Tools

What Tools do I use?  The tools I use for casting are quite simple and very cheap.  Most of the stuff I have, I have bought at the Dollar Store.  From exacto knives and blades to gloves and mixing sticks.  But there is always one specialty tool.  And there is here too.  Or at least there is for me.   Yed Micronauts are based on a 5 mm system.  But sometimes there are slight deviations.  Most normally a 3 % shrinkage rate.  I drill all my own holes as opposed to casting them with the exception of the little alignment pins in the torsos.  And I do  this manually.  It get hard if you make to big a hole at once.  So I do it slowly.  I start with a drill thats about .040"  in diameter and worm my way up a few number drill sizes at a time till the hole fits whatever it fits.  I would end up drilling the hole about 30 times or so.  Im wearing half gloves with a leather palm and no fingertips and my fingertips are very sore.  And when I use the smaller drill bits, they used to drill backwards into my palm because they were so small.   I have about 10 of the holes still in my palm.  lol

Dollar short and a Day late.  So I just came home from searching the town.   Mr.  Schultz  showed me exactly what I was looking for.    And I had something.  A ratchet style small tap handle.  Except it couldnt handle drill bits under .125"   I finally found whatI was looking for.  To help me drill my holes and still retain feeling in my fingers.   And its called a jewelers drill.  Various makes and models and sizes I suppose from what I saw.   Capable of holding even a .010" drill bit.  So I was sold.   However I had to haul my ass out of the hobby store real quick when I saw their Hot  Wheels display.  Hot Wheels is now making Monter Bikes...SUHWEET!   

Anyways here is one rendition of this jewellers drill that is a virtual godsend to me.  $13.00  You can get various handles.  Im going to  see how this one feels.  I can always machine down the handle ball.

Enigma Force

As a change or maybe to showcase, from time to time, Homeworld will switch up pictures on our Cover.  I for the most part only use photos I have taken. 

The current cover for Homeworld is a Robert 'Droid' work I commissioned from him.  It was one of 3 he made and this was the one I chose.  This photo "IS" the main or default photo for Homeworld entitled ENIGMA FORCE.   So after I have showcased something on the cover, this will be the cover after the showcase has run its course.

If you have a photo of something Micronaut/Casting related and would like it showcased, feel free to ask.  If it is suitable I could very well be persuaded to load it up.  :~)

Restoring Rigidity to 3 3/4" Micronauts

I wasnt sure how to title this post.  I want it to get your attention.

Home casting is an imperfect art using imperfect methods to best duplicate injection molded parts that are near flawless.  Unless one is willing to invest in equipment most casting is unavailable or the results will leave you wanting. 

One area that has intimidated me is the legs of the 3 3/4" action figure.  The knee joint is a quirky yet precise mechanism.  There are alot of variables involved in getting the knee joint to not just operate, but hold a pose.  So I pulled out some rivets I had bought a while back when researching rivets for the 3 3/4" action figure.  I took some garbage parts and even tho they didnt align, by grinding the mating surfaces flat and installing a rivet in the knee, I was able to salvage them.  Well I could if I wanted to.  But I wont.  These are just test pieces.

Really, there are so many pieces to the Centaurus figure, it is a difficult figure to replicate.  By installing knee rivets, I have strengthened the knee joint and in fact the whole figure and have made the Centaurus a poseable figure no matter how much I 'play' with it.  I have in fact solved a lot of issues faced by home casting by installing a knee rivet.

These photos are of test pieces.  So they dont really look as good as it can.  But originally these pieces would have been scrapped because of slight fitting issues.  Installing a knee rivet overcame the deficiencies of home casting.  Now that I know I can consistently achieve the results I want, this takes alot of the stress off of me during the casting process.

It takes a bit of work to make sure the resin gets all the way into the little hole in the mold that makes the knee pin. One little tiny air bubble in here and the thigh is now a wasted cast piece because the knee pin collapsed.   Ok...so file it smooth, drill a small hole in the knee for the rivet and install the rivet.  This can even be done to vintage action figures.

