RESIN
How to get rid of Seam Lines Seam lines are usually found when joining two parts of a resin kit together. Example; attaching an arm to the shoulder socket, the seam line will be all around where the arm it is attached to the shoulder. The seam line will stand out and make the kit not look realistic. To fix seam lines use a two part epoxy putty. (Note: See General tip as to what two part epoxy putty is) Roll out the putty out on a smooth surface into a long very small snake, as wide as the seam on the kit. Then take this long snake like putty and wrap it around the seam. Wet the tips of your finger with water and work the putty into the seam. Work the putty until smooth and the seam line is gone. Let the putty complete set, which should take about 24 hours. If needed use wet sand paper to smooth out any ruff edges, reapply as necessary. How to get rid of Mold Lines Mold lines are created when a two part mold is used to cast a part. When the resin is dry you will notice a line around the entire part, where the two parts of the mold met to cast the part. This will stand out when painting the kit and make the kit look less realistic. There are two ways that work best to remove Mold Lines. 1- Take wet sand paper or a fine needle file and slowly remove the line. (Note See General tips learn more about wet sand paper). This is a really slow process and a lot of time is required. 2- Use your Dremel and insert a sanding bit. Dremel makes an assortment of Sanding bits. I recommend testing the sanding bit a piece of resin first the see if it is the right bit for sanding resin. Slowly turn on the Dremel, Remember not to fast or you could remove details along with the mold line. The slower the better, work the mold line until it disappears on the part. Note: (When using the Dremel always were safety Goggles or Glasses, and a Mask to cover your mouth and nose from the dust particles from sanding the part.) Removing Flash (Unwanted Material) from a Resin Kit Resin kits could have a lot of unwanted flash on it. Unlike vinyl this process can be a little bit difficult due the hardness of the resin. I found using the Dremel works best for the removal of flash from the resin kit. Depending how much flash there is, you might need to cut it away first than sanded down until the flash it totally removed. Materials Needed. . 1. Dremel - Cutting Disk and Sanding Bits 2. Safety Goggles and Mask. 3. Wet Sand Paper. Using the Cutting Disk on your Dremel cut away the large section of the flash, Be careful not to cut to close to the part. Note: (Wear your Safety goggles and Mask before using the Dremel). Once you have cut a large amount of the material away from the part, switch the cutting disk to the sanding bit and finish removing the rest of the flash. Use Wet Sand Paper to smooth out any ruff edges that might have occurred from using the sanding bit.
PLASTIC
Nail polish remover will strip the chrome off of plastic parts, make sure it has Acetone in it.
VINYL
Removing Flash (Unwanted Material) from a Vinyl Kit On Vinyl kits you will notice a lot of unwanted material called flash. There is one easy way to remove the material, cut it away, but the trick it to heat up the vinyl first, which makes the process a whole lot easer. Trying to cut the hard vinyl material without heating first will be almost impossible. Once heated you will be able to cut through the vinyl part with any problems. Materials Needed. 1. Hairdryer. 2. A Sharp X-acto Knife. A number of sharp blades First take the hairdryer and heat the part that has the unwanted flash material on it, until it’s soft and bendable. Note: (When using the hairdryer be careful not to burn yourself and the part).Only hold the hairdryer for a couple of minutes on the part until it soft and ready to be cut. Then take your Sharp X-acto Knife and trim the part, remember to always cut away from you and not toward you. If the part cools off and becomes hard to cut, reapply the hairdryer to heat up the part again. Repeat for all parts until all unwanted material is removed. Change any dull blades for new sharp ones will help the cutting process. Filling a Hollow Vinyl Kit To give your Vinyl Kit more stability you might want to use a filling material to fill in the hollow parts of the kit. Filling the kit with filler will allow for it to be more sturdy and easier to hold and paint, making it more like a solid resin like hardness to the vinyl, without taking away the look and feel of the vinyl. There are a number of products that will aid you in this, Resin, Mountains in Minutes, Concrete, Etc. Resin I found that Resin can be on the costly side, and also heat up to higher temperature which could warp of distorts the vinyl. Concrete Do not fill Vinyl with Concrete, trust me, not only is it a pain to mix and work with, but it will weigh the kit down, far beyond what you are looking for. I filled Horizons' Fantastic 4 Thing with Concrete and totally ruined the kit. I guess you can say I lived and learned from this experience. Mountains in Minutes One method I found most user friendly and cost efficient is Mountains in Minutes. This product can be found at your local Train and hobby store. One thing to remember is mix a small amount of this stuff, or else it you can create an overflow which will look like a volcano erupted. Make sure you follow the product's directions on mixing it. You have to work fast here, because this stuff sets up real fast. Once mixed pour it into the hollow parts, fill as close to the top of the part. Hold the part upright until the material has set and hardened, which should take a couple of minutes. Repeat for all hollow parts. Once all parts are filled you will notice the parts are more stable and as easily bendable or squeezable as they were before filling then. You can now glue all the parts together to assembly your kit. Filling vinyl will prolong the life of it over the years, by not allowing it to sag and melt. Also remember not to expose vinyl to heat or direct sunlight.
