I have been building a collection plastic 1/72 fantasy models for Dragon Rampant and SOBH. Although the Caesar and Dark Alliance 1/72 ranges cover most fantasy races, I have also been on the look out for some metal miniatures that might be compatible scale wise. However, there are not very many manufacturers that produce metal fantasy miniatures in 1/72. This led me to try out some models from the distant past of the 1980s. Prince August have been producing a wide range of moulds for home casting for decades, including several fantasy lines. These include the "Classic Fantasy" moulds marketed as 25mm, a slightly later range of larger 25mm Fantasy models and a more recent range of fantasy elves in 32mm. The classic fantasy moulds were the ones that interested me, as these had the appearance of "true 25mm" models, which would be compatible with 1/72 scale. I came across the Orc mould (PA655) on Ebay and couldn't resist snapping it up.
Casting:
My previous experience with the larger 25mm PA moulds in the 1980s had been mixed, but this may have been due to poor technique. My first few efforts did not inspire confidence, however a few YouTube tutorials later, things improved dramatically. Heating the mould in the oven to about 100˚C resulted in much crisper castings. Making sure the mould is filled to the top also helps penetration of the molten metal. I still had issues with the tip of the spear and the end of the sword, but this was quickly solved by cutting small vents, indicated with arrows below, to allow air to escape:
These changes resulted in good castings almost 100% of the time. The painted models are shown below. Style is certainly old school and details shallow in places, but poses are good and there are nice details in the shields. Conversions are fun because if you make a mess of things, you can just recast the model and go again!
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