Our most recent tutorial shows you how to create metal parts using High Temperature Resin and Pewter. Learn the steps for designing your mold, casting pewter, and processing your finished part. Check out the tutorial and let us know what you think or share your own results using this technique!
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I’m excited to give this method a try! Does anyone have any idea how many casts the mold is able to produce before breaking down? I would imagine this isn’t a one time use mold, correct?
-Thanks!
It’s a one time use, unless you design a two or three piece mold.
It’s really difficult to cast aggressive overhangs with rigid molds, as you need a way to get the piece out again. More organic shapes like the dragon would be very hard to de-mold with the High Temp resin, as the resin won’t flex to let you work the pieces out. But it would definitely be doable with more mechanical shapes, like a bottle opener or gear. The issue you run into there is pewter isn’t a functional metal (it’s too soft), but you could use it for decorative purposes or for jewelry/cosplay (steampunk themed especially!)
If you want multiple parts you can also make a silicone mold from a master print. Silicone would allow under cuts etc.
Doesn’t seem all that cost effective but I am curious if you have tried boron nitride as a high temp mold release?
I am guessing that the difference between the high temp resin and clear isn’t all that significant. If your pouring pewter at just barely over melt temp the clear should perform similarly. Clear resin parts have been holding up at 320F here. Sticking the mold in sand certainly acts as a heatsink. Maybe even chill the sand just before pouring may be good too. I wouldn’t keep the mold in cold sand for any long period of time or you may have condensation which would be really really bad.
One last thing, you can slosh the pewter around then pour out the extra. This should make the model hollow, save material and will also reduce the dwell time so the mold won’t burn as the material will cool down faster.
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Right! We just wrote a piece of content on this process of vulcanization, the paper has a jewelry focus but it would work for miniatures too and is ideal for producing multiples of a part.
https://formlabs.com/white-paper-vulcanized-rubber-molding-3d-printed-masters/
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Silicone molds are great, and that’s why I specified a “rigid mold”. I find silicone to be more useful most of the time, but it all depends on the application I suppose.