Imagine...Repto's knees wont flop.  He'll be able to stand without using his tail.  You will be able to pose your vintage centaurus without using a stand.  You hardly notice it is even there.   

If you are interested in restoring the regidity to any of your figures, please email me at the blogs address gold_dober@yahoo.com    I charge $10.00 US to rivet the 2 knees on a Micronauts style 3 3/4" action figure plus shipping.  $25.00 for 3 or 4 figures.   

I'll post some more pictures in the immediate future of knee rivets in more appealing colored parts so you can get the full effect.

ORIGINAL Dark Assassin Molds

Every saturday Charles and I meet for coffee.  We discuss ideas, projects we want to build and how we might accomplish it.  I dont know why but today, Charles brought along the "SWORD" mold and the original prototype used to make the mold...and he gave it to me.  I was stunned.  I was even more stunned when I looked at and held the mold.  It could still be used.  After 20 years the mold is still good to use.   Im considering using it for my new magno.

 Actually its just a more customizer friendly form.  Instead of all the fancy hardware running through the limbs, it will be either rivets or magno knees.  Im leaning towards magnetic knees but we'll see.  Magna Man had complete magno ability for lack of the right wording and it is a hard set to pose.  Sometimes less is more.  I might just stick with rivets in the knees. 

But here it is the Original Molds used to make the Sword for the Dark Assassin.  WOW!!!

Edmonton Eskimos '10 Grey Cup

A friend of mine told me about the Superbowl he went to.  I couldnt believe all the things he told me.  It sounded like a blast.   Now we dont have a Superbowl.  Instead we have our Grey Cup.  Its The Canadian Football Leagues 98th Grey Cup.  And its being played here in Edmonton. 

We all have little goals in life.  One of mine was to own season tickets to a professional sporting team.  A few years back, I went to an Edmonton Oliers vs L.A hockey game.   I was so put out.  It was my first and last hockey game.  I couldnt go to the bathroom.  Sorry you have to remain in your seat till commercial break.  I couldnt go back to my seat till a commercial.  It was like going on the biggest and best amusement park ride you could possibly imagine and then they strap in your legs/arms/shoulders and body to the seat so you cant move while on the ride.   I haven gone to another game since.  Nor will I.

Then a friend of mine took me to a football game.  I had the time of my life.  Everyone was having a great time.  I didnt feel like I was in the presence of snobs.  With the Grey Cup being held here this year, I wanted to be sure I was going and had awesome seats.  As owning season tickets was a personal dream, I bought season tickets to the Edmonton Eskimos last year to guarantee my seats to the Grey Cup.  And not just any seats...right on the aisle 4 rows down and not quite centre field.  One section over.  So Im on the 40.  So this year I renewed my season tickets and bought the same seats for the Grey Cup.  I also picked up 2 extra seats in the same place, just in the upper deck above me.  So I have 4 Grey Cup tickets.

The first game is this weekend.  Edmonton and Calgary...preseason.   And Im back on the 40...Yeah Baby!!!  We're going to the Grey Cup!!!  BRING IT ON!!!   Now all we gotta do is get the Eskimos into the final.

4 Pc Mold Works Excellant

WOWzers.  I can believe how well it worked.  I am impressed.  The saddle turned out excellant.  I will have a couple pictures up in my flickr account.  Others will only be found here.   SO there it is in all its glory...

Centaur Field Medic.  Thats him.  There will be a few changes in the actual figures.  Like I said, red resin will be layered in instead of painting and red clear holders and brain.  So now its make a few figures and I can finally get the right Centaurus figures for my Chess Set.

Its been  a long while to get to this point with this figure.  Or at least it seems like it.  Im entirely happy with my results.  Remember this is just the test pieces.  I didnt want to throw them out, so I experimented on them to see what I liked and didnt like. 

