Hello and URGENT help please!

[Guest]

Hello Guys

I found this forum using AltaVista search engine

I have a slightly unusual request and am turning to this community for some advice/support/assistance please.

My dilemma is that I need to prepare some military-style uniforms for a tattoo. I am in need of some "collar-dogs" (which if you didn't know) are simply flat-back badges that are fixed either side of of a high collar. They have to match the cap badge used on the uniform. I can turn to suppliers in the East who can make these for me - but I simply do not have the time for a prototype to be made and approved and also I am not after a great number - just approx 40.

The "dogs" are simply for display only and are not (load bearing) used for securing the collar in any way. A thought was that there may be a way that we could make some type of mould (from an original) and replicate using a plastic, resin.... whatever (ignorance here) and then paint silver.

Model-making came to mind and I wondered if there was anything available on the market that would suit our needs??

The badge is based on a "star", with no holes through it and a flat back but a raised detailed front.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated....... many thanks....;-))

[wonwinglo]

Kitmaster,you need some cold cure casting rubber,this is obtainable from http://tiranti.co.uk basically what you need to do is place the badge into a small card box,then the cold cure is poured over the badge and allowed to cure overnight,this will give you a pattern sufficent to reproduce about 70 replicas,for the casting material you will need some liquid pour resin,this is a two part liquid that reproduces fine detail,have a word with Tiranti he has been supplying this material to artists and modellers now for years and knows his stuff.

[Guest]

Have a read at this web site. A lot of usefull stuff here as well.

http://www.resincasting.co.uk/moldmaking.html

[Guest]

Tiranti also supply fine metal powder to add to the resin which might look better than painting. Usual metals, brass, silver, copper etc. (I wore Royal Scots dogs for two years) Check your nearest art college, they might be happy to do it as an project. Where are you based Kiltmaster ?

[Guest]

Many thanks for your advice guys this sounds just what we need. I am near Sandhurst/Camberley, Surrey.

[Guest]

Too far away for me ! Ask about adding glass-fibre chopped mat strands to make the castings less brittle if needed. There are other resins than polyester (brittle) that Tiranti can advise you about,less smell, quicker cure etc. Good luck and let us know how you get on. There are a few military modellers here including figure and uniform specialists who would relish a 1 to 1 scale model.

[Guest]

hey Kiltmaster, you are only 20 minutes away from me, and guess what.... i do alot of RTV ( room temperature vulcanising) rubber moulding, i also have some tiranti quick cast resin, as i make alot of stuff in this way.......

so if you have any questions fire away, or send me a private message......

during the working week i am between ascot and windsor..... if you want to see first hand how its done then give me a shout.....

if you have one already then sounds fairly straight forward to produce a mould so you can make more.....

[wonwinglo]

It sounds as if we could have a happy ending to this request,you could not get a better person than NTT to explain how to make castings,just goes to show the things we can assist with here,well done !

[Guest]

Hey - you guys are tops!!!

Never had such fast and genuine offers of help before - I really do appreciate your time and interest – thank you!

Yes it does sound like there will be a happy ending and what a wonderful association – as the Pipes & Drums march on to the parade square – they will all have that extra sparkle, thanks to the scale-models.co.uk forum!!!!!

I will get in touch NTT

Have a great weekend all ;-))

[Guest]

Kiltmaster,

When it's all over send us a picture!