GENERAL
The use of nail polish remover to clean up cyanoacrylate (crazy glue), make sure it has Acetone in it.
De-Yellowing Deacls
A Zip lock bag on a window sill for a few days whiles it nice n sunny. White glue dulcoat It is a simple mix of about 30/50/20, water-rubbing alcohol-elmers white glue. It dries fast, level, and leaves a great flat coat behind. Washing your Kit Before working on a Resin, Vinyl kit, wash it in soapy hot water using Dawn liquid soap. This will clean off any mold release agent on the kit. Dry the kit completely before using a primer on it. If you do not wash your kit first, you run the risk of having the primer and paint not adhering to the kit, and having the paint flake off it later. Using Primer on you kit before you paint
Primer is used to prep the kit for painting. It is strongly recommended to prime your kit before painting. Your local hobby shop will have a number of primers to choose from. Note: ( Keep in mine the material of your kit, if you are working on Plastic and or Vinyl kits make sure the primer is made for theses types of kit or you run the risk of ruining them by applying the primer. If you are uncertain test on a scrap piece of material first. Not using a primer could result in the paint flaking and peeling off your kit. Also the paint could have problem adhering to the kit. One Part Putty One part putty is found in a squeezable tube. The putty is ready to use straight from the tube. Most popular brand names are Squadron Green, Tamiya Gray, and Testors Red, also you can find a product called Bondo which is found at an automotive parts store, it issued on cars as body filler. Paint thinner can be added to make for a paint like liquid to paint on to the kit to areas needed. Work time is about 20 minutes or less depending on the brand used. Two Part Apoxy Putty This is used on Resin and Vinyl kits. Two containers will hold the putty A and B. Mix equal amounts of A and B together very well. Note: only mix a small amount, as it will go along way. Once completely mixed the putty can be used for seam lines, air bubbles, and sculpting extra items on your kit. The use of water will allow you to smooth the putty on your kit. Work time is usually 1-2 hours. Setup time is 24 hours. There are a number of name brands on the market, Milliput. Wet Sand Paper There a number of grits to choose from, the higher the number the finer the paper. The best place to find Wet Sand paper is Home Depot or Loews home improvement stores. Cut the sand paper into a number of workable strips and dip them into room temp water for about 5-10mintues. This will allow for the sand paper to absorb the water. The use of Wet Sand paper is to remove any surface irregularities that might be on your kit, with out removing a lot of detail from the kit. Also used when putty has been applied and dried on a kit to smooth out the putty without scratching it. Air Bubbles and Pin Holes (How to fill them in) Air Bubbles and Pin Holes can occur on the surface of your kit. This is due to air being trapping when the resin is poured into the mold. Pin Holes are the most annoying due to the fact that they are usually small in nature and hard to fill. I found an easy way to repair these. Materials needed. One part putty (Note: See General tip as to what one part putty is). Paint thinner, Jar, latex gloves, small paint brush (Micro Brushes work the best, See links page for their website) Into the jar squeeze a small amount of the one part putty, add a small amount of the paint thinner, you want to create a liquid like substance out of the putty. If to thick add a little more of the thinner, the trick here is to make it almost paint like, so that is can be easily applied to the surface of your kit. Once mixed well, take your paint ( orMicro) brush and brush the mixture into the areas where the Air Bubbles and Pin Holes are on the surface. Wipe off any excess that might occur. Let it dry for about 24 hours and then use wet sand paper to sand off the excess putty, to a smooth like surface on the kit. Removing parts from sprue trees I noticed that if you bend a part back and forth or twisting to try to remove the part from the tree, it usually causes the part to have stress and snap in half, or leave a large amount of unwanted material from the tree. I found two ways that work great for removing a part the tree. 1 - Using an X-acto knife to carefully cut the part from the tree. Note: Never hold the knife where the blade is facing toward you when cutting, always cut away from you. 2 - Use a specially made pair of pliers made for cutting the part from the tree. I find using the pliers is the best method. It not only frees the part from the tree but also cuts away a lot of the material as well. Storing Used Air Brush Tips and related parts I find that no matter what brand air brush you use, you can