Vinyl Figures?

Hi, I am a newbie to this forum but have been building vinyl kits for almost 18 years now ?

Anyway, maybe you would like to go to this web page. I have had it as a resource page from my web site for many years now. It's the old Gremlins in the Garage site, but it seems to be still active, and I beleive the info still applies since vinyl kits haven't changed that much over the years !! http://www.gremlins.com/denis_bohm/getting_started.html

So don't get discouraged, I love vinyl kits, good luck, Ed

Ok... this still doesnt help me know how to procede though, I dont wana screw it up.

I was only talking about the Tskuda kit.

The figure looks similar to the old Gundam Girls, Urusei Yatsura, etc  kits released by Bandai years ago. Hard to say from the supplied pic but there is a lot of similarities.

The Bandai Nausicaa kits are a new toolings based on the old kits, as they old kits weren't snap-together.

I know the bandai ones.  There re-releases of old kits not made by bandai.  Bandai bought the molds, retooled them, make them cleaner and nicer and put them out.

As far as the Tsukuda kit, I have no idea how to procede and I do NOT want to do something taht will damage this gorgeous kit.

Don't look either a Soft or hard vinyl kit.

Can't read Box from the pics but it might be a solid Plastic kit. The seams looks like some of the 80's figure kits that were released by Bandai, etc.

Not familiar with this Tsukuda kit, the old Bandai, etc kits could be glued with styrene solvent.

Cleanup should be fairly straight-forward.

Anyone?

Ok, so yesterday was my birthday and got the kit, along with some other Nusicaa kits.

But with the 'vinyl' kit Im not so sure it is Vinyl now.  Its not light, at all, and it is defenatly not hollow.  The arms arent hollow nor is the body.   And there are DEFENATLY mold lines on the kit.

So im confused now on how to proceed.

smeagol the vile

Thanks hans, this is seeming to be alot less work/trouble then I originally thought.

Except now I have a question as to where to find spray primer that is Acrylic...

Hobby Lobby... They carry a rattle-can brand called "Tree House"... It's an acrylic clear laquer (in gloss or matte) and will "bite" into the vinyl really well... Just be careful with it and don't apply it in anything but light, even coats, but also make sure you have 100% coverage....  Once that's done, enamels or oils will work fine over the laquer...  But as always, TEST, TEST, TEST... 

Just don't apply that stuff over any "Wal-Mart brand" spray enamel... It'll attack it and you'll have some wrinkle problems...

Im thinking of using Oils on her, I hope that wont cause problems

I' build mostly garage kits, so I've built a ton of vinyl kits.

No enamels on vinyl, it will never dry, and stay tacky. for priming I use Gunze Mr White surfacer in an spray can. Mist it on in light coats, building it up to a solid coat. Works great, never had any problems. Horizon models back in the 90s recommended this primer for their vinyl kits.

I pack all my vinyls with tightly packed newspaper, packed really, really tight. In the feet I'll use lead shot mixed with epoxy.

I'll have to disagree with the superglue comment though. All my vinyls are assembled with super glue. I prefer the thicker types, polyzap works really, really well.

All colors coats are done with acyrlics

Hope that helps!

Charlie

Thanks hans, this is seeming to be alot less work/trouble then I originally thought.

Except now I have a question as to where to find spray primer that is Acrylic...

"Vinyl must be primed in acrylics in order to later accept lacquer and enamel based paint."

"You fill the seams in vinyl models the same way you would with styrene or resin models. Testors, Tamiya, Squadron, Bondo, epoxy putty, all work fine on vinyl. "

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/basics/lj_vinyl.htm

Alright, so then I should ask then, what should I prime it with?  Should I go out of my way and get laquer primer, or even just give it a spray with some laquer flat to paint over?

Also, what should I use to fill gaps/seams?

There should not be any mold-lines on a Soft-Vinyl-kit.

For filling the lot some people use Mountains in Minutes,others plaster of paris, stuffed newspaper. I use slow-setting Resin(less heat generation).

Styrene Cement won't look at Vinyl. CA is too rigid a glue to hold the softer Vinyl parts together when handling. CA also bonds in the absence of air with Vinyl being a porous material you won't get a good bond.

Something in the Vinyl prevents  enamels from curing even when primed.

YIKES that seems like a heck of alot of work.  Ok, question time.

Mold Line removal.  Can you not use a file to file down the mold lines?

What do you use to fill in the kit, that seems like it would require alot of materials to do, would something like celluclay work or would it be to brittle?

Why 2 part epoxy?  Is CA and plastic glue to hot for the kit?

Same with enamels, are they do hot for the kit?  What about oils?

If it is the big Tsukuda it needs some TLC.

Not many parts to it, but they will need trimming of excess vinyl. Standard method heat part in hot water or with a Hair-dryer, than use a sharp X-11 to cut the excess of. Do that by moving the part and not the knife.

Parts are open on one end and should be filled as the kit will warp over time. Glue to use is 2-part Epoxy. No enamels for painting on Vinyl.

I build the 1/4 Nausicaa oh' bout 15yrs ago, let me see what the old memory retains about the kit.

Pic from the Net:

Its the Tsukunda.  I think its 1/4th scale, not sure, the box is pretty big.

I must say I am very glad that someone knows what this is.  I thought I would have to had explain it.

Which kit is it the Kaiyodo or the Tsukuda? If it is the 1/4 scale kit, you will need to bend the arms a bit to get it correctly into the pose.