Mirror molding-casting

rmontesb

Hello!

I've read about creating molds to make resin duplicates of plastic parts for model kits.

Is there a technique to make a mold in order to create a mirror duplicate of a specific part?

One of the halves of a two part fuselage for a 1/72 P-38 scale aircraft is missing/lost. I have the other half, and I wonder if it can be used to make a mold in order to create a mirror duplicate and cast the missing half.

Any help will be appreciated.

Regards,

 

The only missing part is the fuselage half where the nose/cockpit are located. The engine/tails/boom halves are complete. So, out of six fuselage halves, I'm missing just one.

 

The OEM is really the place to go to order the missing part. I hope the kit is still in production or at least not too old.

I ran into same issue with a OOP ship.   It begain to look like it would be a Wall Plaque. Lo and Behold a LOT came on ebay with that very ship, glued together but now I had a part for a paltry sum of $2.53 and a little elbow grease.

You will want to check if any other company used the same mold and watch and wait for a good deal. It's nice to have some spare parts or a kit to practice on.

You could attempt to"Engineer" the part yourself and only display the "good side". A crashed dio might work too.  Planes can bury pretty deep into the ground.  How 'bout a crash thru a hanger door?

   Nino.

P.S. I have a P-38 from way back in the 60's. It was my favorite plane model even if it did not sit flat on the nose wheel unless I put a quarter on the nose. I did not know to put a weight in with the guns- this forum wasn't around to help me then.

rmontesb

The only missing part is the fuselage half where the nose/cockpit are located. The engine/tails/boom halves are complete. So, out of six fuselage halves, I'm missing just one.

 

Two things spring to mind:

contact the Mfr to see if you can get a replacement part?

Is this a part that can be replaced by a Resin upgrade part? I'm having trouble visualising that.

The only missing part is the fuselage half where the nose/cockpit are located. The engine/tails/boom halves are complete. So, out of six fuselage halves, I'm missing just one.

Sure, but consider.

There are a total of four halves. Two halves each, left/ right, each port and starboard. Each is different, but mostly in the wing root and elevator attachment point. The engine section, the tail boom/ radiator section and the vertical tails are the same port/ starboard.

Thanks!

In this case (1/72 P38 Lightning), the main fuselage halves are relatively small (2.75 inches long and 0.5 inches wide).

If I make a copy of what I have, I'll end up with two right-hand side fuselage halves.

The challenge is to use the right hand side to prepare a mold for the left-hand side fuselage.

Regards,

Casting an entire fuselage half is a lot in any case.

Im assuming you have three out of four halves.

Look at it more as a series of sections front to back. 

The other corresponding half I would guess is pretty identical to what’s missing except for the wing root area.

Think about making a true copy and then scratch building the wing root area.