Casting in silicone molds using the example of making an anchor. Artistic tin casting High precision tin casting in silicone

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Today I will show you the basics and provide some basic knowledge that will help you cast your first piece. You will also see the process of modeling, casting, processing, forging a ring to size and blackening brass. And all this in one article.

The DIY master specifically, whenever possible, used the most accessible materials and means, which may not be entirely suitable, but nevertheless work. Therefore, don’t rush to say that there is jewelry wax for modeling; that’s not what we’re talking about here. To make a model of the ring, the author took the most ordinary candle paraffin and melted it with a burner, collecting it in a tin can.

We put the model aside and prepare the bases for fixing the model. The simplest thing is to make it from plasticine. We knead it and sculpt a hemisphere into which we will install sprues in the future, and subsequently this sphere will become a kind of pocket for melting metal before pouring. Therefore, you should not make the sphere too flat. It is necessary that all the molten metal fits in it. By the time of casting you will understand everything and see for yourself what it looks like.

As a flask (a metal mandrel for pouring the molding mixture), you can take a very ordinary metal pipe; for example, a plumbing store should have pieces of a suitable size.

We will make the sprues from 2 nails. We bite off the excess with pliers and install them in our plasticine sphere.
After installing them, we somehow need to attach the wax model to the metal sprues. To do this, the author decided to take a burner and slightly heat the nails, and then lean the ring against them. Hot nails will easily melt the paraffin and go deep into the model.

This is bad and wrong, but still possible. The main thing here is to provide gentle heating at first, so that the water from the plaster begins to evaporate, and the paraffin begins to smoothly melt and flow out. The master used a roofing torch for this, since he had one. You can get by with a household burner, or you can start with a very ordinary oven, it will be more correct. Just don’t forget to place the mold with the sprues down in some kind of tray so that there is somewhere for the paraffin to drain.

You can pour metal at home in several ways: using potatoes, clay, or any other dense, moisture-containing material. But the author has never mastered this method, so he will cast metal using a manual centrifuge.

We heat the mold until red and prepare to pour the brass. As a starting material, you can take brass plumbing fittings. They're great for this. Well, or if you are braver, you can immediately pour silver or even gold. There are no restrictions on metal in knee technologies.

I will describe the technology for creating a form for copying Orc. In this case, he will act as a master model. The master model must be made in a one-piece mold (in principle, most models are cast in such molds). It is advisable to clean the master model from flash, clean along the parting line of the mold and eliminate defects, if any. Our form will be single-part and two-part, that is, one parting line and two types of material.

Materials and tools for making molds.
1. Sculptural plasticine (all other silicone sealants are very corroded, and this one is a little too).

2. Silicone plumbing sealant with heat resistance of 180 degrees.
3. Alabaster or building plaster. Water.

4. Vaseline (can be bought at a pharmacy) and a brush.

5. Cardboard (better glossy, less wet) and scissors.

Work order.

1. Press the master model into the plasticine approximately along the parting line from the factory mold (Photo 1). I usually place the model facing out.

2. Apply a thin layer of sealant using a match or toothpick, trying to fill all the recesses (Photo 2). Leave until completely hardened (the time is usually indicated on the tube with sealant, approximately 5-8 hours, depending on the thickness of the layer).

3. Apply another 2-3 layers so that the total thickness of the mold in all sections is at least 5 millimeters.

4. After complete hardening, it is easy to determine that the form becomes quite rigid, remove the master model from the plasticine and clean it of plasticine (photo 3).

5. Apply Vaseline to the resulting half; you don’t have to apply it to the master; the sealant does not stick to the polystyrene (although before starting work it would be a good idea to check the interaction of the model and the sealant, for example, on a piece of sprue). We repeat points 2 and 3.

6. Carefully cut the resulting cocoon around the perimeter (along the parting line), removing any irregularities (Photo 4). IN SOME CASES WE DO NOT REVEAL the form, even if we really want to see what happened.

7. Making formwork (boxes) for pouring alabaster. We make the box in such a way that there is approximately 5 mm between the silicone mold and the side walls, the length of the injection channel is 50-60 mm, and the height of the walls is 45 mm. This is not an axiom.

8. Pouring alabaster (Photo 5). All work must be carried out quickly, as alabaster hardens quickly. We dilute it with cold water to a creamy state and fill half the box, put the mold in and press it halfway. We form the injection channel, I use either plasticine or a core from a hot-melt gun. From my experience I can say that it is better to make the casting channel cylindrical rather than conical. The form should dry for at least a day. Apply Vaseline with a brush to the connector plane of the plaster mold; you don’t need to smear the plasticine and silicone mold. We spread and fill the second half of the mold. I usually wait about half an hour and separate the halves of the plaster mold (Photo 6). We dry the alabaster for at least 2-3 days (on a battery, 1 day is enough), otherwise the mold may break when pouring the metal.

9. Elimination of defects in the silicone mold. If the recess on the master model is not filled or an air bubble has formed, apply a little sealant to that place and put it in a silicone mold, then put it in a plaster mold and wait for it to harden.

Metal casting materials and tools

1. Solder (for example POS 30).

2. Alloy Rose (If desired and available).
3. Graphite (pencil or graphite electric brushes) and brush.

4. Casting ladle - crucible (made from a ladle; after finishing work it is better not to use it for its original purpose))).

5. Rope (do not use if something went wrong in the work))).

Work order.

