Making a Mold of a Complete Aircraft

ski1491

New Member
First off, like to say thanks for hosting and participating in this site. I sure have gotten lots of tips and useful information that helped divert sure diaster on a few projects.

I work on an aircraft program and have a model of the complete fighter that I want to reproduce by creating a silicone mold so I can enhance it it the future. Has sturned out to be quite a challange due to the thin wing sections, stabilizes and tails. Anybody ever took on a project like this and had any success? I figured it needed to be a two/three part mold with several vents, but where to pour? Again, thanks for the site and looking forward to your responses.

Ski
 
Its difficult to say without actually having it in front of me. If you can post some pics,we might be able to get you going in the right direction.
 
If you are only interested in a few pulls then it's just a matter of taking your time and using a slower setting resin... The slower resin will give you time to rotate and turn the mold and hopefully get any trapped air out, and will also afford you the option to pressure cast to further eliminate bubbles... And yes you will likely need multiple vents...

As for the pour that depends on the model in question every shape is unique and thus every mold will be unique there is no one way to go about it...
 
Here are a few pictures of the model I want to mold/pour. I'm thinking the mold line will have to be center fuselage and along the wing. What do you think?
 
Here are a few pictures of the model I want to mold/pour. I'm thinking the mold line will have to be center fuselage and along the wing. What do you think?

That would be a good start, but you will also likely have to seem the vertical stabilizers as well... Pour location is pretty easy on that just extend the engine back further and clean up post casting.... Cast nose down with vents for the wings and stabilizers...
 
Ya, seam it horizontal around the wings. would remove the rudders as it would be difficult to remove top half of mold with the rudders being at angles. Mold them separetely. Cut your vents In after you finish the mold. any area that would catch air needs a vent. Alternately you could do a rotocast using a quick setting urethane or equivelent. No need for vents in this case, just an easily removable/replaceable fill plug. Good luck!
 
I agree with what has been said above, a horizontal seam line along the wing, and mold the vertical stabilizers separately, if possible. I will also add that the seam line should go around the air intake, and not through it, as that would be a difficult seam to clean up. add all the vent line to the wing tips, and you're good to go.

The pour should be vertical, nose down. The pour spout can go through the jet exhaust, and even better if you can cast the exhaust separately as a plug to cover the pour hole.

Since this has very low detail, you can go with a very high shore silicone.
 
I really do appreciate all the good advice. Just want to be sure I got it right, seam along the wings and stabs. I attached a picture of the seam line in red. Use the engine as the pour spout and pour with the nose down. I wish I could remove the rudders as suggested, however the model is hogged out of a solid pice and I would have to tear it up to remove them. I understand the point of being difficult to remove the mold half, not sure what to do with that area. One more question, should I do a pour without vents and see where the air gets trapped and add vents or just put them in the wing tips and stab tiips? Sorry for all the questions, I'm really a novice and trying not to waste any more silicone then necessary.

Also sure like to hear more about a Roto pour, thought that gear was pretty pricey, is that a favorable plan? Thanks again for all the tips, until now my molds have been very simple, looking forward to the challange

Ski
 
If worse comes to worse, you can slice your mold up the back of one of the rudders to get it out. just make certain it is lined up properly and your mothermold is holding it securely.

As for as a rotocast for this item, it doesnt look that big. you can probably rotocast it by hand if using a quick urethane or equivelant.
 
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