- ARRSE Rating
- 5 Mushroom Heads
I have bundled these two companies together as they both produce the same type of items, albeit under different names. For those of you who have not heard of them, they are both model making companies, producing moulds for building 1/76 scale model buildings. The moulds are of a silicone type, colour coded ( in Linka's case) for brickwork (red) stone (light grey), timber (green) and roofs (blue). Linda's newer moulds are now produced on clear plastic. Scalecast moulds are all a universal light blue.
Linka moulds tend towards standard buildings. There are plans available on their website for anything from farmhouses to churches and castles. Scalecast advertise their products as being Linka compatible, the fit of all their parts seem to agree with this. They seem to concentrate on the OO and N scales for railway building, and the majority of their kits are geared towards the model railway enthusiasts.
Once cast, the pieces can be cut and shaped to fit before using a good quality CNA glue (superglue). Once pieces are assembled, they can be painted with acrylic paints. Oil based paints can cause the plaster to soften. I mix dust from cutting pieces with paint to act as a joint filler. I have also done the same with PVA.
The casting materials I have used for testing the moulds, has firstly been Linka's own modelling plaster. This mixes up quite well in small amounts, fills well in the mould and dries in fairly quick time. Personally, I like the plaster for moulding as it gives a classic masonry feel to the model. The second medium I used was DWR Plastics two-part epoxy resin. The resin liquid has to be weighed out accurately and mixed until an even colour. I found I had about a 10 minute usage time before the resin hardened rather rapidly. Like most resin mixes, the liquid feels hot to the touch. I recommend using cardboard drinking cups and poundshop lollysticks for mixing the resin.
While the resin does give a good, quick finish, I still prefer the plaster. The resin would be ideal for load bearing bridges and trusses. The major problem with the plaster is it's brittleness while drying, making removal from the moulds impossible until completely dry. The resin is ideal to wrap round a circular former while still soft, if round towers are required for your building.
Linka produce 18 major moulds, whereas Scalecast produce somewhere in the region of 160 moulds including several complete kits.
In conclusion, both companies produce an ideal product for the model maker, railway modeller and wargamer. With care, some excellent results can be produced and any broken pieces can be used for ruins or rubble! I have been very pleased with my results and have had requests from others to build models for them.
Rating. Out of 5 - 5 Excellent resource, ideal for many uses.
ScaleCast Home
Linka online Home
Smeggers.
Linka moulds tend towards standard buildings. There are plans available on their website for anything from farmhouses to churches and castles. Scalecast advertise their products as being Linka compatible, the fit of all their parts seem to agree with this. They seem to concentrate on the OO and N scales for railway building, and the majority of their kits are geared towards the model railway enthusiasts.
Once cast, the pieces can be cut and shaped to fit before using a good quality CNA glue (superglue). Once pieces are assembled, they can be painted with acrylic paints. Oil based paints can cause the plaster to soften. I mix dust from cutting pieces with paint to act as a joint filler. I have also done the same with PVA.
The casting materials I have used for testing the moulds, has firstly been Linka's own modelling plaster. This mixes up quite well in small amounts, fills well in the mould and dries in fairly quick time. Personally, I like the plaster for moulding as it gives a classic masonry feel to the model. The second medium I used was DWR Plastics two-part epoxy resin. The resin liquid has to be weighed out accurately and mixed until an even colour. I found I had about a 10 minute usage time before the resin hardened rather rapidly. Like most resin mixes, the liquid feels hot to the touch. I recommend using cardboard drinking cups and poundshop lollysticks for mixing the resin.
While the resin does give a good, quick finish, I still prefer the plaster. The resin would be ideal for load bearing bridges and trusses. The major problem with the plaster is it's brittleness while drying, making removal from the moulds impossible until completely dry. The resin is ideal to wrap round a circular former while still soft, if round towers are required for your building.
Linka produce 18 major moulds, whereas Scalecast produce somewhere in the region of 160 moulds including several complete kits.
In conclusion, both companies produce an ideal product for the model maker, railway modeller and wargamer. With care, some excellent results can be produced and any broken pieces can be used for ruins or rubble! I have been very pleased with my results and have had requests from others to build models for them.
Rating. Out of 5 - 5 Excellent resource, ideal for many uses.
ScaleCast Home
Linka online Home
Smeggers.
