From the very beginning casting in resin was the main part of our enterprise. In time we managed to test lots of aspects of professional casting using different resins, silicons and techniques. With years of experience in casting and mould-making we can offer high quality for a good price.
Resin is a material that has some superiority over metal and plastic. First of all – it has a very good cast quality, much better than metal minis and similar to plastic ones. Secondly it is easy to work with when it comes to modelling and assembly. It is flexible, easy to cut and glue together. Finally the mould price is far lower than for both plastic or metal ones. This enables us to cast even small quantities. As the mould lasts usually for a few dozen of casts we’ll gladly take commissions for either 20 minis or thousands of them.
The price for a single cast varies but with one-piece 28mm human-sized model it usually about 1.20-1.40 euro per mini. For details please contact us at production@microartstudio.com
Cast quality
Proper casts
Flash – resin is cast in silicone rubber moulds. The mould is either 2 part or cut along the side of the model. In both cases the excess resin may come out on the side through the gap creating flash. In case of the model above the flash is very thin and can be easily removed by scrubbing with a finger nail or modelling knife. The cast quality is fine as the model detail is preserved.
Bubbles – the air bubbles trapped in the cast are not considered flaw as long as they are on the plane that is not visible to the end customer i.e. bottom of the base of the model [as on the picture above] or on a joint that is hidden after model assembly in case of multi-part casts.
Air vents – if the element that is being cast is complex, sometimes in order to cast it properly small straws called vents have to be glued to the model. These elements enable the air to escape out of the mould during the casting process. If placed skillfully they are easy to remove by end customer and are a common case when it comes to resin cast.
Flaws
Uneven mould assembly – in the example above, the sides of the mould were not properly assembled and they were shifted one against the other. In effect the detail on the edge of the cast is broken and serious modelling skill is needed to fix the miniature. This is an unacceptable flaw and the cast is going to be discarded.
Bubbles – in the example above the air trapped in the cast is clearly visible and requires modelling action in order to get rid of holes. The model is considered a flaw and is going to be discarded.
Rubber – in contrary to the moulds for metal or plastic casts, the moulds for resin casts have to be replaced quite often. Sometimes the mould starts to break before it is replaced and parts of silicone get trapped in the cast. The rubber is sometimes very difficult to remove and usually it is impossible to paint it. Such cast is considered a flaw and is going to be discarded.
