So..what Exactly Is Resin?

[Spatula]

YES! I got my Lynn Minmay resin kit today from animecastle. After a week of shipping and such. You can check out the picture here:

http://www.tisinc99.com/ma16scnolymi1.html.

I didn't get it from Tisinc, but that picture is supposedly the final product.

I COULD pay $100 to get a nicer version, found on here:

http://www.hobbyfan.com/product_info.php?products_id=1677

But I don't want that kit just yet..especially when I'm a total newb with resin, and still quite novice with plastic kits in general.

Well, so I open up the box and well, we've got about 9 different parts that definately will need some work on. There's these LONG bits of resin, I guess these are the excess molding which will have to be cut.

Seeing as this is the first time in my life touching resin, ...so I have a few questions:

1) After the nightmare of the melting elintseeker, WHAT DOES RESIN NOT LIKE AND REACT POORLY WITH?

2) What do I use to glue the pieces together? Testors? Tamiya?

3) What kind of paints do I want to use for this that will leave a nice finish?

4) Do you need to wash this with like some soap or something before getting started.

5) I've never primed anything in my life before, what exactly will I need to use to "prime" this to get it ready to paint?

6) What should I use to cut the excess resin? A regular hobby knife?

7) What do I use to do the putty work because I know there's gonna be a huge gap between the parts that I have to glue together. I should look at some of those 2 part epoxies you kept talking about in the other thread.

Any other special secret tips???? Ie... well perhaps how much sanding is involved..stuff like that.

Anyone who's built something similar please do post. I'm well... quite lost and wanted to try something new: resin.

I will post post pics soon...whenever my home PC is up and running again...

[Gundamhead]

1. Wash the parts in warm soapy water. Use a detergent type soap.

2. Cut the pour stubs with a razor saw or file them down. Wear a dust mask.

3. Crazy glue is resins most used glue. Test fit before you glue. The CA will bond instantly to resin most of the time. Epoxy is used for very heavy parts.

4. Use any putty you're comfortable with. None of the hobby putties will harm resin. Wet sand, it helps save your lungs and gives a better finish.

5. Sand slow. Resin is tough, yet soft. If you sand vigourously, you'll obliterate any fine detail.

6. Primer with a good quality primer. Spend the $9.00 for a can of Tamiya fine white primer. It's much better than a $3.00 can of brand x on sale at Home Depot.

Other than that, there's no real difference between building a injection kit, wood kit, or resin kit. Build it well, fill and sand the seams well, and paint it well. Have fun doing it!

[Spatula]

WOOT! Thanks for your reply. Just wondering, exactly how difficult would it be to somehow make my $16 model into the $100 model shown on the second picture.

I know there's well...A LOT of work... >_>

[totallyrobot]

Ummm..

http://www.tisinc99.com/ma16scnolymi1.html.

This is a vinyl kit not a resin one. Not a huge difference in approach but very important difference nonetheless. Vinyl kits need to have the hollowness filled with something, (plaster of paris) especially the legs to add stability and prevent deformation. You are going to pin the figure to the base with brass rod.

So what do you have? Soft Vinyl or resin?

Assuming you have the vinyl kit here are some answers

1)  After the nightmare of the melting elintseeker, WHAT DOES RESIN NOT LIKE AND REACT POORLY WITH?

Solvents yo, no plastics like solvents. Too much squadron's (which you should avoid always as it is poo) will melt styrene, but hey! This is a vinyl kit and is super awesome easy to build.

2) What do I use to glue the pieces together?  Testors?  Tamiya?

Superglue! I like Zap brand personally. A tube of thin for capillary action and a tube of thick for filling seams.

3)  What kind of paints do I want to use for this that will leave a nice finish?

Whatever paint you are most comfortable with. I like Tamiya, my roomate likes Gunze Sangyo, but I really feel that Tamiya makes the best everything. I have had ok result with Model Masters acrylics but really: enamels, acrylics, oil, it is all about finding a process that you are comfortable with.

4)  Do you need to wash this with like some soap or something before getting started.

All kits must be washed! All! This is your mantra. Quite hot water, dish soap, and a toothbrush for scrubbing. Let parts soak to help remove any possible distortions, then scrub away trying to get in all the nooks and whatnot. Vinyl softens in heat and you can fix any distortions quite easily by holding piece in place and letting cool.

5)  I've never primed anything in my life before, what exactly will I need to use to "prime" this to get it ready to paint?

White Primer of course. I have used Model Master rattlecan primers and they are ok, Tamiya spray rules, but If you are airbrushing Mr. Surfacer 1000 is nice. My basic rule of thumb is white primer for figures or super colorful things and gray for robots.

6)  What should I use to cut the excess resin? A regular hobby knife?

Totally, nothing beats very small razor-blades when it comes to cutting things, including yourself.

