly and watch the 'bow wave' of resin. If it starts to form a sort of rolling 'breaker' (like surfing!) I slow down a bit.

Not sure about poking out the bubbles. As I use a filler I can't see through the resin. I suppose I could leave the filler out. I have done that so see if it would be less viscous and hence flow more freely, but it didn't seem to make a lot of difference. I like the idea of starting at the lowest point - but painting the mould first seems to be quite successful. I may try getting a compound with a longer pot-life for my next batch though as there's precious little time for the painting before it starts going off.

Anyone know how to clean the brush afterwards. So far I've used white spirit but it seems to clog the brush rather than dissolving the resin.

Rik

 

[GarryH]

Garry
A few piccies of the painted Peckett as promised. I'll post them here rather than starting another thread as I'm not entirely happy with the paint-job. I had a lot of problems with getting a decent finish from the Humbrol acrylic spray can.........

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[/align] Rik

Looks great to me rick, thanks for the pics, Iv'e currently got a GRS type kit under construction (A gift of a part finished loco given to me my the widow of a Garden Railway man) So was interested to see how the kit has turned out. I may pop one small pic of the loco up just for everyones fun (don't think it is really thread drift, no worse that the snow drifts outside anyway!!)

 

[ge_rik]

I can't see through my resin either! All I do is poke at the known trouble spots and hope for the best.
The only filler I tried was limestone powder but it made things very heavy. What is yours?

I might try the cocktail stick poking approach, then. I know roughly where the trouble-spots are.
I use something call 'Fillite powder'. Not sure what it's made from, though.

Rik

 

[ge_rik]

Iv'e currently got a GRS type kit under construction (A gift of a part finished loco given to me my the widow of a Garden Railway man) So was interested to see how the kit has turned out. I may pop one small pic of the loco up just for everyones fun (don't think it is really thread drift, no worse that the snow drifts outside anyway!!)

Verrrrrry nice, Garry. Is it based on an Irish prototype?

Rik

 

[GarryH]

Verrrrrry nice, Garry. Is it based on an Irish prototype?

Rik

Don't know Rik, I did ask and did a thread on GSM and generaly people thought I.O.M. So every now and then I make a bit but it's pretty much freelance as the I.O.M Caledonia is a much longer beastie. The rivets are now based on cale all drilled and little brass head nails used. i will just keep adding clutter until I think it is ready for the paint shop. You have done me a favour though because I got it out to take the pic I have now made (or at least started) the coupling rods.

 

[ge_rik]

Fillite is:"hollow alumino-silicate cenosphere"

Do you know, that was on the tip of my tongue!


Rik
PS - Yes, pretty light in weight.

 

[ge_rik]

I did ask and did a thread on GSM and generaly people thought I.O.M. The rivets are now based on Cale' all drilled and little brass head nails used.

One day, I will add rivets to my Peckett - they add so much more realism methinks. I seem to recall an interesting thread on GSM about folks' preferred methods for rivet details. I'm quite happy with Cambrian plastic rivet heads as it's a plastic body - but they are a bit on the small side. Yours do look impressive and well worth the extra effort.

Rik

PS - I know what you mean about long-term projects. Took me about a year to construct the loco (though much of the work was done in one weekend) and about another year to paint it. And even now I'll probably go back and add more detail (like rivets) and redo the paintwork. In the meantime I have approximately 2197 other jobs which need doing on the railway (and then there's the missus's list!!).

PPS - I think we're drifting, despite the fact we said we wouldn't. But then that's the nature of this hobby.

 

[johnsaintjim]

Just caught up with this thread. Very interesting. I like the GRS models. My Otto-based Hunslet is also a GRS kit. I have written elsewhere that it would be a bad way to start modelling IMHO because of the challenging instructions, occasional missing bits and not-fitting sections but the results are fine for an experienced modeller.

As for the vacuum chamber - brilliant. I have never tried one and the reason was because of the cost of the pump but this makes it achieveable. Thanks.

Yes there was a riveting thread on GSM, maybe we need to resurrect it. I learnt no end from that. Cambrian, paxolin, dressmaking pins, real rivets, the sewing thingy, etc. I have now used them all and they all have ups and downs but all produce satisfactory results.

And I think the thread drift is brilliant.

 

[Capt. Jack]

Thought you might be interested in my latest project. After making a few open wagons from plasticard on Hartland chassis I decided to have a go at mass producing a few from resin castings.

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They are based (very loosely) on Llanfair and Welshpool prototypes. The mould produces one side and end at a time using polyeurethane resin.
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[align=left] They're not perfect. One of the problems I have yet to overcome is getting rid of air bubbles from the bolt and rivet detail. Not quite cracked that one yet (any helpful suggestions gratefully received). But I am quite pleased with the overall impression they achieve.
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If you want a more detailed blow-by-blow account - follow the link to my blog entry:

http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-i-made-my-third-batch-of-open.html




Happy New Year everyone!

Rik

Really helpful blog. I will be trying this.

 

[ge_rik]

Really helpful blog. I will be trying this.

Good luck - let me know how you get on

Rik

 

[GAP]

Rik

The late Toshi Yoshioka had a site where he posted resin casting info (got this from a link on Gregh's Sandstone and Termite) he used to blow air across his molds as he poured the resin to get rid of bubbles.
A very talented modeler.

http://yoshiokasyd.web.fc2.com/Tech_Tips2/Resin_Cast/index.htm