Finally I started on the biggest resin project of my life: a full resin interior for the Panther.
I know a few things about resin already (for example it's dust is toxic), thanks to the formus and articles here, but I'm facing a big problem now I need help with.
There are big and flat and relatively resin bits (like the bottom of the hull with hte torsion bars), which need to be cut from the flat block they were casted with. I have a small razor blade for my scalpel, but it's a long work and I'm afraid, I'll break the resin sooner or later. The "big" saw blade is too coarse, it's a piece of cr@p. What should I use for delicate, and long pieces to cut?
Thanks.

You could always try a roto-tool to cut those big pieces from their bases.

I have some pretty thick pieces that need cutting too and found that it works pretty well!

X-acto makes some Finer toothed razor saw blades.

I use either the finer razor saw blades or use my rotary tool and grind off the majority wearing a mask and then wet sand the final amount to get then properly sized.

John

Thank you all for answering. I try not to use the roto tool with resin (even wearing a mask: it creats unholy amount of dust that lingers for a long time in the air), but I'll try it probably on the patio. The X-Acto is a good idea. (I cut and sand resin under running water. )

Would you happen to have any advice on how to work with resin in general? The biggest bits so far were cockpits and ejection seats, none of which are challenging. (And way-way more realistic than plastic.) For example: would you glue the turret to the hull? (Since the turret ring is resin.)
Are the big sets any different? I use 3 minute epoxy for glue, and, wherever possible, try to mate the surfaces with one or more small pieces of wire... anything else?
The real worry is going to be the turret basket. It only attaches to the turret ring in two points, and one of these joints is a very delicate, thin piece (the end of "basket" under the gun.)

The other question is other than resin (I don't want to open a new topic every time I have a question): since the tank is going to have a full interior, I'd like to show it somehow. Battle damage is out of the question (heck, it's so precious, I won't even put mud on this baby), and the hatches don't show much. Do you think that a "cutaway" would be a good solution?
(One side would be a cutaway-side, with pieces of the hull and turret cut out), and the other is "untouched". I'd like to display the tank in a diorama, where it's being serviced: the engine is hoisted up by a crane, the ammo reloaded, the tracks refitted. (If I can find a painting figure, maybe the camo being reapplied.)
Would these two things (cutaway and dio) work together? Or should I just forget about this whole thing, and remove the turret if I want to see how the interior looks like after I'm done building?
Do you have experience with cutaway models? How do you choose the shape of the missing armor? (My main worry is that the missing pieces would cause stress in the plastic, warping it.) In my sturmtiger it was easy, but in a tank it's not that evident. (The photos on Jaguar's resin interiors showing the kit built in the AFVs are awsome. I'm trying to get that kind of a feel.)
This whole thing is still in the planning phase: hopefully there's going to be a campaign where I can builld this tank.
Thank you.

Super glue works for gluing it's really the only other option

I have used the "back side" of an X-acto. It works similar to a panel scriber or plexi -scoring tool. Once you have the groove started, it's easy to stay in it to keep scribing deeper and deeper until the part breaks away.

You want to avoid the dust at all costs, even if you use a mask. That stuff settles everywhere you don't want it to be.

Cut-a-way and a diorama hmmm. If you want the interior visible and no battle damage that's about the only option for you.
On a Panther I wouldn't really worry to much about stress, but the sides of the hull are fairly 'short' and it doesn't leave much to be cut away. You could experiment with mult-face cut-a-way's, where you remove more than one facet. That would be tricky though. I would look to remove the side of the turret for the best interior view.
From a composition standpoint I would but the cut-a-way on the prominant side so there is no question to a view about why they can see the interior.

As for gluing, you can use CA (Super glue) on resin it works well. The basket may be a delicate connection and you may want to save it for last so you can handle the subassembly easier. Once together it should be fine.

Here - this may be a cut-a-way option

Tiger I

Check about 1/2 way down this 1:1 version is pretty cool