First resin kit

[basementdweller]

Today I picked up a couple of Sylvan resin vehicle kits.
Do I need a specific product to clean the resin parts before assembly or good old soap and water work just fine?
I have learnt the small parts are delicate while cleaning off the flash.

Any other tips are appreciated.

[tstage]

Warm water in a gentle dishwashing liquid (e.g. Ivory) will do the trick to remove the releasing agent from the exterior of the resin. I then rinse it off in distilled water and let it air dry.

Sylvan are great kits and will yield you a very nice model.

Tom

[cats_think_well_of_m]

Goo-Gone could help, just apply and scrub parts under warm water, as well as the dish-soap and water. Sylvan used to make a product to clean the mold release from their models but I’m not sure if they still do. I’d recommend washing parts prior to building and again afterwards. Medium viscosity CA is my go-to when doing resin kits. Also, plenty of sanding tools, sanding sticks, paper, including emery boards from the store used to prepare finger or toe nails for polish. I recommend a primer coat of paint before painting as well.

Lastly, but not leastly, take your time. Do every step on the slow side, and if it gets to be to much or frustrating, put the pieces in the boxe, or a box, set aside and come back another time.

Alvie

[doctorwayne]

Sylvan suggests use of their proprietary cleaner for resin, but in the past, also noted that lacquer thinner would work, too…it did, but I wouldn’t recommend it for small detail parts unless you can dip the parts into the thinner quickly, then into soapy water immediately, followed by a thorough rinse. Otherwise, it will deform small details, such as window frames, and the muntin & mullion insets even moreso.
This caboose was built from a Sylvan kit…

…but when I backdated my layout, I gave it to a friend, who offered me, in return, this plastic car from TrueLine Trains (now part of Atlas)…

…and a couple more from Sylvan…

This one’s also somewhat too modern for my layout’s era, but it’s one of my favourites, as these cars were seen very regularly in my hometown…

…(and I also have quite a few MDC, ConCor and Bowser covered hoppers, all too modern, but examples of some of the first mass produced versions…one of the benefits of freelancing.)

This is a resin kit from Speedwitch Media…

This one’s from Wright Trak…

[basementdweller]

Thanks for the suggestions. Great photos. Thank you.

[dknelson]

The car … was originally ten bucks, but if I were to also take a Westerfield kit for an open hopper, I could have the pair for $9.00. I hemmed and hawed about it, as the car represented a fairly old prototype which would be unlikely to show-up in Canada, even in the late '30s. A good friend, who was with me at the time, had already been offered a very good deal on a brass CNR 4-8-4 ($150.00 - it had some minor damage but also a custom paint job by a very well-respected professional painter. Nervous that my dithering might ruin his potential “steal”, he whipped out his credit card with a very definite “We’ll take 'em!” I ended-up with both cars …

So there’s the secret: pick your friends - or at least your train-show buddies – veeerrrryyy carefully. Nicely played Wayne.

Dave Nelson