Modeling for tabletop games

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

So I was wondering if anyone has tried to use the molds from Hirst Arts
http://www.hirstarts.com/

They look really good and it seems like you could build just about anything from them.... Still the molds are expensive, and so is plaster.... and resin.

Still I can build a gazillion more things with his kits than I can buy commercially and they are definitely sturdier.

Some thoughts on their stuff
It would be really cool to use some of the sets to build a modern city for a super hero game especially if you used the gothic sets.

I would also like to use those sets for Pinnacles Rippers game.

There is a lack of Sci-fi Sets... but the few that are included are pretty cool.

This guy has a lot of scenic tips available on his site too.

The other site that looked like it might put me into bankruptcy is Crusader29s site

http://www.crusader29.com/

I likes the gothic city stuff...

[42]

I've thought a lot about making my own molds for table-top gaming, but it is quit time consuming. I did a lot of cast molding in my sculpture classes in college. It take patience. Also, there can be a large expense in mold casting. And you have to be careful to take care of the mold, course even then the molds rarely make more than a few casts before detail start to chip off.

I've had the best results with loss-wax-bronze casting, but that is definitely out of the budget of most gamers. And is way too time consuming even for the best time-wasters.

[Fellfrosch]

A friend of my dad's used to design, cast and paint all of his own miniatures, and he had huge armies of them all over his house. I don't think we ever got to see them, but it always sounded so dang cool that I think it's one of the reasons Mustard and I got into minis in the first place.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

hmm well these molds are for miniature terrain, and you can use plaster of paris for them (or dental plaster if you want something more durable...

[42]

If you put a good coating, or seven, of polyurethane over plater-of-paris casts, they actually become quite durable. Just be sure to paint first. Course, painting plaster-of-paris can be tricking because of its high absorbancy and lightening properties. Course, dying the plaster-of-paris can help this, but it takes a lot of experimentation and pratice to get good at it. Airbrushing over a thin layer of polyurethane and then applying more urethane can achieve some wonderful results.

I've spent a lot of time working with plaster-of-paris. I've even made my own plaster-of-paris from scratch minerals once. Don't remember how to do it again, but I know it's possible.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

the only thing that looks tricky is the shrinkage of the blocks...

I think Im going to buy a couple of molds and try them though.