Hello!

Could anybody tell me what is the accurately material of the white metall figures? (cobalt-chromium-molybdene?) I have a friend in a dental lab and he will help me to cast some scratchbuilt weapons and swords, but we don't know what is the best material. Of course we don't want to use resin because the arms are very brokenly.

Thank you!

Balázs

I think the only way is resin.
The metal figures are a real procedure what in my opinion can't be done without some machinerie.
I thought it was be done with some centrifuge's ore high pressure but i'm not sure.

Marc

Hello Marc,

yes the procedure is difficult, but we have the technology in the dental lab. We don't know wich is the good material.
By the way, what do you think, metal or resin figures are better? I think for the small parts is metal better, but for the body is the resin enough, or? Later I will produce figures in limited series so I'm very interested in the theme.

Thank you,
Balázs

Hi Balázs, there are a number of white metal alloys used commercially; the usual mixture today seems to be mostly tin, with some antimony and copper.

Casting alloys used to have lead in them quite frequently but this has been phased out due to health concerns about lead. If you can get lead (or one of the old lead alloys) where you are they are still worth using, just be careful with ventilation.

You can drop-cast using low-melt alloys such as this. The failure rate is higher than with centrifugal casting but this is how most hobbyists did their own casting 30-40 years ago (and some do it today still of course). With the mould warmed and properly lubricated you can get quite decent casts of smaller parts quite easily.

Einion

Thank you Einion!

I have found yet the "spiauter" (tin + antimony), what you can buy from metaltraders. And exist a firm, who deal with casting tools: www.whitemetall.de (just in Germann sorry!).
But more ideas and oppinions about "what is better metall or resin figures and parts" are wellcome!

Balázs

I like metal figures because i don't have to clean much.
With resin there are always that huge casting blocks.
I have a figure from M&M models from Poland. They are filled with thinny details.
So, i see no reason why you can't do the casting in resin.

We have here into the hospital on the radiation therapy some blocks whitemetal. You can use it, but i think the P&P cost's are more then the cost's of the whitemetal.

Marc

Hi

I'm an ex-tech, if you are using the lost wax process, you could use brass, and or "technique metal", which is used to make trial crowns. I'd recommend brass.

Make your masters out of plastic or wax, your friend should be able to help you with the wax-ups.

When it's all cast, no seam lines.

Regards

Bill W.

Very high melting point though (by comparison) Bill, no? Above red heat at least.

Einion

Yes, brass has an extremly high melting point and with the lost wax process you can cast only one piece, I want to cast more and our mold will be from silicon (wich you can use to 330-480Celsius).
I looked for whitemetals and in Hungary you can buy "spiauter" for 1,50-2,00 Eur/kg. Earlier sculptors used this material too (late 19th - early 20tc Century).
So I think for the figures in normal uniform is the resin enough, but for the more difficult uniforms, swords and weapons is the metal better. (All in -54mm)

Balázs

Hi Balazs,

no experience with metals, but with resins from the very beginning I had good results, it's easy, and cheap, casting blocks are question of engineering.
Good luck!
Denes

Balazs

Resin vs metal???? There's no difference between the two once they are primed for painting.

I do find resin requires more clean up and preparation before painting. Denes is right, casting blocks on resin figures are largely a matter of engineering. I find casting small parts in resin is significantly cheaper and easier than using metal.

In the end I think it comes down to a personal choice.

Cheers

Hi,

thank you guys! Yes, resin is cheaper and we have experiences with it, because we have casted a lot of them before 7-8 years. In Hungary and in the Eastern- and Central European countries are very much pirates, who copy the famoust figures, because people earn... I don't make it, but I understand it.
I see here: modellers, who make historical figures like the metal better, and modellers (for example Dénes and Tony) who make modern figures like the resin.

Tony, yes I have the personal choise yet

Cheers,
Balázs

Hi Balázs, At this link are different casting metals which I found on the prince august website. Maybe it's usefull for you.

Thank you Marcel it's very useful!

Cheers,
Balázs