Resin Kit Questions

Hey all!

A few questions re: Resin Kits. I've purchased a few kits and some modi- fication parts along the way and am preparing to delve into my first resin kit. Along with several more expensive kits and mods I picked up one of the rather ancient Maintrack 1/72 CH-47 Chinook kits for $1 (US). This kit is going to be my lab rat for my more expensive ones.

Looking at it, it's a serious dog! The fuselage is seriously too thick, the fuse- lage halves don't mate up, the cockpit glass is ultra thick and doesn't match anything like the fuselage is supposed to be, as well as having other bumps and bulges from the molding process. I'm not gonna go into the lack of de- tail, rotors, interior, decals, or wheels (ya think they coulda produced a few WHEELS for the durn thing!). It makes for a WONDERFUL guinea pig given the clunkiness and the price! I won't mind screwing it up, and if it turns out decent then that's a major plus! If it turns out sh*tty then no loss at all.

Anyway, here's my questions:

How do I de-warp (un-warp? re-mold?) the fuselage? What do I use for filler putty? Is there anything special I need to know about painting (I use Model Master enamels almost exclusively)? Will using CA glue craze the (assumed) clear resin canopy? What should I use for adhesive on clear parts? CA glue should be able to glue the whitemetal landing gear to the resin fuse- lage with no problems, right?

Any and all help is greatly appreciated! :)

Reply to
Drew Hill
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How do I de-warp (un-warp? re-mold?) the fuselage?

A. Dip it in very hot water to soften, then bend back to shape, then run/dunk under cold water to reharden. You can also put it in the fridge = for a while

What do I use for filler putty?

A. Milliput or other two part epoxy filler. Gap filling CA

Is there anything special I need to know about painting (I use Model = Master enamels almost exclusively)?

A. Just make sure and thoroughly clean parts of any mold release = residue. I wash them with household soap and rinse well then wipe with = some isopropyl alcohol just to make sure. Priming is recommended, use = Halfords or MR Resin Primer.

Will using CA glue craze the (assumed) clear resin canopy?

A. Don't know, depends. Use a low odour CA if worried

What should I use for adhesive on clear parts?

A. See above. Alternatively if you don't want to risk CA use Krystal = Klear or Clearfix

CA glue should be able to glue the whitemetal landing gear to the resin fuse-lage with no problems, right?

A. Yep, but I often use a two part 5 minute epoxy as I feel it gives a = better joint. Also make sure the metal surface to be glued is clean of any oxidation, = a rub with a bit of scotchbrite/wet'n'dry should do this. (do this before = painting white metal too)

HTH Andy

Reply to
Andy Macrae

Epoxy is also a good choice for gluing the clear parts. You could also use Future or most clear paint to glue clear parts. I'd avoid the cyano. hth

The Keeper (of too much crap)

Reply to
Keeper

Regarding the LG attachment, since it will have the weight of the model on it, it may need reinforcement, even when using epoxy, which is the better choice because of stronger shear strength. Consider drilling out the joint of the LG to take a small steel shank (might be nothing more than a section of straight pin), and drill out the corresponding attachment point on the fuselage. Then proceed as before, gluing the shank to both LG and fuselage. This will distribute the stresses a little better, and reduce the likelihood of the gear collapsing.

Mark Schynert

Reply to
Mark Schynert

I bought Mike Ashey's "Basics of Ship Modeling" yesterday. There is one twenty page paragraph on prepping and fixing resin kits. Although the book deals specifically with ship kits, I think the techniques described and illustrated would give you all the resin answers that you need for building almost anything from a resin kit. Jerry 47

Reply to
jerry 47

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