First time realizations

[NavyMech06]

So I picked up the Tamiya Corsair and the Brassin engine and cockpit sets about a month ago and recently decided to start on the resin. This is my first time working with resin and was surprised how brittle it was. Is this a normal characteristic to resin? or is it just Brassin from Eduard? Both the engine set and cockpit have parts that I've looked at the wrong way and they've broken. I love the detail they bring but I'm not entirely sure I'm sold on the benefit of using resin if its this big of a pain to use it.

 

Also I've come to the realization that I HATE CA glue. I always end up making a mess of things. The thin CA goes everywhere when using the tips, I can never get enough on the part when using applicators, the medium stuff just glues my fingers to everything, my Touch-n-Flow clogs up if its in the same room as CA glue, accelerator or kicker just gunks up the area i'm gluing. I know there's a way to do it since I see it all the time on models around here. Sometimes I think I get the hang of it, set the model down, walk away, come back and its in pieces glued to the cutting mat.

 

Is there some kind of initiation because I'm definitely down to drink the Kool-Ade.

[LSP_Ron]

Sand or file the eye of a sowing needle down until you break through making a U shape, cut the end off an old paint brush, drill a hole in the end and glue the pointy end of the needle into the handle.

 

Flip an old Model Master paint bottle upside down and pour a drop or two of the thin CA into the dish of the paint bottle bottom.  Dip the U of the needle to pick up some thin CA and apply where needed. When the U gets clogged with dry glue use a cigarette lighter to burn the glue off but be extremely careful not to inhale the fumes.

 

Thin CA made easy!

 

HTH

 

Ron

[Guest Peterpools]

Follow Ron's advice on how to apply CA ... I did a few years ago and it works like a charm every time.

Peter

Edited May 3, 2015 by Peterpools

[DeanKB]

Resin needs practice, patience and CA - especially if you are used to Tamiya IP.

 

I avoid the thin CA glue, as it's capillary action means it get's everywhere in no time at all, and never stays where it should.

 

Try something like zap a gap medium. Gives you time to reset if needed and dries in about 30 seconds. And try sanding a little before applying the glue, it gives a better surface.

 

Key for me with resin is test fitting. Sand, test, sand, test.

[mhorina]

For using thin CA, use the needle as explained, the caps from most US breweries bottle beer have a liner I use these caps to put a drop or 3 in, depending on how many or how much CA is poured it usually allows enough time to apply 3 or 4 drops from the needle before it starts to harden in the cap. Pitch the cap and use the lighter to clean the needle . Make sure you flick the thin CA spout before you put the cap on it, I usually wipe the CA tip with a paper towel before putting the tip cover back on.

    Mike Horina

Edited May 3, 2015 by mhorina

[wunwinglow]

Resin castings shouldn't be brittle. This could either be a bad batch of resin, a good batch of resin badly processed, or a cheap and inapproprate grade of resin selected by the manufacturer. If you can cope with it OK, but I'd be inclined to send it back to the retailer and get it seapped or a refund.

 

Tim

Edited May 3, 2015 by wunwinglow

[dodgem37]

Dental Reamers.  Not this brand specifically, as I've inherited many dental tools.  I've used them for years.  Clean off build-up with the back of a #11 blade.  I use a post-it pad as a palette.  When done, remove the top post-it and toss away.  They are cheap and plentiful.

 

Reamers come in a tapered spiral, like this one; and some of mine: straight; like this ones' shaft; straight taper (without a texture) or with a more aggressive texture.

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.A0.H0.Xdental+reamers.TRS5&_nkw=dental+reamers&_sacat=0

They are available anywhere.

 

I prefer a tapered straight or tapered spiral.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[DougN]

Resin parts are indeed fragile (could also be interpreted as brittle when comparing to plastic parts), and fine detail parts will break easily.

[Vandy 1 VX 4]

I use a bottle with a needle for a applicator of Zip kicker.

 

Here is a photo of the needle applicator for CA.

 

Also use 5 minute Epoxy for you resin.  More time to work with it

[wunwinglow]

Cheap polyurethanes can be brittle, and expensive resins go brittle if they are not processed properly, ie bad mix ratio, insufficient mixing, or more likely not allowed to cure at the proper temperature. leave it at room temperature and they frequently do not achieve full strength and toughness. If you DO process them properly, they are usually extremely strong. We made somr instument casings from pu resins, and drove a Land Rover over them, then used the Land Rover to tow them for 100 yards over a cobbled road. We then set them alight for a few minutes. The castings were unmarked, if a bit soot-stained......

[Bryan]

I too despise using CA glue unless I have no other choice.  I find it unpredictable and unreliable.  Sometimes it grips like crazy (even if you don't want it to).  Other times it doesn't hold worth a damn.  I also find that models assembled with CA glue have a habit of dropping parts over time, particularly if they are handled at all.

 

For major assembly of resin kits I much prefer epoxies.  I use about 4 different types of epoxy depending what I am using it for and how long I want it to remain workable.

 

But for detail resin or metal parts....CA is often the only logical choice.

[Vandy 1 VX 4]

An old (sitting on the shelf or your work bench) bottle of CA won't bond as well as a new bottle will.  I've learned that after many false starts with it.  

 

I keep it in the refrigerator till I have to use it.  It keeps a little longer that way. But a new bottle works wonders

[spreckair]

For CA glue, take a ball of modeling clay, make a flattened ball about the size of a ping pong, then make an indentation with the back end of a paint brush handle or other tool handle.  This will make a place to squeze a bit of CA glue, and if deeper than wide, the glue will not dry prematurely.  Also, the clay will hold your applicator by just pushing the aft end into the clay.  Finally, when the remaining glue is dry, just pull the glue plug out of the modeling clay and reform it for the next go round.  The clay will last for the rest or your modeling days.  I use toothpicks for an applicator.

[Out2gtcha]

The cut needed trick work WONDERS with ultra thin CA. Ultra thin CA DOES have its uses; for me nothing else works quite like it to glue in windscreens and clear parts. As long as the part fits, just having it in position, and using the cut needle to apply the thin CA means that same PITA capillary action works FOR you, and wicks around the joint, holding things very well indeed without getting any glue on the clear part.

It just needs to be sealed in Future to avoid the CA fumes.

 

Again as pointed out above CA does go bad. Especially thin. It goes bad by getting thicker, and eventually loosing effectiveness.   For gluing larger resin chunks, like say on my XF5U, I much prefer 5-15 min 2 part epoxies.   This tends to give a much stronger bond with larger resin parts.

 

Also, its a VERY good idea to soak your resin parts in something like "Westleys Bleche Wite".  A bit caustic, but anything like that is used to remove the mold release agents used to pull the resin out of the mold. If not removed it could cause major paint issues.

[BradG]

I love the detail they bring but I'm not entirely sure I'm sold on the benefit of using resin if its this big of a pain to use it.

 

 

Bingo. The real kicker is you'll hardly ever notice all that extra detail when your model is sitting in the cabinet. Tamiya cockpits are generally more than adequate, especially the new 1/32 stuff.

 

As for CA, I build almost exclusively with it. I use the cheapest, thinnest CA available from the local $2 shop. My applicator is a stock standard pin, I just dunk the needle point in the little blob of CA on a plastic lid and put the CA blob on the pin wherever I want. I sometimes even put major parts together and run the CA into the joint. Just make sure you don't have any paint on the gluing surfaces as CA doesn't stick well to paint.

Edited May 4, 2015 by BradG