[DL] re: making molds and casting

[Phadris@aol.com]

A financially strapped Nick writes:

> Well, that's also the problem- I don't have access to things like lathes and
> blowtorches.  I have an X-Acto nife and I could get my hands on a lighter if
> need be, though I'd probably burn my fingers.

Two quick solutions:

1)  Buy something with wheels on it that you don't mind trashing for the sake 
of Dr. Strangelove.  I saw some lovely roughly-to-scale bicycles for O scale 
trains, and you could scavenge their wheels.  They ain't perfect, but they 
wouldn't be bad.

2)  
   a.  Find some wheels that would work.
   b.  Take a piece of clay, flatten one side
   c.  Press the wheels into your clay.
   d.  Cool the clay (running under cold tap water works, but be patient).  
Warm clay deforms easily
   e.  Gently pry the wheels from the clay -- maybe use an x-acto knife to 
lever them up from one or two positions around the wheel.
   f.  Probably throw away your clay castings, and start over until you get 
some that are level, detailed, and look like what you want.
   g.  Pour in some liquid resin.

And most importantly, figure out the time spent trying to do this, and see if 
it is worth it to you to not just buy another Dr. Strangelove.

Tom Huntington
The Truth Is Yonder