Preparing Resin Parts

I want to make sure I’ve got this right, before I make a total mess of this. I’ve just got an SAS Nissan R34 Nismo Resin trans kit. It’s a little rough around the edges, but I think this is how they come (I’ve never worked with resin before). Now I will list my process to get the parts installed and painted, and if my steps are wrong someone please tell me.

First I sand the parts to get the edges nice and test fit to ensure they fit.
I then wash the parts in oven cleaner to get the silicon mold residue off – ensures the primer will stick.
Sand the parts all over with 600 grit paper
I then prime the parts to see where I need to fill and sand more
Fill and sand the bad parts
Re-prime
Test fit

If all OK, and smooth surface and test fit fine I then attach to the body and use CA glue. Normal plastic cement will not work, so it has to be CA super glue. Will Tamiya CA be OK?

Once fitted I then prime the entire body the same colour primer and job done, ready for top colour coats.

Am I right, or have I missed a step?

I only wash mine in washing up liquid and then lightly sand with 2000/1500 grit then prime.
Yes Tamiya CA is fine for fixing to the body, but be careful not to get too much on the plastci body/resin as it'll be a bauuger to sand off.
also try nmot to get any in the panel lines (if you follow me).

The rough edges are normal, SAS stuff has less flash and rough edges than most Resin parts manufactures.

No need for owen cleaner if you ask me, like Steve I only wash it in water and liquid soap, I use 800 grit paper for realy rough parts and 1200 for the rest (600 will leave deep schratches).
So take one cup (glass) fill it with water and liquid soap and leave the parts in it for a day, then scrub it with tooth brush all over, then sanding then washing again, primer, repair, primer, wet sand with 2500, colour ......

Yes, soapy water for cleaning the parts. Just done a R34 with a SAS Nismo bodykit, fitted lovely to the body. Will post pics once its finished in the next week.

Mick

Yes, soapy water for cleaning the parts. Just done a R34 with a SAS Nismo bodykit, fitted lovely to the body. Will post pics once its finished in the next week.

Mick

Welcome to AF -

How did you clean the hood vents up? Mine has a small amount of excess resin in all the vent corners. Looks like it might be hard to get sand paper between the vent holes, and dare I risk a hobby knife to cut the excess off?

Also, sounds like soapy water is enough.. I did seach and read on here about oven cleaner, sounds over the top now.

thanks all..

Oh - SAS kit does look good. Should make my R34 look great once I get it fitted..

And always, ALWAYS wear a breath mask while filing resin. The dust is killer. Really. :uhoh:

Be safe!

Hmm - I don't think these resin kits are for beginners.. I've just had a go at sanding the flash etc and it's not easy..!! Erm, I think I might actaully not bother using it just yet and wait until my skill level is good enough. I just can't see how you can get the part to fit nice and sand it without taking too much off..

I've just ruined the side skirt.. I think resin parts are too advanced for me. I will admit, I thought the parts where just replacements for the in the box parts..Doesn't appear to be that way.. lots of work required to make them fit, and my putty work is not good, in fact I've NEVER done putty work before..

Shame, as it looks nice - just too advanced for me at the moment.. Plus I've took the hood of already meaning the skyline is now - for the moment a write off kit for me. I'll put it to one side and stick with out of the box builds for the time being..!!

No No No don't give up yet, can we see a pic of the side skirts. I find a quick filler for holes etc is Tamiya CA and use some Zip Kicker which is a CA Accelerator making it set instantly.
If you want send me down the parts and i'll clean them up and sort them out for you.

Hiroboy - Here is a picture of the parts. I will say now, it's perhaps not the parts at fault here - but me. I just don't know what I'm meant to do in regards to cleaning them up. I honestly thought it was the same as box parts. Get them, glue them on and lightly sand and prime etc..

Not as easy as I thought.. Eyes opened now, time to see what can be done.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/502/283591resin-skyline-med.jpg

OK - I've spent two + hours on them already, and sorry to say I've broke a hood vent - it was so fragile and I was trying to remove the excess resin. One of the side skirts has been ruined as I sanded too hard and removed too much material. And the front bumper has a crack in it, right at the bottom. It was actually like that when I got it, but I think it's a mold issue and needs to be filled, plus the top bumper has hole in it, needs filling. No ones fault just mine as I'm only on my third model and not really in the know when it comes to resin parts.. Can't fault me for tyring though.

I've sent you a PM.

dont give up.

but if you do, i'll but the kit and t-kit from you.

i heard sanding resin inside without a mask and shit is bad for you so when you do sand do it outside just in case wouldnt want any sick modelers :)

dont give up.

but if you do, i'll but the kit and t-kit from you.

Hmm.. You won't want to buy this kit now mate.. I just attempted to put the hood that came with the body back on again and made a right mess of it..

Seemed to work at first, but the glue as melted the sides and it just fell off.. The kit is ruined.. It's my fault for being too clever.. I thought you just brought the trans kit and fitted the parts.. I had no idea you had to sand resin parts, and even that the dust was harmful..

