Ordinarily I wouldn't post something like this, and certainly wouldn't edit the title to include words like "insanely", but if you have ever made cast resin parts you would know just how bonkers this is.
TL/DR: I am in awe.
Even just from the detail I can see in the video I'm not sure how they managed to make the master parts they cast the molds off of. I suspect the original parts they're duplicating may actually be machined from metal, because the problem Adam points out that silicone molds deteriorate when used to make castings exists for making the molds off of original (or master) parts as well (though to a lesser degree). And if your master part falls apart from handling while pulling it out of the mold, you're potentially screwed: it might not be repairable, you have to make another identical master part first.
So at the very least you have to either minimize the mold-making failures, and your run of the mill vibration table and vacuum chamber aren't going to cut it as every bubble in the silicone that sticks to the original part is going to produce defects in the cast pieces, you have to be a master at mixing the silicone without introducing air bubbles in the first place (maybe even mixing it in a vacuum), or option 2 is your original master parts have to be really durable with no potential weak spots so you can afford to discard failed molds.
I mean, I made master parts, molds, and cast duplicate parts professionally for a while, and I never even attempted anything as ambitious as this. My brain is tying itself into knots imagining how to get this done. Whoever made this probably invented entirely new techniques along the way, because they certainly didn't cut any corners.
Edited to add: one way to get this done if price was no object is not to necessarily have an original part per-se at all, but to treat making the silicone molds as if you were making injection molded plastic parts, so the "original" is actually two sets of metal molds that each only has one positive surface. Each metal mold set produces one of the two silicon mold halves that is perfectly registered to fit the other. Voila, an unlimited supply of perfect silicone molds with no danger of damaging an original master part. A bonus would be that details like pour and exit channels can be made arbitrarily without introducing more problems except for increasing the cost of the metal master molds. I'm not convinced that's what they did though, because the expense is prohibitive, but it would explain why they would be willing to discard the silicone molds after using them for only twelve times.
Edited again to add: If you're machining mold sets to produce the silicone mold halves, there may not be any need to machine them from metal. Plastic might do, since the curing silicone doesn't get particularly hot (unlike the resin that gets poured into the silicone to make the final parts). That would reduce the cost considerably.
I've seen he making a lot of projects that involve models, and he looks impressed. For example, here is a direct link to his description of the main part of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAp4W18qX14&t=302s
He should be impressed. Those parts are impressive as heck. All that detail, every groove and dedent, and there is no sign of a single bubble anywhere. It's practically unnatural.
If I was trying for a casting like that big U shaped hull, I'd have probably thrown away eight failures before I got one that was worth fixing up by patching and sanding. Those parts that Adam is handling in the video? They are all pristine. Other than cutting away the sprues and maybe sanding away the mold seams (if there were any), I don't think they had defects to fix. The amount of work and care taken to get castings that good right out of the mold is prohibitive, to say the least.
I was confused about the winking he did concerning the violation of Lucas (or Disney whichever) copyright. He'd probably throw a fit and a lawyer if someone decided to sell SAVAGE t-shirts or his very nice messenger bags.
I'm not a fan of hypocrisy nor a fan of corporate bludgeoning of people doing small projects for profit. I'm kind of confused now - any insight on this for me?
I am pretty sure that if some fan went and made Adam Savage fan shirts, doing the screen printing and design all themselves, he'd be absolutely chuffed to receive one in the mail.
There's a difference between fans making and selling stuff because they are fans, and large corporations mass producing and selling stuff. One is largely OK in my opinion, the other not so much. This AT-AT model is an expression of love for the franchise first and foremost.
> I think lawyers would argue that by knowingly allowing some to violate your copyright you're left with less legal standing when others do the same.
IANAL, TINLA, etc.
Copyrights aren't quite as strict in that regard as patents and trademarks, but OTOH what's being violated here is primarily trademarks (an independent recreation of the appearance of an AT-AT in model form doesn't necessarily violate copyright in the way that copying or modifying 3D files and producing models from them would), and doubly so if the models are actually sold as "AT-AT Walkers" with or without the "Star Wars" brand.
An independent recreation like this is definitely a derivative work under copyright, but derivative works are often permitted under fair use. Whether this use would ultimately be permitted by a court is unknown, but a case can be made either for or against it, which is why any lawsuit by the competent folks at Disney would largely rest on the clear trademark violation, with the copyright claims thrown in for good measure just to drive up the legal costs; and since the fair use angle is definitely arguable you can't characterize it as a SLAPP and you can't really fault Disney for being willing to argue it in court. Vigorously, and at length.
Anyway, all this is besides the real point, which many many people over the years have learned:
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 27.3 ms ] threadTL/DR: I am in awe.
Even just from the detail I can see in the video I'm not sure how they managed to make the master parts they cast the molds off of. I suspect the original parts they're duplicating may actually be machined from metal, because the problem Adam points out that silicone molds deteriorate when used to make castings exists for making the molds off of original (or master) parts as well (though to a lesser degree). And if your master part falls apart from handling while pulling it out of the mold, you're potentially screwed: it might not be repairable, you have to make another identical master part first.
So at the very least you have to either minimize the mold-making failures, and your run of the mill vibration table and vacuum chamber aren't going to cut it as every bubble in the silicone that sticks to the original part is going to produce defects in the cast pieces, you have to be a master at mixing the silicone without introducing air bubbles in the first place (maybe even mixing it in a vacuum), or option 2 is your original master parts have to be really durable with no potential weak spots so you can afford to discard failed molds.
I mean, I made master parts, molds, and cast duplicate parts professionally for a while, and I never even attempted anything as ambitious as this. My brain is tying itself into knots imagining how to get this done. Whoever made this probably invented entirely new techniques along the way, because they certainly didn't cut any corners.
Edited to add: one way to get this done if price was no object is not to necessarily have an original part per-se at all, but to treat making the silicone molds as if you were making injection molded plastic parts, so the "original" is actually two sets of metal molds that each only has one positive surface. Each metal mold set produces one of the two silicon mold halves that is perfectly registered to fit the other. Voila, an unlimited supply of perfect silicone molds with no danger of damaging an original master part. A bonus would be that details like pour and exit channels can be made arbitrarily without introducing more problems except for increasing the cost of the metal master molds. I'm not convinced that's what they did though, because the expense is prohibitive, but it would explain why they would be willing to discard the silicone molds after using them for only twelve times.
Edited again to add: If you're machining mold sets to produce the silicone mold halves, there may not be any need to machine them from metal. Plastic might do, since the curing silicone doesn't get particularly hot (unlike the resin that gets poured into the silicone to make the final parts). That would reduce the cost considerably.
I've seen he making a lot of projects that involve models, and he looks impressed. For example, here is a direct link to his description of the main part of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAp4W18qX14&t=302s
Edit: More details in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAp4W18qX14&t=723s
If I was trying for a casting like that big U shaped hull, I'd have probably thrown away eight failures before I got one that was worth fixing up by patching and sanding. Those parts that Adam is handling in the video? They are all pristine. Other than cutting away the sprues and maybe sanding away the mold seams (if there were any), I don't think they had defects to fix. The amount of work and care taken to get castings that good right out of the mold is prohibitive, to say the least.
I'm not a fan of hypocrisy nor a fan of corporate bludgeoning of people doing small projects for profit. I'm kind of confused now - any insight on this for me?
There's a difference between fans making and selling stuff because they are fans, and large corporations mass producing and selling stuff. One is largely OK in my opinion, the other not so much. This AT-AT model is an expression of love for the franchise first and foremost.
Edit: I'm not pro or anti copyright, I think this is all madness.
IANAL, TINLA, etc.
Copyrights aren't quite as strict in that regard as patents and trademarks, but OTOH what's being violated here is primarily trademarks (an independent recreation of the appearance of an AT-AT in model form doesn't necessarily violate copyright in the way that copying or modifying 3D files and producing models from them would), and doubly so if the models are actually sold as "AT-AT Walkers" with or without the "Star Wars" brand.
An independent recreation like this is definitely a derivative work under copyright, but derivative works are often permitted under fair use. Whether this use would ultimately be permitted by a court is unknown, but a case can be made either for or against it, which is why any lawsuit by the competent folks at Disney would largely rest on the clear trademark violation, with the copyright claims thrown in for good measure just to drive up the legal costs; and since the fair use angle is definitely arguable you can't characterize it as a SLAPP and you can't really fault Disney for being willing to argue it in court. Vigorously, and at length.
Anyway, all this is besides the real point, which many many people over the years have learned:
You don't mess with the House of Mouse.