What once was a saddle is now saddlebags.  Nice and short so it doesnt hide the red stripe across the back.  Its been quite the experience making the mold for the saddlebags.  I'm very happy with my results. 

Now its finished.  I can make a few and then I can close the door on this project.

Do I need a Pressure Pot?

Do you need a pressure pot or vacuum chamber?  Well ...that depends on how meticulous you are.  In a perfect world, we all have vacuum chambers.  Those cost money.  So before we start shelling out money, lets look at what we want.

We want to cast.  If you are looking at this as a way to make money, forget it.  Its too labor intensive and time consuming to make a living at it this way.  So for the most part, unless you are a perfectionist and even then...for basic home use...skip the vacuum chamber.  I would have to say as a self proclaimed perfectionist that for what we are trying to achieve, the results we are after can be easily obtained using a basic pressure pot and compressor.

I bought a 10 liter (2.5 Gal) paint pot on sale for $70.00 Canadian.  The compressor I salvaged.  Now while I realize not everyone will have my luck, if you know what you want and are willing to hunt around, you can put this setup together for less than $200.00

IF you cant afford a pressure pot system, that doesnt mean you cant cast.  It means you need to be efficient in managing your "casting time" and you will need to find alternative methods to disposing the air from your molds. 

First, the mold.  I would drop my silicon mold on the table right after pouring it.  Only an inch or two.  You just want to impact it enough to drive the air bubbles up.  I would repeatedly hit the frame of the mold with the bottom of my screwdriver handle.  I would take my exacto knife and actually 'cut' through the surface of the silicon to slice up any air bubles that were just below the surface.  I would use pins to make sure the silicone got into every nook and cranny to help guarantee my mold wouldnt have air pockets in crucial places.

By doing those things, I was able to make some AWESOME casts.  I made PEREFECT detailed Magno Chest Hilights and Missiles.  Good enough that I said dam!  and am using them proudly.


NOW..as for the casting...you really are at the mercy of the gods.  You have to hope you made your mold in such a way  (sprue or smuch) that resin got into every corner and that there will be no air bubles to mar the surface of the figure.  Clear resin casting is out.  Seriously.  Dont try it.  Ok...go ahead...but I warned you.

Clear resin casting WITHOUT a pressure pot wont work.  You WILL get air bubbles and you will be upset.  Doesnt matter what you try or dont try.  They will appear.  You are creating a chemical reaction.  And they arent air bubbles that will interfere with the cast.  Oh no.  They arent empty spaces where resin should be.  They are little air bubbles everywhere evenly placed throught the cast.  That if you didnt see them, the cast would be perfect.

I thought like you.  Oh yeah?  I said...thats what YOU think.  I can do it...   And I tried.  And then I tried again.  Then I got one that was perfect.  I was so happy I...oh wait...nope...I couldnt see them at first, then I turned the head in the light...TONS of little tiny bubbles.  It was at this point I stopped casting till I had a pressure pot and an air compressor.  But I wanted to make production quality style casts.  And I was then able to do it with a pressur pot system.

If you just want to make some crafts for the kids, then I wouldnt even bother with the compressor system.  If you just want to kill an afternoon with the kids or you want to make a few things for the church social, then forget the compressor.

Homeworld Remembers Bernice Lawrence

Today we take a step back from everything.  Life has reared its ugly head and made itself known that there is a darker side lurking beneath a calm surface.

May 11/10,   Bernice Lawrence passed away.  A single mother of 3 beautiful girls, survived by her 2 daughters Dee and Tracy.  A fighter of a woman with the heart of a tiger, who helped a niave young boy become the man he is today.  She was both a friend and a mother to me.  Recently I had the oppotunity to say goodbye to her...and I did.  But I didnt know it was the last time I would ever see her.  She was a good woman and I will miss her.  But I will never forget her.

Dont put it off.  If you have the chance to see some one and say hi...I was thinking of you...thank you for being you...do it.  Because tomorrow may just be too late.