How Forgiving is Resin?

[Vorlon]

Thanks to the wise council of many of you on BoLS I feel I have gotten a bit better with my painting. So I am thinking about trying a few resin models from forge world but I had a few questions....

-If I (likely) mess up along the way can I clean the model with simple green/purple power without any ill effects?
-Does paint behave differently on resin?
-Does anyone have any advice?

[isotope99]

Just remember to wash the model with washing up liquid before spraying or the paint won't stick because it comes covered with some sort of coating to help get the model out fo the mould. You'd think with the price of FW models that they could wash them for you, but no.

As far as I can tell there's no major difference once you've undercoacted other than the resin forgeworld models often have finer detail so you need thin coats of paint to avoid filling this in. The plus is that you can get some pretty good results just with simple drybrushing

I've never tried to clean a resin model so can't answer your first point.

Outside of painting, the biggest problem I have is bending swords and the like back to be straight. It took forever to get my FW Avatar to not have a wonky blade on his sword

[fuzzbuket]

clean thourogly use a test model (or base) spray under coat

take it slowly

plan ahed

also paint it up REALLY Nicley so that you wont have to repaint it in a year :P

[Aldramelech]

Resin dust is extremely nasty stuff. When sanding and cleaning the model up be sure to wear a mask.

[Duke]

I've worked wtihna ton of resin so here are more. Tips

1. When washing:
- fill a sink with warm soappy water.
- get an old tooth brush to clean the model with
- let the model soak in the water for a few minutes then take out each individual piece to clean with the toothbrush.
- you can clean it in the water with the tooth brush or take it out of the water and clean it. Make sure to dip the brush every so often in the water solution.
- after you wash a piece put it in a small plastic container separate from the other pieces soaking in the water
- when all pieces rare done drain the soapy water
- when that is done rinse the model in cool water (make sure your drainage hole is closed!!!)
- set the pieces on a taowel to dry.
- once it is dry you should be able to feel where the releasant solution is still on.( depending on how well you cleaned

Note: you WILL get pieces bent out of shape! How badly usually matter with how big the model is.

To straighten bent pieces: (two ways)
(mild bending)
1. Fill up the sink again with HOT water
2. Let the model soak for a little bit
3. Try to bend the piece back into position
4. If it doesn't work the try salt dipping

(major bending)... Salt dipping
1. Get a metal container your ok having possibly damaged
2. Dimp a bunch of salt (enough to dip the piece. You want to bend)
3. But the container with the salt on the stove and heat it up...it and the salt will be HOT
4. Dip the piece for a few seconds, it will also be HOT from where it touched the salt and areas surrounding.
5. Bend accordingly, remember that the piece will be hot.
* there are more in depth tutorials online, just search "salt dipping models" before tying it.

Filling/ drilling
1. Treat like plastic mostly
2. Make sure to do it outside or in a well ventilated room... If not then keep from breathing the pieces in the air.

Hope all this helps I learned many a lesson with forge world
Duke

[Mystery.Shadow]

All the above posts are 100% right on.

Make sure you wash your Forge World model(s) in warm soapy water.
Make sure you wash your Forge World model(s) in warm soapy water.

I said it twice, it must be important.
The mold release agent is what's preventing your glue/primer/paint from sticking to the model. Make sure you wash your Forge World model(s) in warm soapy water.

Dang, I said it three times.

Once you've washed your bits, it's time to clean up the mould lines and pour/vent hole slag. Do yourself a favor and DO NOT cut these off with normal clipers!!

Get yourself those fancy clipers (flat on one side) from Games-Workshop (or Radio Shack (Called Nippy Cutters there) for a third of the price) Also go to your local hobby store and get a Razor Saw.
The two tools alone will save you lots of time and trouble.

Now, if you have a bent sword, wing, etc. Drop it in HOT HOT HOT water, once you have it shaped the way you like, you can 'set' it by allowing it to cool. Some people even dunk in cold water to set it instantly. I've heard this weakens the resin, but never realized any ill effects by doing so.

DO NOT attempt to bend resin unless it's warmed in the way described above!!
Once resin is hot, it can be bent EASILY. (Very much not unlike a wet noodle! -Really!) If you have to use any sort of force, it WILL break. Make sure it's soft and pliable before bending.

Use Super Glue, Plastic Glue will NOT work on resin. Many larger/heavier parts should be pinned.

Sure, it may sound like a lot of work, but trust me, Forge World makes the finest models anywhere. And the time and trouble it takes to build one of these beauties is well worth the effort!

[templarboy]

One thing not really addressed-stripping and repainting. Stripping could be a problem. Resin is not as tough as metal or plastic. Rough handling will break it. You could easily scrub off chunks of detail while trying to scrub off the paint after the ole' Simple Green dip. On my Death Guard upgrade kit, a helm spike has broken off just by falling over on a game table. I wouldn't risk stripping resin if at all possible. All that aside, I love FW resin and can hardly wait to pick up some mk 3 and mk 4 stuff.

[Porty1119]

Do not, I repeat NOT, accidentally breathe in resin dust. I accidentally got a tiny bit in my lungs from sanding flash off a Vulture, and was coughing for days. Not fun!!! I've also heard resin dust causes cancer! Fun :D

[Vorlon]

Thanks alot for all of the responses! I really appreciate the advise.

