A second, (unexpectedly-) productive weekend in a row, and I've completed this mold:


Click on Image to Enlarge
_FULL RES____FULL RES______Anticipating the chaos of the next phase, I shrouded the model upperworks in painter's tape (left, top), to keep drips of RTV out of the intricate superstructure while building-out the rest of the mold (left, bottom). Which, I realized (a bit late) could be further constrained to conform (roughly) to follow the hull lines - again, in this making good use of blocks carved from prior molds (including this one). The expendable box - cardboard lined with plastic tape - was rather taller than needed, but better this than to be too short! For logistic reasons - and again to minimize air-trapping - multiple pours were made: about 5, in this case, for completion.

After removal, the blocky mold was further supplemented (right) with a block covering the entire (similarly-accurized) bow, by standing the entire mold on end (not shown), to plunge into a small plastic ex-cole-slaw (or whatever) container, seen at far-right. This mold, then, can serve double-duty - though not both at the same time: to cast the desired hull-bottom when lying flat, and the upgraded bow, when stood on-end!

Thus - to retain a heavy "foot" to stand on, at the bow - further trimming to conform to the hull was limited essentially to the aft end:


Click on Image for FULL RESAgain having lost 20-30% of the total mass - which was again saved (not shown), and which had largely been recycled to begin with - the mold was trimmed to its final form (top), after removal of the Black Dragon (bottom), the latter appearing not too terribly much worse for wear, for the experience. (Though it's a good thing she required such extensive refit! Seriously, no more pristene model could have made it through all of this without loosing most if not all the detail parts already stripped off of this model.)

There are some further (really cool) features designed into this mold - and some special procedure(s) to cast, using it - however I will have to think some more about whether these should be posted, for all to see...

Nor will the above casting be the next thing(s) to do: again, it's not a Matty's Models priority - and all the resin/casting stuff is all packed away in storage, anyway.

More likely (though I'm still thinking it over) will be - especially seeing as how this New Jersey model needs some cleanup and one or two minor repairs after the above ordeal, anyway - I'll just break out the required upgrade parts and proceed with the Black Dragon refit!


Cheers,

- Matty