homemade custom molds

[IVhorseman]

okay, so i know you're all itching to put various objects that don't have brik versions of themselves onto minifigs, but you don't know how to do it. i remember on the frappr we had some discussions on this after Pirys realized that actually getting ABS plastic and a mold would cost on the order of thousands of dollars.

HOWEVER, some of us had improvised custom molded pieces. and here's what i ask you: what techniques do YOU have on making custom pieces?

as far as i know, the methods known are:

*eraser clay. i know pirys played with this to make pieces, but i'm not sure how it worked

*i've just started using play-dough. i was actually suprised as to how well it works too. you can place the dough into whatever positions you need them, and press them up against bricks to get certain thickness and receptiveness. for example, i've made a rock that accepts studs on the bottom because i pushed it against studs before i hardened it. speaking of hardening, this is what's also good about play-dough. you make your mold, and here's the trick: you can microwave play-dough for about a minute to instantly harden it. play-dough is soft because it's moist, and microwaving will remove that moisture.

as far as i know, these are the only methods. does anyone else have other methods?

[Penguinlord]

I have never tried making custom modeling however here is a tutorial(you've probably already seen this)

[Rayhawk]

I don't think there's any way to actually make good reliable construction elements of your own, like a custom 2x4 brick - even the couple-thousand-dollar short run molds will only let you do about Mega Blox quality, which can sometimes be fine for attaching to genuine Lego but start to fail when you start attaching them to each other. Lego quality requires a ton more money and secret arcane proprietary methods defended by Danish assassins.

But minifig accessories don't have to be too precise because there's a lot of flex in minifig hands. The risk is if you have a handle that's just a little bit too big and you leave it in the minifig's hand too long, eventually the stress will cause the hand to fracture. So be careful.

I've used just about everything to make minifig accessories. Sculpy, plasticine, jewelry, bits of other plastic toys chopped up and glued together again, pieces from Gundam model kits, that green stuff from warhammer, chopped up pieces from lead minatures... I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

The best stuff is stuff you don't have to modify too much, so weapons from a toy or minis line that's at a similar or slightly larger scale are ideal. I remember using a lot of transformers weapons and G.I. Joe vehicle guns when I was a kid, because a lot of them had handle pegs that were conveniently exactly the right size without any modification. But for stuff that isn't quite right, wire cutters, X-acto knives, and superglue can shape things up in a hurry, and wrapping a thin strip of electrical tape around handles that are too small beefs them up to the right size real easily. (Also, since it gives a 'padded' feel to the handle, there's less fracturing stress on the minifig hand in the long term.)

Oh, another quick warning while I'm thinking of it: the temperature where Sculpy hardens is higher than the melting point of most plastics. So if you're going to make a combined sculpy-and-plastic accessory, bake the sculpy first, then glue it to the plastic. Don't bake them both together. (Learned that one the hard way, like a numbskull.)

[piltogg]

I usualy only want to customise weapons. mainly I take an axe then cut off the pointy part at the top as well as part of the axe head this turns the axe into a hatchet with a pole handle. It looks freaking awesome and is still the size for a minifig (way move violent looking than originaly) also i cut the knights kingdom swords so they are pointyer

[King of Brix]

A quick warning: If Dan posts here, ignore him completely. He melts down tin into metal accessories... He used a blowtorch and almost destroyed his basement. Also, I must try some of this...

[Pvt Expendable]

so how do those guys at brickforge do it?

[Ramus]

Brickforge uses Plastic Injection Molding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injection_molding

Not a solution for the average customizer

Professional "Lego" quality though.

-- Ramus

[Tuefish]

I have an Idea!
you see, my dad installs hardwood floors for a living and also repairs/builds instruments, to cut to the idea, Epoxy or resin casts.
Epoxy is fairly easy to get, it's almost like super-glue on crack, the only tricky part is making the molds, which my dad says can also be done with epoxy.

[Pvt Expendable]

By george I think he's got it!

[Tiny Tank Rannon]

I've used just about everything to make minifig accessories. Sculpy, plasticine, jewelry, bits of other plastic toys chopped up and glued together again, pieces from Gundam model kits, that green stuff from warhammer, chopped up pieces from lead minatures... I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

You mean that stuff actually has a use? I thought is was just make super glue hold stuff better, not for customization! ZOMG!

When I customize swords, I try to get the KK ones because they're so big you just have to cut them.

speaking of cutting, my friend just got a knife and already stabbed himself, three times...

[Atomsk]

Playmobile pistols fit perfectly. Of course, they were about three times too big, but at the time, it was that or pirate muskets, so I dealt with it.

[Pirys]

*eraser clay. I know pirys played with this to make pieces, but I'm not sure how it worked

basically this:






But without the blowdryer.

I guess its alright if you have nothing else, but it never truly solidifies and, being clay, is difficult to change the colour of.

[Elmagnifico]

Also, while this is active, I wonder whether Tuefish ever got that Epoxy to work for him?

[piltogg]

my grandpa has had a great deal of success making copies of metal WWII miniatures, I'll ask him how he does it, as That would probably work for plastic as well.

[masterMISICK]

homemade models are nice but i will say this do not ever ever try and paint your mini fig nearly all the painted mini figs i see on the internet are bad some times the paint is too thick they have smudged it just generally poor paint job or they have not varnished it and it has rubbed of

i spent about 7 or 8 years painting and making warhammer and other models and i still don't go near my lego with a paint brush

sry sort of off topic but i thought it needed to be mentions but custome models are hard i tried some and would not recommend it unless you are very good at sculpting