Has anyone found a good deal on Silicon RTV? How much RTV does one need to order for say a 5" US battleship secondary turret?
RTV doesn't really form with the consistency I'd like for larger objects. If you really want to do it, I'd buy a tube from an auto parts place and test it to see if you like the results. If you do at that point, then buy a crate of it online. Personally, I like Micro-Mark's resin for casting, they have several options. I like it because I think it has better structure to it than RTV, and also paint sticks to the resins better than to RTV. Just my 2 cents. Although, I'd say time and money-wise, Grey Wolf has them already done @ $2.50 each (set of 10 $25). Shameless plug, but I thought it was appropriate Separate note, Grey Wolf now does props up to 2" diameter. The price isn't up on the website yet, but it will be soon and people dying to have props can email Brian & Pete.
If you want make the Iowa's primaries, I'd make a mold out of RTV(in a wooden box, I like to use pieces of cheap Lowes rulers , and cast the turrets from fiberglass. The wooden box helps keep the mold together and provides support. RTV wouldn't do well at all (structurally) on something that huge, even more extreme example than the 5" turrets.
Right tuggy.. Sorry, again I'm unclear.. I'm not going to make the turrets from RTV, I'm going to make the MOLD from RTV. I was planning on using Alumalite for the actual piece, wood for the original. RTV is just really expensive & I wanted to know how much is needed to make a single turret. Also, if Grey Wolf happened to make a iowa primary; I would buy it instead of messing around with the RTV. How many would I need to buy before it is cost effective for you to create them & how much would they cost?
