Soooo...Resin Kits anyone?

[John Rixon]

With reference to the Armoured Car GB, I've been sniffing around Saladins, and it seems I have 3 options. Tamiya, which, by all accounts is a dog. Dragon, which I like, but think that even at discount, is a bit pricey, cosidering that its a simple (for Dragon) model, or resin. Now, I've always thought of resin kits as being for big boys, you know, folks that think nothing of making dozens of tiny parts to replace the dreadful kit parts kind of thing. So what I'm asking is, what is the collective knowledge of these things - £45 buys me a 1/35th Firing Line Saladin, and it looks good from the pictures I've seen so far. The small part count appeals to me, to be honest, I just love painting them! But I have no idea if I'm experienced enough to try one, and my last foray into the unknown didn't go well (Diamond Wrecker). I am, however, telling myself that cleaning up 20 or so major parts pales into insignificance alongside hundreds of parts (over 550, to be more precise). Am I dreaming?

 

[John Rixon]

nobody?

 

[Ian M]

A modern production resin kit is no harder to build than a regular plastic kit. The detail I normally very good and size and shape are also normally spot on. You most remember that many of them, the masters are built by a devoted modeller that is more into accuracy than earning a fortune.


tool wise you might need to get a few extra things. A good razor saw for cutting the casting block off, some wet and dry paper for sanding. A good filler. Not that the fit is bad, but air bubbles can pop up sometimes and need a dab of filler. Also a good super glue and some form of applicator is a good idea. You can use arildit epoxy, but it takes to long mix and set. 


Things to remember! Resin is not bendy like plastic and will break if you try to push it to far. Control the dust as it is nasty stuff and can do nasty things to your lungs. A dust mask is a very good idea, as is a damp cloth on the table. Doubles as a grip for the parts and keeps the dust from flying around.


I have built a couple of all resin aircraft and used many detail sets in resin. I have a Morris gun tractor as well that is just waiting to be built.


Any thing else just ask away. Steve aka stona is also a good one to ask as he also has a hang or resin kits.

 

[Airfix Modeller Freak]

what iain said was spot on. However, try an extensive resin detail set (the eduard Brassin engines are a good starting point), get used to working with the medium, and work your way into limited run kits made by special hobby or fly which use copious amounts of resin, but use plastic for the basis of their kits, then work onto resin kits


Cheers, John

 

[John Rixon]

A dust mask is a very good idea, as is a damp cloth on the table. Doubles as a grip for the parts and keeps the dust from flying around.

This sounds like a tip worth remembering!


Can't see myself using Cyano - have too many flashbacks to RC model making, I hate the stuff, although I do still use it where I absolutely have to. But I am a dab hand with the better quality Epoxys, so if I go down this route, it'll be mostly that. Thanks for the info!

 

[John Rixon]

However, try an extensive resin detail set (the eduard Brassin engines are a good starting point), get used to working with the medium

I get your logic here, but at £30, I'm only £16 away from Flight Line's Saladin, which, by all accounts, is a pretty decent kit.


my 'mate' sent me this today:





From 'Kit Form Services' - 1/24 and £225 if you want the interior!!! Apparently all the parts are already seperated from the sprues, whuch does look like a horrible job on those I've seen so far.





But that is totally out of my current budget!


I guess I have some thinking to do - I want an armoured car, preferably a Saladin, but that Dragon kit is gonna niggle me! Cheers for the input.

 

[Ian M]

I want an armoured car, preferably a Saladin, but that Dragon kit is gonna niggle me!

Why is that may I ask. If its the price that you reported in your earlier post, I am sure that you can find it at a better price than that. Fire an e-mail off to John at Scale Model Shop if its not on the web shop he will get one in for you. I can not in my wildest fantasy imagine you finding a resin kit for less money than a plastic one. 


Resin kits are expensive due to the manual labour and short tool life. An injection mould tool is steel and last for donkey's years (just look at how long some of the Airfix and Tamia moulds have been in use. A mould for a resin kit is good for maybe a 100 then it needs a new mould...All cost time and money. I am desparart to get hold of a 1/35 Scammel tank transporter, the only one around is resin and cost north of £200. I am not that desparate!!

 

[stona]

I have to say that the fit of a resin kit is never going to be as good as the best injection molded kits. This is due to the nature of the medium itself.


The very best resin kits that I have built do have a decent fit (and no other flaws). The Iconicair Seafang would fit into this category, and I built one on this forum a while ago. Some others are not quite so good and are more of a challenge!




I think the biggest challenge for someone having a first go would be removing parts from the blocks, small and very finely molded parts can be difficult to remove without breaking them. I suggest at least a couple of razor saws, including a fine one of the type produced by RB Productions for this.


Don't be put off, any competent modeller already possesses the skills and techniques needed to build a resin kit, it's just a different type of plastic


Cheers


Steve

 

[John Rixon]

I can not in my wildest fantasy imagine you finding a resin kit for less money than a plastic one. 

No, of course I won't, but I might get close - Flight Line's Saladin is on offer at £46 at the moment. My niggles will be for the enormous tie-down loops on the turret whuch will need filling and replacing with wire - I'm not a rivet-counter, but they are silly!" Also, the missing .30 cal, the incomplete muffler and the bit of etch for the rear that is the wrong size!  For me, this is unreasonable for a company as large as Dragon, Patrick has found one at £33.76, which is closer I guess.


I'll sleep on it

 

[John Rixon]

Don't be put off, any competent modeller already possesses the skills and techniques needed to build a resin kit, it's just a different type of plastic

This, of course, presupposes that I am a competent modeller?

 

[dubster72]

There's a build of the DML Saladin over on Britmodeller John. I think the guy has replaced a few of the less realistic kit parts with a resin upgrade (I think!)


http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235007428-dml-saladin/page-1

 

[John Rixon]

There's a build of the DML Saladin over on Britmodeller John. I think the guy has replaced a few of the less realistic kit parts with a resin upgrade (I think!)

He has, gonna bump the wonga up by around £30 though, and I know if I plump for the DML model, those wheels are gonna nag me until i buy them! But this brings me back to my basic gripe, sagged wheels are made for many standard kits, the Spitfire I built had them, no excuses. The whole world knows that their instructions are wrong, yet they will not correct them grrrr. but the real screamer is those tie-downs, and only filler and a bit of copper wire will do that. I'm clearly ust gonna have to man up and stop griping .


'cos I want a Saladin.

 

[John Rixon]

I think the biggest challenge for someone having a first go would be removing parts from the blocks

Ha Ha, I've just spotted the exhausts - blimey, that must have been fun!

 

[dubster72]

He has, gonna bump the wonga up by around £30 though, and I know if I plump for the DML model, those wheels are gonna nag me until i buy them! But this brings me back to my basic gripe, sagged wheels are made for many standard kits, the Spitfire I built had them, no excuses. The whole world knows that their instructions are wrong, yet they will not correct them grrrr. but the real screamer is those tie-downs, and only filler and a bit of copper wire will do that. I'm clearly ust gonna have to man up and stop griping .


'cos I want a Saladin.

To avoid the lack of sagged wheels (same on my 234), why not just sink them into some handy mud?