Make your own G1

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Sherbet

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Recall the story that Hasbro sold its G1 molds, and the repro ponies were made by employees donating their own G1's to make new molds? Also, think of how people have made their own flutter wings, but needed the originals to create a mold. Someone looking for rearing pose bait made me think, "Eventually, the rearing ponies will be gone if they all get customized", since there weren't many in that pose. Why haven't we seen G1 remakes that were done by someone other than Hasbro? What would be involved? Even if they weren't the same soft plastic, I wonder why we haven't seen clay ponies. What would be involved in making your own mold? Just a thought *is curious*
 
Ha I can help!!!! My degree is helpful!

Right, you're after silicone rubber! And you want to make something know as a block mold.

Now the best way to do the mold, would be to remove the hair, and block off any holes (otherwise the silicone will sink into the holes)

Then to avoid as many undercuts, you should take the had off.

Then Stick the Head and body on seperate wooden boards, neck down.

Now what you want to do is make a box up around the head and body. The best way to do this is with lego, just build up a little house of blocks around them. Once the lego brick box is like a cm above the body parts, then you super glue these to the wooden base.

It's important to make sure that there is roughly a cm gap around the edges of the item you are molding, that way you know you'll be creating a thick and strong wall of your silicone mold.

It's best to line the edges of the boxes with plastocine, to stop the silicone leaking out.

Now once this is all done, you need your silicone rubber. This is generally white, and needs a catalyst (whihc should come with it) to mix with the white rubber, this allows the rubber to set. Each silicone comes with specific instructions on how much catalyst to use, and these instructions should be followed, but remember it's always better to over catalyised, then under.

Once you have mixed up your silicone rubber, you simply pour it into the block lego molds you made, making sure that you have a few mm above the top of what you are molding.

Leave the silicon to set, this can take up to a week.

Then when set, remove the lego bricks, remove the silicone mold from the wooden base.

Next you'll have to cut the silicone rubber, to remove the original pony. You might have to cut it a few times, anf so your molds might end up being in 5 parts.

The rubber will hold it's shape. Then you simply piece your mold back together, it's good to use pins and tape to hold your mold in place. Then you can use any molding product to mold the pony.

And there you have it.

It's important to note, that molding is a trial and error process, you might find that you need to add in air bubbles, etc, beasically whatever is required to make it work.

It's hard, and very exspensive, and you'll have to sand out all the seem lines (I don't miss the sanding from my degree).

Hope this helps
 
Ha I can help!!!! My degree is helpful!

Right, you're after silicone rubber! And you want to make something know as a block mold.

Now the best way to do the mold, would be to remove the hair, and block off any holes (otherwise the silicone will sink into the holes)

Then to avoid as many undercuts, you should take the had off.

Then Stick the Head and body on seperate wooden boards, neck down.

Now what you want to do is make a box up around the head and body. The best way to do this is with lego, just build up a little house of blocks around them. Once the lego brick box is like a cm above the body parts, then you super glue these to the wooden base.

It's important to make sure that there is roughly a cm gap around the edges of the item you are molding, that way you know you'll be creating a thick and strong wall of your silicone mold.

It's best to line the edges of the boxes with plastocine, to stop the silicone leaking out.

Now once this is all done, you need your silicone rubber. This is generally white, and needs a catalyst (whihc should come with it) to mix with the white rubber, this allows the rubber to set. Each silicone comes with specific instructions on how much catalyst to use, and these instructions should be followed, but remember it's always better to over catalyised, then under.

Once you have mixed up your silicone rubber, you simply pour it into the block lego molds you made, making sure that you have a few mm above the top of what you are molding.

Leave the silicon to set, this can take up to a week.

Then when set, remove the lego bricks, remove the silicone mold from the wooden base.

Next you'll have to cut the silicone rubber, to remove the original pony. You might have to cut it a few times, anf so your molds might end up being in 5 parts.

The rubber will hold it's shape. Then you simply piece your mold back together, it's good to use pins and tape to hold your mold in place. Then you can use any molding product to mold the pony.

And there you have it.

It's important to note, that molding is a trial and error process, you might find that you need to add in air bubbles, etc, beasically whatever is required to make it work.

It's hard, and very exspensive, and you'll have to sand out all the seem lines (I don't miss the sanding from my degree).

Hope this helps

Wow, look at you being all smart babes! This was impressive <3
 
There was a guy at Aqua.Sunlight's pony meet who had some of the roto molds and talked about how they were made, check it out, I think there are some pictures too: http://www.mlptp.net/forums/show-te...-pony-meet-very-pic-heavy.html?highlight=meet

Also, my sister's fiance is a sculpture major, and I gave him two bait G1s because he's going to do an Iron pour for me of these- he uses a sand mold for it. Maybe I can get him to make some extras for you guys? I think he can do aluminum too so they aren't so heavy! Would anyone be interested in an iron pony or an aluminum pony? It'd be exactly the same size, I believe. It sure would be cool to have one! I can't wait to get my iron pony!
 
