Acid_Nine Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 so thanks to Reddit I found this website that has my head spinning with possibilities. I know there are instructions, but I want to get other people's thoughts on this! how fun / tedious is building these things? What plaster do you guys use? and do you think this is better than just buying terrain kits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 Well, I already purchased a mold and around 5 pounds of merlin’s Magic, just need to get my surfactant. I have to say i’m Pretty much hooked now. Made four batches already, and I think the hardest part is making sure I mix the amounts of concrete and water. My third batch was still wet after 13 hours, and but the other batch was fine so I gotta refine it. I already started mocking up paint schemes for it too! first column was spray painted black with two dry brushes, the middle column was spray painted grey with one granite grey dry brush, and the third was base coated with pewter grey and dry brushed with granite grey (apple barrel paints for those who want to know) i think i’m Going to go with grey spray paint and dry brush. It feels more natural if that makes sense. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted April 21, 2020 Share Posted April 21, 2020 3 hours ago, Acid_Nine said: Well, I already purchased a mold and around 5 pounds of merlin’s Magic, just need to get my surfactant. I have to say i’m Pretty much hooked now. Made four batches already, and I think the hardest part is making sure I mix the amounts of concrete and water. My third batch was still wet after 13 hours, and but the other batch was fine so I gotta refine it. I already started mocking up paint schemes for it too! first column was spray painted black with two dry brushes, the middle column was spray painted grey with one granite grey dry brush, and the third was base coated with pewter grey and dry brushed with granite grey (apple barrel paints for those who want to know) i think i’m Going to go with grey spray paint and dry brush. It feels more natural if that makes sense. Those look great! I do not really know anything at all about Hirst Arts, but it is looking really cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 21, 2020 Author Share Posted April 21, 2020 be warned ye who enter: https://www.hirstarts.com/ it's basically silicon molds that you pour plaster / dental stone into, and you can create buildings and structures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorax Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 (edited) I have always wanted to try Hirst molds. To me the process seems tidious, making a mold 10-15 times for a building. Is it tidious or am I wrong about that? Which molds did you end up with. Looking forward to watching this thread. Edited April 23, 2020 by Lorax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 23, 2020 Author Share Posted April 23, 2020 8 hours ago, Lorax said: I have always wanted to try Hirst molds. To me the process seems tidious, making a mold 10-15 times for a building. Is it tidious or am I wrong about that? Which molds did you end up with. Looking forward to watching this thread. honestly the hardest part is determining what is "enough" in terms of water to mixture ratio. so far I had two batches where the backs of my pieces are still wet and soft, so I had to throw those out, but I had more success than failures so far. It isn't as tedious as you think, because it's like, 5 minutes to pour, 5 minutes to wait before you scrape the excess off, and 20 / 30 minutes to wait for it to cure, where you can do other things while you wait. the only molds I have right now is the roman temple mold. but I'm thinking of picking up the wizard's tower or the turret mold later on to expand production. heck, I may even get two of one mold to save time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 (edited) Alright, I think I have enough blocks now, and I think I have my mini shrine is ready to be assembled, I have no clue what to do with the floor, though. I have two ideas, one to just cut it out of foam core and the other to put the top ring of tiles laid out and to pour a bunch a plaster to make a uniform floor. I have plans to make a hyish symbol for the main temple floor, but have no clue how to do it at the moment. So yea, got the first temple laid out, trying to decide which way I want the stairs, on the wide end or short end. Also gotta think about how the heck I want to make the roof, as I got to make more castings before I try. also found a better way to do a column, using the corners instead of the thing I did before. I already purchased an old OOP metal teclis model to create a statue for him, and I plan on making him nice and golden. Edited April 24, 2020 by Acid_Nine 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 49 minutes ago, Acid_Nine said: Alright, I think I have enough blocks now, and I think I have my mini shrine is ready to be assembled, I have no clue what to do with the floor, though. I have two ideas, one to just cut it out of foam core and the other to put the top ring of tiles laid out and to pour a bunch a plaster to make a uniform floor. I have plans to make a hyish symbol for the main temple floor, but have no clue how to do it at the moment. So yea, got the first temple laid out, trying to decide which way I want the stairs, on the wide end or short end. Also gotta think about how the heck I want to make the roof, as I got to make more castings before I try. also found a better way to do a column, using the corners instead of the thing I did before. I already purchased an old OOP metal teclis model to create a statue for him, and I plan on making him nice and golden. That looks very good, I would say to get an inlaid look of a symbol hysh, use something, probably foam core or or something like that, make a physical symbol of hysh, 3d printed and sanded might work, cut it out of greenstuff if that doesnt work, and then press it into the foam core and make some kind of imprint. pour plaster over it, and you should have a plaster rectangle, preferably the size of the temple, and with a textured symbol of hysh coming out of it, possibly lying in