I recently did a how-to session on molding lifeboats and turrets for the Treaty group and then captured it in an article for those that missed the build session. I thought I would post the article here to help out those that may want to try molding accessories. Mark
Awesome article, Mark! Seeing how easy it is, I'm going to do the same to me next ship. Thanks for the great write up.
After some discussion in another thread, I decided to run durability tests on the casting materials I have been using. I'm posting my completed tests here for those that are interested in using the casting method and materials that I described. The 6 test turrets are, from left to right are: regular water putty, Alumilite, water putty coated with tool dip, silicone, West epoxy, and water putty with micro balloons. Results: Top left and middle are the coated water putty. It survived the hits pretty well, much better than the uncoated. Once there were multiple hits close together or close to the edge, the casting did fracture. The Alumilite in the top right corner showed a couple of dents but was basically unharmed. The plain water putty in the bottom left survived some pretty good hits, but split when several BBs hit in the same place. The epoxy in the bottom middle was completely unmarked on the outside, but you can see an internal fracture starting in the middle of the door. The bottom right is the water putty mixed with micro balloons - the holes are pretty deep, but as long as the hit was not near the edge it survived. I don't have a picture of the silicone, but as you can expect, the BB just bounced off. So in order of preference: 1. Alumilite - 8.6 grams turret weight, cost $0.328/turret, expensive but light weight, durable and gives the best detail 2. Coated water putty - 11.5 grams, $0.062/turret, cheap, slightly heavy and reasonably durable 3. Water putty - 11.3 grams, $0.062/turret, cheap, slightly heavy but a little brittle 4. Epoxy - 9.3 grams, $0.443/turret, expensive and possibly too brittle for long term durability 5. Water putty with micro balloons - 6.4 grams, $0.035/turret, light but soft -- use only if weight is paramount 6. Silicone - 7.8 grams, $0.018/turret, difficult to get a good casting, not paintable, watch the ricochet