You can use a hair dryer to heat up the vinyl a little bit to make it easier to cut safely. The hair dryer also comes in handy as you begin to test fit your pieces together as you can heat the sockets up a bit so they fit nicely and come apart easily. Do not go overboard with the dryer! Play around with the sprue a little and find a setting the works good for you.

7)  What do I use to do the putty work because I know there's gonna be a huge gap between the parts that I have to glue together.  I should look at some of those 2 part epoxies you kept talking about in the other thread.

Personally I like Tamiya putty (basic kind) for filling big, Mr surfacer 500 for small, and Milliput for sculpting. Putties come in two parts mainly and have to be mixed up. I use Milliput super fine (about 15 dollars for enough to last years) and really enjoy the long work time and using water to thin it and feather the edges. I have not got around to Mori Mori or any of the super cool Japanese putties but I hear they are the absolute bomb. Another word here about the superglue, while it is awesome for its gap filling awesomeness; when it is fully cured it is way harder than any plastic. So if you have any excess sand it to shape immediately after it cures. (10 minutes?) If you let it go overnight it will be a real pain.

Any other special secret tips???? Ie... well perhaps how much sanding is involved..stuff like that.

There are a million and one tips for sure. Not alot of sanding on a vinyl kit though, usually just minor seam lines and whatever putty needs to be sanded to shape, though you should be getting the majority of putty shaping done when it is still workable.

Really though the best secrets are the ones you learn yourself, You have to make some non-museum grade kits before you can make one you are happy with. Each kit you build you will learn more and hopefully each one will be the best one you have ever made. Model kit building comfortably straddles the line between craft and art so there is tons to learn and experiment with. Don't get too frustrated!

Or rather when you do get frustrated just try to learn from what you did wrong.

Helpful links:

Vinyl faq at Starship Modeler

A good looking faq from a google search

Another One, see vinyl section. pretty thorough.

[Spatula]

Oh a vinyl kit, I see I see. I never touched resin so I guess I wouldn't know the difference. Yeah the legs and pretty much everything is hollow...

will Das clay work?

[totallyrobot]

Oh a vinyl kit, I see I see. I never touched resin so I guess I wouldn't know the difference.  Yeah the legs and pretty much everything is hollow...

will Das clay work?

347346[/snapback]

I guess so, but I do not think it will ever dry inside the kit. Plaster of paris is dirt cheap and dries by a chemical reaction with the water you mix it up with.

[Spatula]

I see, so just wondering if you've ever built this exact kit...

[Viceland]

using water to thin it and feather the edges

What's that? english is not my first language, so I may know what it is, but I've never heard this specific term.

[totallyrobot]

I see, so just wondering if you've ever built this exact kit...

Spatula: I have never built this Minmei Kit, I tend to stay away from figure kits really because I like polycaps! I like posability I guess. I built an Eva 01 vinyl once and pretty much had my fill of the genre. Michael Lau limited edition rotocast vinyl toys from HK though; drool.

so I may know what it is, but I've never heard this specific term.

Viceland: Feathering just refers to thinning the edge of the putty until it blends with the surface of the model. I am all about doing as little post cleanup as possible. Getting it done right the first time or something.

[Viceland]

Ah ok, got it, thanks.

[kensei]

2) What do I use to glue the pieces together?  Testors?  Tamiya?

Superglue! I like Zap brand personally. A tube of thin for capillary action and a tube of thick for filling seams.

That's personnally the strongest superglue I've ever used. I used it on my 1/48 but didn't cover the bottom of the table, and spilt a 1ml. The only way to get it off now is to chisel it off the table.

[Penguin]

Oh a vinyl kit, I see I see. I never touched resin so I guess I wouldn't know the difference.  Yeah the legs and pretty much everything is hollow...

will Das clay work?

347346[/snapback]

I did a vinyl kit of Misato from Evangelion once, and I filled the legs with fine ballast (i.e. gravel) designed for model train dioramas, then plugged the top with a bit of clay. Worked like a charm. Of course, the stuff has settled a bit since then so she sounds a bit like maracas if you shake her.

One thing no one has mentioned yet: NO ENAMEL PAINTS (e.g. regular Testors stuff). I don't know the exact chemical reason for it, but enamels never dry completely on vinyls or other soft plastics. I have a Secret Wars Iron Man figure that I tried to paint with enamels 15 years ago, and the silver still comes off on my hands if I touch it today.

... come to think of it, why do I keep that old thing around, anyway?

A couple other things:

- Do make sure you give the kit some kind of support. Vinyl kits hardly ever stand up by themselves.

- Do not display the kit where it will get direct sun during the day. It will soften and might deform, depending on the weight of the kit (e.g. extended arms may sag, then cool in the "drooped" position).

- Definitely use a crazy glue, and not a glue advertized as especially for vinyl. I've tried a couple of those, and they don't seem to have any strength to them.