First "Real" Pouring

Like I said earlier, the next posting on the subject of my chess set project would be the pics of my first official base pouring. Here they are.

I decided to pour the black pawns first, since I still need to paint the white bases to help them disappear into the plastic better. The black plastic is more opaque and the bases need no pre-treatment. I also intend to create slightly different bases for the back row figures, so for now I'm only ready to work on the pawns.


My first piece is a Stormtrooper. Here you see it gripped in my "helping hands" device, using two pieces of mold foam cut from a previous test mold to protect the finish from the metal teeth.


Poured.


After several hours of work, all 8 Stormtroopers have been successfully secured into their bases.



I had enough plastic left to do the first 4 Marvel Villain pawns as well.


With the tests I poured, I have calculated how much plastic comes with each kit and not surprisingly, the rest of the pieces are going to take quite a bit of plastic to make, adding up to a not insignificant expense. I think the results are worth it though.

More Testing

With a final modification (I removed the threaded plastic collar around the jar lids and replaced it with a smooth collar that I cut from the top of a vitamin jar, then I made a new mold) that gives me a nice smooth look, I poured my last test. This is a final confirmation of the look before I start pouring for real.

A test figure, poured in the new base. Flash on and off.



The same figure inside it's glass jar. I had some extras and have now used one to test my glue. Gluing glass is not easy and almost every product I looked at required that the glue be cured under U/V light, but I found "E-6000" on my last foray into a craft store and it works as advertised, bonding the glass to the plastic without U/V exposure. Seriously strong glue, E-6000 is like a thick version of Krazy Glue, with a few extra seconds of malleability before it starts to set, so it's PERFECT for this application.



And from here, it's on to the REAL thing. Next time I post on this topic, it will be my first (hopefully successful) pour of a base for one of my painted figures.

Some Testing

Up next in the quest for the ultimate chess set, I've opted to switch from the glass bases of my candle jars as the bases to a hand cast replica in "Alumilite" which is a super hard (and tintable) epoxy plastic. This will allow me to make black and white sides in a really obvious way. It also removes the problem of how to mount the figures in the glass bases, since I can pour each figure in one piece.

First the tests. This is a glass base glued into a plastic cup.


This is the mold medium.


And the catalyst that turns it from a goop into a solid foam block.


And why, you ask, was the base glued into the plastic cup? That way, I pour the plastic cup full of wet mold medium, it forms around the base and 14 hours later...


...voila! I put the complete mold in the microwave before each pour, since the heat helps the liquid plastic shed bubbles before the plastic hardens.


Here is the Alumilite. Like an epoxy, you mix it from two separate bottles and the result is pretty spiffy.


Planning ahead, (since it's probably a BAD idea to accidentally mix the measuring cups up, since that would cause the plastic to start to harden prematurely) I've labeled my measuring cups.


My first pour. Using an extra figure held in place with my "Helping Hands", I pour up my first try.


Poured. I seem to have forgotten how to use my camera's flash at this point.



At the 90 second (from the first stir) mark, the colour starts to change.


After about 10 minutes, the finished product can be demolded.


Test shot with the white base and glass jar.


A little better shot.


Remember I mentioned the "tintable" quality of Alumite? With their black dye mixed into the A side, this is the result.


I still need to fine tune the pouring (to avoid the overspill on the legs seen here) and redo the mold to get a better fit inside the glass jar, overall, the product works as advertised and I'm happy with the results and the potential they present.