Little mad at the moment, as I spent around £35 on that kit (paint, trans-kit etc..), and the body is only good for the bin for sure..

Another lesson learnt, this time I've not got away with it. Ruined a kit, so I'll take a break for the rest of this week and start a new kit next week.

What I will do, is buy a new R43 kit, of ebay if I can cheap and use the body, so as not to waste the work on all the rest I've done so far. But not this week.. I'll leave it now. My temper has gotten up and I'm about ready to throw the model at the wall..

Thanks for all the help, and the kit would have been great - It was me. I'm not "ready" for resin work at the moment.. I'll try again in a few months when I've built some more kits, and I'll use the ruined R34 body for putty work practice..

I think we all sometimesfeel like you Mickbench.
You`re inspired and carry away, and all of asudden, parts don`t fit, e.t.c. :crying: " -I`ve ruined another kit. $$ down the drain. Why didn`t i continue birdwatching as mommy wanted,for a hobby.." . Do like i do:
Put the kit away. Down the box. Bury it in the pile. Then after a while when some time have gone, some nice models have left your bench and reside in the cabinet, you discover that kit again. That kit that caused you frustration. The kit that was "ruined". You take the parts and look. Mock up some. Get the ideas flowing. "-It doesn`t look THAT bad.If i cut this and add strip plastic here and.." you think. And suddenly it wasn`t as bad as you once thought :p

Many of my best kustoms have started as "sawed-to-pieces-ruined-kit"-projects. Remember, we can´t learn if we don´t make mistakes :thumbsup:

if you seriously made a mess of it and are fed up, and can send me an email with pictures, i'd gladly purchase it from you.

i seriously dont want you to give up on a project, because anything is salvageable.

i cant my own resin parts, so i know how hard it can be for a beginner.

reason i'd be interested in purchasing it is because i do 97% american cars. i ve never worked with tamiya, i only have one fujimi model in my stack of 190 models.

again, working with resin can be difficult, but nothing is ever scrapped.

think about it, and shoot me a pm. i'll gladly give you my email via pm

NOMADGAMER

Man I'm sorry that didn't work out for you Mick. If it makes you feel better I'm sure most of us have bitten of more that they can chew on occasion. Now get back on that horse and build something as cool as that Modena in your sig. :)

I'm now on the look out for a new R34 Nissan kit on ebay or on here being sold cheap..!!

I have done all the rest now apart from the body, but I couldn't work very well with the resin parts. I had no IDEA resin was such a bitch to work with. The parts looked great on SAS Website, and those who know how to prepare these parts must love using them, as so would I, as they look the business..!! If I can't get a cheap kit then the build is a write off..!! And that would be a shame as I did a nice job on the rest of it. I'm sure I can find a cheap kit.. Might take a few weeks of watching ebay etc but I should be OK.

Ah well - Stil I had a go with resin, didn't work back to Out of the Box building for a ew more months. I'll get there.. My last two models were in fact a bumpy ride..!!

Project should be back to life in about two weeks, as it didn't take long to find a Skyline kit on ebay. Just got to wait for it to be shipped from Hong Kong... It was cheaper then the UK, buy nearly half as much.

Got the V-Spec-II kit with the nice rear wing. Decided to just use the kit body kit as my resin work skills are a little poor. At least the kit only cost £10 including airmail when converted from US$ to GBP.

At least I've got a spare body to practice with now, plus I did use a mask to sand the resin, but my throat today is VERY sore..!! I was warned I know..!!

Hi Mick,

Being a newbie too (with only two built) I feel your pain. I've seen resin kits before but knew they were ahead of me so left them. It's a pity yours didn't work out and it had to be such an expensive lesson.

The hard thing for us newb's is that we see such glorious models here and we want to build ours as good and we have to face facts that ain't gonna happen. This takes time! Some of the AFers here have been building in excess of ten years!! Be patient Mick, your time WILL come - we all know now you are dedicated!

When it comes to biting off more you can chew I have done it too! Ordered a p/e kit for my Focus RS 01 WRC and have nothing but bother with them. I 'thought' I was ready but I don't think I am - one piece is already in the bin!!!

You know what I think would be a great idea and would certainly make us newb's feel a whole lot better? To see some of the models built by the AF masters which didn't live up to their expectations. For every pristine model there's another few sitting unloved in a cupboard somewhere. To see that these master builders are in fact human and DO make mistakes would certainly make me feel better. BUT, nobody who's building quality models will want to show these 'black sheep' incase it ruins their reps. And I can hardly blame them for that.

Just stick in there mate and as I said, your time WILL come! Mine too, we just have to be patient.... and as you know, that's what modelling is about.

Hi Mick,

Being a newbie too (with only two built) I feel your pain. I've seen resin kits before but knew they were ahead of me so left them. It's a pity yours didn't work out and it had to be such an expensive lesson.

