How To Make Miniatures For Absolute Beginners

Without fancy equipment and on a budget we're gonna make some DIY miniatures for Warhammer, D&D or whatever TTRPG you play. We cover moulding, casting, design, sculpting, materials and tools.
shop.ramshackl... - My New Resin Cast Miniatures
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People Mentioned (In Order):
Rach.Creating: / rach.creating
Toon: / toon_maillard
Wilhel Miniatures: / wilhelminiatures
PMC Illustration: / pmcillustration
NerdCraftHQ: / @nerdcrafthq
Tanner Simpson: / simpsominiatures
Many Worlds Miniatures: / manyworldsminiatures
Spawning Pit: / spawningpit
Somnderian / somnderian
Junkpunke: / junkpunke
Keira: / keira.kreations
Banhus: / banhus_miniatures (cast by / mammothminiatures )
Sam Mumby: / 3gbg_games
Ivfallenover: / ivfallenover
Clothes are probably from cool shirtz
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[@Miscast]

I accidentally made more videos so I'll see you again in a couple of days lol

[@619Slipk]

Like a wise man used to say Happy accidents

[@hannes3040]

W

[@val4238]

🔥🔥🔥can't wait

[@ArkenosDeTeskos]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it yet, but what's fun with alginate is that it shrinks as it dries, sometimes up to 50% of the original size. You can let it dry completely, it's very fragile, but then you can cast a miniature of your mini, I recommend using liquid latex for this process and filling with a 2 part cold foam. It's fun lol

[@RichardReads]

Miscast? More like Mis-filmed *ba da tss*

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

This is what inspiration actually looks like.

[@summonlessermaker]

I'm literally trying to cast some gargoyles now. This video was perfectly timed 🤣 Thanks for the endless inspiration.

[@Miscast]

Wiiicked, cant wait to see em

[@thomaskaracwilson]

Trent, you really are a pillar of the miniature modeling hobby, and you’ve provided so much for the community.

[@AlienToppedPancakes]

Something I really admire about this channel is the seemingly "go with the flow" workstyle, which leads to these thinking-out-of-the-box moments. "Oh I don't have enough mold liquid to cover the mini... Gotta shove some random junk into the corners!" that's just stupidly clever in hindsight! Another example I remember is using color pencils as highlight during painting, or using leftovers from other project to fill out the volume on terrain when using things like expanding foam. Might be obvious for experienced makers but such cool "cheats" to learn early on. Like working with what you have instead of throwing more products and money on a problem. Embracing the limitations to boost the creativity. Love it!

[@godnt3924]

those little cheats are so cool! That kind of attitude is the heart and soul of making things yourself and learning new skills

[@asafoetidajones8181]

Robert Tolone call it "Dunkin chunkies" when you keep scrap bits of silicone or whatever to fill out molds and save on materials. The name is so memorable I never forget to do it. It also reminds me to go skinny dipping with my wife

[@sombrero434]

A new Miscast video on my birthday?! I truly am blessed

[@Miscast]

Happy Birthday!

[@sombrero434]

@@Miscast Thank you so much, great video btw gonna have to start a new model making project now.

[@scrunglylittleguy]

Happy birthday @sombrero434 🎉🎉

[@val4238]

Congrats🎉

[@MiniAxeCrafts]

I can feel the seed, which you've just planted in the back of my mind, wriggling 🤯

[@Miscast]

Lets goo!

[@Tectonicbg]

a morning with Miscast and a coffee... Truly makes my day to see you

[@junkers4561]

Never let it go and never gonna stop. Do it just a little bit, but every day. If you are not inspired, then get distracted by something completely opposite to the topic you are currently working on.

[@Blandco]

I was following this video closely enough until you came to the step where you had somebody hug a cat. I don't have a cat so I'm sort of like stuck at this point.

