The Spookeys adventure in artisan making!

[trenzafeeds]

Me and Datahead are starting on a keycap-making adventure, and thanks to Booper's recommendation we've settled on Reynold's Advanced Materials as a place to get our starting materials. This beginner kit seems like the right thing for what we're trying to do, but it seems to be aimed at people casting resin, will this work with ABS plastic? Is this really the best thing for us to be buying? Thanks for the input. We'll try to get a key out by the end of October as a testament to our name. 

We hope to have our first cap(s) out by the end of October for Halloween.

Updates: While we wait on the molding kit, we've begun making some models out of sculpey clay.


Aaand the first one we liked enough to bake

[trenzafeeds]

Update: Datahead and I started some modelling with sculpey clay on Pok3r stock caps! Still need answers on the molding materials if anyone knows about that.

[trenzafeeds]

Edited the OP a bit to include official name for this adventure. In honor of our beginning in october, we are spookeys! 

[suicidal_orange]

I'm no expert but can you even "cast" ABS?  As far as I know you melt ABS injection mold it, and once it cools (soon) you're done, compared to casting which is for things which take a long time to "dry out" like clay and resin.

I shall be watching for updates

[trenzafeeds]

I'm no expert but can you even "cast" ABS?  As far as I know you melt ABS injection mold it, and once it cools (soon) you're done, compared to casting which is for things which take a long time to "dry out" like clay and resin.

I shall be watching for updates

-

Yes, I've been doing a little more reading and we'll most likely start with resin and this mold, then move onto doubleshot injection when we feel more confident spending the money on materials.

[trenzafeeds]

Updated OP with some images, we've decided to go with Resin for now, but are hoping to get into ABS when we have the funds. We'd like to try making some caps by melting down old Legos.

[trenzafeeds]

We ordered the molding/casting materials today, hoping to have two cap variants available for sale on Halloween, hopefully in a couple different colors.

[suicidal_orange]

I love the confidence that you'll be making caps good enough to sell straight away, fingers crossed!

[trenzafeeds]

I love the confidence that you'll be making caps good enough to sell straight away, fingers crossed!

Lol, we won't. We're just going to spend a ton of time grinding away at it until we get it. We'll have a couple days of non-stop work to get it right.

[trenzafeeds]

Recieved the plastic stuff today. We will begin casting this week/weekend.

[HoffmanMyster]

I'm no expert but can you even "cast" ABS?  As far as I know you melt ABS injection mold it, and once it cools (soon) you're done, compared to casting which is for things which take a long time to "dry out" like clay and resin.

You are correct.  Thermoset (irreveseribly cures) vs thermoplastic (re-melted to form). 

[trenzafeeds]

I'm no expert but can you even "cast" ABS?  As far as I know you melt ABS injection mold it, and once it cools (soon) you're done, compared to casting which is for things which take a long time to "dry out" like clay and resin.

You are correct.  Thermoset (irreveseribly cures) vs thermoplastic (re-melted to form). 

Haha thanks Hoff. Tad late though.

[bocahgundul]

Nice work man just need some colour and boom nice artisan

[HoffmanMyster]

I'm no expert but can you even "cast" ABS?  As far as I know you melt ABS injection mold it, and once it cools (soon) you're done, compared to casting which is for things which take a long time to "dry out" like clay and resin.

You are correct.  Thermoset (irreveseribly cures) vs thermoplastic (re-melted to form). 

Haha thanks Hoff. Tad late though.

Uhhh yeah I'm not gonna apologize for offering additional information, lol. 

[Jhonan]

We ordered the molding/casting materials today, hoping to have two cap variants available for sale on Halloween, hopefully in a couple different colors.

These look pretty great, looking forward to getting a glimpse of your finished products.

[Kerpadge]

We ordered the molding/casting materials today, hoping to have two cap variants available for sale on Halloween, hopefully in a couple different colors.

These look pretty great, looking forward to getting a glimpse of your finished products.

I'm curious what the final products will look like, as well. Best of luck to you!

[1swt2gs]

Have you thought about doing them other colors?

[trenzafeeds]

Have you thought about doing them other colors?

These are just the clay models with which we will make the molds. We hope to have some available in lots of different flashy colors! 

[1swt2gs]

Have you thought about doing them other colors?

These are just the clay models with which we will make the molds. We hope to have some available in lots of different flashy colors! 

Awesome! Looking forward to it!

[trenzafeeds]

This is probably going to be delayed by a little bit. Busy lives and such. Maybe a week after Halloween.

[trenzafeeds]

This is probably going to be delayed by a little bit. Busy lives and such. Maybe a week after Halloween.

Lol, I remember this post.

For real though, we're hoping to make up some definite molds some time around christmas, then get casting.

[theoriginal123123]

I've just gotten my first artisan and already looking into making my own! Been scouring threads for info, hope you can update soon!