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It has been cold, wet, raining a even snowing a couple hundred feet up the mountain from us. Yes I said SNOW that nasty 4 letter word!
So I needed a indoor project, I'm still trying to get the rail bike done so I can get it sent off to Choo Choo in California if the weather would cooperate.
Well in a joint effort with Prospect193 to get him parts that he needs down there in OZ, and with some helpful inspirational ideas I came up with these portals and culverts. I always need portals and culverts and buying as many as I will need will for sure put me in the poor house so I thought I'd make my own mold so I can make a bunch on the quick and cheap! OK so the mold material and the initial master material are not that cheap, about $200, but with portals running $10 plus each I will easily get my investment back.
These are HO scale but the principle is the same for any scale!
Started with super gluing a ton of little blocks together along with my fingers,the work bench, and almost the wolf, I'm not a super glue fan!:retard:
I came up with these designs. I had 3 others made that just didn't look quite right.
![Wall]()
![Brick Wall Arch Brickwork Picture frame]()
Then I took the masters and carefully made a water proof box out of cardboard, making sure to glue all the holes closed. When pouring silicone if you have just a small leak in your molding pan your in big trouble with a big mess! The leak won't stop running till the material sets and that's hours later!
![Wall Brick Wood Signage]()
![Brick Arch Wall Picture frame Brickwork]()
After the silicone rubber is carefully mixed and poured into the mold, tapped to remove bubbles, and left overnight to set you simply peel the mold out of the molding tray and off of the master part!:sly: Note to self when setting master parts onto back of mold tray it helps if the mold material does not run behind the master totally encapsulating it in a now impenetrable silicone block!:hah:OK little boo boo,:dunno: just had to cut part of the culverts master out of the mold!
![]()
![Rectangle Picture frame Square]()
After a trim here and there I thought I'd better give them a test drive so off to cast the first parts using a simple plaster of paris. They turned out 100% not a single problem!:thumbsup: I love it when a plan comes together!
![Textile Lace Linens Rectangle]()
![Font Textile Wood Rectangle]()
Here is the the original master part the mold and the first cast parts!
Sweet!
Anyone need a portal or culvert?
![Symmetry]()
![Arch Brick Room Architecture]()
So I needed a indoor project, I'm still trying to get the rail bike done so I can get it sent off to Choo Choo in California if the weather would cooperate.Well in a joint effort with Prospect193 to get him parts that he needs down there in OZ, and with some helpful inspirational ideas I came up with these portals and culverts. I always need portals and culverts and buying as many as I will need will for sure put me in the poor house so I thought I'd make my own mold so I can make a bunch on the quick and cheap! OK so the mold material and the initial master material are not that cheap, about $200, but with portals running $10 plus each I will easily get my investment back.
These are HO scale but the principle is the same for any scale!
Started with super gluing a ton of little blocks together along with my fingers,the work bench, and almost the wolf,
I'm not a super glue fan!:retard:I came up with these designs. I had 3 others made that just didn't look quite right.
Then I took the masters and carefully made a water proof box out of cardboard, making sure to glue all the holes closed. When pouring silicone if you have just a small leak in your molding pan your in big trouble with a big mess! The leak won't stop running till the material sets and that's hours later!
After the silicone rubber is carefully mixed and poured into the mold, tapped to remove bubbles, and left overnight to set you simply peel the mold out of the molding tray and off of the master part!:sly: Note to self when setting master parts onto back of mold tray it helps if the mold material does not run behind the master totally encapsulating it in a now impenetrable silicone block!:hah:OK little boo boo,:dunno: just had to cut part of the culverts master out of the mold!
After a trim here and there I thought I'd better give them a test drive so off to cast the first parts using a simple plaster of paris. They turned out 100% not a single problem!:thumbsup: I love it when a plan comes together!
Here is the the original master part the mold and the first cast parts!
Sweet!
Anyone need a portal or culvert?
