Tuesday, April 25, 2023

U is for Undercoat, UV Resin

Undercoating is really just another way of saying "priming," which we discussed in depth last week. It's probably better to use the term priming anyway, as "undercoating" can be confused with "basecoating."

We also discussed UV resin last week, in terms of 3D printing. But UV resin also has other uses.

In printing, UV resin is deposited in thin layers and then cured with ultraviolet light to harden it into models. You can actually achieve similar effects by pouring the resin into a mold and then hitting with a UV light.

In modeling, UV resin is often used to make glass or water effects (materials that have a translucent appearance). 

Some custom bases that use resin to create awesome water effects.

You can also use silicone to create a mold, often by pressing it against a piece or texture you want to copy, and then fill the mold with resin to make a copy of the original piece. I've seen it used by people customized their miniatures, to create new shields, armour, or elementals to add to the base (like skulls, rocks, etc.)

It says "water effect" but what they're actually doing here is using a mold to create a small beetle-like creature, which could be easily added to a miniature or base.

Just a short post today, tomorrow should be more interesrting and involved. The end is in sight!

Hugs & Kisses,
-CDGK

2 comments:

PT Dilloway said...

Undercoating is what you're never supposed to buy at a car dealer. Translucent effects are neat. I have a couple of action figures (like Iceman of the X-Men) that are all or mostly translucent. Another one I have is a Darth Vader where his helmet is partially translucent like he's being fried with lightning at the end of Return of the Jedi. Hasbro is releasing a new set of semi-translucent Force ghosts of Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan like at the end of Return of the Jedi (special edition) for the movie's 40th anniversary. Anyway, maybe they use a similar process for that.

PT Dilloway said...

I should have mentioned they also use translucent plastic for a lot of effects on action figures like fire, lightning, ice, water, or what's part of my V entry tomorrow.

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