1. Rub the graphite on sandpaper, apply it with a brush to the entire surface of the silicone mold, blow off the excess (Photo 7).

2. We assemble the form and tie it with a rope (Photo 8) (preferably not synthetic, in case of metal spillage). It would be a good idea to protect the surface of the table (later there may be problems with your family, unless of course the table is your own) and turn on the hood above the stove (if there is one).

3. Melt the solder in a crucible and pour it into the mold. The first pour is to warm up the mold and at the same time all flammable components burn out. We wait for the metal to harden, open the mold and remove the casting (with pliers since it is still hot). We assemble the mold and melt more metal, if available, add Rose alloy (5-10% of the weight of the casting), it improves the pourability of small relief (Orka presented in this article, I cast only from solder).

If you don’t want to melt the metal, then you can pour in epoxy resin; it’s better to remove the silicone mold from the alabaster mold to avoid it sticking together when the epoxy spills

Tin is a wonderful material to use in design and decoration. Low melting point, low weight, ductility and corrosion resistance - these properties make it easy to produce patterns, apply coatings, and cast structurally complex objects. We will tell you exactly how to cast tin below in the article.

What tools will you need?

To make the mold and casting itself you will need:

• sealant - for making a mold;
• gypsum for making the mold frame;
• soldering iron with solder;
• set of tools: wire cutters, pliers, files, etc.
• copyable shape (button, twig, etc.).

What and how to make a mold from?

Previously, when casting tin and its alloys, gypsum was used to make molds. The development of chemical technologies has brought many new materials into the arena, among which silicone rubbers and sealants have taken their rightful place. It is necessary to determine the temperature of the sealant that it can withstand. It must correspond to the melting point of the alloy used - up to 240 degrees.

The softness of the sealant will also affect the quality of the resulting casting, increasing the risk of deformation of the mold material. The prototype must be covered with a separating layer of Vaseline to prevent sticking and you can begin applying silicone. It is better to use transparent silicone, as in this case it will be easier to control the thickness of the mold and the formation of air bubbles. When the prototype being copied is a light and thin design, questions arise: How to cast tin?, How to cast thin tin?, How to make a mold for thin casting?. To copy the surface relief of the prototype as accurately as possible and prevent the appearance of bubbles in the mold, silicone is diluted with a solvent (white spirit) or gasoline. The resulting liquid mass is applied in thin layers using a brush and allowed to dry overnight. After applying 3-4 layers of liquid mass, the future mold is coated with undiluted silicone.

After the mold hardens, a gypsum sarcophagus is made, in which conical locks are cut out, a vent groove is formed to release excess air, and a sprue is formed for pouring the alloy. Having made the sarcophagus, the silicone mold is carefully removed, the position of the vent hole is marked, the silicone is cut into halves in the form of a book, the intended hole is burned with a hot needle, and the prototype is removed. To clearly develop the relief of the casting being formed, the inner surface of the silicone mold is rubbed with graphite powder.

How is casting done?

The silicone cocoon is inserted into a plaster sarcophagus, the halves are connected and tightened either with an elastic band or twine. Tin or its alloy is melted, held for 30 seconds after melting, and it is poured into the prepared mold through the sprue. Pouring continues until the molten alloy appears in the thrust hole.

After cooling, the casting is removed by the formed sprue, cleaned of excess tin that interferes with the removal of the silicone mold, and the casting is removed. The first casting will be unsuccessful, since gases will escape from the silicone and excess graphite will stick.

Tin casting has been known to mankind since ancient times. As early as 6 thousand years BC, decorations were made from tin in Egypt. Mentions of this metal are found in ancient Indian, Greek, and Roman literature. In ancient times, coins and tin vessels were in use.

Tin casting was also practiced in Rus'. Utensils, decorations, and religious objects from the times of Kievan Rus have reached us. In the XIII-XV centuries, this craft reached great development in Ukraine, in the cities of Kholm, Volodymyr, Przemysl, Lutsk. In the 15th century, a foundry was founded in Kyiv that produced tin products.

Tin casting became widespread under Peter I. In those days, tin buttons, cups, dishes were used in everyday life; there were also medals made of tin. The finest patterns were used to fasten mica plates in lanterns. However, in the 18th century, casting from copper, bronze, and silver gradually replaced tin, and today ornamental casting, widespread in ancient Russian art, is almost forgotten. The techniques of this interesting artistic craft of antiquity have been lost. Today, only a few artists here and there work with tin. Not long ago, Czech jewelry makers again turned to this metal, delighting connoisseurs and a wide range of consumers with original bracelets, brooches and other products.

For amateur artists who want to try their hand at casting, tin is a fertile material. It attracts primarily with its beautiful color, similar to the color of silver, its manufacturability - low melting point, ease of toning, plasticity, which makes it easy to engrave, mint, “sculpt” with a soldering iron, adding or subtracting metal.

In skillful hands, using simple equipment, silver ingots are transformed into expressive miniatures that perfectly convey plasticity: sculptures, medals, brooches, bracelets, cufflinks, tie pins, original embossed or openwork buttons and the like. Openwork or relief plates of a larger size can be used to decorate boxes, door hinges, handles, and keyholes. The plates, superimposed on a background of wood or stone, can serve as independent wall decorations. Finally, quite large things are made from prefabricated parts: lanterns, sconces, candlesticks, caskets.