[@2gallonclown]

🧿👃🧿

[@MarcusSuvanto]

Man you just bleed inspiration. I have been rolling the idea around in my head to try and mold something recently and this is just perfect timing. I love the attitude of just trying and making it work rather than the obsessively optimal thing you see so often.

[@paulgee1952]

Get yourself a vacuum chamber , cheap bathroom silicone and cornflour moulding ,the trick in the right consistency and getting talc and sections in the right place for more complex figures,simple dish soap as a demoulder and overall works well with resin.Venting important and if using hard molds, injection moulding with expanding foam creates some good results but is messy as hell lol.

[@Miscast]

Fun ideas, I'll give it a go!

[@DarthCool99]

One of my favorite sculpting tools is a pen. The round hole in the front of a clicking pen makes incredible warts or eyes, and then the writing nubbin becomes a decent point to draw with.

[@godnt3924]

absolutely love the video! I have been learning to mold and cast cheaply and without a pressure pot for about a year now, and this video has given me such inspiration to get back into making some new molds. Also little tip for anyone else trying to save money casting bigger models: use a little bit of resin and roll it around in the mold so it forms a shell around the outside of the model *make sure to poke out any bubbles [i use a bit of wire so i can reach really far into the crevasses] then you can fill it with as much garbage as you can and then pour the rest of the resin into it to fill the gaps and make it nice and strong [i use chopped up sprues] - then another option for only some resins: you can add a little bit more of part B which will make the resin expand and fill with air bubbles. this will give you a rougher cast and im not sure if it works with all resins. So play around with it and see what happens i guess. - these might be useless but its always good to have another tool in the toolbox.

[@godnt3924]

oh i also recommend having another mold nearby for when you inevitably pour too much resin

[@Miscast]

Great ideas!!

[@brandenkadunce1933]

Wonderful video. Played with some mold making a while ago. Two quick tips: do a quick displacement test with water to find out exactly how much material you need to mix. A quick and cheap way to make a vacuum chamber is to use a break bleeder and an air tight container. Two of my favorite sculpting tools are a mechanical pencil with a needle in the eraser and a steak knife with electrical tape over most of the blade. Once again amazing video! Super inspirational!

[@exion101]

This is a very cosy video that's taken a lot of the intimidation out of a subject I've idly been drawn to for a while! Well done!

[@16bitmap]

I love this small homework assignment!

[@jasondenys]

So happy to see the grant bodies at the end of your vid. Recognition of all of the inspiration you gift to others.

[@CaffeinatedMiniatures]

"I think making things, is a way to celebrate being alive" hell yes!!

[@Miscast]

[@dylandemarce5161]

Man I’m so glad to see you back! Of course haven’t had time to watch all of the new videos, but your videos have kept me motivated in some hard times!

[@thatnvcdm]

Making stuff can be scary. Fortunately we've got Trent, the Bob Ross of miniature making, to motivate us along the way!

[@BPCustomCreations]

This makes me feel so much better about my first step into molding and casting with the Daruma 😂

[@Miscast]

It turned out so good!

[@BPCustomCreations]

@@Miscast ❤️

[@ScratchAttackTV]

I always love your videos, but this one goes directly to the point i've been digging in for years (one of them, at least). Thanks, Trent!

[@ToddReynolds45]

Thank you for being so relatable and continuing to encourage more creatives in this community

[@horushacienda]

you are truly one of my favourite creator, you always inspire me to create and explore outside my comfort zone. Thank you Miscast!

[@TabletopTime]

Good to see you back uploading! Great video

[@Miscast]

Love ya team!

[@SideBurns]

Generally I like to sculpt in a way where my fingers won’t touch the clay. I also do my sculpts in parts and secure them on a pin vice, which is very handy. Miliput in conjunction with an armature helps me save clay that I put on top, and provides a good base to build features.

[@Fueledchaos]

Great to have ya back! & in such abundance!

[@scottwhite9635]

Glad to see another appearance from "the entity"!