The hard thing for us newb's is that we see such glorious models here and we want to build ours as good and we have to face facts that ain't gonna happen. This takes time! Some of the AFers here have been building in excess of ten years!! Be patient Mick, your time WILL come - we all know now you are dedicated!

When it comes to biting off more you can chew I have done it too! Ordered a p/e kit for my Focus RS 01 WRC and have nothing but bother with them. I 'thought' I was ready but I don't think I am - one piece is already in the bin!!!

You know what I think would be a great idea and would certainly make us newb's feel a whole lot better? To see some of the models built by the AF masters which didn't live up to their expectations. For every pristine model there's another few sitting unloved in a cupboard somewhere. To see that these master builders are in fact human and DO make mistakes would certainly make me feel better. BUT, nobody who's building quality models will want to show these 'black sheep' incase it ruins their reps. And I can hardly blame them for that.

Just stick in there mate and as I said, your time WILL come! Mine too, we just have to be patient.... and as you know, that's what modelling is about.


Sticky Fingers

It is a very hard hobby and I'm starting to get a little frustrated.. I try too hard at times, and this has always been a problem for me. I do look at the builds on this site and think - I want that. The SAS resin kits look fantastic, but my dream of building a resin SAS nissan was totally shattered last night. TBH, I normally crack it, but the only thing I cracked last night was a resin kit part.. :rolleyes:

I'm sure some of the top builders on here have a few "bad" models but they will not show them, as I wouldn't either.

Not attempted PE parts yet, but resin was hard enough so think I'll stick with box stock for another few models.. I'll get there.. I'm sure of it..!!

Anyhow got a new body on the way, so the build is now saved and will be continued soon..!!

We have to remember one thing guys; what we`re making is actually art.And i can asure you that everyone who`s into some artform or the other,will make mistakes/screw up. If you read music mags,in interwiews you can read something like "-We had 50 songs done, but only 10 made it to the album".
Meaning they wrote 40 song that sucked ( in their eyes(ears?..))
I tell you,of all nice models with ultrashiny paintjobs and schratchbuilt this and photoetched that, the modeler made a few models that lurks in the darkest corner of the cabinet :)

If you read music mags,in interwiews you can read something like "-We had 50 songs done, but only 10 made it to the album".
Meaning they wrote 40 song that sucked

How true :uhoh:

I also write music (mainly dance music, trance & hard house) and I'd say that out of the fifteen or so that I've produced I only REALLY like maybe two of them. And similar to a modeller who hides his dodgy model, my dodgy trax are also 'hidden' (on my studio computer)

I almost bought a resin kit off of Ebay a few weeks ago but since I had never worked with it before I didn't bid. I also had no idea that it was so different or that the dust was hazardous. Glad I didn't spend the $$$.

Hey Mick, sorry to hear of your disasters, was looking forward to see how you got on with this kit as you certainly are getting deeply into this hobby! Sounds like quite a frustration though!
Just move on to the next kit and forget all about it!

We all learn through experience!

My skyline isn't dead, it just won't be a SAS NISMO skyline now. I was so looking forward to putting the kit on, but I HAD no idea resin was like this. I have since started a porsche and I've just laid down a REALLY good paint job.

I'll stick with out of the box, oh and some flocking for carpets. I can do flocking OK. Resin though - very hard to get right. For those who work with resin cast parts - I take my hat off to you all.. You are much more talented then me, but I want to know how you learnt to work with resin in the first place..!!

What's the porsche?

I've bought some SAS resin seats for later use - you are making me feel a little nervous about finishing them now!

Love to know more about how you got on with the flocking as well!

What's the porsche?

I've bought some SAS resin seats for later use - you are making me feel a little nervous about finishing them now!

Love to know more about how you got on with the flocking as well!

If you need to sand your resin seats - wear a mask.. Resin dust is horrid..!! As for flocking, again wear a dust mask, it's a bit rough on the throat without one. I've actually tried flocking on a test bit of plastic. It's OK. You need to put it through a normal strainer first, to get the large bits out, then using white glue just stick to the plastic. I used a hairdryer to set the flock and to blow the excess off.. Used a flat headed brush to push in down to the plastic BEFORE I used the hairdryer.. Looks like carpet..

And building a boxster porsche. Got it from ebay for £4..!! So not too bothered if I mess it up. Building the soft-top with the roof down, as I intend to flock the inside with some nice ivory flocking I've got. But, I've painted the body black.. It looks great as I've just done it, but I remember how some have said that polishing black is hard work.. So I put down an extra wet coat - just in case when I come to polish..!! Reduces the risk of going through..!! I hope.. :uhoh:

I've painted the body black.. It looks great as I've just done it, but I remember how some have said that polishing black is hard work.. So I put down an extra wet coat - just in case when I come to polish..!! Reduces the risk of going through..!! I hope.. :uhoh:

I know I'm straying off topic but.....If the paint job's cool why not just clearcoat it and polish that instead? I know you're a newb like me and I dind this is a good way to do it til I gain more polishing experience.

Just my :2cents: