Hey guys I just purchased my first resin kit and I wanted to know if you guys have any advice. What to use for glue? Epoxy or SuperGlue? Any help will be appreciated.

Larger parts: epoxy (messy but allows more time to adjust the fit)

Small bits: CA or superglue (less messy but there is very little time to align parts properly)

Trick: In some cases it is easier to epoxy a 0.01 inch shim of styrene (plasticard) to the mounting surfaces of the resin parts. The resin part needs to be sanded down a little extra to make space for the shim (0.01 inch). This allows a little extra time to align things when doing the final assembly, plastic cement or solvent being easier to work with. It is very useful when gluing resin conversion bits to a styrene kit.

/ Robin

Dry fit everything. Check to make sure you are happy with the joint, seams and fit before you glue. Be very conservative with your sanding, resin will sand faster than plastic and you can take too much off before you know it. Get some CA debonder in case you do make a mistake with your CA. I have thin and gel CA available. Gel can fill gaps faster than thin and it sets a bit slower than thin and I've found it's got a stronger bond. And get a good epoxy, I've been using Gorilla 5 minute epoxy from Home Depot, works great.

One thing that's most important when working with resin is to make sure the castings are properly cleaned before assembly and painting-- because most resin manufacturers use silicone molds, which require a significant amount of mold release agent, moreso than plastic kits. Depending on the model and who manufactured it, you should give it a soak in a warm water "bath" with a few drops of dishwashing detergent, and a good rinse in clean warm water. This will also aid in using CA or epoxy glue. In some cases, you may need to use a stronger solution of paint thinner to clean the parts, especially if they still feel a little "slippery". A razor saw is also important for separating parts from pour stubs. Sanding can be a bit messy, and is sometimes best done with "wet-dry" sandpaper. Although non-toxic (in most cases), Resin sanding dust can still be irritating, and you may want to wear gloves and a simple cotton "surgeon style" mask if you think there is going to be lots of sanding-- be sure it fits closely around the nose and mouth. I prefer to do heavy sanding in the laundry room sink, with sandpaper glued or taped to a solid piece of glass or metal if I think there's going to be a lot of sanding dust-- that way I can keep the water running off the project and reduce the dust. Not sure what type of model you are building, but you might also find that joints stay together better if you use "pins" made from brass wire, drilling them into place with either a variable speed drill or pin vice.
VR, Russ

Wow thanks for the advice guys. The kit is an old MB models Char B1 and when I got a chance to get it I did. I’ve wanted to build this since early 90’s. I know Tamiya has a styrene version, but I’ve always wanted to build this one. So far everything looks pretty clean but I know I’ve got work to do. I really appreciate your help and I’ll post some pictures in the future of how it turned out.

If you do decide to treat us all to reports of your build then please consider using one of the Armorama forums since that is where the largest concentration of armour modelers hang out.
Either "Armor/AFV" or "Constructive Feedback"
Bigger chances of getting answers to questions that way ...

/ Robin

Get a good thick piece of glass to attach the sandpaper to, so when you sand you'll get flat mating surfaces.

I recommend odorless CA. A few months ago I bought some of the cheap stuff from the corner store and the fumes did a number on me. Flu-like fatigue for a couple days. I researched this a bit and apparently the fumes can cause these types of reactions. You can also wear a mask of course but if it's not completely airtight the fumes will still get in.

Ivar
www.creativedioramas.com

Whenever I'm gluing I turn on a small squirrel cage style fan that is behind me. It doesn't blow toward my work area but is aimed 90° to the side at the wall. This creates just enough air movement to keep the fumes from building up without blowing paper, small bits of plastic or raising dust from sanding to get every where.