[@jakelevinson7802]

I’m not that much of a sculptor I work mostly with illustration and animation and I’m an arc student and I’ll be honest. Trent is probably one of the biggest inspirations to me as an artist. I wouldn’t say my arch style looks anything like his, but Trent is inspired me not so much in style as he had in artistic philosophy. You change what being an artist meant for me and I can never be grateful enough for that. Your videos inspired me to think about my art and my process and what I choose to value in it and how the artistic journey is never linear, and my growth can be multifaceted. You help me love everything I do even and often, especially when it is my messy and chaotic work that does not fit some clean standard of what art is meant to be. I know I probably left a comment like this a dozen times and a dozen different videos but it just always come bubbles up in my heart whenever I watch one of these videos.

[@FortNite-h7e]

Miscast Upload Day!!!!! Canceling my plans... This is a great video and so helpful. I'm 13 and trying to make and cast my own minis so a miscast vid all about how to do it with cheaper materials is AMAZING!

[@Miscast]

Good luck!

[@FortNite-h7e]

@@Miscast Thank you!

[@GentlemansCombatives]

Too much time on the Garden's of Hecate blog has made me want to make some armoured ogres from green stuff and cast them, what a fortuitously timed video

[@BangOwl]

This video might be about molding miniatures, but you are truly one of a kind. Your enthusiasm and joy for making things always inspires me to jump headfirst into the projects I am too scared to start. Thank you so much, Trent.

[@Ech_The_Sentiant]

Oooh this exactly what I needed!! I have a snail I need to duplicate for a kitbash in my 40K army and this video came at a perfect time!! Fantastic video as always!

[@VonSkulltaker]

Glorious! You bring such joy to this hobby. Thanks for the video, man.

[@thesoothsayer9223]

I'm locally known for my "cursed" kitbashes and custom sculpts. This channel always feels like home. Big appreciation for you content and craft

[@Zambies]

I've been sculpting more and this is the video I didn't know I needed right now.

[@Miscast]

You're the best Zambies!

[@Zambies]

@@Miscast no you!

[@iain.sm.c]

KZbin for some reason deleted my comment, so I'll just repost it for engagement. This is another great video that makes me want to get off my arse and make something. I've learnt a lot through the Proko 3D channel. You could technically buy their course, but pretty much all of the basics is on their KZbin channel for free. It's focused on fine-art sculpting, so you won't get as much out of it for 28-style sculpting, but still great for the basics!

[@Miscast]

I'll check it out! Thankyou!!

[@grombatmole]

Alginate! I’m stoked I watched this before buying any silicone.

[@originalnamehere7308]

These are always so inspirational. I always find myself trying new ideas or techniques after watching one

[@RobertJanisTomsons]

The best way for me when I see a non-German product (or a product that is not available in Germany) in a video is to start with the cheapest alternative, e.g. dollar store silicone, and then slowly work my way up to more expensive products that I can use for my work. Most of the time I end up with good mid-range products.

[@pepelozo]

a few weeks ago i made the first resin cast of my own miniature, you were a huge inspiration, and knowing you were going through a similar journey was a great motivation to get through the tough parts and get it done, thank you so much for everything you do.

[@mindcogs]

oooh cutting a little hole in the foil to pour resin - that's a great idea!

[@JamieDaggers]

I'm always a fan of making things accessible, and I think my hesitation to trying something like this has always been the vacuum element. Thanks for sharing your hard won knowledge with us. I can't wait to experiment with some alginate in the future, and who knows what else! Thanks Trent!

[@Miscast]

You're the best Jamie!

[@olddominionoutfitters1272]

I’ve gotten into sculpting because of these videos. I’ve been into more traditional art and miniatures separately for a while, but I never really saw the connection that can be made by breaking the barriers of both worlds until I started watching these videos. The local grocery store had a big blowout sale of plastic plants in nice ceramic planter pots for like 0.40 a piece. I was glad there was a self checkout 😂

[@bluebaboon37]

Great little intro to mold making!

