SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

The Rise of Resin

705 views
5 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2008
Posted by Longbranch on Monday, May 18, 2009 11:32 AM
the price of the true details sets are very attractive. the one thing that would make them the go-to resin for me, would be the addition of acetate instrument panels behind photo-etch, like Aires. in 1/48, the authenticity is amazing!
  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Biding my time, watching your lines.
Posted by PaintsWithBrush on Friday, May 15, 2009 10:43 AM
As with any product line or manufactured item, the good companies will thrive and the shoddy ones will fall. When you find a shoddy company, give their name a loud shout out. Make their bad work publicly known and they will fail.
Likewise, when you find a good one, praise them publicly and help them thrive.
On the second note, I will say that I have had a wonderful experience with TrueDetails USA. The cockpit set I purchased from them for my old Revell 1/32 Corsair was wonderfully detailed, fit like a charm, and was reasonably priced. I liked them so much, I ordered their cockpit upgrade for a SB2C Helldiver.
That is the true beauty of a forum like this. The ability to enlighten others regarding the good and bad of any particular product line or manufacturer. Some people take tremendous pride in their work, some just want to make a quick buck.
The public forum is the best way to reward the good and expose the bad.

A 100% rider on a 70% bike will always defeat a 70% rider on a 100% bike. (Kenny Roberts)

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 1:26 PM
I make my own resin castings, and I do a few here and there for members of this forum now & then...  I don't charge for my work, other than maybe a donation for the RTV I use to make the molds, since I usually make the modeler a few copies and then trash the mold, unless it's one I end up needing as well.. I do the same with vac-forming parts for some as well.. Not in it to make any money, just to help out if I can...

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Utereg
Posted by Borg R3-MC0 on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:10 AM

I do not have the feelling that there are a lot of sub-par resin producers on the market (but I only know of the aircraft model, so this might vary for other markets like figures)

I have several resin am sets and kits and have seen many more. The level of detail may vary, companies like Vector or Planet can do wonderfull things with resin. But even with kit from smaller operations (Vami, Duijn, etc.) the level of detail might be lower but the basics ( shape and surface finish) are good.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:52 AM

You've opened a topic that could cause some controversy...so be it. I too see a wide sweep of quality of castings. The market however will weed out those whose products doesn't meet the needs of the modelers purchasing them.

Those who enter this industry hoping that they have found easy money doing what they love soon find that it is just another job. They also discover that their well thought out plan wasn't so well thought out when the numbers don't add up. The costs of being in and doing business isn't subtainable from a financial aspect. They also find that the amount of effort and time expended is FAR MORE than they expected. 

Some find better methods and retune their business model to be a much better business model. Others just take shortcuts which affects their products quality...usually for the deteriment to their business.

Again the market will thin the herd so to speak. Looking back at the Modelers Guide that Kalmbach once published, many of the early aftermarket companies are nothing but a faint memory. Those that remain are still producing quality products and their businesses have remain viable.

There is room for new comers, I just advise that they investigate before they invest.

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Orangeville, ON Canada
The Rise of Resin
Posted by MrKipling on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:31 AM
I recently had the opportunity to examine a number of resin cast kits and aftermarket parts from several suppliers. I am truly amazed at how far the aftermarket has come in terms of product selection and quality. At the same time, I am amazed at how far it has to go.

The quality of today's resin products is all over the board. Certainly, there are some casters whose quality is always top notch, yet others vary. In speaking to modellers and through my own experience, I know that some cottage casters have ready excuses for poor craftsmanship. Commonly heard rebuttals to customer complaints include, "That's not so bad, any modeller can fix it," and "It's better than no model at all." Of these people I ask, "If any modeller can fix it, why didn't the modeller who prepared the master do it right in the first place?"

Casting techniques have advanced to the point at which they are no longer the problem. The problems of most resin casters seem to exist in the preparation of their master models. Some aftermarket business owners appear to be happy with masters that look like the car they are patterned after, yet have visible flaws such as unfinished putty work, jagged or incomplete panel lines, crooked emblems or thick pillars. Such sloppy work should not be good enough for any resin caster.

Every resin master itself should be prepared as though it was destined to be a contest model. All surfaces should be smooth and blemish free, bodies should be 100% symmetrical, panel and door lines should be crisp and straight; and any add-on parts should be test fitted prior to casting. In other words, a master body should need only a paint job to prepare it for entry in a contest.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.