bet on one thing, dried paint will clog the air brush. I found that storing the used tip and other parts for the airbrush in a 50/50 mixture of alcohol and water will remove any dried paint and prolong the life of the part. What is Flash Flash is the unwanted material connected to any part which makes up the kit. When a resin part is created in a two part mold, some of the resin could squeeze out of the mold, this excess called flash is unwanted material attached to the part. Flash is found on Resin, Vinyl and Plastic model kits. Applying a Wash A wash is nothing more than watering down a paint color to apply to your base color on the kit. Washes are applied to highlight the base color and bring it to another level. Start slowly and build up each level of wash. Sealing your kit first is very important, if you do not and try to remove any washes that were applied you run the risk of removing paint as well. Use a Flat, Semi, or Gloss sealer. This will allow you to wipe off any area of the kit which the wash has been applied to in error. Then mix 50% water and 50% alcohol in a clean paint jar. Note: (You can use Windex, Airbrush solution ETC ,you have to experiment with what works best for you) Next take the color paint you would like to create the wash with, pour a little bit of the paint into a clean empty paint jar, next apply some of the 50 /50 Water alcohol solution that was just created into the paint jar. Mix well until the water mixture and the paint are mixed well. You're tying to achieve a water down version of the paint color. You do not want the paint thick at all here at all. Than take a small tip paint brush, and apply a small amount of the wash to your area let dry and apply more as need. Note: (You can mix up other color washes and apply them to the kit as well to achieve the affect desired on the kit). Applying Weathering and or Tones/Highlights on your Kit Weathering is a process of making you kit look like time or the elements may have aged it. You can also apply soft tones and highlights to skin areas on the face and body as well. You are not limited as to what you can do from this process. You have to keep in mine to slowly build up this process on your kit, or you can over do it, causing the look of what you trying to achieve to be less realistic. Start by sealing your kit, with a Flat, Semi, or Gloss sealer. This will allow you to wipe off any areas which has been weathered or highlighted and are no longer desired, and or any mistake that might take place. If you do not seal the kit first and apply the weathering or highlights process to it and then decide you like to remove it, you run the risk of removing paint as well. At your local Art Supply store you will find pastel colored chalk like drawing sticks. They usually come in 2 inch sticks. They will have an assortment of colors to choose from. Take some dry sand paper and rub the pastel color stick until a small amount comes off in the form of fine powder on the sandpaper. This powder will be used to weather or highlight the kit. Note: (Before you start to apply the power, wear a dusk mask over you nose and mouth, this will prevent you from breathing in the dust) Take a flat tip quarter inch brush and apply some of the powder to the end of the tip. Then gently apply to the area of the kit to be weathered or highlighted. Repeat until the desired amount of weathering or highlight has been achieved. Once finished, seal the area that was just weathered or highlighted, as to lock the weathering in place. Note: (More than one color can be applied to the area to achieve the affect needed)
ADVANCED
Creating Realistic Blood on your Kit I found a way to create the look and flow of real blood on your kit. It takes a little bit of practice to get it just right, but one you do you will noticed that it really brings out the look of the kit in the areas that where the blood has been applied to. Materials needed 1 Tube of 2 part epoxy you want the 5minutes setup kind.You can find this at AC Moore, Home Depot.
2. Red Blood color paint. Not bright red. Has to be close to a dark red.
3. A couple of Micro Brushes.
4. A couple of pieces of flat card board.
Before applying the below steps make sure the figure is sealed properly. Because if you do not like the way things are turning out you can wipe off the Paint/Epoxy Mixture, within the time allowed, and not ruin your figures paint job.
Ok first thing is open the glue. Now the glue should contain a large tube within this large tube will be two smaller tubes. When both tubes are mixed together they will create the epoxy. There is a U shape handle that pushes the glue from each of the tubes, cut this U shape handle down the middle. Doing this will allow you to squeeze each tube out one at a time. This will also be your guide in to know how much glue is squeezed out from each tube.