[@jarnogezels9038]

I love your style Trent! The vibes are perfect 👌

[@alexnoahvogel]

I was just thinking about you and your crafting madness, Trent. Glad to see you are well and still riding the creative wave. 🤙🏻

[@apocrypha_now]

This is wholesome, inspiring and informative in equal measure! Can’t wait to see more

[@PMCillustration]

Great video Trent! Many will be inspired to give sculpting, molding and casting a go!

[@YanniCooper]

If you're using silicon to make molds, you can make your own silicon tools. Make a couple molds in the shape you want your tool in, then when your making your miniature mold, just put a little into your tool mold and stick an old paintbrush it other handle in. You'll need to support the handle somehow (binder clips?) while it sets, but usually you either have too much or too little silicon mixed. Also, save your failed silicon molds, cut then into chunks and you can put the chunks in when you're making new silicon molds (learned this from Robert Tolone, who had tons of great videos on molding and casting)

[@Miscast]

Great ideas! I would love to try making sculpting tools

[@Bluecho4]

Always a treat to see you at work. Especially in an informative way, like this. Good job.

[@capnskustomworks]

They all came out awesome, their individuality is some of what makes independent artistry so good!!! That learning and evolving process is so important! Looking forward to seeing them get more involved, that’ll be cool!!!

[@mynamejeffxdddd7851]

my goodness a new casting video by Trent truly a blessed day be upon us

[@troutpies]

yo, that "28" tattoo goes super hard

[@TheNerdySimulation]

To quote a lovely song: You bring light in. An excellently helpful video in so many ways, demystifying the process so many more can bring their expression upon another artform.

[@Scrombo2]

I've been trying for yrs, thank you so much

[@zenrusch3722]

Love you man missed you and glad ur back

[@graefx]

I remember friends using dental plaster with their HurstArts molds. More durable than normal plaster but easier to use in your dorm than resin. Had never thought of algenate though. I will never stop loving your DIY and resourceful approaches. Very punk

[@Creckzo]

Every time I see a Miscast video appear it brightens my day, this was no exception; keep up the amazing work Trent.

[@DaemonSmith1]

This is a fantastic resource, thank you for sharing your experience! Also, congrats on the grant!

[@sgoifo6928]

Every time u upload u give me a creative wave ur content is that good

[@Miscast]

I'm so happy to hear it!

[@louislowery2877]

Always very enjoyable watching it’s addictive so need more!! Thanks

[@jackhammer40k_]

If you put the alginate mould in a seal up bag wrapped in a wet paper towel you can drastically increase its life time. It’s what we do in dentistry :)

[@Miscast]

Oh. cool! I'll try that

[@DomPasta]

And just when I thought my projects were dead, Trent comes and saves the day!

[@nils89451]

You know it is a good day wen miscast uplods a new video 👍😀😀

[@billdefranza4927]

15:15 you sound a little embarrassed, but I find this to be empowering and inspirational.

[@euansmith3699]

What a great positive and welcoming video.

[@grombatmole]

Wahoo! Great vid as always Trent! I heartily approve of just having a go (“full send sculpting”?). Awesome to see all the glow in the dark crew too!

[@grombatmole]

Also nice one getting an arts grant, good to see my tax dollars going to good use

[@NecromediaNetwork]

Hell yeah my man got that regional arts funding 💪

[@mikai5603]

YIPPEEE YIPEEEEEEE IV BEEN WAITING FOR A FULL TUTUORIAL YIPEEEE

[@michaelmiller2570]

still the most inspiring vids in the genre

[@AndreSjoberg]

True inspiration indeed, I’m so finally gonna try this next weekend, thanks :)

[@anvilofdoomminiatures]

I'm writing all of this down... Thanks for making this mate!

[@secretaltruism4174]

If you want to know how much resin to mix up, fill the mould with water then pour it out and either measure it by volume (best) or by weight (little different to resin though). Also, to get rid of bubbles, you can buy a mini cheap vibrator (tested by Evan and Kaitlin).

