Transformable Kit Building

[trueblueeyes]

Our own Valkyrie is hard at work on a transformable resin kit re-cast that I can not wait to get! In the meantime, I just recevied a 1/100 SHE VA-3 Invader resin transformable kit that I am ready to build (thanks to our anonymous VB-6 benefactor for pointing out where to get the kit and Monkey N for acquiring it for me....I owe you both big time!).

What I need are hints and tips on what to do and what not to do when building transformable resin kits. Any and all help appreciated. Such as...should I switch to enamels since they are harder and might withstand transformation better or can I stick with my acrylics? How tight should the screws be...meaning does it have to be a floppy mess in battroid to keep from stressing the joints and paint? How much sanding do I need to do at the joints? I've been experimenting building some of my smaller and less expensive resin kits. One those, I have pinned parts with brass rods for that extra bit of strength. I won't be able to do that in many places on these kits so I need some suggestions on what to do. Also need the best bonding agent for resin. Whatever else you can add will be appreciated.

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And this has nothing to do with the thread but I need some Mr. Surfacer 500 (the bottled grey liquid filler) and my usual source (Hobbyfan) is out of stock. Anyone know other U.S. retailers that carry it? My two year old bottle still has some but with this kit and the others on my list it will soon be gone!

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Thanks,

Melissa

[Valkyrie]

I can't help you much on the paint end of things (not yet, anyway, I have some experimenting to do there). But I've got some advice for the screwed joints.

For the joints that involve both a screw and a nut (preferably with the nut recessed in one part), apply some medium strength Loc-Tite to the nut's threads, then install the screw, and tighten to the point where the joint has the amount of tension you want it to have. If you don't use the Loc-Tite, the screw will work itself loose as you flex the joint, and you'll be re-tightening it forever.

The joints that rely on having a screw secured directly in a resin part (with no nut) are harder. The most important parts are getting the hole drilled in the right spot, and at the right diameter. To get the location right, I like to use my drill press whenever possible. It makes it pretty easy to get the location right, and if you do it right, you'll get a perfect, perpendicular hole every time.

To get the diameter right, you've gotta have the right drill bit. A precise diameter is important, because if the hole is too small, you won't be able to thread the screw in, and if it's too big, the threads will be too thin and weak, and the screw hole will strip out easily. A very bad thing.

To remedy this on the Monster kit, I ordered several drill bits from McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com) in various sizes slightly smaller than the screws I'm using. I've found that 0.15mm to 0.20mm (0.006" to 0.008") smaller than the screw size is usually just about the right size for the job. And fortunately, they're pretty cheap at about $1 each, so order a few different sizes to be sure.

Also, order bits that are the exact size of your screws, or a hair larger. Here's why;

Say you've got two parts that get screwed together to form a joint. The screw passes through part A and is secured into part B. Now, the screw has to be able to pass freely through part A, so it can't have any threads of its own. So in cases like that, you use the slightly oversized drill bit on part A, while using your undersized bit on part B.

Hope that made sense