Panzerpaul

In many areas of FRAG’s battlefield, we have positioned Dragon’s Teeth to block a tank’s advance or to force enemy penetration in a certain direction. This tactic enhances the IR battle and creates certain unpredictability in the game. These Dragon Teeth come in two sizes…….both of which can be made by pouring 2 part resin or Portland Cement into a mold.

The first pictures show the masters mounted on a base board, which will then have styrene walls glued around the edges, so RTV rubber mold material can be poured in and cured. The masters can be made from plaster cast into a wood form, which is how original ones were made. This results in joints and wood grain being revealed in the masters.





The RTV rubber molds look like this. Curing takes 24 hours.





Concrete cast replicas look like this. We add nails to the bottom of each casting, so they will anchor into the ground and be immovable when struck by a model tank. A dime is shown in the pictures for persective.







We also use Mine Field Flags for a similar purpose, which are set around the battlefield by the defending team for each game. The metal rods are about 6” long and the flag is about 1.5” on each side. Should any tank run over one of these flags, and this is seen by an opposing tanker (and declared immediately), then the violator is out of the game. If such act is not seen then the violator may continue to play.

philipat

impressive...nicely done.

Pah co chu puk

Nice work... I like the mold idea. What is RTV and where do you get it?

I made these a couple of years ago using a wood form and drywall mud. I used spray silicone as a realse agent. The form only lasted long enough to make 10 before it was no good. Drywall mud was too soft for tanks to run over yet was easy to cast in the wood form. They are also easy to detail with bullet holes and such... however they melt in snow or rain so are only good for pictures and must be kept inside.

I would like to make a mold of mine like you did with yours. Then I would cast some in thinset, it makes good scale concrete, for outdoor play.

Panzerpaul

PCCP: RTV stands for Room Temperature Vulcanizing rubber. It is primarily made by Dow Chemical Co, but others may make it also. I get mine from a fellow here in Denver name Mike Sisbaro 303-748-8756. Call him and see if he would ship a half pound order. Ask for the #1110 product. The steps are:

First make your mold box. A mold box is basically a bottom piece of plastic....perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick with the master Dragon Teeth glued to it in the cneter area. Glue around the bottom edges of the teeth so that each seals tight to the bottom plastic and none of the RTV will creep under the teeth.

Then glue four sides of styrene (1/8th thick should work) around the bottom. I use ACC type glue. Each side should be about 1/4" higher than the teeth. Glue the sides together so there is no way for the RTV to leak out. Coat the inside of the walls and all the teeth sides with vaseline petroleum jelly. A thin coat will do. Fingers and a small paint brush will serve the purpose of spreading it around.

For the RTV, mix the catalyst (small blue bottle) with the white guey stuff in a 10:1 ratio. The blue part is the 10% portion. Measure this by weight rather than quantity. Mix thoroughly so it is all light blue in color. Then pour this mixture into the mold box and let it settle. Take a tooth pick and ***** all the bubbles that float to the top. Let it cure over night.

Then tear off the 4 sides, and pry the rubber mold off of the teeth. Wash the mold in mild soapy water and then dry it. You are now ready to cast. No matter what casting material you use, you have to cover the inside of the mold with a "debonding" lubricant. I use the vaseline for this as well, but there are spray products you can use as well.

Casting material can be 2 part liquid resin, plaster, or concrete (mix w/ water so it is like applesauce in consistency). Cure time for these casting materials vary.

Wash the cast part in mild soapy water, dry and paint. That's all there is to it. Good luck. PP

Pah co chu puk

Thanks for the reply,  it sounds like this stuff.

ksoc

For casting Dragons Teeth, I used Flexall Cement Patcher. DAP made it. I think they changed the name, (polymer fortified Portland Cement)

http://www.dap.com/product_details.a...04&SubcatID=18

Strato50

I really like the minefield / flag idea, I'll bring this to the attention of the other CAN-AM guys

edoubleaz

My Feedback: (1)

DAK's traps are actual concrete and they actually change the battlefield. We leave ours loose so they can be moved. (rocky soil not easy to stick them in....)

I made a styrene mold and despite the need to repair it every so often, everything is working grrrreeaaattt!

If you live near "fresh and easy" grocery stores, they serve pasta and rice meals in pyramid shaped containers that are also "quick and easy", and disposable traps molds.....