[Mobynick]

Simplegreen will soften resin models (so say my Elysian models). :(

[SotonShades]

Personnally I find that the GW undercoats don't adhear to FW resin models as well as they do the plastic or metal models, no matter how well you wash them. Occasionally, long after the paint has dried, the GW sprays simply peel/flake away from the model, ruining your paint job.

Car primers are a simple solution. Whilst this will stay on the resin much better it is terrible to paint over, so you will need to spray over it with GW sprays. With the level of detail on FW models you do have to be careful to keep the coats very light, but its worth it for not having your carefully finished paintjob flake off in the middle of a game.

[TSINI]

a simple suggestion for bending resin swords/gun barrels etc back into shape

boil the kettle, fill a normal mug with hot water and dip the sword into it for a few moments, then hold the sword straight until it cools or hold the sword straight whilst under a cool tap for super fast cooling.

it speeds up the process of straightening vendetta lascannons :D

[acuk]

I find a hair dryer great for heating resin, preferably one with a shaped nozzle to better direct the air.

[chromedog]

Personnally I find that the GW undercoats don't adhear to FW resin models as well as they do the plastic or metal models, no matter how well you wash them. Occasionally, long after the paint has dried, the GW sprays simply peel/flake away from the model, ruining your paint job.

Car primers are a simple solution. Whilst this will stay on the resin much better it is terrible to paint over, so you will need to spray over it with GW sprays. With the level of detail on FW models you do have to be careful to keep the coats very light, but its worth it for not having your carefully finished paintjob flake off in the middle of a game.

Echo this.

No matter what a GW flunky tells you, their spraycans do NOT contain primer. They are simply spray (acrylic) paint. Primers have an oil-base and are designed to create a surface paint sticks to.
Get an automotive primer and use it for undercoating resin (after cleaning their petrochem mould release off it).


In relation to the OP:
Is it more forgiving? Yes and no. Yes, holes and mistakes can be filled and painted over. You don't HAVE to use greenstuff as there are a variety of other filling modelling putties available that do a better job and even set harder (GS never truly hardens) - even to the point of being able to drill them.

[Vorlon]

Ive all but given up on the GW Spray Undercoat. Ive actually had really really good results from the Army Painter colored primers...but no clue on how they will behave on resin.

[Duke]

For undercoats just use a simple 99 cent black spray paint from lowes.... Sounds bad but it gives fine results

Duke

[Cow]

I agree completly with sotonshades and chromdog, FW use car primer to undercoat all their models before use, as i had problems with undercoating them after washing some models a lot, and they said they have the same problem and thats what they use.

If you miss a spot or a bit of undercoat does come away, you can not just paint onto the bare resin with standard GW paints, the paint will just absorb. If you use the foundation paints though you can paint onto bare resin, found that only out a couple of weeks ago when was touching up a few of my older FW models which had got chipped from playing.

One of thing that you will find out, is that when you break resin, and you probably will at some point, when you glue it back together using SUPER GLUE, the join will be stronger than it was. Resin bonds very well together when using super glue, you really dont want to see what happens when you use plastic glue on resin, its not a nice sight

[SotonShades]

One of thing that you will find out, is that when you break resin, and you probably will at some point, when you glue it back together using SUPER GLUE, the join will be stronger than it was. Resin bonds very well together when using super glue, you really dont want to see what happens when you use plastic glue on resin, its not a nice sight

You do have to make sure you get a good, flush fit between the componants of the model though, in some cases more so than on metal models. Unlike plastic glue on plastic models, you aren't melting the resin slightly, so small holes and gaps don't dissappear.

A good example of the strength of the bond between resin and superglue was when I dropped my FW Thunderbolt Fighter down a flight of stairs (which Cow may remember). Although the aircraft broke in several places, none of them were where I had joined componants and were all fortunately easy to repair :)

[Vorlon]

A thunderbolt falling down the stairs...that must have been the most horrible sight ever >.< Ugh and the sound! thud thud thud crack thud thud thud crack!

[chromedog]

you really dont want to see what happens when you use plastic glue on resin, its not a nice sight

Given that the active solvent in most plastic glues is TOLUENE which WILL dissolve resin (with a high enough concentration), that isn't surprising, really (most of them will have written on the label somewhere TOLUENE 1% v/v. which is a pretty weak toluene solution. Up it to 25-30% and it turns resin to sludge.)

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is my favourite dangerous chemical, though. It burns, gives you cancer, will guarantee any offspring will be malformed, strips paint leaving NO RESIDUE, AND EXPLODES as well as turning resin into nice puddles of sludge better than anything else.

The fumes will knock you out (you need a respirator and an oxy feed for best results) and you can readily absorb it through the skin. Chemistry is wonderful.

[Snyderson]

Given that the active solvent in most plastic glues is TOLUENE which WILL dissolve resin (with a high enough concentration), that isn't surprising, really (most of them will have written on the label somewhere TOLUENE 1% v/v. which is a pretty weak toluene solution. Up it to 25-30% and it turns resin to sludge.)

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is my favourite dangerous chemical, though. It burns, gives you cancer, will guarantee any offspring will be malformed, strips paint leaving NO RESIDUE, AND EXPLODES as well as turning resin into nice puddles of sludge better than anything else.

The fumes will knock you out (you need a respirator and an oxy feed for best results) and you can readily absorb it through the skin. Chemistry is wonderful.

That just made my day ! :D

Greetz,
Sny