How to build resin figures

That looks real nice, I need to get my hands on some of the ACE stuff

I use 5 minute apoxy.  I get mine at Ace.   I find it works good for resin figures,  I like to reinforce large joints with pins if they don't have locating pins or lugs.  Epoxy will maintain it's strengh over the long term and will not degrade or oxidize like super glue will.

I also find it usefull to fill gaps or create lenses.

Tankluver

Went to the LHS a week ago to get the 2 part epoxy putty, and they havent had any in for 6 weeks, apparently Tamiya has stopped making it and thats the only one there distributor had

Hi, Tankluver, please see Al's post immediately preceding yours.  You don't need Tamiya's 2-part epoxy, but try your local hardware store, you should be able to find a 2-part epoxy that you can use and which will work just as well.

Having said that, the one I use currently is HobbyTown's own brand, which I've found to work just fine, too.

Hope that helps!

Brad

Went to the LHS a week ago to get the 2 part epoxy putty, and they havent had any in for 6 weeks, apparently Tamiya has stopped making it and thats the only one there distributor had

Plastic cement/glues will not work with resin. They are designed to melt polystyrene and essentially weld the parts together. Resin is not the same material. It does not respond to plastic cement in any form.

As mentioned, don't try to hold parts togeterh with filler putty. Wrong tool for the job. like trying to use a hammer to cut a two by four.

You can get 2 part epoxy glue in any hardware store. If you go this route, get a fast bonding one, such as Five Minute Epoxy. Again, do not use epoxy PUTTY as a bonding agent. Use putty as a filler and glue as a bonding agent.

Any cyanoacrylic glue, the family of glues refered to as super glue or crazy glue will work. I use Zap-A-Gap brand, slighly thicker consistency and has some filling properties. A drop of accelerator such as Zip Kicker will instantly cure the glue, regardless of atmospheric conditions. Your LHS should have these products.

Have you washed your figures before assembly  ? The mold release agent can prevent bonding. Try roughing up the place where the parts meet.  Try one of the five minute epoxy they are stronger than instant glue.

well its all one big learning experiance, thanks for the tips guys

Super Jet is the brand of CA glue I use when I expect things to stay together like resin kits.  It's the same kind of glue as Krazy Glue, but a lot stronger.

Don't use filler putty for attaching parts...use CA (super glue)...

Tim Kidwell

Depending upon the size of the figure, I've used super glue or two-part epoxy. 

One technique you may want to employ is roughening up the joins before gluing the parts together. Create hash marks with your hobby knife over the areas to be glued. This will give the adhesive more to hold on to. Again, use with both resine and metal figures.

I use brass pins to join parts that are large and ungainly, where there is a lot of stress on the joint. I use pins more often with metal figures where an extended arm or leg might have a very small attachment point but weigh quite a bit.

When pinning, use a pinvise and bit just large enough to accomodate the diameter of the brass rod you're going to use--1mm diameter rod is more than sufficient on most small-scale figs. Drill a hole in the convex attachment point. In the matching, concave attachment point, place a small amount of modeling clay or poster putty. Fit the parts together, positioned the way you want them, and then carefully pull them apart. In the concave join, the clay/putty should have a raised spot marking where you drill your hole, angle and all.

One other consideration: Make sure you wash the resin parts in luke warm, mildly soapy water. The release agents manufacturers use can retard glue and paint. 

Hope this helps,

TK

 

 

This i must try, thank you very much 

Depending upon the size of the figure, I've used super glue or two-part epoxy. 

One technique you may want to employ is roughening up the joins before gluing the parts together. Create hash marks with your hobby knife over the areas to be glued. This will give the adhesive more to hold on to. Again, use with both resine and metal figures.

I use brass pins to join parts that are large and ungainly, where there is a lot of stress on the joint. I use pins more often with metal figures where an extended arm or leg might have a very small attachment point but weigh quite a bit.

When pinning, use a pinvise and bit just large enough to accomodate the diameter of the brass rod you're going to use--1mm diameter rod is more than sufficient on most small-scale figs. Drill a hole in the convex attachment point. In the matching, concave attachment point, place a small amount of modeling clay or poster putty. Fit the parts together, positioned the way you want them, and then carefully pull them apart. In the concave join, the clay/putty should have a raised spot marking where you drill your hole, angle and all.

One other consideration: Make sure you wash the resin parts in luke warm, mildly soapy water. The release agents manufacturers use can retard glue and paint. 

Hope this helps,

TK

My LHS doesnt have the  2 part epoxy putty, that was what I wanted to use, i think im going to try the super glue. How exactly do the pins work, do you need a drill?

I use 2-part epoxy, which gives a stronger bond over time than cyanoacrylate glue (aka CA or Krazy Glue, in one formula).  Also, I pin joints, like arms to shoulders, etc, if there are no pins or lugs cast with the parts.  I'll pin bits of equipment, too.  The pin provides greater strength against shearing forces than a simple butt join (2 flat surfaces, butted against one another, with glue) has, and epoxies seem to resist such forces better than CA glue, in my experience.

Same goes for metal figures for me, too.

Hope that helps!

Brad

Super glue.  You don't need anything more exotic than that.

Two part epoxy?

thank you

I just use krazy glue, or sometimes referred to as super glue, found at the local hardware store. 

Regular model glue isn't strong enough to melt resin and form a bond.

regards,

Jack