I want my resin to shrink.

[Boba Flint]

Yes you read it right. I want resin to shrink.

I have a sculpt that I want to use for a project but it is too big. Is there something out there to remold the master and cast it in some resin that you can make it shrink say 10-15% and still retain the detail?

 

[themanwoaname]

if memory serves from when i was into gijoes, people used kerosene to change the size of their resin casts. im not entirely sure how that worked but im sure its a start for your search

 

[ob1al]

if memory serves from when i was into gijoes, people used kerosene to change the size of their resin casts. im not entirely sure how that worked but im sure its a start for your search

Why don't you make a latex mold of the master then take a cast from the latex mold? It will shrink and retain the detail.

 

[obiwan2]

Why don't you make a latex mold of the master then take a cast from the latex mold? It will shrink and retain the detail.

Really good idea!!

 

[HMS Mike]

Hi,
Depending on the resin you are using ,if it is a urethane you can add lacure thinner or acetone to the mix and that will make your part shrink. But be careful use only 1 to 1.5 % of the total weight as to much can keep your resin from curing. Unless you are using BJB 1630 then you can add about 20% and that has worked very well in the past.

Hope this helps,

HMS Mike

 

[fettster]

theres a product out ther called hydroshrink (i think) its a urethane based product that toy companies use to shrink there prototypes to scale

 

[Bizarro Lois]

theres a product out ther called hydroshrink (i think) its a urethane based product that toy companies use to shrink there prototypes to scale

http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/CastingMaterials/HydroShrink.htm

Here is the link to the company that makes it, but I can only find the enlarging compound, Hydrospan. You might have to call or email them to ask about Hydroshrink.
http://www.industrialpolymers.com/water_abs_expanding_urethanes.html

 

[AnsonJames]

You can add mineral spirits to your silicone which will cause the mould to shrink as the spirits evaporate.
Works really well too!

Here's a tutorial;
http://scihighmodels.com/howto_shrink.html

 

[CTF]

Cold water.

 

[sloopy]

mould your master in alginate

 

[Davlin]

@ Sloopy : Hum, not to offense you but Alginate doesn't shrink correctly, it would deform its part too much. Same for rubber, its difficult to get all the areas shrinking the same way...

 

[sloopy]

devlin yeah i know but i dont think many of the idears here will work unless you want to go down in incraments of about 2% at a time.

 

[foxbatkllr]

I've used the Hydroshrink stuff before. It works, but its not magical. You have to monitor the shrinking carefully. Even if you don't mix it according to their directions, your cast will still shrink to like 1/4 of its original size. For my part, I had to mold it before it was done shrinking.