Scale Model Basics: Working with resin

Welcome to FineScale Modeler magazine's Scale Model Basics: Working with Resin! In this episode, editor Aaron Skinner teaches the safety tips you need to know and the best ways to perfect your resin pieces and parts.

00:09 Intro
00:25 Pour Stubs
01:05 How to remove pour stubs
01:40 🥽⚠️ SAFETY ⚠️🥽
02:48 Removing pour stubs (cont.)
03:19 Sanding and scraping off the pour stub remnants
04:17 Clean-up of excess material
05:02 Dealing with thin, delicate resin parts
06:48 Attaching resin parts
08:06 Working with larger resin parts
08:41 Pinning
11:32 Checking the pin's fit
13:05 Adjusting the pin
14:05 Attaching the pinned part with 2-part epoxy glue
15:29 Finished pins
15:55 What else can you pin?
16:32 Wrap-up

[Foxiepawstotti]

I was struggling with German I havent used since the 1980s watching Blackforest Tanks and actually learned a bit, to his credit, thankfully I found you and its exactly the pour stubs as opposed to sprues that I needed to know about. I wasn't sure if it required a small saw but, it looks like you are going to answer all my newbie questions. Its exactly because they are so beautifully cast that led me to want to use some of the civillian models in dioramas. Its like a whole new world, in yet another scale has just opened up and, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning, can't wait to use them!

[timcarson]

Late to viewing this, but getting ready to start working with resin parts. Great video, Aaron. Very informative for sure!

[terrybaptist]

Is using a dremel to cut off the stub a good or bad idea

[terrybaptist]

Very nice video but how about how to bond resin to polystyrene on 1:24 or 1:25 scale model cars?

[cbthunderpig]

Excellent tips, especially as I have just re-entered model building after a long sabbatical and so much has changed in kits and materials . You even have to acquire new tools, Just got one of those saws and it works great, the pinning is also a handy tip I've been surprised about the use of epoxy and new glues..

[Maxtherocketguy]

wont a little bit of water stop the thing from making dust

[albertmacias]

Is there some kind of solvent that will work with this resin?

[lesthiele]

Not trying to tell you what to do, but I would have used wet 'n' dry sandpaper and keep it wet, apart from that I enjoy these little tutorials, best regards to you and the team at FSM, from Australia.

[henryhbk]

For the frame part I might have cut it on a cut mat with an x-acto blade like a photo etched part

[clydelourensz]

Hey Aaron, thanks for a concise video on working with resin.
How would recommend getting a clean straight edge when cutting the resin from the casting block?
I’ve stuffed a few pieces as I’ve ended up with a crooked gap, which even when puttied looks a bit average.

[ancliuin]

Why have I not thought of the bigger hole on the other side before... I have never tried pinning because I thought I could never achieve the working precision to make two holes fit the pin on both sides. Now I'm set, thanks a lot!

[michaelbaker]

I would like to see a segment on painting 1/48 scale figures. There are a lot of such figures out there in 1/48 and I have no idea how to approach them.

[vinicius.schmidt]

Very detailed, precise and at the same time concise. I appreciate your effort and the knowledge sharing with us. Thanks.

[jeremyfugarino]

Another way would drill the hole and leave a mm of copper out and push the leg piece on and make an indentation which will give you a guide to wear to better place the hole on the leg.

[PlasticImaginationWorkshop]

Another great tutorial, thank you. I know this will also help out a lot of folks. I also use pins when I'm attaching figures to a base for added durability and strength. Thanks again, have a great weekend. -David

[belfast]

So I have multiple resin parts on a rectangle stub. Is it a good idea to cut the stubs into blocks with a snippers before removing the actual part with a razor saw ?

[waynestarick]

I always hold the pour stub as that often isn’t as flimsy as the resin part itself

[larrydee]

Great Lesson;
I too have been out of the hobby for many many years and now see, with these newer kits, that there's a lot of multimedia being used requiring crazy glue and epoxy.

[rafaelontiveros]

First time buying a small model kit made from resin, years ago, I never understood what was with that solid part, that couldn't be removed with an Exacto knife. I never messed with it again, now I know what's up after this video. Maybe I'll buy some aftermarket resin parts for my kits. Sigh, this hobby was a lot cheaper, back then.

[shane]

Be good to see the same sort of item to do with 3d printed parts for model kitsets. As a lot of glues and cements will not hold. Example FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) using PLA, PETG and some other filament even super glue sometime has issues with some of the filaments of this type.
Resin 3D printers produce a lot of different issues as well. But there are a few tricks to get around this as well. But in many cases with different resins and manufactures type.
You need to handle the parts different to how you handle it in some respects and steps as you would per this item. A good example is large item may be semi hollow to save on resin or the resin is not fully hardened up by UV light in the center of the part. That one alone gives different issues again, as the raw unset resin. You should not let contact your skin as it's semi toxic. So latex gloves are necessary when you find an issue like that.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed this item very much and everything is valid.