Pewter casting is easily complemented by a variety of finishes such as coinage ,engraving, Tony roving. Often the product is decorated with inserts of mother-of-pearl, beads, amber, colored glass, stone, and ceramics. For the same purpose, cold enamel is used - epoxy glue mixed with pigments or artistic oil paints.

In addition to its purely artistic function, jewelers and miniature sculptors use tin casting as an intermediate stage for converting a tin model into a harder metal - silver, bronze, cast iron, cupronickel, stainless steel. Tin makes it possible to more clearly work out the smallest details, which is not possible with models made of plasticine or wax. Skills in working with tin allow you to move on to casting from more refractory metals.

What does an amateur artist need to start doing this exciting business? Here are the basic materials and tools: tin or tertiary (an alloy of 2/3 tin with 1/3 lead), plasticine and beeswax for modeling models, plaster, white turpentine mastic for polishing parquet floors (can be replaced with shaving soap), mortar copper sulfate with potassium permanganate, a homemade centrifuge (Fig. 1), miniature coins made from knitting needles.

There are several main methods of casting, which incorporate the experience of ancient crafts and modern technology for producing metal works of art. In relation to tin, these are the methods of bas-relief casting, volumetric casting and chill casting. We will tell you about each of them in detail.

Bas-relief casting. A characteristic feature of bas-relief casting is a certain height of the relief above the background - it usually does not exceed 1/3 of the plane dimensions of the product.

The work begins with making a model from plasticine. It is most convenient to sculpt on glass or plastic (Fig. 2). The finished model, for example, a bas-relief of a decorative lattice or a bas-relief image of a person or animal, is filled with plaster solution. It is very convenient to prepare it in a rubber bowl (a rubber ball cut into 1/3 or a medical syringe); such an amount of gypsum is poured into it so that its top protrudes slightly above the water poured into the bowl. When mixed, the solution should resemble liquid sour cream in thickness.

The first layer of plaster is applied to the model with a brush, preventing the formation of air bubbles in the recesses; then the model is placed in an enclosing frame (opka), which will not allow the plaster to spread when pouring the entire volume (Fig. 3). After 10-15 minutes, the plaster will harden and the cast (half-mold) of the model is ready. The plasticine is removed by stacking under running warm water.

Using the same flask, a second half-mold is cast - a solid plate of plaster. On its smooth side, sprues and piers are cut (Fig. 4). Sprues are the holes through which metal fills the mold. Vents are auxiliary openings through which, under the pressure of molten metal, air and casting gases exit the voids of the mold.

Both halves are folded together and tied with soft copper wire, the seam is filled with plaster. A funnel is made at the upper end of the mold halves (from the bottom of which the sprue begins), molten tin will be poured into it. The finished plaster mold is dried on a very low heat on a gas stove for about three hours at a temperature of no more than 150-200° (Fig. 5). You need to make sure that the drying proceeds slowly, otherwise the form may collapse.

After the production of the mold is completed, the actual casting can begin. It begins with the melting of the metal. To obtain a high-quality casting, it is important to maintain the optimal melt temperature. A sign that the desired temperature has been reached is a straw-yellow film formed on the surface of liquid tin. The melt at this temperature should be poured into the mold.

Neglecting these requirements will have a negative impact on the casting: underheated metal will give a smeared imprint, overheated metal (more than 360°) will recrystallize the plaster of the mold, and vapors of crystallized water will leave shells on the surface of the casting.

The cooled mold is placed in a centrifuge bowl, the metal is quickly poured in and the centrifuge begins to vigorously rotate in a vertical plane. Under the influence of centrifugal forces, the molten metal will fill all the smallest recesses of the mold. If the model does not have small parts and significant recesses, you can do without a centrifuge.

The rotation of the centrifuge lasts no more than half a minute. During this time, the metal crystallizes and hardens. Once the tin in the mold has hardened, the mold is lowered into a bowl of water. Soaked plaster is easily removed, and the casting is freed; all excess metal is cut off from it: sprues, vents, etc. If the casting turns out to have defects - cavities, underfilling - the lack of metal can be compensated for using an 80 W electric soldering iron.

Then they begin the final finishing. What could not be done in plasticine is now accomplished on metal. The casting is secured with sealing wax on a wooden plug or board and clamped in a vice. Processing is carried out with scrapers, coins , with stichels .

During processing, the tin becomes shiny, and the glare makes it difficult to see the shape. They can be removed by tinting with a solution of copper sulfate. Vitriol gives the product a grayish-black tint, reminiscent of old silver. After final polishing, the tint should be retained in the recesses. This technique manages to further emphasize the relief.

Often, in order to reduce the weight of the product and obtain a thin-walled casting (it is less susceptible to shrinkage cavities), plasticine is partially removed from the first half of the mold, retaining only the front shell 2-3 mm thick. The second half-mold should be convex and correspond to the voids on the reverse side of the future casting. To make such a mold, semicircular locking holes are made in the margins of the first half, and then, together with plasticine, they are lubricated with a release agent - turpentine mastic for floors or soap foam. The second half-mold is cast with a release agent on top of the first half-mold. Then the half-forms are separated and the plasticine is removed. On the second half of the mold, sprues and vents are cut, and a sprue funnel is cut on both. The mold for casting medals is made in much the same way. During casting, you only need to place it not strictly vertically, but obliquely, at an angle of 30-40°. In this situation, the casting of medals is of better quality.

Volumetric casting. Unlike bas-relief, this type of casting can be used to produce curved reliefs, rings and rings with ornaments around the entire perimeter, full-volume figures .

