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Post by Jeff on Oct 14, 2016 20:12:00 GMT -5
slowly, as always,life is always getting in the way.cant believe it already the middle of october. Got the first lystro molded along with the PS swamp trees and a bunch of other odds and ends including the other tree I sculpted a couple yrs ago. The mold rubber was way old but I figured it might still be good. A couple days before I planned to pour the molds I found that the catalyst has eaten through the bottle and leaked out about 20%. The rest started to harden or evaperate. I poured some of it but as I got to the bottom of the bottle it was chunky. I used what I could but had to send away for more. The molds I poured with the chunky stuff were still tacky after a week of sitting, I powdered them up to try and help but they are still very soft and tacky, don't know how they'll hold up to casting. Setting up a space to do the casting and hopefully I'll get some done this weekend, the resin is also more than a yr old so hopefully that's still good, have not checked it yet. Going to cast up a couple, send one to steve to play around with and see what he thinks. Hopefully I'll get back to the rest of the kit starting late next week or next weekend. Things will be a bit easier now that I have two workrooms, one for sculpting and one for casting and I don't have to redo it between sculpting, molding then casting..
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Post by psgreat on Oct 17, 2016 13:10:56 GMT -5
Hi Jeff, Mark from Prehistorix, we met at Wf 2016. Love your work. Haven't built the Pachy.... yet. :} How much do you figure on selling the Lystro kits for? Would you sell individual Lystros? Agreed about life getting in the way. I have 2 spaces for my stuff... the back kitchen counter and the basement for casting. For some odd reason, everytime I clean up the counter, it's messy again within days... can't figure it out....
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Post by Brock (pbbass3313) on Oct 20, 2016 10:13:00 GMT -5
But your messy counters produces some GREAT STUFF!! Jeff, you have worked with Scott before, would his proposed Waterhole Extension work for a base?
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Post by jeffbrown on Oct 20, 2016 18:26:39 GMT -5
Well Mark, I'm not sure what the kit would go for right now; the thing keeps getting bigger as I go. originally I wanted a kit with more than just one critter with a base, I wanted a herd of critters, I think others would want that too. as its morphed its gone from 3 lystros on a non-descript base to a 7 to 10 or more figure kit with a river crossing base with several critters molded in the base. so, 4 lystros, the original three walking and another climbing up out of the water, looking back at one or more lystros being pulled under by several crocs. just today I thought maybe more than one lystro being pulled under. Steve thinks I keep thinking too large and he might be right; I suppose I could break it up into more then one kit or less figures with ppl picking and choosing the figure to go with the base. the swamp kit I started was/is 8 to 10 in wide and goes from one end of the sailback base all the way around the front of it and past it to the far end of the PS swamp base; L shape 15 in long on each side cut diagonally down the middle at the sailback corner. I've got the 4 trees done for it plus another 4 trees started and that was not all I wanted to add and I haven't even thought about critters besides the giant centipede and some huge amphibians. will I ever finish it; probably sometime in the future. I thought about combining the two kits but I couldn't get it to work the way I see it working; maybe they will butt up against each other, that would work. I didn't figure on selling the trees in advance but ppl wanted them so went ahead and produced them, I figure I can do the same with this first lystro since this kit will be number two behind the next mammal kit for Steve. finally got the new space ready and the molds powdered and ready to pour; ran out of time last night, busy tonight so I'll start pouring tomorrow. I want to pour all 2 gal of resin in one sitting since its so old. its vagabond resin, it supposed to be the best so think it is still good but don't want to give it time to absorb any moisture once I pop the top. I should have it all poured by Sat night; not sure how many Lystros I'll pour yet; it depends on how things go but should get at least 10 on the first pour. got yellow, green, blue and brown pigment; what color to use; I think a few blue ones..
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Post by jeffbrown on Oct 20, 2016 18:41:24 GMT -5
Don't remember working with Scott but my memory is not what it used to be. Not against working with anyone except Larry Johnson/action hobbies; he is still selling my Parasorolophus kit to this day even though he ripped me off and has not paid me for it or any of the other kits I did for him for that matter.
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Post by malinkh on Oct 21, 2016 18:12:58 GMT -5
Hi Jeff. I'm not sure that you were working directly with Scott, but I did purchase the "Brontotherium" kit from Scott (Jurassic Arts) a while ago and I believe that was your sculpt and creation. That was a large an amazing kit. I still need to get around to building it....
