A little casting trick I pick up.

[GreatMoose]

Now where I can find this stuff in HK?

You can't. There's only two places you can get it, and they're both online. One is directly from the manufacturer, and the other is www.sculpt.com. Same prices at both places.

As far as the dimensions go, when the part is fully expanded, the dimensions are exactly proportional to the original. It WILL look really funny while it's expanding (due to varying thickness), but once it's done, it's exact. Of course, the less complex you can make your cast (ie. separate into pieces), the better, but it's not necessary. Oh, it will only take very minor undercuts, so think about your parts layout before you mold.

[jipe]

This product seems amazing, but I am afraid I think we can not import this one from the US.

Is there someone here who will project to make some 1/72 items only known in other scales ?

[Grayson72]

This product seems amazing, but I am afraid I think we can not import this one from the US.

Is there someone here who will project to make some 1/72 items only known in other scales ?

That's my plan

[Gerwalker]

This product seems amazing, but I am afraid I think we can not import this one from the US.

Is there someone here who will project to make some 1/72 items only known in other scales ?

That's my plan

Just wonder how do you plan to do so:

If the item is 1/144 using the expanding polymer you would obtain a 1/90 scale part (a tad bigger than the 1/100 scale) Another casting would let you obtain a

~1/56 scale part (too big)

If the part is 1/100 you would obtain a 1/62.5 part (not that bad!!! but a little bigger than 1/72)

Maybe you are planning to use the naphta trick (that seems to allow tuning the final size) to make them shrink a little??

[jipe]

Gerwalker Posted on Sep 15 2004, 11:00 AM

Just wonder how do you plan to do so:

If the item is 1/144 using the expanding polymer you would obtain a 1/90 scale part (a tad bigger than the 1/100 scale) Another casting would let you obtain a

~1/56 scale part (too big)

If the part is 1/100 you would obtain a 1/62.5 part (not that bad!!! but a little bigger than 1/72)

Maybe you are planning to use the naphta trick (that seems to allow tuning the final size) to make them shrink a little??

That's a good question !

Grayson72, can you told us wich items ? (I am curious cos only make 1/72 too )

[GreatMoose]

You could always use a combination of the naptha soak (twice the size), hydrospan (1.6x) and the naptha mix (reduce). I have no idea what that would do to your detail, and that's a LOT of casting and molds.

Edit: English is hard

Edited September 15, 2004 by GreatMoose

[Grayson72]

Actually since the product expands so slowly you have the time to exactly measure and mark the expansion process. You don't have to wait until it's expanded to the full size, once it reaches the size you want you simply take it out of the water. If you let it get too big you can set it out of the water and it will very slowly shrink.

My first items will be the 1/100 scale support vehicles that came out of the Factory set. The generator vehicle, the personnel transport and the cherry picker crane. It will take a very long time to do it though. I figure it will take 2-3 castings/expansions to get it to 1/72 scale. Those little vehicles almost exactly match the line art in the Kowamari book. If I take the wheels off I can cast them in one piece too (well the generator and the transport anyway).

Edited September 15, 2004 by Grayson72

[jipe]

Engrish is more easy (sorry )

Good choice Grayson72. Little kits and maybe more easy to make. I don't think we never see such things made by hasegawa !

[GreatMoose]

Actually since the product expands so slowly you have the time to exactly measure and mark the expansion process. You don't have to wait until it's expanded to the full size, once it reaches the size you want you simply take it out of the water. If you let it get too big you can set it out of the water and it will very slowly shrink.

Well, the problem is is that it doesn't expand at a constant rate unless your object is symmetrical (like a sphere or cube). All points in the object have the same saturation level, but the have different rates depending on shape and thickness. When fully saturated (one to one molecule binding,or something), it reaches the proper proportions. It does, however, shrink at a much more consistent rate (although not perfect). They are working on a new formula that will grow at a constant rate.

[Grayson72]

I get the feeling though that the expansion rate is affected by larger objects. the example they give is a cast of a human hand, a pretty thick model where the fingers would expand faster than the palm. The vehicles are tiny, I'll just have to see how it works, I'll keep ya posted.

[captain america]

Seems infinitely easier to just build new vehicles from scratch. You'd no longer have to be limited to the one piece opaque block design of the original plastic versions...Assuming you could even scale them properly. New tooling would allow you to add better detail, clear windows, cockpits.

This is not to say that the Hydrospan technique wouldn't work; just an observation on my part that producing all new tooling may take about the same amount of time, and yield a better result.

[Grayson72]

Seems infinitely easier to just build new vehicles from scratch. You'd no longer have to be limited to the one piece opaque block design of the original plastic versions...Assuming you could even scale them properly. New tooling would allow you to add better detail, clear windows, cockpits.

This is not to say that the Hydrospan technique wouldn't work; just an observation on my part that producing all new tooling may take about the same amount of time, and yield a better result.

Hmph, says you oh master sculptor, the whole point of using the scale up technique with Hydrospan is cuz the rest of us suck at sculpting.

Clear windows, he says, detailed cockpits he says, you're mad

[tetsujin]

Seems infinitely easier to just build new vehicles from scratch. You'd no longer have to be limited to the one piece opaque block design of the original plastic versions...Assuming you could even scale them properly. New tooling would allow you to add better detail, clear windows, cockpits.

