6 replies to this topic

[m408]

Just getting back into modeling after almost 40 years. Have built a few plastic kits, not show quality, but good enough for me. I see a lot of talk about resin kits and parts but know nothing about this medium. How do they differ? Same glues and paints? better detail? Like I said, know nothing. Is there a tutorial available?

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Resin is arguably the backbone of the aftermarket in this hobby. In short:Since plastic injection is a very expensive industrial type of thing, rubber molds are made from custom, modified or hard to find parts, and then the molds are used to duplicate the parts. The molds are filled with a 2 part mixture of resin and hardener. When cured you have a perfect copy of the part and the mold can be re-used. Of course this is an over-simplification of the process, as it is quite labor intensive. The resin is very hard and quite different from plastic. For starters, plastic cement does not work on them. Plastic cement works by melting the plastic on both parts and resin is totaly inmune to it. Superglue is recommended for resin parts. Since this is a very manual process, sometimes a bit of cleanup is needed. Parts may have some flash or some pinholes that need to be filled and sanded. Resin can be sanded, drilled, tapped etc. After the part is carefully cleaned, sanded and in primer, then it can be treated like any other part. It will take any paint etc.
There are many companies (usually small, many times a one person show) that offer resin parts ranging from simple to extreme, form good to out of this world perfect, from cheap to the very expensive. Many of them are regulars here.
We can write books about resin, but that's about it from 50,000 ft.

Here are a few examples:

From small parts like these Z06 air intakes from Perry's resin:


to hoods like this from Time Machine resin:




To bodies like this from Perry's resin:



To complete kits like this from Aardvark


and this one from Quick Skins


to a million others.

I hope this helps get your feet wet

Thanks,

[bobss396]

I have mixed feelings about resin products. The smaller parts I tend to get along with fine. Kits and bodies I tend to struggle with even though I consider myself an OK modeler.

Ismael has good advice to offer. I would also suggest to start out with smaller add-on parts first before tackling a trans kit or a full body. Resin sands with about 1/3 the effort of plastic so go easy on it. It will also withstand lacquer paints, but I always use a primer regardless.

Bob

[m408]

I have mixed feelings about resin products. The smaller parts I tend to get along with fine. Kits and bodies I tend to struggle with even though I consider myself an OK modeler.

Ismael has good advice to offer. I would also suggest to start out with smaller add-on parts first before tackling a trans kit or a full body. Resin sands with about 1/3 the effort of plastic so go easy on it. It will also withstand lacquer paints, but I always use a primer regardless.

Bob

How about compatibility with plastic? Mix and match as in resin carbs with plastic manifolds or resin hood scoops with plastic hoods?

[Aaronw]

How about compatibility with plastic? Mix and match as in resin carbs with plastic manifolds or resin hood scoops with plastic hoods?

Absolutely, that is probably one of the main ways you start with resin, specialty parts.



Here is an example, this started out as the AMT 60 Chevy truck, the lights and siren are resin on a plastic base, the mirrors are resin with plastic brackets, the wheels are resin, the front axle (kit is a 2wd) is a resin differential with aluminum tubing for axles, the small light on the railing is resin, the railings are aluminum tubing, the water tank and tool boxes are plastic.

The only thing different about using resin detail parts is they have to be glued with epoxy or superglue instead of model glue.

[m408]

Absolutely, that is probably one of the main ways you start with resin, specialty parts.



Here is an example, this started out as the AMT 60 Chevy truck, the lights and siren are resin on a plastic base, the mirrors are resin with plastic brackets, the wheels are resin, the front axle (kit is a 2wd) is a resin differential with aluminum tubing for axles, the small light on the railing is resin, the railings are aluminum tubing, the water tank and tool boxes are plastic.

The only thing different about using resin detail parts is they have to be glued with epoxy or superglue instead of model glue.

Thanks a bunch Aaron.

[Modelmartin]

Milt,

Give resin a try! I think you will find that working with it is quite easy. The biggest pitfall is knowing which companies produce good quality parts. When you get good parts it is fantastic. When you get bad ones you sometimes just want to pitch the stuff. Start out by looking at the stuff in person before buying or get recommendations from other builders you know. It will open up so many possibilities for you.