We will describe the technology of volumetric casting using the example of making an artistic ring. And in this case, the work begins with creating a plasticine model. The ring of the intended shape is molded in microstacks on a glass test tube with a diameter of 18-20 mm. There is no need to be upset if you cannot finely work out all the details of the ring. Due to the softness of the material, this is impossible to achieve. All fine finishing will go into tin casting.

After the model is completed, the production of the casting mold begins. Plaster diluted to the consistency of sour cream is applied in several layers to the model. The first layer, the so-called facing layer, 2-3 mm thick, is applied with a thin brush. Its tip is used to fill all the depressions in the plasticine. Plaster should not be applied in large drops, otherwise air bubbles may remain between the plaster and the model. A second layer of greater thickness is applied in a stack when the diluted gypsum is already beginning to set. Next, plaster is added to the model so that the sculptural image is at the bottom and the casting funnel is at the top (Fig. 6).

When the form has set, it is placed under running warm water. The plasticine will soften, and then it will not be difficult to remove the glass tube from the mold. Next, the plasticine of the model is removed using a stack under a stream of warm water. The removed glass tube must be replaced with a hollow plaster rod, which will take its place in the block mold. The rod is made like this: the same glass tube is wrapped in two layers with wet writing paper (Fig. 7), the paper ring is moved along the test tube to its bottom (Fig. 8), and gypsum is poured halfway into the resulting paper cup. After 1-2 minutes, when the gypsum begins to set, it is dispersed in a stack along the walls and bottom of the paper cup, and then the upper hole is sealed with gypsum. A cavity in the gypsum rod will be needed during casting; a reserve of molten metal is formed in it, where shrinkage cavities will collect.

The finished rod is inserted into the mold hole under running water, turning slightly in both directions for grinding. The plaster mold must be equipped with a system of sprues and projections. First, the sprues are drilled into the core, connecting its volume with the largest volume of the mold. The core is then inserted into the mold and the main sprue is drilled between the casting funnel and the core cavity. Next, the holes are drilled (Fig. 9). The wet plaster mold is so soft that sprues and sprues can be drilled while holding the drill bit directly in your fingers. It is quite acceptable to drill sprues and holes with a stack, the tip of which has the shape of a round spatula.

After drilling, the rod must be removed from the mold and the remaining crushed plaster must be washed off. The washed rod is finally inserted into the mold, and the two annular slots between the rod and the mold are covered with liquid gypsum. The mold is ready to dry. Dry the block mold very carefully. The operation of pouring tin into the mold, as well as all subsequent ones, proceed in the same order as during bas-relief casting.

Figures of humans, animals, etc. are cast into full-volume one-piece molds. In this case, the model is molded from soft beeswax or cut from harder technical wax. To make a model, take a metal rod and dip its end into molten wax several times to form a pellet - a blank for modeling. Before molding, two pieces of thin wire are stuck into the finished model into the plaster - they will create channels for protrusions. The sprue will be formed by the removed metal rod.

The plaster mold is made as described above. After hardening, it is kept in boiling water until the wax melts and comes out along the sprue and vents to the surface of the water.

Chill casting. The entire history of tin casting is connected with chill casting. From the monuments of material culture that have come down to us, we know that even ancient foundry workers used chill molds, and they were detachable. They were made from baked clay (ceramics), limestone and natural gypsum anhydrite. True, such forms were fragile and did not last long. Forms made from natural slate, coil, lead and bronze turned out to be more durable. From the 15th century they began to use copper, and from the 19th century to this day they use molds made of cast iron and steel.

At home, chill molds can be made from gypsum or abrasive stones. A durable plaster mold is obtained by mixing the gypsum with a liquid consisting of four volumes of water and one volume of saturated borax solution. The so-called marble gypsum is also used in chill casting. There are two recipes for making it. First: add one part of borax to four parts by weight of gypsum and add water to the consistency of liquid sour cream. Second: gypsum is mixed with a solution of wood glue. Add enough glue to the water so that the fingers just stick together slightly. It should be borne in mind that all these additives increase the hardening time of the gypsum.

In addition to plaster molds, you can use molds made from abrasive stones (for example, for straightening razors) and slate stones. A three-dimensional sculptural image is engraved in their thickness. The protrusions are cut with a stylus around the image and pulled upward to the sides. To pour tin into split molds, cut out a funnel (Fig. 10).

The final operations for processing a tin casting include finishing the parts with gravers and, if necessary, chasing, engraving and toning.

Embossing and engraving are carried out using the usual techniques, so we will not dwell on them. Let's talk in more detail about tinting tin.

Toning - color change - is carried out chemically. A persistent decorative film is formed on the surface of the metal, emphasizing the shape of the product, its relief, softening the shine of pure metal.

Here is the composition that colors tin the color of old blackened silver: for 100 ml of water take 5 g of copper sulfate and 0.5 potassium permanganate. The product is placed in a solution, the density of blackening depends on the exposure time.

And here is the method of copper plating (contact): the product is rubbed with a paste of 10 parts of copper sulfate crystals, 1 part of ammonium chloride, 1 part of table salt, 2 parts of fine sand and water. Most often, commemorative medals are tinted using contact copper plating.

In conclusion, I would like to wish foundry artists successful mastery of this fascinating ancient craft.

