Resin help /advice needed from you master builders

Hi guys!

Need your advice/ideas on how to solve a problem with my Renaissance 250TR resin kit.

If you look at the foto here you'll see that the base of the window frame has crumbled away right in the centre!! :banghead: This is how it was when I bought it - I think that the cast was tissue thin at this point and just flaked off.

http://public.fotki.com/klutz100/workbench/ferrari_250tr_lemans/body_2.html

I would love to hear your ideas on how to reconstruct this area as I just can't imagine leaving it as is. My original thoughts were epoxy putty, thin styrene...or maybe remove it all and try to make something else to hold the window (the kit includes a PE part that rests on the bodywork but it won't support the screen in anyway).

Also, please bear in mind that I don't have a lathe :) and I definately don't have your skills - just enthusiasm and patience and a will to learn.

You can see more shots of teh kit on my fotki album if you like.

I might even make an "in progress" and "how (not) to" thread out of this someday kit but I'm not ready to start it just yet although I'll admit it's burning a hole in my pocket :grinyes:

Thannks in advance,

stevenski

From what I see in the picture, I would probably remove the rest of the broken area and cut the ends square. Then engrave a groove where it was and make a filler piece out of sheet styrene the same thickness as the rest of the lip. Insert the new part and tack it into place with a tiny bit of CA. When it is properly aligned and the cement has dried, add more cement for strength. I prefer two part polyester fillers for contouring and filling. I hope that makes sense to you, good luck and show us how it comes out whatever method you choose... - Mark

If it arrived like that, send it back. Thin areas like that tend to break if there was air trapped in the mold. As the pressure comes in, and the bubble shrinks, it can cause the mold to pinch down leaving a thinner part.

Scale Master - Thanks a lot for the ideas. I'll be exploring that avenue for sure and will share with you (don't hold your breath, though ;) )

The Dog - unfortuanetly not an option :( eBay purchase and definately full disclosure on teh description i.e. photo. Just couldn't see that level of flaw in that kind of low res shot. Lesson learned.
But I'm sure it's saveable (if that's the right word)

stevenski

Scale Master - Thanks a lot for the ideas. I'll be exploring that avenue for sure and will share with you (don't hold your breath, though ;) )

The Dog - unfortuanetly not an option :( eBay purchase and definately full disclosure on teh description i.e. photo. Just couldn't see that level of flaw in that kind of low res shot. Lesson learned.
But I'm sure it's saveable (if that's the right word)

stevenski

Actually, get in touch with Renaissance (http://www.renaissance-models.com/). They have been very good at replacing bad parts. It happens from time to time and they are really good at making things good. I have had to contact them twice over some missing parts/decals from two transkits and they sent me replacements no questions asked. They may though ask that you send the body to them, but that is a small price to pay.
Nic

That doesn't seem so bad. Like Scale-Master suggested, use styrene and reconstruct the missing piece. That'll be easy job.
I'm so lazy that I'd use superglue and masking tape to fix a problem like that.

Here, I extended the shown edge of a Ferrari model by applying masking tape. Then, I coated the remaining sticky part with primer so the tape comes off easily.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=502/2825bod02.jpg

Then I applied a very small amount of superglue to make a thin layer one side at a time, and repeated the process several times. Superglue dries very quickly, so this process takes no time. ;)

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=502/2825bod03.jpg

The tricky part is that it's a little hard to maintain the even thickness , so it's not suitable for a large area. Also you have to hold the body in the right position to prevent the superglue from flowing out of the area which you're reconstructing, but that's pretty much it. Once a sufficient size of superglue-patch is built, all you need to do is to use a file and trim the excess part.

Ah! The joys of buying and building resin kits!

You have here several good solutions already, so I won't be adding none.

If you go for the plastic strip in the place of the miscast support, just be carefull when sanding to "blend" the parts, because plastic sands at a different rate then resin - resin is softer.

Good luck and, don't be put down by that.

I would use thin aluminum from soda can instead of styrene though - thinner and stronger.