moulding 1;72 airfix figures

[scots nobby]

was just wondering if anyone has tried to replicate the soft figures in resin, If so how they went about doing it?

[Francis Macnaughton]

Unless it was figures from a very rare set,  most are so cheap that it isn't worth the effort when you could just buy another box. 

[old thumper]

15 hours ago, Francis Macnaughton said:

Unless it was figures from a very rare set,  most are so cheap that it isn't worth the effort when you could just buy another box. 

 

It might be a useful thing to do if you wanted a load of figures in a identical pose such as marching or if you wanted to do it to cure paint flaking issues. I don't think anyone would seriously consider replicating Airfix figures for financial gain.             

[Troy Smith]

they may do them in hard plastic eventually, as the 1/32nd figures are now in some kind of flexible polystyrene, as opposed to the polyethylene which did not like paint much.

 

One tip is to give figures a coat of PVA glue first, as this gives a an easier finish.

 

Might be worth seeing if any of the plastic primers might help, IIRC Halfords do a primer for bumper plastic.

[Black Knight]

I've tried various specialist primers; rattle can and brush-on and they still dont prevent flaking. In fact the rattle can ones flake off as soon as its dried.

I now use Humbrol 33 matt black enamel brushed directly on as a primer.

For Telford last year I did about 200 Napoleonics and not one of them has flaked.

[old thumper]

I only use enamel paints and provided the figures aren't handled or flexed they usually last out ok. 

[Black Knight]

On 10/01/2017 at 0:58 AM, scots nobby said:

was just wondering if anyone has tried to replicate the soft figures in resin, If so how they went about doing it?

To answer this more directly;

I have.

I wanted a load of archers for a battle scene. I used the archer from the Airfix Robin Hood set [afair]

I used two-part silicone RTV rubber. I used a special heat proof version but the process is the same.

1. I first embedded the figure half way or so in plasticene.

2. Applied mould release wax, a very very thin coat

3. Poured mixed rubber

4. When set, inverted, removed plasticene leaving figure embedded in first half of mould

5. repeated steps 2 & 3

6. separated mould halves, removed figure

7. cut pouring and air way gates

8. started moulding figures

>> I was using lead alloy for the moulding but resin would do the job too.

 

I only did this to meet my own needs and at the time the Airfix Robin Hood set was not available, it was before ebay days so getting more figures by buying sets was really not an option.

These days I can buy all the archers I want from the likes of Italeri

I'm only telling the process as an example of how to do simple moulding.