front of the statue of Teclis. Basically make a a jig with the symbol of hysh pressed into the bottom to make a floor with the hysh symbol in the bottom. This is all theoretical as I have no experience with plaster or mold making, but it might work 🤷♂️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 24, 2020 Author Share Posted April 24, 2020 17 hours ago, Sttufe said: That looks very good, I would say to get an inlaid look of a symbol hysh, use something, probably foam core or or something like that, make a physical symbol of hysh, 3d printed and sanded might work, cut it out of greenstuff if that doesnt work, and then press it into the foam core and make some kind of imprint. pour plaster over it, and you should have a plaster rectangle, preferably the size of the temple, and with a textured symbol of hysh coming out of it, possibly lying in front of the statue of Teclis. Basically make a a jig with the symbol of hysh pressed into the bottom to make a floor with the hysh symbol in the bottom. This is all theoretical as I have no experience with plaster or mold making, but it might work 🤷♂️ I may consider that, but I may also just trace a shape on foam core, prime it with black paint and pva glue, and glue it down before spray painting the floor. I plan on having the statue come out of the center of the hyish symbol, or at the little arrow at the top, but I will see later on. anyways, I finally put together the base. It was a fairly big pain in the ass, trying to keep everything straightwhile it glued down in order to have nice straight lines. It is a little bent, but this is my test building so it’s not as bad. Stormcast and Seymour the skeleton for scale. It’s not LOS blocking by any means, but it is good enough! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 25, 2020 Author Share Posted April 25, 2020 Forgot to take pictures of the floor I added before i covered it in modge pudge and grey paint, which I hope didn’t ruin the floor with unneeded texture. I made the floor out of foam core, and i’m Planning on spray painting the entire thing so I had to seal up the floor, which I really hope I did. Also, the plaster blocks really stain when exposed to any sort of paint. I tried to wipe off the excess mixture but it wouldn’t budge. Kinda odd. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 So turns out that the modge podge stuff over the foam core worked, and the floor is now spray painted, so I’m pretty happy. Yesterday I had to spray the bottom, but my tray had some stones on them still and it I dented the surface, which I don’t know how I feel about that. Still, all that is left to do is dry brush the base, paint up some more columns, and maybe make a roof. and then it’s time for the big boy... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 52 minutes ago, Acid_Nine said: So turns out that the modge podge stuff over the foam core worked, and the floor is now spray painted, so I’m pretty happy. Yesterday I had to spray the bottom, but my tray had some stones on them still and it I dented the surface, which I don’t know how I feel about that. Still, all that is left to do is dry brush the base, paint up some more columns, and maybe make a roof. and then it’s time for the big boy... Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 @Sttufe thank you! Only thing I wish I did better was to try and fix that gap on the right side. I think next time I may apply more modge podge, maybe with some crushed plaster to act as a sort of spackle... Finished the simple granite grey dry brush on the model and I am pretty satisfied with the result. Going to build some pillars and think about building the open space roof or just leaving it pillars and the base. It is a temple to the light gods, so no roof does make sense in order to get the most amount of light. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorax Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Looking great! Can't wait to see where this goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 @Lorax thanks a ton! I just hope I can do everything I want for armies on parade. I only have to get, build and paint all the lumineth, design a display board, create a few roads, build the larger temple, and finish painting the skeletons that are going to be attacking the lumineth’s temple. All while starting radiologic technologist clinical this summer! anyways, finally received the old OOP metal teclis model yesterday. I am going to paint up as a bronze or gold statue, make it the Focal point of the larger temple for teclis. Already designed the Dias and everything fit him, which is just the pedestal I used as a test structure built with proper corners. Still a little crooked, but i’m Not a perfect elf so it’s what ever. For the current temple i’m Thinking that i’m Going to have the focal point be a spare head from the mountain spirit, make it an offshoot lesser temple of a sort. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorax Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Sounds like you are very busy indeed. I would say that you are golden for Armies on Parade. I did a massive display board for my Legion of Azgorh last year. It was about 3-4 feet tall and about 2 feet wide. I started about 2 months ahead of time, and still had plenty of time to complete. Granted, I focused mostly on the display as I had the army more or less finished. You can do it! I only included all of this to show just how much you can do! Going to be watching your thread and cheering you on! Looking great so far, it will be stunning with the new army! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 31 minutes ago, Acid_Nine said: I only have to get, build and paint all the lumineth, design a display board, create a few roads, build the larger temple, and finish painting the skeletons that are going to be attacking the lumineth’s temple. All while starting radiologic technologist clinical this summer! Sounds like a piece of cake 😆! It is coming along nicely however, can't wait to see the actual Lumineth standing on/around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Finally finished all the columns (except one unbuilt one, bleh) and arrayed them on the mini temple. Probably only going to use 4 of them for this, but it’s still fun to see. anyone have any tips for painted a golden statue? Should I just cover it in retributor gold with some agrax earthshade wash? Or should I do a shiny bronze as a well kept statue for teclis? