Sanding resin parts

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Techniques
1

I’ve just started building a Tasca Sherman and am using the Verlinden engine bay (2644) as well as a number of extra detailing kits.

My question is around sanding the engine fans and belts in this kit.

The instructions arent great, but I get the feeling I’m meant to sand the resin parts so they’re much thinner, and the fans and belts will be much thinner and will have hollow sections.

Doing this with a knife is downright stupid, and doing it with a file seems like it’ll take days.

I wondered if anyone can tell me the best way to sand the backing off these parts?

Thanks in advance…

2

Number one thing you really need is a respirator before doing any sanding. Resin dust is not something you want to inhale while sanding.

3

You can cut away large blocks of resin pour stubs with a razor saw.

Attach some Wet-n-Dry sandpaper (400 grit & finer) to a sheet of plexiglass using contact cement (hardware store items).

Using a water bath (kitchen sink, bathtub, bucket outdoors) sand the backing wafer. Sand in circular motion, go clockwise, go counterclockwise, change hands, keep it flat. When you sand into a bubble fill it with superglue and baking soda. Continue sanding (if you wait until tomorrow the glue & soda will be harder than the resin). Move to finer grits as necessary.

Sanding under water cuts down on free resin dust. The dust is an irritant, not a toxic item.

4

It can go pretty quickly. I tape down the sandpaper around it’s edges.

Lots of control possible with that technique.

When I’m sanding something like a hull section, I mask and paint the area to save, and then sand to the paint line.

As far as the dust, it might not be poisonous, but it’s definitely bad for you.

I worry about the dog too, not so much in the case of sanding dust but certainly with spraying paint. her lungs aren’t as big as mine.

5

Thanks for the suggestions and tips! I was considering a belt sander but can only imagine how much overkill that is. I’ll give the taped down sandpaper a go and will let you know how i get on.

6

I’ve used a belt sander to make a waterline ship from a resin whole hull. Holy Christmas in July! I think I’m still sweeping resin dust out of the garage. Caution too because the thing gets hot and hot resin tends to warp.

And you can’t immerse the sander in water to keep the dust down. Well, you can. But only once. :-o

Buzz Budzik does use a bench top disc sander for thinning big resin pour stubs IIRC. Again caution on dust and heat. Google Buzz Budzik for his Youtube videos

7

I’ve used my Dremel for sanding larger pour stub blocks… it works quickly. A dust mask and eye protection are a necessity for this method. And be ready for clean up afterwards.

8

So I mentioned this to someone who had an orbital sander and we gave that a go… for about 10 seconds then put it away again. It took longer to find out where the resin part had pinged off to!! After some sanding, and some more, and a bit more, I invested in a JLC razor saw and, with the most care I’ve ever given anything like this, I gently cut between the parts and their backing lugs, and managed to get them all off nicely. After a few gentle brushes with some 400 grit sandpaper, they’ve come out lovely!

9

There you go! I find it kind of relaxing.

I have a little set of Zona saws that have served me well for years.

Probably at some point I’ll get new ones, and wonder why I put up with my old dull saws for so long.

10

I find those saws tend to start sticking as the teeth dull, especially when used on resin and, even worse, on styrene. I have found water will lubricate/cool the blades nicely, and not contaminate the part you are working on with anything that would hinder painting or gluing.

11

The use of wet sanding will also keep down the toxic resin dust which is a good thing too!