I am about to tackle my first resin kit, an Anigrand F10-F. The kit looks impressive and I am anxious to get started, but … First time at the plate and I am not sure what the pitcher has in his arsenal. Most of it appears to be right along the lines of an injection molded kit with several notable exceptions that I’m aware of; CA is the preferred adhesive, resin dust is toxic, and some of the parts are exremely fragile. For starters, I have two questions:
Are there any other pitfalls I should be particularly concerned about?
The landing gear is very delicate. Does resin “creep” under weight? If so are there any tricks to strengthen the gear so it will handle the weight of the model witout bending over time?
Any/all comments will be helpful and very much appreciated.
You may use either CA or epoxy. Resins do not react to the typical solvent glues used in modeling
Resin dust is not toxic. Resin dust is an irritant. The dust generated by sawing is generally too coarse to be of any problem. The problem comes from sanding. Most sanding can be done wet, using wet-n-dry paper. I sand at the kitchen sink under running water. Or you can use a surgical/particle mask. Organic respirators are not required.
You may find that some resins have surface bubbles. A LIGHT primer coat (Plasticote, Krylon, etc.) followed by a light sanding will handle many bubbles. Larger bubbles may be filled with CA, CA & sanding dust, Bondo putty, or your favorite. Resin is pretty forgiving in this regard.
Resin is more brittle than plastic. Cut through – dont force or snap a cut.
Resin, even large pieces, are affected by heat. You can cure a warp by a soak in hot (not boiling) water. Heat until flexible and secure until cooled. With resin ships that have turned bananna, I heat them, then clamp them to a counter top until they cool. DO NOT HEAT your model in the microwave! There are metalic fillers in most resins as well as internal bubbles. Uneven heating will cause a catastrophic blow out. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt.
Because resin is not thermally stable, you will find that small-diameter pieces will tend to sag when under weight or tension. Reinforce the landing gear with brass wire, or replace with scratchbuilt materials which are more stable.
Resins accept most modeling paints. Use whatever you are most familiar with, enamels or acrylics.
I appreciate the quick and compehensive advice. I will launch the great adventure in the very near future and see where it leads me. Your comments will really help.
Ed, you microwaved a resin kit part? You animal, you! [:O]
Kidding. Thankfully I have never had a resin kit piece that was so far gone that I had to resort to heating, I’ve been able to skate by with gluing and clamping until dry.
Intruder38, you can lower your anxiety level a lot by regarding a resin kit as just another kind of plastic. It’s not esoteric and it won’t bite you (well, not in a way that will leave any marks). My ship models are generally resin kits and I have come to prefer them because the hull/deck is usually one piece - fewer seams to try and hide! - and construction seems to go faster than with a corresponding plastic kit.
As I examined the kit pieces, I was pretty sure that the process was, indeed, just another kit with different colored plastic. However, I convinced myself that it just couldn’t be that easy. In the past, I have been reluctant to start something that I thought might turn out badly; this time, however, it’s damn the torpedos, full speed astern (or something like thaat). Thanks for the encouragement.
One other difference - give them a REALLY good cleaning before priming/painting. For some reason, the mold release agents are tougher to get rid of than with plastic.