Squeeze of a small amount of glue from the first tube onto the card board.Mix well the blood red paint in its jar. Pour a couple drop of the blood red paint into the glue that was just poured onto the card board. A little paint goes a long way, no need to cover the glue entirely. Take one of the micro brushes and mix the paint well. Once mixed, you are now ready to pour the second tube, now before we get into pouring the second tube, there is one thing to remember, time is a factor here. When they say that the epoxy sets in 5 minutes believe them it does. Now push the second tube handle down to meet the first tube handle. This will pour out equal amounts. Now mix them together until the paint and glue are one.Now take the micro brush full of the Paint/Epoxy mixture and place it where you like on the kit. Place the glue mixture in layers, and try to let the mixture flow the way it would like to, try not to fight it ; You want to create the look of flowing blood.Remember to watch the clock. I find that mixing 2-3 batches achieves the look and effect I like to create. Let each batch dry for 24-48 hours before applying the next batch. For dripping blood effect, you have to pour a large amount in one area, I recommend doing the pouring close to the 5 minute mark, this way it will freeze in place, and look like is it gushing from a wound or creating the effect of a cut and blood dripping down from the wound on the figure. Do not touch the glue in its drying state or you will leave finger prints that will ruin the blood. Try your best not to do this. Trust me I did it and totally messed it up. Once dry, you will have created a nice blood effect on your figure.
There is no need to seal the blood, the shine of the epoxy makes it look wet and realistic, Just like fresh dripping blood from an open wound.
Tools and Materials needed for the WorkBench
I have found over the years, outside of your local hobby shop you can find a whole another world of tools and related items to use on your workbench. I am not stating that you should all together to abandon your local hobby shop for these places. I totally support my local hobby shops, I am just adding additional places where to find tools and materials to use. Please support your local hobby shops, by first going to them for your Kits, Tools and Materials needs, then visit the places listed below for additional items. Now that I have that out of the way, now let's start to list what you would need on the workbench to be productive in building a kit. Now keep in mind the below list is just a suggestion and not meant to be written in stone, it is not to discourage or frighten anyone into thinking they need to go out and buy everything on the list. If you are new to the hobby world, ask questions and then ask more questions. Research anything before you buy it, either on this list or on any other list. Trust me doing your homework will same you Money and a lot of time. Suggested tools needed on the workbench. 1. Assortment of Paint Brushes. Tips can Range from 0/5 and higher 2. Paint, Paint and more Paint. Also primer and sealer, Acrylic based on the paint and sealer (Water base paints for resin and vinyl kits) 3. Air Brush and compressor. Sears has a great one. Compressor sits on the air tank and fills the tanks up when it starts to run empty. 8 gallons will be enough. I use the Aztec Airbrush due to how easy it is to clean and change paints. I recommend doing some homework before buying one. Since the prices can run kind of on the high side. 4. Dremel, I think this is a must to have on the workbench. Especially if you are building resin and vinyl figures. You can find one at Micro-Mark or Home Depot for under $100.00. Also an assortment of cutting, sanding disks and drill bits are a must. 5. Assortment of 1 and 2 part apoxy putties. Used to fill in seam lines and air bubbles on the kit 6. Super Glue and a quick drying accelerator agent. Crazy Glue, Zap-Glue and other gules that are made with cyanoacrylate are necessary to assembling a kit. Also to speed up the drying process, use an accelerator such as Zap-Kicker. 7. X-acto Knife and blades. 8. Needle Files and also Wet and Dry Sand Paper. 9. Lighting, natural lighting, not florescent light because this type of lighting can cast a blue light over your bench. You want to buy natural light bulbs. 10. Latex Gloves, will save your hands from glue, paint and other debris. 11. Safety Goggles - Are a must have if you are sanding cutting with the Dremel, need to keep your eyes intact. 12. Respirator with charcoal filters – Also a must if you are sanding and cutting with resin, also use when painting with the airbrush. The dust and paint particles are not good to breathe in. As you evolve more into your hobby you will acquire more and more items to add to the workbench. For now I have listed the items that I think will be needed to complete a kit. Places to visit for additional needs 1. The local beauty shop - Here you will find nail files that can be used to file down seam and mold lines. You can also find power makeup the can be used for weathering and applying washes on your kit. Tweezers and nail polisher remover. Take your wife or girlfriend this way you will not feel so out of place. Over the years they will come to know you, trust me. 2. Avon. Believe it or not I have found a number of items from Facial powders to a cool looking little cuticle removers that can be used sculpt with. Nice Item for 4 dollars. 3. AC Moore, Michaels, Rag Shop- All stores are for the craft person, but you can find some great materials to use on your kits for a very reasonable price. 4. Your local hardware store will carry a number of assorted items to be very useful.
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