In the Middle Ages, European kings and nobles became interested in playing soldiers. This was perhaps the only social stratum that could afford such pleasure, because the material for making figurines was most often precious metals. The games themselves had tactical and strategic aspects - in them, future commanders learned the basics of controlling military units.

In the XVII – XVIII centuries. More than one self-respecting royal court could not do without a collection of miniature warriors. And at the beginning of the 19th century, toy soldiers finally became available to the general consumer and reached the masses. This is connected, oddly enough, with the spread of cheap earthenware. Before this, most European tableware was cast from tin. But earthenware technology turned out to be much more economical, and tin foundries simply could not stand the competition. In search of a new market, they turned to the production of tin figurines. And so the textbook tin soldier was born. This happened in the German city of Nuremberg, and the first soldiers among collectors are called that: Nuremberg miniature

Remember, Andersen: from one tin spoon - 25 soldiers? If you compare it with the products of modern factories, you will be surprised at the size of the spoons of that time. But surprise will be premature: the spoons of that time were no larger than the spoons of today. But the soldiers, on the contrary, were inferior in parameters to their descendants at the beginning of the 21st century. The Nuremberg figures were flat, no thicker than 3 mm, and the height of the foot soldier was approximately 30 mm. So it's no surprise that one spoon yielded two dozen tin-resistant ones.

Subsequently, three-dimensional figures appeared, more interesting, but also more expensive, and the most expensive among mass products were made completely collapsible. Russian artist of the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries. Alexander Benois recalled that he perceived the appearance of just such collapsible soldiers as a real holiday.

In the twentieth century, the range of raw materials for the production of toy soldiers expanded significantly due to polymer materials. After World War II, toy soldiers became one of the most popular items on the toy market. During the same period, military-historical wargames (military-tactical games with soldiers) were gaining popularity. Unlike similar games of the Middle Ages and Modern times, they are now dedicated to specific events in military history, be it the Spartacus uprising or the Battle of Stalingrad. The main contingent of wargamers are not children, but young people aged sixteen and older.

At the same time, collecting soldiers is also developing - both ancient ones from a hundred and two hundred years ago, and modern ones, produced specifically for collectors.

Be that as it may, the spirit of Andersen’s soldier did not burn out in the flame of the stove, but continues to warm the hearts of millions of “soldiers” around the world.

To remove the shape of a plastic model, cold vulcanizing rubbers are used (these are usually used in jewelry to produce wax models, as well as in dental prosthetics). When molding, it is imperative to determine the parting line of the mold so that there are no locks - an area where it is impossible to remove the casting without damaging the mold.

Narrow and deep blind areas should also be avoided. If the figurine has widely diverging caftan skirts or a flowing cloak, you should make a mold with a special liner.

Channels for air outlets - vents - can be made during molding, or they can be cut in the finished form: during casting, it will become clear where the air prevents the metal from being poured. The channel for pouring metal - the sprue - is usually brought to the legs of the figure or to the stand. Its height should be sufficient to create pressure (for a 54 mm figurine, at least 30 mm), slightly less than the volume of the sculpture. The sprue diameter is 3-10 mm.

The hole for the metal to enter from the sprue into the mold must have sufficient area, otherwise the metal will fill the mold slowly and cool down without filling all the cavities. If the hole area cannot be increased for technical reasons, it is necessary to preheat the mold, otherwise the casting will be of poor quality.

The usual material for casting tin soldiers is not pure tin, but a tin-lead alloy; only flat soldiers and small parts are cast from tin. Tin has large volumetric shrinkage when crystallizing, and the figure will get ugly cavities.

In France, this is even reflected in the names of the figurines - plat d'etain - flat ones made of tin, and voluminous ones - soldat de plomb - lead soldiers. The larger the volume of the figurine, the greater the percentage of lead in the alloy.

For 54 mm, POS-40 (40% tin, 60% lead) is best suited. When casting large scale figures, they must be made either hollow or cast from casting resins. The addition of a small amount of low-melting bismuth and cadmium to the alloy improves the fluidity of the metal and, accordingly, improves the quality of the casting. The presence of antimony will give the casting hardness, but at the same time it will also add fragility; small parts will break off easily. I do not recommend using technical alloys: typographical gart or babbitt.

For casting you don’t need much: a crucible - ceramic, metal, a tin can will do (you need to bend the edge of it for easy grip with pliers and bend the spout so that the metal flows out in a thin stream); pliers or a special holder (if the crucible has no handle), it is advisable to have a metal tray or baking tray for setting the forms.

Attention: lead, bismuth, cadmium vapors are toxic! Therefore, first of all, ensure good exhaust ventilation.

Fold the halves of the form, place them between the facings (plywood 8-12 mm), slightly larger in size than the form, and tie tightly with rubber or cord. The tightened form is placed on a pallet - it is more convenient to place several forms.

The metal is heated in the crucible above its melting point - poorly heated metal can simply freeze in the sprue. The alloy is heated until a yellowish film appears (alloys with bismuth - to a light gray film). A blue or purple film indicates overheating of the metal - the form will quickly burn out and lose strength and elasticity.

The metal should be poured into the mold in a thin, continuous stream, making sure it does not overflow the edge of the sprue. When pouring the mold, you can tap it lightly to help the air escape. Caution: Do not lean over the mold - air may accumulate in the mold and then spatter the melt.

After pouring, wait for the metal to completely harden (if the metal in the sprue has crystallized, this does not mean that the figure has also hardened). By carefully unbending, open the shape. Take the sprue with tongs (if you hold the casting itself, the tongs will damage it) and carefully remove the casting.

