First Resin Kit

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

So, on Friday I got my first resin kit, a Lackawanna ‘bobber’ caboose as designed by John Canfield of W. Virginia. the main body is soft resin, with a wooden roof and some white-metal details. Are there any tips for preping and assembling the resin parts? For example, what glue should I use? I would hate to see those $30 [2c] go down the drain!

2

There should be some reference in the instructions to cleaning the mould-release agent from the resin parts.
If the kit consists of flat resin parts, rather than a one-piece body, take care to ensure that both sides and both ends are of equal length and height before beginning assembly. If material needs to be removed to accomplish this, a mill file is a better choice than needle files, and you can finish-up using sandpaper of suitable grit.
You’ll probably need a variety of adhesives, including ca, epoxy, and perhaps contact cement, and you’ll likely know which is most appropriate for each particular joint.
Don’t hesitate to add extra interior bracing where you think that the kit needs it - strip styrene, in suitable sizes, is a good choice.
While most resin kit instructions direct the builder to cement everything together, I try to make the interior of the car readily accessible. That usually means a removeable floor/underbody and can be easily accomplished with some extra interior bracing and the use of screws to hold the floor in place. This makes it easy to add or subtract weight, and to effect repairs should they ever be required.

A couple of Sylvan resin kits:

Westerfield:

Funaro & Camerlengo:

Speedwitch:

Wayne

3

OK Wayne, enough already. Those cars are done so well that us mere mortals will drown in our own saliva before we can produce results even remotely similar to your efforts.

Seriously, very very well done and quite the inspiration!

By the way, your mile marker next to the Baltimore and Ohio wagon top boxcar is crooked![}:)][swg][(-D]

Dave

4

Thanks for your kind words on the freight cars, Dave.

Thanks, too, for pointing out that crooked sign (it’s actually a whistle post). [:-^] It must’ve been clipped by a shifted load, although I’m surprised it didn’t break right off, as it’s only a piece of strip styrene.
As you can see in the photos below, the tracks here are very close together (12’9"HO centre-to-centre) in order to allow me to squeeze-in my engine servicing facility. Space is so tight that my 90’ turntable is actually an 89’-er. [(-D]

Wayne

5

I have several of Canfield’s gondola kits but haven’t assembled them yet. I have asembled some other kits and generally have washed the resin parts in warm soapy water. If they seem greasy or oily and they aere big pieces I’ve scrubbed them with a soft brush (toothbrush) a little.

I personally use super glue to assemble my models and have had good luck with them. Super glue will stick resin to metal to plastic to wood.

If the sides are flat castings I’ve had good luck using small pieces of plastic or metal angle and spring clamps to hold pieces at right angles. I tack the jont with super glue, remove the camps and angles, then finish glueing the rest of the joint.

6

Wayne

I hope you understand that I was only kidding about the whistle post.

Dave

7

Don’t worry, Dave: I was well aware that you were kidding. [swg] I’ve posted quite a few blooper-type photos, with power poles leaning precariously, loco wheels off the track and miniature cobwebs on the front end of a loco (I shouldn’t have built those HO scale spiders [(-D] ). The leaning whistle post seems to get pushed back and forth on a regular basis - you’d think that once in a while, it would end-up straight for a change. [banghead] I should probably thank you for giving me the opportunity to post those two extra photos, too. [swg]

Wayne

8

Here is one of the more modern Resin Kits, a Rail Yard Model’s PC X79 Boxcar in Kellog’s cereal hauling.

Unfortunately Rail Yard Model’s is no longer in business but I have two more X79’s to build along with 2 PS 4785 Covered Hoppers. His kits are so well done that some of the guys in the club thought the casting were plastic and not resin.

Rick J

9

Thank you all for your helpful tips. Luckily, I do have a few old toothbrushes some in that mess I call my dresser drawers. [}:)] Wayne, those are some really well done kits! I hope mine come out half as good!