Hmph, says you oh master sculptor, the whole point of using the scale up technique with Hydrospan is cuz the rest of us suck at sculpting.

He's got a point, though. You could expand a mold made from a crappy 1:100 model to make a degraded and more crappy 1:72 model - or you could take measurements of the 1:100 model and make a better 1:72 model. It takes some effort to get good enough to pull it off, but the whole process of growing and re-growing a mold, losing detail and skewing surfaces on each pass seems like bad news to me.

[Gundamhead]

I just did the flatbed from the Factory kit in 1/72. (It doesn't have any belly guts though) I just always liked that thing. It was actually a little tougher than I thought it'd be. I had started the cherry picker, but got tired of wheels, but so far it was going OK.

[Grayson72]

I just did the flatbed from the Factory kit in 1/72. (It doesn't have any belly guts though) I just always liked that thing. It was actually a little tougher than I thought it'd be. I had started the cherry picker, but got tired of wheels, but so far it was going OK.

You finished the flatbed? Well let's see it!

[Gerwalker]

I always wanted the other way round:

I would like 1/100 scale things for my 1/100 models... For example: 1/100 ground crew and the like. Seems like the naphta trick could be used for reducing Dragon's 1/72 deck crew to 1/100 scale...

[Grayson72]

Well I'll have the molds from the first step in the enlarging process that will be in 1/100, so if you don't have these already I could make you some. They'd be the cannon vehicles from the show and the line art.

[Gerwalker]

Well I'll have the molds from the first step in the enlarging process that will be in 1/100, so if you don't have these already I could make you some. They'd be the cannon vehicles from the show and the line art.

That would be great!!

thanks!!

[Gundamhead]

I always wanted the other way round:

I would like 1/100 scale things for my 1/100 models... For example: 1/100 ground crew and the like. Seems like the naphta trick could be used for reducing Dragon's 1/72 deck crew to 1/100 scale...

Not to go too far off topic but, I thought you may like to see these. Us 1/100 scale guys gotta stick together.

http://www.reynaulds.com/preiser/p_1-100_f...=lngNumericSort

[Grayson72]

You know if you check on Yahoo JP they occasionally have the full set of figures that came with the Factory kit. All wearing various uniforms form pilots to full dress officers, all Macross cannon from the TV series.

[Gundamhead]

'1/100 Animation Figure Set' Yup I got those guys. I wonder why they were never called Macross figures though. A bunch of mine are serving as Zeon offficers and mechanics re-armin a Zaku. They're pretty decent, but the Prieser guys are top notch. They've got a slew of 1/72 guys suitable for various Macross dudes and dudettes.

[Grayson72]

Yeah Preiser makes some awesome stuff, I've got all their 1/72 things, the detail is amazing, those darn Germans.

[Gerwalker]

I always wanted the other way round:

I would like 1/100 scale things for my 1/100 models... For example: 1/100 ground crew and the like. Seems like the naphta trick could be used for reducing Dragon's 1/72 deck crew to 1/100 scale...

Not to go too far off topic but, I thought you may like to see these. Us 1/100 scale guys gotta stick together.

http://www.reynaulds.com/preiser/p_1-100_f...=lngNumericSort

Thanks! I have some of those. An I even converted HO teenagers from Preiser (they are almost 1/100!!) into deck crew from But I want something like the Fujimy deck crew.

[Gerwalker]

Yeah Preiser makes some awesome stuff, I've got all their 1/72 things, the detail is amazing, those darn Germans.

Not to mention the 1/144 piots and ground crew!! They are amazing!! They give your small planes a new life. I even going to use some of them for my 1/144 Kilo class submarine.

[Gundamhead]

I just did the flatbed from the Factory kit in 1/72. (It doesn't have any belly guts though) I just always liked that thing. It was actually a little tougher than I thought it'd be. I had started the cherry picker, but got tired of wheels, but so far it was going OK.

You finished the flatbed? Well let's see it!

Here ya go. I haven't put the other wheels on one side, so that's why it's lopsided. The green flatbed is the 1/100. My primer snotted on the nice sanding job I had, so my diamond plate is goobered at the moment. I'm just too lazy to strip it right now. Like I said, the underside is still naked, so there ain't anything to see. One of those 'But it was such a easy thing to do' things that turned into %#$#$!!! Put it away for a little or see what a Destroid Monster could do to it. I put it away for a little bit.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p...12296&members=1

[Neova]

Great job Gundamhead! Now lets see some more scaling up! Finally we may be able to see Macross II and Macross 7 Valks take their place next to our 1/72 Hasegawas!

[Gerwalker]

Excellent work on that flat bed Gundamhead!!

[whytwolf]

Wow that flatbed looks great Gundamhead!

Now for thos idiots of us here (well, me....) can you list the steps you followed to acchieve this scaling up effect?

Was it the naptha or that other stuff?

Sean

[Gundamhead]

It's a scratchbuild. I measured the 1/100 and scale it up to 1/72. Then lotsa cutting of sheet styrene.

[whytwolf]

It's a scratchbuild. I measured the 1/100 and scale it up to 1/72. Then lotsa cutting of sheet styrene.

Doh!

Guess I really am as stupid as I look

Excellent work though. You gonna make resin casts available?

Sean

[shdwfx2000]

tag. man i am glad i found this message board.