Forgeworld Help & Tips re Avenger Strike Fighter

[Shotgun Justice]

jlcoyotem has just started a thread about their new titan, there's some good advice on it already and there may be some overlap between this thread and that one but I didn't want to hijack.
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?30509-New-Here-Need-Titan-Help

I'm looking for some advice as despite reading many guides and following them I've run into a few problems.

I've just received my Avenger Strike Fighter, it's the largest Foregeworld kit I've owned so far and it's been a right pain in the posterior. I knew that it would need much more prep than any plastic kit I've assembled but I wasn't prepared for the amount of clean up it's required.
This pic shows an example of the variable levels of resin that have affected every component to greater or lesser degrees. I've had to make a call on whether to trim/file down or gs 'up' on each of these. Luckily I've had very few bubbles and only one very thin bent component so that hasn't been a problem.
http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad279/shotgun_justice/modelling/P1080258_zpsdff1814d.jpg

The clear plastic of the canopies is also worryingly brittle. I was very careful when removing the gates from each canopy but each snapped where the gate was attached - leaving small but obvious areas of damage to each canopy. I hadn't read that this was a possibility so I've put this up more as an advisory to others, since I think it's too late to rectify although I'd love to be wrong on that.

I followed the forgeworld and general modelling advice with regards to cleaning/washing the pieces but now I'm finding that my superglue isn't bonding the components at all. I'm using BondLoc high viscosity superglue which has been excellent with resin, plastic and metal before.
In the thread posted above Capn Stoogey advised leaving the kit to dry for 24hrs after washing due to the mild absorbancy of the resin - I hadn't read this before and wonder if this could be the casue of my gluing problems? I haven't even started on the heaviest components yet.

[Frost451]

I had similar problems with my Marauder Destroyer, its probably best to smooth out that section by removing material, but I would dry fit the sections and see how they fit. Not sure whats causing the super glue issues you are having. I was using a 3 or 4 year old tube of GW superglue last night on a land raider kit and it glued without problem. I dont soak the parts though, I just wash them with some dish soap and rinse them in hot water. You would think for as much as these kits cost they would be better made. Forgeworld should add a coloring to the mold release agents that they use so you can tell if you got them clean enough.

[Capn Stoogey]

You could try roughing up the two surfaces you want to join a little with fine sand paper or emery paper, it might help the glue grip a bit better. Or try a two part epoxy, I've always felt they did a better job on all my resin kits, except for the small detail bits. Are you going to post WIP shots? I'm kind of a forgeworldophile...

[Shotgun Justice]

There's been plenty of dry fitting, some of which I will cheerfully admit has been accompanied by zooming plane sounds.
That particular part , the nose, is an absolute bollix. It's not only that badly cast but wider than the fuselage it extends.

I agree that the best solution is to file down but there are times when you're not sure whether you are taking away intended material.
I used files and a scalpel to create better bonding surfaces and that has eased the superglue problem although it is still strangely slow in curing.
Frost451 - your call on colouring the release agents is a good one and I do agree on build quality, for the price it really should be better

Stoogey - didn't see your post when I first replied, I can post such if you like. I've a project log on here that could do with livening up or should I post in this thread?

[Frost451]

Zoom Zoom followed by pew pew LOL

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af214/Frost451/DSCN0193_zps57cacd04.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af214/Frost451/DSCN0195_zps0de2cf4b.jpg

Sorry I just couldnt help myself

[Capn Stoogey]

No worries Shotgun, I'll have a look for that progress thread :) Also, making zooming/stomping/weapon noises should be mandatory when touching awesome model kits!

Nice work Frost, that looks wicked!

[Shotgun Justice]

Once I had the lascannons held in place with blue-tac I will admit there were pew-pew sounds. I'm still not happy with my sounds effects for the avenger cannon - I'm currently going with a horse-like lip wobble with a drone underneath it. Needs work.

Frost - that's a nice simple scheme, it looks great. Do you use it in games? I ask because an upgraded Thunderbolt has always seemed a little points heavy when list writing

[StraightSilver]

In cases of mold slips as you have by the looks of it I use microstrip and green stuff / squadron green.

You should be able to get microstrip from a good hobby shop or online, I think I got my last lot from a company called plastrut.

Here is an example but I normally get a selection as different widths and thicknesses are handy depending on how bad the gaps are.

https://slatersplastikard.com/plastikard/microstrip.php

It's basically thin strips of plasticard in varying thickness, you usually get a selection of widths and thicknesses.

It will superglue onto the resin easily and you can cut it to size or shave it to level out the gaps. This can then be tidied with putty and then sanded off.

However in some cases mold slips simply cannot be corrected and are also a massive pain and it sounds like you have a few. Personally I would give FW a call and get some replacements for the particularly bad ones.

[Shotgun Justice]

Ta StraightSilver I didn't know the term but mold slips makes sense.
Unfortunately this model was bought 'as-new' from Ebay, I do believe that it is a genuine product as the seller asked Forgeworld to replace one of the canopies before posting to me.
Forgeworld won't replace components without an order number will they?

[StraightSilver]

Ah no worries, didn't realise it was from e-bay.

To be honest mold slips on FW models do happen, but the one in your pic shouldn't really have passed QC so would have been acceptable to replace.

If you have quite a few in the same kit I'd be a bit wary.

I would never want to accuse of somebody of recasting but that is a possibility so check to see if the seller has sold lots of the same kit.

Having said that my Vulture had some really bad ones (I had to rebuild a fair bit of the fuselage) so it does happen.

I don't think FW will replace parts without an order number, but you could give it a try.

The new clear resin canopies from FW however are brittle and often have little holes in, I have had to have quite a few replaced before I was happy with them.

[Frost451]

Once I had the lascannons held in place with blue-tac I will admit there were pew-pew sounds. I'm still not happy with my sounds effects for the avenger cannon - I'm currently going with a horse-like lip wobble with a drone underneath it. Needs work.

Frost - that's a nice simple scheme, it looks great. Do you use it in games? I ask because an upgraded Thunderbolt has always seemed a little points heavy when list writing

Yea I only ever used it in an apocalypse game, it did ok but you dont really worry about points in apocalypse.