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Post by jeffbrown on Oct 23, 2016 0:28:44 GMT -5
didn't sculpt the brontotheriun; thought about doing several species though; may do a couple in the future. read up on them yrs ago; their history in America is actually really interesting; looks like there were several rhino like species that crossed into America over millions of yrs, then died out completely before another unrelated species took its place, this seemed to happen several times in N America. at first it looked like one species evolved and took over from the old but it didn't happen that way, at least for the N American rhino family. I think there are at least two Jeffs doing PS kits maybe more actually. I did the Parasorolophus, the Dire wolves for Steve and the Pachy also for steve. I did do three cave men in 120mm scale which matches the cro-mag woman, for my cave several years ago. never really advertised them so never sold any. that's it so far. got lots of plans but things always seem to get in the way so it will be awhile before the next kit is completed. poured two lystros tonight. the pour sprues were to small and the resin went off faster then I thought it would, didn't get it all poured before it went, didn't get it into the pressure pot so its crap; cut the sprues larger and tried again. (I thought I bought the slow setting resin; apparently I didn't). I always mix too much resin at first, that way I don't have any half poured molds the first time, then I'll weigh the piece plus the extra in resin in the spout so I know how much to mix for each piece from then on. that really cuts down on wasted resin. after setting up for a second pour I mixed what I thought was the correct amount however since I didn't pressure cast the first one and it was full of bubbles the weight was too low. the second one was pressurized but the vessel wouldn't seal; I believe it was pressurized enough though. the resin did cover all of the mold but the tail is missing just about 3/4 inch of resin. since the entire outside of the tail is there I'll leave it in the mold and pour a bit more resin. this one should be OK. put a new seal on the pot and tested ALL the pots which I should have done before I started pouring, now its time to try again.
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Post by artdecovampire on Oct 23, 2016 2:14:22 GMT -5
Malinkh.
The Brontotherium was done by Yarriwarrior. I'm not sure of his real name and I think it was he who cooperated with Scott on the flood plain kit. Jeff, I find mold making fun, but pouring resin a nightmare. That's why I leave it to Mark Kreiss. I bet if there's a chance of knocking something over I'll mange to do it. Recently I bought a massive pot of black resin and I spilled it about three times, got it on my hands and made a right mess. I end up mixing too much and end up using the remainders in some little rock and bones moulds so I don't waste it. Buying enough resin to make it worthwhile means it comes in big plastic jugs in the UK and its impossible to pour it without it shooting out at speed and knocking over whatever you are pouring it in to. I end up stickey tacking the smaller jugs to the bench to keep them still. Nightmare.
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Post by TAY666 on Oct 23, 2016 14:36:20 GMT -5
Yarriwarrior = Jeff Johnson.
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Post by malinkh on Oct 24, 2016 18:20:05 GMT -5
Thanks Trevor... I had mistaken the wrong Jeff for the Brontotherium. I do also like the stuff that Jeff Brown has made....
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Post by psgreat on Oct 30, 2016 16:37:36 GMT -5
Hi Jeff! Thank you for your reply... that sounds like one huge cool kit and I like the idea of maybe letting folks pick and choose the figures that would go with the base. When you get them cast please let me know how much for each Lystro. Love your work.
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Post by jeffbrown on Nov 7, 2016 21:40:15 GMT -5
Well, it's been a nightmare, thought it would take about two days, took more then a week. Ran out of side B, just got the replacement today. Trying to pour the PS swamp tree leafs, have to do it with a syringe. About 60% are turning out. Poured 10 lystros, well, 9 1/2 with 7 turning out good. Did 4 more pachy kits, 3 turned out. Did a bunch of PS odds and ends including the swamp trees. Going to do the lystro kit split in two with two lystros walking and at least one on each half getting grabbed by crocs, also have some vegetation, maybe giant horsetails with some little critters hiding around the banks of the river. Will have it but up against the swamp I started a couple yrs ago. Got to find a place for all the odds and ends I cast. In the end I think I should have done more pachy kits instead. Only have the 5 now. Think I'll post some pics. Follow the link from before I guess, got to figure out how the posts pics again, don't do it often enough to remember how.
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Post by Scott Banks on Nov 11, 2016 18:11:02 GMT -5
Ouch. I've been there with tough kits. I took a break for my wedding, then made so many mistakes on my Entelodont kit that I have to fix.
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Post by scottbanks on Nov 12, 2016 12:20:15 GMT -5
Do you have any new photos? Now that I'm back int building kits I'd love to order one of the Lystro kits. And I agree with you on those PS palm fronds. They are a pain to cast.
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Post by lowelker on Nov 17, 2016 13:31:49 GMT -5
Wow Jeff, your description of the additions to the kit are astounding: a croc attack?? I can't wait to see how the kit turns out.
I will click on the link you provided before.
