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Post by mugshot on Nov 22, 2012 22:45:33 GMT -5
Hey guys, real quick question. How much does an average guardsman miniature weigh? I'm asking because I'm going to cast some of my own figures in pewter and need to know what size casting ladle to get. I don't have any complete miniatures yet and thus cannot weigh them.
What about a leman russ? How much do the plastic kits from GW with no modifications weigh?
The formula works like this: Weight of model (including any spruing or channels that need to be connected, this is measured in grams) X Specific Gravity of the metal one is using (In this case pewter which has a specific gravity of 7.4 grams= the amount of metal needed to cast the object.
So that's what I'm trying to figure out is what is the average weight of a guardsman. I suppose I really just need a small ladle since the metal will cool off pretty quickly once it's away from the pot.
I put this in paintings and conversions, because you know... it really doesn't go any where else.
Thanks in advance for the help guys. If you could tell me how much a guardsman weighs and a Leman Russ Tank weigh that would be great.
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Post by commissarbob on Nov 23, 2012 11:38:11 GMT -5
Working in a pewter casting facility myself I can give you a little information. The size of the ladle really does not matter that much, a lot of it comes down to finesse learned by doing. We have 2 different ladle sizes that we typically use; one average size, which holds around 500ml, and a larger size that holds around 1000ml. Just because said ladle can hold that much does not mean that you fill it and use the entire amount as you can simply pour what you need and pour the remainder back into the pot. If you did not pour enough, chances are good that you can add additional metal in a secondary pour but even if the pour is failed it is not a terrible thing as while you may have wasted a spin time wise, you now know that for subsequent pours that you will need additional metal and you can always melt down whatever failed to fully cast.
So long post shortened, sizing a ladle to a given mold is not critical. if you are serious about casting do yourself a favor and get a variety of ladle sizes and use what you feel comfortable with for a given mold.
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Post by Adkenpachi on Nov 23, 2012 13:30:19 GMT -5
Use resin  |
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Post by mugshot on Nov 23, 2012 21:14:37 GMT -5
Working in a pewter casting facility myself I can give you a little information. The size of the ladle really does not matter that much, a lot of it comes down to finesse learned by doing. We have 2 different ladle sizes that we typically use; one average size, which holds around 500ml, and a larger size that holds around 1000ml. Just because said ladle can hold that much does not mean that you fill it and use the entire amount as you can simply pour what you need and pour the remainder back into the pot. If you did not pour enough, chances are good that you can add additional metal in a secondary pour but even if the pour is failed it is not a terrible thing as while you may have wasted a spin time wise, you now know that for subsequent pours that you will need additional metal and you can always melt down whatever failed to fully cast. So long post shortened, sizing a ladle to a given mold is not critical. if you are serious about casting do yourself a favor and get a variety of ladle sizes and use what you feel comfortable with for a given mold. This is unbelievably helpful. Thanks a ton! Got my bits in the mail today, just waiting on torso and head bits. Use resin But I can use metal. Because I can, you know? Also if for some reason, I should ever get out of WH40k, I can always melt the pewter back down and sell it for scrap. Kind of like playing with your money huh? |
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Post by Adkenpachi on Nov 24, 2012 2:51:06 GMT -5
If i remember from school all those years ago playing with pewter in tech class, its really weak and bendy isnt it? Also snaps quite easily :/
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Post by commissarbob on Nov 24, 2012 11:52:34 GMT -5
Depends on the specific alloy. For less bendy a greater proportion of tin is needed, however the more lead in the pewter the finer the detail will be. Pewter is definitely more suited to smaller pieces, I cannot recommend it for something like a Leman Russ. The piece will be very heavy and will be prone to damage. Take for example the old pewter Thunder Hawk kit. There are very good reasons it is no longer produced.
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Post by mugshot on Nov 24, 2012 17:47:13 GMT -5
Depends on the specific alloy. For less bendy a greater proportion of tin is needed, however the more lead in the pewter the finer the detail will be. Pewter is definitely more suited to smaller pieces, I cannot recommend it for something like a Leman Russ. The piece will be very heavy and will be prone to damage. Take for example the old pewter Thunder Hawk kit. There are very good reasons it is no longer produced. Modern casting pewter is 99% tin, .5% antimony, and .5%copper. No lead there. Also on larger metal models like the thunderhawk model you mentioned, is it prone to breakage because of the weight, or is it if you drop it? Also, I didn't necessarily mean casting the whole thing out of solid pewter, but casting in a few parts to make it hollow. Lighter and cheaper (sort of). |
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Post by vegna on Nov 24, 2012 18:30:29 GMT -5
the reason they stopped was the amount of lead in it caused lead poisoning to the owners. i kid. reason there's no longer lead in most pewter these days is due to the import and export laws and the risk of people getting ill from it.
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Post by mugshot on Nov 24, 2012 19:32:32 GMT -5
the reason they stopped was the amount of lead in it caused lead poisoning to the owners. i kid. reason there's no longer lead in most pewter these days is due to the import and export laws and the risk of people getting ill from it. Mostly handling it, as it's bad to touch something that is mostly lead for more than a minute. But really really because it's bad to smelt. The fumes will fornicate your nuts up. |
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Post by Trooper One-Nine-Seven-Four on Nov 24, 2012 21:34:09 GMT -5
Pewter is definitely more suited to smaller pieces, I cannot recommend it for something like a Leman Russ. The piece will be very heavy and will be prone to damage. Take for example the old pewter Thunder Hawk kit. There are very good reasons it is no longer produced. But imagine the epic dreadsocking that could be administered using a pewter LR!  |
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