Author Topic: Heresy Dragon Big Thread Of Doom (Read 782979 times)

Bungle · « **Reply #1700 on:** February 09, 2014, 10:05:39 AM »

Andy, taking casting and mould making time/costs into consideration, are there any other bits that could be cast in metal?

Just trying to think of very spikey items that might not come out of the mould perfect every time in resin, and comparing to the 5 minutes to cast in metal perfectly.

And do a cash and time cost comparison?

Big Boris · « **Reply #1701 on:** February 09, 2014, 12:08:02 PM »

Cash vs time cost comparison is easy. I have no cash. If I had cash, I'd get Jed Norton to cast them all, eg if I win the premium bonds, that's the first thing I'm doing. Second thing is getting a replacement car, third is a new bed. But to salvage this fiasco whilst spending as little funds possible, I have to do them myself.

As to metal, yes there are a few bits that can be cast in metal, but I've found that the pitting ruins the texture of the surface of the casts, it's a real problem. Also moulding the parts changes the dimensions a lot on the bigger bits and means things don't fit as neatly - or at all in the case of the torso halves I previously moulded for spincasting. The hands are fine, and I may well stick to them in metal but I'll be making a mould to see how it goes, if I can fit it in alongside the moulds for all the other small bits then it may as well be done in resin. If it turns out to be a fiddly thing that doesn't work every time, metal. The end of the tail will likely still be in metal as I have concerns about it being snapped by passing sleeves; we'll see. It'll go on a mould with the other tail sections of similar size anyway. Those are annoying in metal as they flash like buggery and the tips don't always come out.

Big Boris · « **Reply #1702 on:** February 09, 2014, 12:09:40 PM »

Tongues and wing fingers I'm just testing in resin, tbh. Ian had a lot of problems with them (they're very fine) so they may be too fiddly to bother with in resin. They're more of a 'use up this spare resin' mould. Wing Fingers are equally pissy in metal though...

Big Boris · « **Reply #1703 on:** February 09, 2014, 12:11:10 PM »

Also, metal costs a lot more per casting than resin, and adds to shipping weight, so it's not the perfect solution if I can squeeze a couple of extra resin moulds into a pressure chamber.

Bungle · « **Reply #1704 on:** February 09, 2014, 04:13:04 PM »

Well you have thought about it

Postage I hadn't thought about, I know of a courier does up to 2kg less than GPO https://www.myhermes.co.uk/

geronimo · « **Reply #1705 on:** February 10, 2014, 07:34:44 AM »

Quote from: Big Boris on February 09, 2014, 12:09:40 PM

Tongues and wing fingers I'm just testing in resin, tbh. Ian had a lot of problems with them (they're very fine) so they may be too fiddly to bother with in resin. They're more of a 'use up this spare resin' mould. Wing Fingers are equally pissy in metal though...

That was prior to trying pressure set-up, though - with those huge reservoirs you're building in, I'd expect them to work much better this time around

Big Boris · « **Reply #1706 on:** February 12, 2014, 11:47:35 AM »

This morning I am topping up the two left wing section moulds from yesterday with the final inch of silicon padded out with 2 hours worth of cut-up mould cubes, then I'll do the orders, then I'll start on the prep work for the final 2/3 moulds for the Dragon (tail parts, arm, possibly hands). Tomorrow I'm spending the day returning the favour to Jed Norton by showing him how to make moulds and spincast in metal.

Hopefully all will be ready for casting at weekend of first home-brewed dragons to be sent out... stay tuned, queuees....

Interesting side note: just the two moulds for the left wing, thanks to the slight curve in them that greatly increases the required thickness of the mould, have cost about £140 just by themselves, and that's with them padded out with some of the old moulds I made, cut up. Each mould is over 2kgs, one is 3kg. If i had shortened the second wing finger on the top section by 1 inch like I was considering back wehn they were going to be spincast, I could have saved myself about £40-£50 of rubber, probably...

Mr Teufel · « **Reply #1707 on:** February 12, 2014, 10:23:11 PM »

Crossing all my extremities for you, Andy. Hope it all works out this time!

TheAuldGrump · « **Reply #1708 on:** February 16, 2014, 06:19:58 AM »

There's light at the end of the tunnel!