Thanks for the new kit in advance. Jim
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Post by jeffbrown on Nov 18, 2016 1:03:22 GMT -5
well, it took a couple days but think I've got the kits worked out a bit. uploaded the new pics showing everything cut into four kits plus the wrap around Permian swamp; going to have to do them all at the same time so they match up. don't really like the shapes but tried to match them up and this is what I came up with. I left a spot for the alchemy watering hole, the one with the critter on it. I didn't have the exact footprint, enlarged a photo that I got on line, think its close enough to work though. I would have liked to make everything bigger but think I really cant go any larger then what's there now. don't like the shape of the forest bases. thought about redoing it all to remove the wrap around swamp or maybe redo the shape of that one. take a look; since its not set in stone I would like some feedback. the top of the forest bases match up with the mammoth base and the trike base but because of the curve over those bases when put together they don't match up to them both at the same time so you could do one up there and another with the lystro base or bases. I like the positions of the lystros, one coming out of the water being pursued by a croc on the one base and another being pulled under on the other base. since I only have the one done I put them there to see what they look like but in the end they will all be different. the half lystro just represents the one coming out of the water, it will be mostly complete with maybe just the back legs still in the water. one on the other base will be twisted, looking back into the water at the lystro being pulled down. so basically 1.75 lystros on the one base with half a croc leaping out of the water. on the other base 2 lystros with the one in the water and crocs being cast into that base. think ill have some horse tales on these bases, not the one in the pics, those were there just to see what they look like, the one I make will be much larger. think I will also have some fallen trees sticking out of the water and going towards the forest bases with stumps on those bases if there is room. going to do at least one giant centipede for one of the bases, not sure what to put on the other. will have the 4 trees I've already got done plus I would like to finish the two in the background of the new pics. would like those two be tree ferns but still have not figure out how to get then leafs done. was thinking about metal casting but a used spin caster is around 2,000 bucks. maybe someone knows someone that does spin casting that would cast them up for me for these kits. would be good to do the centipede legs in metal too because of the weight and thinness of the legs, I've been looking at spin caters for awhile now but just cant justify the investment even if I had the money. its not just the spin caster, it the melting pot and other supplies too. well, if anyone knows anyone willing to do some metal casting I'd like to get in touch with them. that's about it for tonight. one more day of work, then I'm on vacation for 9 days and will hit this sculpt running.
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Post by jeffbrown on Nov 18, 2016 1:19:54 GMT -5
One more thing, I cant stand Photo bucket. it took the better part of two hours tonight to upload 4 photos and try and put captions on them. it locked up at least 1/2 dozen times too. there are so many adds my computer could not handle them all. there has got to be another way to do the photos. I upload the photos for this site only, I don't visit any other sites for the most part. I am not a computer user even though my job is 100% working on a computer. this company computer is a high dollar laptop the company paid extra for so I could do AutoCAD like applications so its not the computer, its photo bucket. is there any other way to download photos?
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Post by lowelker on Nov 18, 2016 14:16:19 GMT -5
I love the pics!!! Please tell more with the wrap around swamp. I'm thinking I missed a post somewhere,,,,, I don't seem to remember reading about a new swamp piece. I'm all ears, er, all eyes.
The sculpts look so awesome by the way. I'm so excited to get these.
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Post by TAY666 on Nov 18, 2016 18:35:04 GMT -5
One more thing, I cant stand Photo bucket. it took the better part of two hours tonight to upload 4 photos and try and put captions on them. it locked up at least 1/2 dozen times too. there are so many adds my computer could not handle them all. there has got to be another way to do the photos. I upload the photos for this site only, I don't visit any other sites for the most part. I am not a computer user even though my job is 100% working on a computer. this company computer is a high dollar laptop the company paid extra for so I could do AutoCAD like applications so its not the computer, its photo bucket. is there any other way to download photos? Sign up for the gallery. www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/gallery/index.phpUpload the pics to an album there.
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Post by jeffbrown on Nov 19, 2016 2:57:49 GMT -5
I thought I had picture of the swamp uploaded somewhere, I guess not. this one has been sitting for 3 or 4 years at least. I've wanted to do a bigger swamp forever and finally got around to it, kind of. I took the sailback base and the PS swamp base the wrapped a base around the sailback base up to the other end of the swamp base. at the time I don't think anyone else had done one, at least I hadn't heard of anyone having one. I rolled out some supersculpy and that's about as far as it got. I started on a half dozen trees to go on the base and finished 4 of them. the base sat for 6 months at least butted up against the sailback and swap bases. I pulled the plastic bases away from the S Sculpy and found that it had given the plastic bases plastic cancer. I scraped the hell out of the bases and think I got it all. I never did touch it again, worked on the Pachy kit and another in between and planned to get back to it at some point. people saw the trees and wanted them so I cast them and sold them separately with the Pachy this last year but they were actually made for this swamp kit. after I made them I saw that the swamp kit is just too small for these trees so will do something else for it, have not decided yet. so I got two Permian forest bases that will but up against this swamp base and those will include these trees plus a few more. will add giant 6 ft amphibians to this swamp base at least 3 jumping out of the water after flying insects like in the Walking with prehistoric beast. will do the centipede from that show in one of the forest kits, maybe two fighting, not sure about that but hey, why not. will need to cast the centipede legs in metal because of the weight they will have to hold and the thinness of those legs. will have at least one amphibian sunning itself on the swamp base, most of that base will be water but the part up towards the PS swamp base will be land, maybe it will lie on a fallen log, think that would look really good and have one crawling out of the water next to that log I think. no spiders though, ill find some other critters and plants. would really like to do a bunch of it in metal though, think that would really work out better but its going to cost me. got two tree ferns started but have to do the fronds in metal. will finish up the trunks in the meantime. when I think "prehistoric" I think tree fern, not sure why but that's what I want on my Permian forests.
Tever, thanks for the info. I started to upload a couple pics but they are too large; will shrink them and try again tomorrow. got about 20 pics so far but think they are already uploaded in photobucket, or most of them are. would like it if I don't ever touch PH-B again. its 3am so wont be starting anything else tonight. will hit it hard tomorrow.
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