What is a good substitute for WS LTW Hydrocal - making molds?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have made some molds using WS latex rubber and ltw hydrocal. The problem is that the WS hydrocal is relatively expensive and does not go very far. Has anyone found an economical source for a substitute?

Thanks

2

Look up lath and plaster supply houses in the phone book and go buy regular hydrocal. One bag will last a long time and at a cost far less per lb. than WS. There are also a large variety of casting plasters that do not set up as hard as hydrocal that work great as well.

3

Is there any difference between regular Hydrocal & that sold by WS? Or is just another case of re-packaging a common material for sale to modelers?

Wayne

4

Re-packaging with the addition of magic pixie dust.

http://www.gypsumsolutions.com/brand.asp?brand=HydroCal

5

I’ll bite. What do you mean by “Pixie Dust” and which product is the best substitute for WS (for rock castings and the like) - A-11 or B-11 or other?

John
Austin, Texas

6

If you go the route of locating the bulked , bagged hydrocal(usually 99lb bags), Immediately place the material into a sealable 5 gal. pail. If left in the bag it will absorb moisture and can end up useless. Unless your making a huge mountain of rock molds, I find that you may have the plaster stored for some time. You can also baggie portions of material for smaller projects.
Bob K.

7

Hi,

You can buy regular white hydrocal at www.plaster.com for as little as 50cents a lb. I have used both regular and lightweight hydrocal and I prefer the regular. It is heavier of course but so what. The lightweight has too many bubbles in it for my taste plus being extremely expensive (3.50+ per lb.) + It also comes in plastic buckets for easy storage.

8

As I suspected.

Pixie Dust is the magical ingredient certain companies add to common, cheap material when they repackage it in tiny amounts & charge an exorbitant price for it because it is now for scale modeling.

I wish I had thought of it first. I wonder if there is a market for HO scale air? I could probably offer it at $2.50 per quart plus shipping… Hmmm…

Wayne

9

I used relatively inexpensive plaster of Paris that comes in same type of carton that Hydrocal does. I got it at Walmart. It mixes in less than half the time it takes to mix Hydrocal. Moldings look the same.

10

The “Magic Pixie Dust” was from some computer systems commercial on TV. From about a year ago.

11

too late, Wayne. The computer industry beat you to it. Canned pressurized air, labeled as, and I quote:

“CleanSafe Dust Remover, unscented, non-flammable”

$4.96 a can at Wal Mart.

Ray out.