Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Miniature’

I’ve been making miniature gun models as a hobby when I was little but never out of metal obviously because I don’t have the skill to and its too dangerous for a kid. Now I’m thinking about learning art metalcraft to make fully functional rescaled replica of modern firearms for a hobby, but how do I get started on it?
- What classes I need to take or what do I need to learn to make them?
- What metal is easiest to cast and mold and to yield realism along with precise details of the model? Also durability?
- What kind of tools and equipment?

Just any pointers or any information regarding this topic that can help would be greatly appreciated.
Example would be something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esfNu4OzI-4&feature=fvw

Thanks

Collecting miniatures is a very popular pastime that many people still enjoy. Getting started with miniatures is not all that hard if you are willing and eager to learn about them. Miniature figures are used in role playing games and they also double as collectibles. It is basically just a small scale replica of a real life object or person. People have been playing with miniatures and collecting them for many years. Many of these collectibles are very elaborately designed and painted. Many collectors choose to display their miniatures even when not in use. There are many fabulous resources where one can learn more about miniatures and collecting them.

When you first get involved with the collecting of miniatures, you may be somewhat confused by the scale measurements. Understanding the scales looks more complicated than it really is. Quite often you will find the scale measurements in metric form. There are various scale types and sizes that one can choose from for their miniature games. On average, a miniature representing a 6 foot tall man will be just 30mm in size. Depending on the game and the collectible type, this ratio will not always be the same. You can easily look up certain ratios for specific games or purposes.

The scale size of miniatures tends to vary based on such things as what type of game you will be playing with them. Certain games like war games may require smaller scale sizes. This is the type of thing that you should look into carefully before you go out and start to purchase your miniatures. Getting the right scale size is important, especially if you are spending a substantial amount of money. Always check over all of the details included in the manufacturer information. It will give you a clear indication of the exact scale size of the miniatures.

There can be a few problematic areas that can come into play when choosing miniature scales. For one, certain proportions on different figures might interfere with the listed scale size. Certain deviations such as a wider body could affect this. Miniatures have evolved quite a lot over the years so you may want to do some research before you start making any purchases. If you have a specific type of game in mind, then you may want to use a certain type of miniature. The material that it is made out of may also be important to you.

A lot of miniatures are made out of metal and plastic casting. Molds are used to shape the figures. The cost of miniature figures will be affected by the material they are made out of as some materials cost much more than others to produce. Many collectors and enthusiasts choose to make their own sculpted miniature figures, designing and painting them entirely. Do some online browsing or research in order to learn more about collecting, purchasing or designing miniature scaled figures. It certainly is a vast hobby that continues to grow in popularity even after all this time.