The Auld Grump

Big Boris · « **Reply #1709 on:** February 16, 2014, 10:35:53 AM »

There sure is. In your case, you're about to be run over. I shall email you when it's ready about the shipping.

Big Boris · « **Reply #1710 on:** February 17, 2014, 10:08:23 AM »

Sadly, I have to re-texture the wings as it's become evident in the resin casting that where I've altered the metal masters to better fit the torso and applied layers of putty texture on those originals, what looked like the same depth of texture was in fact largely blank (always hard to tell when you're working in putty over metal), which makes the final resin copy of less than desirable standards. I'm having to rework and remould all three sections of wing.

Big Boris · « **Reply #1711 on:** February 17, 2014, 10:33:24 AM »

PS I wouldn't be quite as depressed about this if it wasn't going to cost me another £160 in rubber to remould them...

Mr Teufel · « **Reply #1712 on:** February 17, 2014, 10:34:35 AM »

Bugger.

Balgin Stondraeg · « **Reply #1713 on:** February 20, 2014, 03:31:55 AM »

Quote from: TheAuldGrump on February 16, 2014, 06:19:58 AM

There's light at the end of the tunnel!

The Auld Grump

And that light is the glow of the dragon's nostrils warming up to burn you to bits

.

TheAuldGrump · « **Reply #1714 on:** February 27, 2014, 02:41:23 AM »

Quote from: Balgin Stondraeg on February 20, 2014, 03:31:55 AM

Quote from: TheAuldGrump on February 16, 2014, 06:19:58 AM
There's light at the end of the tunnel!

The Auld Grump

And that light is the glow of the dragon's nostrils warming up to burn you to bits .

In the deepest of the dungeons,
A huge dragon lies in wait.
With tiny sword in puny hand,
A fool may meet his fate.
And if he proves unlucky,
Then he'll end on dinner plate,
As we adventure on!

Gory, gory dragons chew ya,
If you're lucky, then they stew ya.
If you're nasty then they spew ya!
As we adventure on!

A bit of doggerel I wrote when I was a very young Grump, that my brain has insisted on holding onto ever since....

The Auld Grump

Big Boris · « **Reply #1715 on:** March 19, 2014, 12:03:16 PM »

Boxed up three dragons today. Felt good.

Beastlord · « **Reply #1716 on:** March 19, 2014, 07:40:39 PM »

Cant wait til mine comes round! (well, I can, but I'm excited again)

Steel Penguin · « **Reply #1717 on:** March 19, 2014, 07:51:58 PM »

that's well wicked Andy

hears to many more flying the nest.

BecauseWeIsMonsters · « **Reply #1718 on:** March 19, 2014, 08:39:19 PM »

Darsc Zacal · « **Reply #1719 on:** March 20, 2014, 04:52:45 AM »

Congrats Andy!

As well as to those whose dragons those were.

beefcake · « **Reply #1720 on:** March 20, 2014, 06:37:53 AM »

Great to hear! Good luck for the rest of them.

Big Boris · « **Reply #1721 on:** March 20, 2014, 05:01:41 PM »

@The Auld Grump didja get any of the emails I sent you?

TheAuldGrump · « **Reply #1722 on:** March 21, 2014, 03:01:16 AM »

Been away from my computer, been busy with my girlfriend and her family.

Then recovering from being busy with my girlfriend and her family. (Work, followed by performing a set for middle school students, followed by watching a planetarium show, followed by dinner... a 22 hour day, followed by collapse.

)

Then I had to dig around for the e-mails - found the one in GMail.

In regards to the dragon...

Will the dragon be available on your site, after all the pre-orders are finished? There is a couple that may be interested - they get dragons to mark their anniversaries.

The Auld Grump

Darsc Zacal · « **Reply #1723 on:** March 21, 2014, 03:23:02 AM »

So 15th is crystal. 20th is china...

Which anniversary was dragons?

Also. Congrats on the incoming dragon Auld Grump.

Big Boris · « **Reply #1724 on:** March 21, 2014, 08:27:38 AM »

The point where the dragons are available as In Stock has so long been out of reach that i can't quite picture what will happen when it is reached. I imagine i will run the moulds until they die (which won't take long) and then that will be it, end of story. We shall see, though.

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Author Topic: Heresy Dragon Big Thread Of Doom (Read 782979 times)