If the figurine is cast unclearly or blurry, do not despair and do not rush to cut new vents in the mold or expand the sprue hole: the first casting into an unheated mold often turns out to be defective. You can warm it up to 150 C in advance.

The casting requires further processing. A common drawback is flash: a slight flow of metal into the seam between parts of the mold. The burr is scraped off with a small scraper or scalpel, the sprues and vents are cut off with radio-technical side cutters, and air bubbles in the recesses are cleaned out with a serger or the tip of a narrow scalpel. Then you can go over the seams with fine sandpaper (No. 600 - 800). If the figure consists of several parts, they are soldered with Rose or Wood alloy using a low-power soldering iron. You can glue the parts with epoxy or cyanoacrylate glue. Soldering areas are cleaned with a file, scraper, or fine sandpaper.

Be sure to wash the figurine with soda or alkali - flux residues can destroy the metal and paint layer over time. You can remove some roughness by cleaning the casting with a suede brush (made of thin brass wire) or a toothbrush with a fine abrasive (powders for cleaning dishes, tooth powder). Do not use polishing pastes (GOI, etc.) - the micropores on the figurine become clogged with greasy dirt, making the figurine very difficult to degrease before painting.

And now, as a result of painstaking work, we hold in our hands a real tin soldier that no one else has. It can be painted, finished like antique silver, or simply cleaned with a toothbrush and - “the warrior is ready for battle!”

In order to make a new tin soldier, you will need a ready-made soldier, as a sample. If it is painted, you need to wash off the paint from it with acetone, and then start making a mold for casting.

How to make a mold for casting tin soldiers

The mold for casting tin soldiers is made of three components: two parts are plaster, and the third is a metal block.

1. Take a flat block of plasticine and press the sample soldier into it halfway, and press the metal block against the soldier’s stand as shown in Figure 1.

2. Make a fence from the walls of a matchbox and protect the plasticine blank with it - just stick it into the plasticine as in Figure 2. Make two or three indentations in the plasticine, as in the figure. These holes will be needed when joining the two halves of the future plaster mold.

3. Spread vegetable oil over the entire surface of the plasticine, the soldier pressed into it, the pits and the metal block, and begin making a plaster mold. To do this, pour gypsum or alabaster powder sifted through a sieve into a cup and, stirring, pour in so much cold water so that the mixture looks like liquid sour cream.

4. Slowly and carefully pour the plaster of Paris from the cup into the plasticine blank. In this case, you must carefully ensure that there are no bubbles. Due to the chemical reaction, the plaster will heat up a little and should be given time to cool - about 10-15 minutes.

5. When the plaster has cooled, carefully remove half of the plaster mold and take out the soldier.

6. The second half of the plaster mold is made in the same way as the first one already made, only instead of a plasticine blank, take the first half of the mold along with the soldier placed in it. Place a metal block on the soldier’s stand and stick a fence with plasticine (Fig. 6).

Lubricate the surface inside the fence with oil, fill it with liquid plaster, and when it has cooled, separate the halves of the mold, carefully remove the sample soldier, and leave the mold to dry for a week.

7. In order to pour tin into a mold, you need to make a sprue in it - a special groove that can be easily cut with a knife from the edge of the mold to the base of the figurine in both of its halves. Also, with the tip of a knife, you need to scratch scratches-grooves from the edges of the figure to the edges of the shape. These are “airs”, through which the air displaced by the molten tin will come out of the mold. The “airs” should not be made too wide, otherwise the tin poured through them will flow out of the mold.

8. Before casting, place a smooth sheet of paper between the tightly clenched halves of the mold and a metal block for thermal insulation.

How to make a tin soldier at home, casting a soldier

To cast a figurine of a soldier, find a clean jar (suitable for Vaseline) and use pliers to bend it into a ladle shape (as in the picture). From such a ladle it will be more convenient to pour liquid tin into the mold.

Attach pliers to the ladle instead of a handle, put on a mitten or glove and carefully melt the pieces of tin in it on the stove.

When the tin melts, firmly hold the two halves of the mold folded together in your hand (they should be held with the sprue facing up) together with a metal bar (as in the picture) and pour the liquid tin into the mold.

DO THIS CAREFULLY, DON'T SPILL MOLTEN TIN ON YOUR HANDS OR LEGS, DON'T ACCIDENTALLY SPLASH IT IN THEIR FACE OR GET BURNED!!!

Then let the tin cool well, carefully open the mold and the tin soldier is almost ready. All that remains is to remove the excess with nippers and process the figure with a file. If the figurine is unsuccessful, then it can be melted and the soldier is cast again.

How to make a tin soldier at home if there is no sample

If you don’t have a ready-made soldier for a sample, then you can copy the exact profile of a soldier from a picture you like onto thick paper and cut it out. To make the cut profile in relief, you can stick thick pieces of paper on it. They need to be glued one on top of the other on both sides of the profile (as in the picture), and the edges of the thicknesses can be leveled with plasticine. Small details can be scratched into a ready-made plaster mold.

Here are the instructions on how to make a tin soldier at home. All that remains is to paint it with a thin brush with oil paints diluted with oil varnish or turpentine. You just need to paint all the same-color parts first, and then, after letting them dry, parts of other colors.

