Resin Casting Workshop @ Multifilla

This is the first SFTPMS workshop that I have ever been and I must say, it is very educational. The Workshop was held at Multifilla, courtesy of Mr. Leong who was kind enough to sponsor the workshop material in addition to the food and drinks. Yes, there was food, in case you all missed it. (OH, OK. I gasak-ed all the seaweed crackers and potato crisps) *ahem*

The Workshop stared with Mr. Leong telling the
participants various Smooth-on products and
how to use them properly. This was a very good
lesson for me because I did not foresee some
potential problems when it comes to casting.
And not only that, we did get to see a small
and unique pressure chamber too.

After that, it was the "Mahagurus" who demonstrated
how castings are done. Smooth-on product that was used
had different effect and not only that, we learnt what
would happen if things are not mixed to the correct ratio.
(Hint: Its a very heaty subject). Here xamel1975 discuss
on how to mould and cast a subject that has very
off angles and protrusions. Also, I learnt that the cast
model, will shrink by 1mm or so when cured.

This is how a simple mould was being done. But there
are some problems. So, this is the reason why a lot of
Lego blocks go missing very quickly... druid_99 is
sweating, as if the chemicals are about to burst into
flames, making the whole casting process look very
dangerous. Actually, it is dangerous but with the right
knowledge, you will not DIE.

I don't have a macro lens but as the casting came out,
all the details from the mould was accurately transferred
to the casting. And if you really want to know, it a part of
a model radiator, where there is a lot of details.

This is a nice smooth-on casting but because the mould
was made very quickly for the Workshop, there were
some bubbles. later on, Mr. Leong said the casting can
still be recovered by a very simple technique. What I
want to highlight is that this casting cured very fast and
its very light was well. Compared to the usual resin kits,
this is feather light and still strong enough for further
sculpting if needed.

One final demo is the crystal clear 'water' which interested
me. But Mr. Leong did warn us that the final result, although
it is clear, it is rubbery. Unfortunately, someone else forgot
to read the manual because it said, "Leave overnight to cure..."

So, there you go, folks. The Workshop is really educational and now, I appreciate how difficult it was to create a model for casting, because there are a lot of things to consider before a perfect kit comes to your doorstep. But this is very different for those who copy the originals and recast them to sell to others for profit.