Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Has anyone used a laser printer to create their decals? Is it more durable than inkjet? It must not need a sealing coat since the ink is not water soluble. I've used inkjet decals before and just haven't been happy with how careful I have to be (have to seal, easily scratched, etc) Also, how are the...

Does anyone know the expansion % of RTV when you put it in a vacuum? I've been molding some stuff and I can't help but feel like I'm just wasting expensive rubber by not putting it under a vacuum. Any rough estimates?

They do indeed. However you still have to seal the bottom edge and sometimes rubber can leak through the cracks of the Legos. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, the foamboard method really works great!

Do you guys think it is best to store the master parts in the molds to help the molds keep their shape and to help protect the master parts? Is this a good idea?

Where do you find those needle applicators? I could use one of those.

I just ended up getting the cheapo one from Harbor Freight. It's small and slows down under a heavy load, but it does the job well enough for the small stuff I need it for.

Want a good laugh? I need more rubber and was planning to get the two gallon kit from SmoothOn. I figured I might as well e-mail MicroMark to see if they can match or beat the price and I get an auto response back saying I am "blocked for abuse". I guess nowadays abuse means asking questio...

Hey Charlie, I plan on getting it from SmoothOn next time I need more. It was so funny getting the runaround from MicroMark technical assistance. :D About the foamcore, I don't know if you read my method or not, but if you do it the way I do you don't even need hot glue. :) It's soo easy. And it sav...

Well I went and got the MicroMark set. It's quite nice. The molds come out good and the first castings come out perfect if I use a little acetone on a Q-tip to clean them first. I asked MicroMark what the SmoothOn equivalent is but, not suprisingly, they won't tell me. The resin seems to be SmoothCa...

I just noticed that none of the sanders I have looked at say that they are UL listed. Is that a bad thing for a power tool?

What if I am really careful and just put little dots of rubber into the holes? Will that work?

Well, I just made my first mold last night! :D Unfortunately some air was trapped in some tiny detail areas. I kind of expected it to. So now I've got some little bubbles in my mold. :x Can I just spread a little more rubber on these areas and squash the part back in the mold to fill them in? That s...

That's cool, but I really need something that will ensure a perfect angle. I'm no good at doing it by hand and need something sturdy and mechanical with guides.

Hi All, I'm in the market for a small disk sander to get my model pieces sanded perfectly square and even. I've been searching around trying to find a good one that doesn't cost too much. $70 is about all I want to spend. I've found these three from MicroMark, American Science and Surplus, and Harbo...

Heat = Bad...got it! :D So the 30 minute resins would be a good choice then? The MM600/SO305. It looks like I'm going to go with SmoothOn as they are a bit cheaper than MicroMark for the same matetrial, and they have larger quantities available. Thanks everyone! Would this be a bad time to ask about...

Ok, cool. That's good news. So since they are the same, is Alumilite similar? Or is it a totally different formulation? They say it is odorless. Is odor a problem with the MM/SO?

I've heard that the MicroMark and SmoothOn stuff are the same thing. MM CR 300 is Smooth Cast SC 300 and 600 is 305. Any truth to this?

I've been leaning towards the MicroMark kit since it seems very complete, is very easy to order, and is only about $70. It's got about a half gallon of resin and rubber plus a bunch of other stuff. Anything bad about the MicroMark kit? Is the MoldMax series from SmoothOn? I can't recall offhand as I...

Thanks Charlie. I had forgotten about that offer. Do you know how much material it actually comes with? They don't list the ounces so it seems like it wouldn't be all that much. Otherwise they would list how much it comes with.

Hey everyone, I just finished going through every RTV and Resin thread on this board because I'm thinking of casting some parts I am scratchbuilding to avoid having to do it multiple times. It seems as if there are four major brands/lines out there. MicroMark, SmoothOn, Polytek, and Alumilite. I am ...

I've decided to go with 3 AA batteries. I got a 2AA holder and a 1AA holder. Do I solder both positive leads together and both negative leads together? That's what seems to make sense to me, but then my mind plays tricks on me when I think of how you connect batteries end to end.

Yup, you're right. I'm building it for someone else and they want everything to be self contained.

Hey all, I've got a strange situation. I'm working on an ERTL Star Destroyer and have 9 LEDs in it. I originally planned on running them off of 3 C batteries stored inside the Destroyer. I made my circuit, tested everything and wired everything up. The only problem is that the 3 C Batteries won't fi...

Even cheaper: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 09337&rd=1

You might want to try eBay. Search for #10 exacto and you should find some 100 packs for about $20.