Resin Casting

[Green_Elite_Cab]

3d Printing this one car cost $101, so there's no way anyone could justify printing multiple for that much. The problem is that the most common ABS 3d printers all "pixelate," in a sense, the model, and destroy rivet detail, subtle surface texture, etc. So the only way capture HO models cleanly is with a resin printer, which is expensive.

Basically the last few times I have tried to mold, it's been a number of issues. My mold designs have not worked, and the resin has hardened before it got into all parts of the model. I finally learned that I need to have an escape route for air to carry the resin through the model, but then I end up with bubbles. I would rather mold it as a single piece than in "kit form," as the last time I attempted casting thin panels I wound up with more bubbles, and resin did not fill the mold correctly.

I kind of boiled my bad experience down to one main issue: the last few times I have attempted molding I used Composimold, which captured the details well but was damaged with each successive casting and proved not to be very strong. Which mold material have you used in the past with success?

I do hate the cost of 3D printing, but some pieces don't come out as super expensive. I was hoping this might be one of them.

I've been using Alumilite with some success. They sell a variety of resins and rubbers with different properties that might help you.

The mold rubber will break down over time, but Stuff like HS2 and HS3 (tough and rubbery, respectively) can withstand much punishment.