There was a guy at Aqua.Sunlight's pony meet who had some of the roto molds and talked about how they were made, check it out, I think there are some pictures too: http://www.mlptp.net/forums/show-te...-pony-meet-very-pic-heavy.html?highlight=meet

Also, my sister's fiance is a sculpture major, and I gave him two bait G1s because he's going to do an Iron pour for me of these- he uses a sand mold for it. Maybe I can get him to make some extras for you guys? I think he can do aluminum too so they aren't so heavy! Would anyone be interested in an iron pony or an aluminum pony? It'd be exactly the same size, I believe. It sure would be cool to have one! I can't wait to get my iron pony!

These iron and aluminium sound awsome, I'll have to see pics and prices before I decided if I want one:)
 
Where would one go to find the supplies needed for this?
 
I have other hobbies that deal with things like silicone casting, however I don't know it is the best medium for a pony? Like SoSoftClaire linked, ponies are made from rotocasting, which is where it is hooked to a machine and spun so that the plastic makes a hollow core with a smooth outside. There's why sometimes if you open a pony you see drips on the inside.

In order to do something like this, I would think that you'd need something like a rotocaster. A clay pony doesn't have the same niceness to it as plastic because it is brittle, or too hard to reroot. Same with a lot of materials. I guess you could make one in silicone, but then you can't use silicone molds. Anyone else know anything about casting in plastic?


Aside from that I think the metal ponies sound awesome! And if you want to pursue hard ponies, like resin-casted and such, I like smooth-on brand for silicone and resin. Don't know the url off hand, and I don't want to risk saying it's smoothon.com, but google it. :)

Maybe if you cut out the plug area and filled it with silicone you could make a feasibly plug-able resin pony... or um, drill holes? it's very pricey. Though now I'm imagining a see-through crystal-clear pony... oohh
 
I have other hobbies that deal with things like silicone casting, however I don't know it is the best medium for a pony? Like SoSoftClaire linked, ponies are made from rotocasting, which is where it is hooked to a machine and spun so that the plastic makes a hollow core with a smooth outside. There's why sometimes if you open a pony you see drips on the inside.

In order to do something like this, I would think that you'd need something like a rotocaster. A clay pony doesn't have the same niceness to it as plastic because it is brittle, or too hard to reroot. Same with a lot of materials. I guess you could make one in silicone, but then you can't use silicone molds. Anyone else know anything about casting in plastic?


Aside from that I think the metal ponies sound awesome! And if you want to pursue hard ponies, like resin-casted and such, I like smooth-on brand for silicone and resin. Don't know the url off hand, and I don't want to risk saying it's smoothon.com, but google it. :)

Maybe if you cut out the plug area and filled it with silicone you could make a feasibly plug-able resin pony... or um, drill holes? it's very pricey. Though now I'm imagining a see-through crystal-clear pony... oohh

You can mold ponies in silicone rubber, it's pretty easy.

I wasn't going to post this until he had managed to make another one, as this one was just his prototype, but my fiance has done this. He molded it in clear cast resin, here's the link:)
http://www.mlptp.net/forums/customs/62135-crystal-clear-pony-prototype.html
 
Wow, what great information! I wish I had the time and stuff necessary to do this type of stuff. Glad to see it's been done. :)
 
You can mold ponies in silicone rubber, it's pretty easy.

I wasn't going to post this until he had managed to make another one, as this one was just his prototype, but my fiance has done this. He molded it in clear cast resin, here's the link:)
http://www.mlptp.net/forums/customs/62135-crystal-clear-pony-prototype.html

Oh, I don't doubt it, obivously, I meant you can't mold a soft plastic pony like the original in silicone. How did he get it rehaired? It seems like it'd be crazy-tough
 
Oh, I don't doubt it, obivously, I meant you can't mold a soft plastic pony like the original in silicone. How did he get it rehaired? It seems like it'd be crazy-tough

Rubber silicone doesn't damage items, so you could easily mold an original pony this way, and then simply pony the ponies head back on, re-hair and there you go:) It's a surprisenly gentle material.

My fiance re-drilled the hair plugs back in, and then I simply took the ponies hair, deeped the ends in glue so the create a point, and then glued them into the ponies head:)
 
An aluminum pony would be so cool!

I've been thinking about this very subject recently since I work with silicone molds at work, and also do ceramics. I think I might try doing a ceramic pony, making a plaster mold and slipcasting so it'll be hollow.
 
An aluminum pony would be so cool!

I've been thinking about this very subject recently since I work with silicone molds at work, and also do ceramics. I think I might try doing a ceramic pony, making a plaster mold and slipcasting so it'll be hollow.

Aww make your very own porcelians:)
 
Oh wow that clear resin pony is SO COOL!!! :]
 
I remember the roto molds being sold on ebay. They didn't go for a lot, well under $100. I'm thinking $49 or so? They were from a factory in Argentina. Shipping was a killer - which is why I didn't bid.

Crystal Prototype - Awesome.
 
I've made a number of iron ponies. They're really neat, but unfortunately I can't show them off right now. They're at my parents' house in CT.
 
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