First Resin Kit - Advice?
Discussion
I've picked up my first resin kit today, an M134 Minigun and associated bits to use as an addon for an M60 tank I'm making, and although its a tiny kit I've never used resin before. All I know about resin kits is that I'll need a razor saw to cut the bits off their bases, and that I need to wear a mask so as not to breathe in the dust lest I die horribly at my desk, but is there anything else worth pointing out to me? What glue is best, can I use normal plastic kit glue or something else specialised?
Any pointers are appreciated!
Any pointers are appreciated!
What Eric neglected [i](inadvertently, no doubt)[] is that superglue is next to useless on almost everything but flesh
The epoxy suggestion does it for me
Superglue 'lets go' if you even breathe as you use it to finish a job
I have found this to be be true, so do NOT wobble when using it
The epoxy suggestion does it for me
Superglue 'lets go' if you even breathe as you use it to finish a job
I have found this to be be true, so do NOT wobble when using it
Thin superglue is absolutely excellent on balsa wood.
But that's OT.
For resin I use CA/Superglue and sometimes epoxy. It's quite easy to make an unholy mess with epoxy which tends to string so be careful - but the bond is great.
For bigger sanding jobs, don't bother with the mask but use wet & dry paper instead - used wet in a sink or under a running tap. The water both prevents the paper from clogging which happens quite quick when used dry, but also prevents the dust from getting airborne. You don't want to breathe the dust, but you don't really want the stuff everywhere anyway because it's a nuisance. Water keeps that from happening.
If anything is bent/misshapen, they can usually be straightened in hot water.
Lastly, some/many resin parts are cast with a release agent in the moulds. This can prevent paint (even enamels, let alone acrylics) from adhering so a wash in soapy water is a good move too.
But that's OT.
For resin I use CA/Superglue and sometimes epoxy. It's quite easy to make an unholy mess with epoxy which tends to string so be careful - but the bond is great.
For bigger sanding jobs, don't bother with the mask but use wet & dry paper instead - used wet in a sink or under a running tap. The water both prevents the paper from clogging which happens quite quick when used dry, but also prevents the dust from getting airborne. You don't want to breathe the dust, but you don't really want the stuff everywhere anyway because it's a nuisance. Water keeps that from happening.
If anything is bent/misshapen, they can usually be straightened in hot water.
Lastly, some/many resin parts are cast with a release agent in the moulds. This can prevent paint (even enamels, let alone acrylics) from adhering so a wash in soapy water is a good move too.
I make lots of resin models at work and we use superglue with no issues, Locktite is our favoured brand, in a medium thickness. We have models that are 10+ years old and the glued joints are fine, the issue we have is that the resin sags over time and the models get droopy wings unless stored very carefully- we can't have them on display. Make sure the parts are washed in soapy water and dried thoroughly to get rid of any release agent. We don't ever use any bonding agents though as they can make a weaker joint.
Epoxy does work well though it's just a bit messier and takes longer to cure.
If you get warped parts they can be straightened by dunking in hot water and carefully pinning/clamping to something that will help them retain their shape until cooled.
ETA- I missed Jamie's post above due to making a cup of tea half way through posting so sorry for repeating everything he said
Epoxy does work well though it's just a bit messier and takes longer to cure.
If you get warped parts they can be straightened by dunking in hot water and carefully pinning/clamping to something that will help them retain their shape until cooled.
ETA- I missed Jamie's post above due to making a cup of tea half way through posting so sorry for repeating everything he said
Edited by lufbramatt on Wednesday 9th March 08:15
Just because it's small doesn't mean it'll be easy to build!
I find cyano horrible stuff to use on small scale models - it sticks instantly when you don't want it to, and vice versa. It's also brittle, and can leave a powdery residue around the joint that needs cleaning off before painting. The low viscosity stuff can wick into places you don't want it.
I use Araldite Rapid whenever I can on both resin and even on the smallest p/e parts. It gives you time to move things around and sets with a small degree of flexibility you don't get with cyano. Often with larger resin pieces, they are butt-jointed together with no locating features, so that degree of working time is very useful. I also use PVA on very small, cosmetic parts like inspecion covers and data plates.
I find cyano horrible stuff to use on small scale models - it sticks instantly when you don't want it to, and vice versa. It's also brittle, and can leave a powdery residue around the joint that needs cleaning off before painting. The low viscosity stuff can wick into places you don't want it.
I use Araldite Rapid whenever I can on both resin and even on the smallest p/e parts. It gives you time to move things around and sets with a small degree of flexibility you don't get with cyano. Often with larger resin pieces, they are butt-jointed together with no locating features, so that degree of working time is very useful. I also use PVA on very small, cosmetic parts like inspecion covers and data plates.
Edited by dr_gn on Wednesday 9th March 09:53
Well I ended up being a bit irritated by the resin kit, although I can see the attraction to the medium as the detailing on the gun and associated bits was superb. My main annoyance with it was the brittleness of the resin, which for some of the tiny parts ended in snapping, followed closely by the glues I used initially barely holding. I used some generic superglue as well as some thin CA stuff, both of which wouldn't hold the parts but would (instantly, as always) tack my fingers together, and although some Revell Contacta worked after a while, I ended up (and wished I'd used this first) using some Bostick adhesive, thick stuff but that held the parts firmly until dry.
The ammo belts were very disappointing though as the CAD pictures on the box showed them curving nicely whilst they came supplied in straight lines. Despite sitting them in hot water for a while they remained stiff so I could barely get any movement in them without snapping. Perhaps higher heat would have helped but I'd run the risk of melting it I suppose.
It should end up looking alright for a first attempt once the painting is done though.
The ammo belts were very disappointing though as the CAD pictures on the box showed them curving nicely whilst they came supplied in straight lines. Despite sitting them in hot water for a while they remained stiff so I could barely get any movement in them without snapping. Perhaps higher heat would have helped but I'd run the risk of melting it I suppose.
It should end up looking alright for a first attempt once the painting is done though.
Have a picture of it in place here, its an M60A2 turret with the minigun, ammo box and battery (yet to put the cables in place) placed on. A fantasy arrangement but its a bit of fun and a test of a resin kit. You can see the stunted joints on the ammo belt which I've attempted to make work but the straight pieces were not very pliant to being bent!
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