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RESIN model kit???


spymaker
03-18-2003, 01:28 AM
Hello guys

Can you guys explain to me what is resin model kit? I found a lot of resin kit now avalaible on the net with a very expensive pricetag. And they have a lot of never made to plastic kits list like aston v8 vantage, phantom corsairs, mclaren f1, aston martin zagato, lambo espada etc.

I mean I saw the kit pictures the unbuilt one it looks weird, how do u cut them, paint them and stick'em together? What kind of material is resin is it like plastic or fiberglass?

And also they become collectible item that also raise in value.

Andrian aka Spymaker

exhaust smoke
03-18-2003, 08:04 AM
Resin/multi media kits are generally expensive because they are limited production kits. They usually have the bodyshell in resin with white metal or brass photoetch parts.

Resin could be seen as thick, rigid plastic. It is however, quite brittle and can crack when dropped, for example. Resin is also a toxic medium, therefore, do not chew the parts! It is cut using razor saw, and built using super glue/cyanoacrylate or 2-part epoxy resin. You cannot use normal plastic styrene cement. As far as painting is concerned, you can use normal paints you would for plastic kits.

Hope this helps to explain things.

hirofkd
03-18-2003, 08:40 AM
Resin part is cast in rubber mold, and the rubber mold start degrading after 30 shots or so, because of the heat, caused by the chemical reaction of resin. So, it doesn't last, compared to the metal mold for plastic kits, which can be used 100,000 times or even more.
That's why resin is ideal for small market of hard-core fans, but you have to pay more.
Theoretically, as long as master parts are available, they can continue making new molds. But some times, licensing has its term limit, and also, many kit manufacturers depend on other metal parts and decal suppliers, so once it's discontinued, the kit is hard to reissue, and become premium.

spymaker
03-18-2003, 06:53 PM
So did you guys ever build resin model?

And Hiro did you finish the aston db4 I saw it on your website, I'm very eager to see it finished! :)

Ragnarok043
03-18-2003, 10:53 PM
Originally posted by spymaker
So did you guys ever build resin model?

And Hiro did you finish the aston db4 I saw it on your website, I'm very eager to see it finished! :)

i actually mainly build GK resin figures, another reason why GKs(garage kits) are expensive is becuz its labour intensive casting them. its all done by hand, theres no machinces at all. the materials is also expensive like the silicone rubber they use to make the molds. the reason why they make kits in resin is becuz it can capture detail much better than styrene. its also cheaper to produce since theres no huge IP machinces involved, so theyre able to create kits without investing alot of money into the tooling(this is plus for unpopular designs). but that means theyre not able to off set the cost of the kit over the long production like metal molds with IP kits. in the beginning i too thought that GKs were a tad expensive, but you get what you pay for and thats quality. once you start building one you'll appreciate the how much detail goes into each kit.

sorry for running off, its just that GKs are right up alley:D hope this gives you a better understanding of why GKs are expensive.

exhaust smoke
03-19-2003, 12:44 AM
Hi Spymaker,

In response to your question, yes, I have a few resin models. Not built many yet, but am working on the Quik Skins Audi A4. Here is a picture of it:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/340954A4.1.jpg

lotus_man
03-19-2003, 12:00 PM
I build a lot of resin kits because I like the look of 1:43 fro a large collection (it's just a personal thing). Also so many more cars are availble in resin that aren't available in plastic. At the moment I'm building a resin Lotus Elise and Jaguar XJR-14, and I'm soon to start a '58 Ferrari Testarossa and the F50 GT prototype, all in resin.

They tend to require quite a lot of work compared to the part count because the fit is not so good as plastic kits and the moldings can be a bit rough. Also the instructions are often vague (just photos of the built up kit) so research is usually require... the Internet can prove very useful at this point!

Good makers to start with are Provence Moulage and Starter (now merged I beleive) as their kits are good quality, low parts counts and general look very good.

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