SRMW Threadwell Textile on the S&S RR

[S&S RR]

I should mention that the molding process is not cheap.  I will have about $40 dollars in the molds and another 50 or 60 in the resin.  You can save a lot of dollars if you buy in larger quantities but you would have to do a bunch of castings all at one time.  I don't like keeping the molding and resin on hand for long periods of time - it does have a shelf life.

[S&S RR]

Could you share your molding and casting process? I also have a zillion red box kits (only missing a couple) and after hearing you talk about protecting the castings by molding them, I'm thinking I might like to do the same thing.

Yes , that would be great, would really like to see it done by someone who obviously knows his way.

Jan


Will do - but now the pressure is on - I need to come up with something that I'm doing that is unique.   Wait until you see how I get rid of the air bubbles.

[S&S RR]

Could you share your molding and casting process? I also have a zillion red box kits (only missing a couple) and after hearing you talk about protecting the castings by molding them, I'm thinking I might like to do the same thing.

Yes , that would be great, would really like to see it done by someone who obviously knows his way.

I too would love to see what materials, and how you make the Mold boxes...

Loren


I will do my best "Bob Butts quality"  how to thread  of the process.  FYI - In my opinion Bob does the best job with build threads on the internet.

[S&S RR]

John,

I've made a few molds of the smaller wall in the SRMW Blackstone Paper Mill. I made the copy in Hydrocal. However, for all the Magnuson walls I've copied, I used resin in the RTV molds.

The structure below is from Blackstone, the building on the end of the mill, and all walls were cast in Hydrocal.

I do agree that resin seems to be the easiest to demold. I've had great success with both resin and Hydrocal.





You can have your thread back now.




Tom

Tom


Thanks for posting these pictures here - great example of what I plan to do with the second set of castings. There is nothing wrong with hydrocal - especially just after you pour it. My issue is when it has sits around for years - more than 20 in the case of this kit - I believe it gets harder and more brittle.  To describe what I mean - when it breaks the break is not nice and clean - it shatters and little pieces fly everywhere.  Very hard to glue back together.  New hydrocal breaks nice in clean and repairs are very easy.  I will post a couple pictures of the casting that I started to repair.  Anyway I have decided to make molds of Bob's wonderful castings and build with resin castings. It will cost a few bucks but I think its worth it. I already have the money approved by the CFO of the S&S RR. The thought of dropping one of these castings is motivation enough.

[S&S RR]

As promised, here is a picture of the front of the casting that I broke and was in the middle of repairing when I decided to go with the resin castings. The window on the far right was a mess.  Lots of detail missing that would have been rebuilt with putty. The resign castings look just like they came from SRMW.

[S&S RR]

Here is a picture of the back - I had already started the reinforcing.

[S&S RR]

Today, I spent most of the day prepping castings and building the base for this build. If you want the full story on building the base please refer to my S&S RR  build thread - here I will post a few pictures of the base construction and how the structures will be oriented on my layout.


Link to the S&S Railroad build thread.



http://modelersforum.com/layout-tours/superior-seattle-railroad-build-(volume-2)-started-22517/new/#new

[S&S RR]

So here is a picture of the base that will hold the two builds along with all the scenery, waterfalls, and river.  I will be moving this to my workbench as soon as I clear all the castings.

[tom.boyd.125]

John,
The combination of these two Southriver Modelwork kits, # 110 and # 120 is a sure winner !
Will put the money on this daily double...this will really be a great area to look at on your S&S railroad.
Good luck with the project.
Tommy

[S&S RR]

John,
The combination of these two Southriver Modelwork kits, # 110 and # 120 is a sure winner !
Will put the money on this daily double...this will really be a great area to look at on your S&S railroad.
Good luck with the project.
Tommy

Tommy


Thanks for following the thread - I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

[S&S RR]

Casting preparation is underway.  I'm using a number 11 blade to clear out the windows, and a sanding block to clean up the edges and make sure the castings are square. This will take a few days. I'm about a third of the way done with the first batch of castings (main structure castings). I will be making the molds for the second batch of castings this week. The resupply  of casting materials arrived in yesterdays mail.

[S&S RR]

I use the window openings to judge when the mold is full.  If I over shoot the pour the window openings can have a thick flash, like in this casting, so I drill holes in the corners to keep me from over shooting the cuts with the exacto knife. This is more important with hydrocal castings because it's easier to get a running crack going - but I have split a resin casting by getting to aggressive with knife.

[Opa George]

John,
I'm jumping in and following your build. Fascinating kit and I am eager to see it take shape. Your mold making info is invaluable. Thanks!

[S&S RR]

John,
I'm jumping in and following your build. Fascinating kit and I am eager to see it take shape. Your mold making info is invaluable. Thanks!

Opa George


Great to have you following the thread. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[postalkarl]

Hi John:

Looks like you are off to a good start. Will be following along.

Karl