For casting miniatures from metal, the classic one is a collapsible two-part mold - plaster or silicone. Experience with this type of mold allows us to list its disadvantages: a relatively large amount of silicone is required for the manufacture of each of the two halves, the time for silicone vulcanization is 8-12 hours for each layer of silicone at room temperature, and when there are three such layers, then the manufacture of two halves Silicone mold takes two days. And the main drawback is flash - metal that gets into the gap between the two halves of the mold. Anyone who cast knows how difficult it can sometimes be to get a casting on which the flash line is invisible and exactly matches. The method of making the mold that I want to demonstrate successfully overcomes all three difficulties and allows you to obtain high-quality molds and, therefore, high-quality figurines at home.

Before starting to make the mold, you need to prepare the model itself. First, place the model on the sprue and the fence. The models that I sculpt myself have a wire frame of legs, and I use the ends of the wire to make a sprue (a piece of such wire is clearly visible in the first photo). So, the sprue has a conical shape, there is only one protrusion, not too thick, to the other leg. If it is difficult to install the sprue and the support separately, then sometimes you can do without the support at all. Next, the entire structure is installed and glued to a cardboard base. Secondly, in order to easily separate the model from the silicone later, I paint the model with a thin layer of metallic acrylic or some kind of nitro aerosol. If your master model is metal, then I recommend tinting it with nitro, and if it is plastic, epoxy or green stuff, then acrylic metallic is quite suitable. Why metallic? From experience, it comes off most easily and can be applied in a fairly thin layer. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that all undercuts are covered with paint (in other literature the names “undercuts” or “negative angles” are found). The third step - optional, but highly recommended - is to draw an imaginary line dividing the halves of the form with a felt-tip pen - this will greatly help to subsequently make an accurate cut of the silicone shell.

In the photo, the model is prepared for the start of manufacturing the mold itself. The sprue and the projection are visible, and the cut line is visible, at least on the legs. Don't look for it on your head - it's not there. The cut will only reach the fingertips of the left hand and the top pole of the ball. The entire model is mounted on a base.

We begin to apply silicone layer by layer. The first layer requires a lot of attention and patience. The task is to introduce silicone into all the cracks, crevices and depressions. Silicone is a rather capricious material and will not fit in there of its own accord, so I take a small drop of silicone and put it in there, indentation by indentation, checking again and again to see if I have forgotten any other crack.

The already applied silicone can be pressed down with a damp finger. Another reason I prefer to work with clear silicone is that you can see if any air bubbles are forming under the silicone layer. At the end of this stage of work, our model should be completely covered with a thin, preferably less than a millimeter, layer of silicone.

The first layer of silicone has been applied...

Next we need to let the silicone dry. Drying time may vary for different types of silicones, but in most cases the next layer of silicone can be applied after about eight hours. And never apply the next layer until the previous one has dried! After the first layer of silicone has dried, carefully inspect the “cocoon” again; if there are no bald spots in the silicone layer, then move on! If there is, then fill the gaps with silicone and move on anyway! And then - the second, third and further, as needed. These layers should tightly wrap the model in a single cocoon without any undercuts. How thick should it be? Let's just say that an extra layer of silicone will not harm it, but too thin a layer can lead to deformations during casting, especially in the area where the mold is cut. On the model shown here, silicone was applied in four layers and in some places I added an additional fifth layer. When the application of silicone is completed, the excess cardboard of the stand is cut off.

Now we have a silicone mummy from which our model is barely visible. It's time to build a "stone coffin". I make formwork from Lego parts, spread plaster and pour the first half of the coffin, half-burse the cocoon in the plaster, and wait.

Pay attention to the rubber cup for diluting the plaster. An extremely easy-to-use item, a veteran of production. Initially, it is a dental instrument, but can also be made from half a rubber ball. Working with the same container for diluting plaster, over time you learn to dose water and plaster “by eye” so that there is not too much waste, and after work, clean off the hardened plaster - simply by turning it inside out.

When the plaster hardens, which is determined by its heating, I move the formwork higher, but under no circumstances remove the cocoon from the plaster! Then you must remember to lubricate the surface of the plaster with some cham, so that you can then separate the halves of the plaster. No special mixtures! Dishwashing liquid or liquid soap will do. We dilute the second portion of gypsum and pour it into the formwork. Again, wait until the plaster heats up. When the plaster has hardened, remove the formwork, separate the halves of the “coffin” and take out the mummy.

At this point we already have a fully manufactured injection mold. Now all that’s left to do is take the model out of the mold and graphite the casting surface. In fact, opening the silicone and removing the model is the most important operation, so it must be taken very seriously. Swinging a knife is not like smearing silicone. First, I highly recommend getting a brand new scalpel blade. Secondly, take your time, examine the mummy and remember or try to carefully find the cut line that we drew when preparing the model.

And only after thinking about how the cut should go, start. You need to cut slowly, little by little, but with a “steady hand.” Start making cuts, your guideline is the line, it’s not for nothing that we drew it, meanwhile, gradually and very carefully separate the silicone from the model. Although silicone is very elastic, tearing a piece from it or cutting off anything extra with a scalpel is not so difficult, so no use of force or haste. The final task of this operation is to twist the silicone shell so that the model can be pulled out, but at the same time leave the shell intact, so that when it is released it will again take its original shape.

When removing the mold from complex-shaped models, you can make additional cuts to remove individual parts from the silicone, but do not cut off anything completely. As if we wanted to peel the whole orange. This is the meaning of the method. We succeeded! Now the surgeon can take off his mask and gloves, brew coffee and light a tired cigarette.

