Pocko
Active Member
I've admired the Memory Vials from Harry Potter for years, but I have neither the funds nor the skills to have one made in glass.
It occurred to me a few months ago, that if I sculpted a solid version, I could then mould dit, then cast it in clear resin. Here's some beauty shots:
This build diary makes it seem very straightforward, but this has taken place over a number of months, each step tackled once I'd built the confidence to try it.
I used plastic tube (an old till receipt roll) with some Evergreen styrene tube, combine with some wooden beads to create the basic shape. These components were brought together with 3M Glazing Putty and Milliput Epoxy.
After much sanding and shaping, I made a simple two part mould from silicone, and did a test cast with opaque resin.
I took the plunge to cast in clear resin. This stuff is a nightmare to use. It seems that even in ideal casting conditions, it remains tacky for days. I reduced this as much as possible by warming in an oven (using residual heat). Once I'd got as far as I could with that, I started on the sanding and smoothing. (This removed any final tackiness). To get the glass-like finish I worked though 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 wet and dry paper, and then gave a final polish using car polishing compound.
I finally cut out a label using a decorative corner punch and a scalpel (I'd like to make a more intricate one at some point).
It occurred to me a few months ago, that if I sculpted a solid version, I could then mould dit, then cast it in clear resin. Here's some beauty shots:
This build diary makes it seem very straightforward, but this has taken place over a number of months, each step tackled once I'd built the confidence to try it.
I used plastic tube (an old till receipt roll) with some Evergreen styrene tube, combine with some wooden beads to create the basic shape. These components were brought together with 3M Glazing Putty and Milliput Epoxy.
After much sanding and shaping, I made a simple two part mould from silicone, and did a test cast with opaque resin.
I took the plunge to cast in clear resin. This stuff is a nightmare to use. It seems that even in ideal casting conditions, it remains tacky for days. I reduced this as much as possible by warming in an oven (using residual heat). Once I'd got as far as I could with that, I started on the sanding and smoothing. (This removed any final tackiness). To get the glass-like finish I worked though 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 wet and dry paper, and then gave a final polish using car polishing compound.
I finally cut out a label using a decorative corner punch and a scalpel (I'd like to make a more intricate one at some point).
