My first resin kit - HELP!

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

OK, I just bought my first resin kit after working with injection and vacuform styrene for years, both 1/72 aircraft and HO trains. I got one of the Alliance models 1/72 IAR-39 models. Nice kit, so I don’t want to mess it up through ignorance. [:)]

So, I have a few simple questions to try and help prevent that. I am hoping you fine folk here can give me all manner of wonderful advise. [;)]

1.) I am figuring that working with resin kits is quite unlike styrene in that you don’t score and cut, or snip, from the sprue/excess. What is the best method of removing the excess? Sawing with a small saw?

2.) Adhesives. Again, I am betting that regular model glue would prove less than useless. CA/Superglue? or something else?

3.) Painting - Does it paint like styrene?

4.) Similar to (1) above. There is a smallish window in the fuselage on both sides below the canopy. It needs to be cut out, and clear plastic inserted. Similar method to cutting out a styrene hole? Drill the corners, then gently saw, leaving some excess to sand/file down to shape?

Thats all I can think of for the moment. If you have experience working with resin kits, and know of something I may not have specifically asked about, but feel it is important or usefull, please, don’t hesitate to chime in!

Thanks!!

2

  1. For my resin work I usually sand down the pour stubs. Be sure to wear a dust mask cause the resin dust is harmfull for your lungs. Either sand or use files to remove the excess.

  2. I always use CA glue for resin.

  3. I always like to primer my resin before painting. This tends to seal up any small air holes. I use Mr Surfacer 1000 and spray it.

3

Always wet sand, and even file resin. Start with a regular file, followed by a foam sanding stick(from a beauty supply store or Walmart) and then wet/dry sand paper(wet of course). Glue and prime as mentioned above. Your solution for the windows sounds good. Try not breathe the dust. Good luck.

4

Minor warps and bends can be fixed by rebending with heat. Heat a pan of water to simmering (that is the point just before boiling). Remove the pan from the heat. Immerse the part in the water and allow to heat through. Depending on the thickness it may take several minutes.

Never boil the part. You cannot control the heating! Never microwave! Resins may contain a metalic filler which will heat unevenly and cause a blowout (been there).

Remove the part from the water and gently bend to shape. If it isn’t heated enough put it back int he water to heat some more. Do not force it. When in position cool the part with some cold water to retain the shape.

Reacted resin is generally not toxic. Check the Material Safety Data Sheets from the supplier. Reacted resin is a respiratory irriatant. Wet sanding helps keep the dust down. It also helps to keep the sandpaper from clogging.

5

Encouraged and heartened by the advise offered here, I took the plunge and bought 2 more resin kits of aircraft I had always wanted to try, but were never really available in styrene, a Planet models Renard R-31 and a Kaproni-Bulgarski Ka-309 by LF/Kora models.

I also started some basic work on the IAR-39, carefully filing some of the larger bits off, but leaving enough to sand down to the proper contours. So far, nothing broken or warped. [:O] We’ll see how things go. If all else fails, I can always follow Bill Cosby’s old advise of it it don’t work, add 2 grooves and call it an ashtray. [;)]