[@simoncorn1151]

Ngl i missed these kinds of guide videos, felt nostalgic watching this

[@Wijkert]

16:41 this is great! Seems their own take on what very early 40k was.

[@Miscast]

Many Worlds Miniatures is a total legend, they are linked in the description, its all amazing.

[@SoFishtry]

Love your videos as always. Hope life is treating you well and looking forward to whatever you produce next

[@sammmarru9105]

I’ve missed Miscast videos with coffee in the morning. So glad to see you again! Keep being cool!

[@blackguardunlimeted]

Oh yes! Very excited for this! ✨

[@Liopot68]

welcome back. Missed you!

[@OliverWallaceStories]

Yes! thank you, thank you!

[@the_z0diac]

Trent you truly are my hobby hero in this already niche community we have here. You inspired me to make wierd shit years ago. Thanks to you I found ramshackle which led me to hivescum and in rust discord. Found out about UTDfest. I've sculpted and casted my own models and I told myself hell or high water i will personally put one of my models in your hands then bear hug the shit out of you. Keep being a great pillar of this community trent.

[@Miscast]

I'm trying to get to UTDfest so if you're there, I will be expecting a model! I will trade. Thankyou so much for the kind words

[@the_z0diac]

@@Miscast if your going to UTD then I'm going to UTD. And you have inspired me in this hobby more than you'll ever know.

[@harazhangf5782]

Really interesting video. Thanks for the tips. :) Those glow in the dark minis look so coooool !!!

[@SolGladio]

For some reason, my like button has disappeared (been a problem for days now), but take my comment as a form of interaction! Great video as always; really gets the creative juices flowing!

[@Transconaslim7075]

Need full 8 hour ASMR mould curing (very satisfying bubbles) video

[@xenoserum]

Some good ideas and nice to see what processes you have been using to see what comes out in the end, Tom Mason does some good walk through videos for sculpting. It's something I need to start doing more of and getting into the swing of things and get some models done.

[@Miscast]

Thankyou, I will check Tom out!

[@janofe2232]

Your videos feel so therapeutic! Always such lovely advice that leaves me with a warm glow! PS those multicolour glow in the dark minis are amazing!

[@Miscast]

Thankyou, that really means a lot

[@albinofreak620]

This will finally get me off my ass to cast my Garbo toad

[@CraftandQuest]

This video couldn't have come at a better time. It's like my current ADHD hyper fixation has just been gifted a tutorial! Wonderful!

[@peasupplyco]

Damn, what an inspirational video. Like you said, making is scary, this might be enough to push some of us into it!

[@CCMinis]

Awesome video Trent!

[@OhMyGaming]

Great to see you back mate!

[@Miscast]

Thankyou!!

[@BriskKnuhm]

great to have you back

[@Miscast]

Never far away!

[@Shnelloffline]

i guess 3 am is a wonderful time to watch this

[@Miscast]

3am is a great time to hyper-fixate on a new project from a random youtube video, I do it all the time

[@metalshorrorhouse-kd1ih]

For sculpting materials I also recommend Monster Clay, for smaller id recommend Monster Clay Hard. Easier to sculpt at small scale the harder the clay. You can also checkout Alien Clay, very similar to monster clay.

[@Kitbash.Carnage]

❤️🤘🔥 you got me back into sculpting bro .... keep up the amazing work 👏

[@cookie2000ad]

This was awesome and so inspiring, thank you 😊

[@SmashToBits]

Here's a good tip if you dont have a pressure pot. Dust the molds with baby powder, it will help break the surface tension on the walls and will flow better into small details.

[@SmashToBits]

Also, look up robert tolone for more advanced mold making tips!

[@Miscast]

Robert Tolone is a legend! Thank you for the tip, I'll give it a go!

[@wittlegoblin]

Beautiful. These are videos people will be referencing for practical purposes and inspiration forever (Also yay, Rachel's mini came out so rad)