Original Miniatures: from dream to reality
Short introduction to the subject
Original Miniatures is (still) the only manufacturer to have offered the Alliance in 1:43 scale in its catalog, in both coupé and convertible versions.
The RACP club organized its 3rd group order in 2020 (the first dates back to 2003!). 17 years later, new enthusiasts also deserve to have their miniature!
A kind member of our club therefore contacted "Original Miniatures" (Mr. Pons), who agreed to share with you the secrets behind the manufacturing of our little gold ingot.
As a reminder, we have a dedicated page for Alliance / Encore miniatures and shared information about the relaunch on a page of our magnificent forum
The RACP club organized its 3rd group order in 2020 (the first dates back to 2003!). 17 years later, new enthusiasts also deserve to have their miniature!
A kind member of our club therefore contacted "Original Miniatures" (Mr. Pons), who agreed to share with you the secrets behind the manufacturing of our little gold ingot.
As a reminder, we have a dedicated page for Alliance / Encore miniatures and shared information about the relaunch on a page of our magnificent forum
Prototype creation
The creation of the Renault Alliance miniature prototypes dates back more than 20 years; unfortunately, we do not have photos of this work. However, we do have photos of the prototypes! :)
The idea and creation of these 2 Renault models (coupé and convertible) goes to François Debast, who at the time worked under the name of his brand "DOUBLE FILE". He left the professional miniature world many years ago.
Mr. Pons therefore bought the convertible from him at the time and corrected a few detail points after obtaining additional documentation from Rémi Hourlier [one of the first to have imported an Alliance convertible into France, who hosted the "Rémi Bricol'tout" section of Auto-Plus].
This took place toward the end of the 1990s, in 1997 or 1998..
The prototype being fragile, as it is often composed of several materials glued together—in this case metal and filler (sintofer)—it is important to protect it from excessive handling, which is often destructive.
The creation of the first body and chassis mold is therefore done using the prototype.
This is performed under partial vacuum, and since nature abhors a vacuum, the slightest flaw, the smallest hole, or an air pocket will immediately be filled with silicone, which will inevitably cause the prototype to suffer during the demolding operation, sometimes even leading to its breakage.
To avoid these drawbacks, immediately after obtaining the first silicone mold, male and female master molds (or Masters) are produced, so that subsequent production molds can be made when the first one is worn out, without having to reuse the prototypes. In summary, the prototype is used only once; subsequent molds are made using the Masters.
The lifespan of a silicone mold varies; several parameters come into play, but on average it allows for 35 to 45 polyurethane resin castings.
The Masters are essential for manufacturing the two body molds of the convertible and the coupé. These are the large light-colored blocks made with an extremely hard special resin. There are two for each miniature: the male master responsible for creating the outer part of the mold, and the female master or counter-mold that forms the central part of the mold, fits inside it, and whose role is to create the internal part of the miniature.
The male master is placed in a watertight parallelepiped box and silicone is poured around it. To produce the female master or counter-mold, simply pour silicone into the master block up to the top! Then they must be left to cure for at least 24 hours, and longer if possible, as the silicone will be more resistant.
The same method is used for the mold of the small separate parts. Here is a summary of the operations performed to obtain a set of silicone molds.
The rest of the parts that make up the Renault Alliance kit (decals, photo-etched parts) are subcontracted to other specialized craftsmen. and after all that, painting!!
Mr. Pons therefore bought the convertible from him at the time and corrected a few detail points after obtaining additional documentation from Rémi Hourlier [one of the first to have imported an Alliance convertible into France, who hosted the "Rémi Bricol'tout" section of Auto-Plus].
This took place toward the end of the 1990s, in 1997 or 1998..
The prototype being fragile, as it is often composed of several materials glued together—in this case metal and filler (sintofer)—it is important to protect it from excessive handling, which is often destructive.
The creation of the first body and chassis mold is therefore done using the prototype.
This is performed under partial vacuum, and since nature abhors a vacuum, the slightest flaw, the smallest hole, or an air pocket will immediately be filled with silicone, which will inevitably cause the prototype to suffer during the demolding operation, sometimes even leading to its breakage.
To avoid these drawbacks, immediately after obtaining the first silicone mold, male and female master molds (or Masters) are produced, so that subsequent production molds can be made when the first one is worn out, without having to reuse the prototypes. In summary, the prototype is used only once; subsequent molds are made using the Masters.
The lifespan of a silicone mold varies; several parameters come into play, but on average it allows for 35 to 45 polyurethane resin castings.
The Masters are essential for manufacturing the two body molds of the convertible and the coupé. These are the large light-colored blocks made with an extremely hard special resin. There are two for each miniature: the male master responsible for creating the outer part of the mold, and the female master or counter-mold that forms the central part of the mold, fits inside it, and whose role is to create the internal part of the miniature.
The male master is placed in a watertight parallelepiped box and silicone is poured around it. To produce the female master or counter-mold, simply pour silicone into the master block up to the top! Then they must be left to cure for at least 24 hours, and longer if possible, as the silicone will be more resistant.
The same method is used for the mold of the small separate parts. Here is a summary of the operations performed to obtain a set of silicone molds.
The rest of the parts that make up the Renault Alliance kit (decals, photo-etched parts) are subcontracted to other specialized craftsmen. and after all that, painting!!
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