Before casting, the internal surfaces of the mold must be thoroughly treated with graphite powder (I use the insides of batteries as a source of graphite, although it could be the graphite lead of a pencil), the excess graphite must be blown off and the entire mold must be reassembled. The mold is completely ready for casting. The clamp is simple and incredibly convenient - two sticks and two elastic bands.

Of course, it would be nice to give the plaster time to dry, at least a couple of days, but who can resist the pleasure of making a couple of test castings when I already have a completely finished mold? I can't resist either...

Master model and trial castings.

Preparing the model: making sprues - half an hour, painting and applying a dividing line - let it be another half an hour (of course, this is the maximum time spent, all this can be done even faster). Applying the first layer of silicone takes about twenty minutes. Subsequent layers are operations that do not require super precision, so they take 5-15 minutes of time. Drying each layer of silicone, as I already said, takes about eight hours, but there is a little trick here. If you put the model in a warm place, probably 60-80 degrees, it’s hard for me to say for sure without a thermometer, the silicone will vulcanize in an hour.

I put it in an electric oven. Disadvantages: unpleasant smell in the oven and throughout the kitchen. If the smell is very unpleasant, try lowering the temperature. You can, of course, turn on the hood, if anyone has one. A total of five layers will harden in six hours. I prefer to take my time and leave the outermost layer (it's the thickest anyway) overnight at room temperature. The next day: to make a plaster coffin - about 20 minutes for each half. Trick: dilute gypsum in salted water. Salt is a catalyst for the crystallization of gypsum. In total, it took an hour to do everything, including cleaning. Without cleaning - 40 minutes and my wife would be very angry. The operation of opening the “cocoon” took me 15 minutes, timed by the clock. It took another fifteen minutes to graphite the surfaces of the mold and assemble everything in full combat readiness. So: yesterday at 11 am I started making the mold, today at 1 pm I was already holding the cast figures in my hands.

I have been making molds this way for two years now, and I have seen from experience that there is a significant saving of silicone and time compared to other methods of making molds. Now I make molds from two silicone parts only for completely flat parts, and everything else - arms, bodies, heads - just like that. The quality has improved, especially in terms of flash and accuracy of alignment of the halves of the mold. This method can be successfully used to make molds for figures of any shape and complexity. I used it equally successfully for casting 28 mm 54 and even 75 mm figures.

In conclusion, I want to say a few words about silicones. Finding the right material for the job is not easy. I have to try a lot of varieties. To save money, do not look for dental silicones and jewelry (they are proudly called “liquid rubber”) for casting metals - they are not heat-resistant. There are probably exceptions, but as a rule they are also expensive.

I use the most common construction silicone, Silirub, from the Belgian company Soudal. Syringe 330 g. You can hardly smell the vinegar from it. It comes in three types: black, white and transparent. The first and last temperature of tin casting, i.e. Holds 300-400 degrees well. After several pours, white becomes covered with cracks and a “burning” crust. After repeated pouring, it practically does not deform. All that remains is to wish good luck to all those who like to smear themselves in silicone.

How to paint tin soldiers correctly. You will need

· Model soldiers, dishwashing liquid, white or gray primer for metal, special acrylic paints, thin brushes, varnish.
Instructions

1. First, select the soldiers themselves - carefully examine the miniatures, they must be perfectly cast, without cracks or thick seams. These defects, of course, can be corrected, but it’s better to choose high-quality models with high detail. If you have just decided to start painting soldiers, it is better for you to purchase one-piece figurines - prefabricated parts, perhaps, will have to be adjusted to each other.

2. Wash the selected models in a solution of dishwashing liquid - it perfectly degreases, which will make priming much easier. Place the soldiers to dry on a clean sheet of cardboard or paper; they must dry completely. Take a can of primer and shake it well. Spray the primer from a distance of 20-30 cm, carefully and neatly painting all the parts. Let the miniatures dry for about thirty minutes.

3. Take the thickest brush and start basic painting - dilute the paint with water (four parts paint, one part water), paint large parts, not paying attention to the fact that you are painting over small ones. Now imagine how the light will fall, you need to understand where to draw the shadow and where to highlight the model. To draw chiaroscuro, dilute the paint 1:1 so as not to create thick sagging. Smooth out the transitions with a wet brush.

4. The most difficult thing is to draw the face of a soldier; to do this, take liquid red-chestnut paint and fill the figure’s face with it so that the paint covers all the details and reveals the facial features. Apply more clear paint to the protruding parts and carefully blend the transitions. It’s better not to highlight the whites of the eyes at all; warriors often squint from the wind, dust and shine of their blades, and the painted whites look like a doll. Highlight the pupils with a needle with black paint on the tip.

5. Paint the weapon metallic silver, then add highlights of the reflected surface - if a blue jacket should be reflected in the blade, apply this shade with a light stroke on the blade. On some blades, the places where the blade was sharpened are highlighted; make them clearer by one tone.

6. At the end, draw out the details of the figure - belts and flasks, buttons and other accessories. They need to be painted with shiny paint, because on the contrary, these little things are impossible to see! Color your boots according to the circumstances and weather on the battlefield - mud or snow, dust or blood, they will reflect all the specifics of the theater of military operations! It is better to coat the top of the soldier with varnish using a spray gun - this will protect your work from abrasion.