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Acid_Nine said: Finally finished all the columns (except one unbuilt one, bleh) and arrayed them on the mini temple. Probably only going to use 4 of them for this, but it’s still fun to see. anyone have any tips for painted a golden statue? Should I just cover it in retributor gold with some agrax earthshade wash? Or should I do a shiny bronze as a well kept statue for teclis? It depends, I am would say, from what I have gotten from what you have said in the past comments, if the skeletons currently surround it, then it should probably be agrax earthshade over retributor, if your Lumineth are defending it, then most likely a shiny gold that was polished recently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted May 2, 2020 Author Share Posted May 2, 2020 I still am waiting for the Sufracant, so not going to cast stones yet... but I have been thinking about how the heck I plan on making the rest of the display board. I want to build a hill and a road / stairs leading up to the top, but I don't know how to build a hill. I know it's pink foam 101, but I never attempted it before so I'm a bit lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadkitten Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 Yes, Hirst Arts! It is def a Hobby within a Hobby. First off, the Foam FB group are doing a lot of good work and to mock up something quickly or large it's definitely probably the better way to go. Hirst Arts wins out on the detail and the variety. The are some things where going the Hirst Arts route is better than foam. Probably, at the end of the day it comes down to what you want to spend your Sat doing. Second you can cast off the Hirst Arts molds and then assemble items that you then pour your own silicone mold for. I've done this for floor pieces and trim to get them up to 6x6 or 6x8 or something. Also, for things like windows and such. This is basically next level and expect to build a bit of a new skill set doing it. And don't be afraid to buy a duplicate mold if you're casting a lot. It's worth it if you're not going to pour a project specific mold. Next, I use the Merlins Magic that Bruce recommends. I buy it in the 50 lb box. Just bite the bullet if you are at all interested. If you keep it dry, the shelf life is infinite. I've tried dental plaster but you do want to be able to sand bricks from time to time and I find the dental plaster is a bit of a pain. I have used resin as well, but again, less forgiving than plaster. Finally, in regards to the ratios, get a kitchen scale. It really does help. Once you figure out how much plaster for any given mold run, you can use tricks like drawing lines on cups and whatnot but I always start with the scale and take notes as I go to get the recipe correct. Also, if you haven't already figured it out, don't cast these up 1 at a time. I find 4-6 is about right. The blocks accumulate quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadkitten Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Acid_Nine said: I still am waiting for the Sufracant, so not going to cast stones yet... but I have been thinking about how the heck I plan on making the rest of the display board. I want to build a hill and a road / stairs leading up to the top, but I don't know how to build a hill. I know it's pink foam 101, but I never attempted it before so I'm a bit lost. Get a good ****** file. The largest they have at the big box store. Also, there are the craft knives that extend and you can snap off the blade. Get the cheapest they have at the big box store. This is great for trimming 2" foam. I've also used old serrated kitchen knives. There is a flexible saw for cutting door jambs that can be useful for hills. I don't work with foam a lot but ask the Foam FB group, they'll help you out with way more tips than I know. EDIT: HA! they censored my file! it is the one that has teeth going both directions instead of just one. It is named after Jon Snow, who is a .... (But before we learned he was actually a Targaryn.) Edited May 2, 2020 by Deadkitten 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 Thanks for the help @Deadkitten! I am pretty happy with my first building, but I think the next one is going to be better. I don’t think I have enough money to create my own molds just yet, no matter how much I want to. I think I will try some day, but for now I will work with this one mold and the future one, but I will keep it in mind. will say, the foam stuff is a bit confusing but I think I will try it soon, as soon as the world goes back to normal or I have enough money to try. I want to make a two tiered hill, with one for the way shrine and one for the top. I think I also want to make a road, which I plan on making out of foam board I don’t know right now, but I want to work something through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acid_Nine Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 School is keeping me from casting more molds, so slow on that front. I am working on a sample for my idea on the temple floor, but I don’t really know how I like it. I made this by tracing an outline of the Hysh symbol on some pretty crappy poster board that didn’t tear the paper off all the way, but it left a good imprint. Too bad I am really sloppy with my painting 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sttufe Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 3 hours ago, Acid_Nine said: School is keeping me from casting more molds, so slow on that front. I am working on a sample for my idea on the temple floor, but I don’t really know how I like it. I made this by tracing an outline of the Hysh symbol on some pretty crappy poster board that didn’t tear the paper off all the way, but it left a good imprint. Too bad I am really sloppy with my painting Looks great I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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