Hints on how to prep resin vehicles

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

OK, not actually made one of these before, soooooo......

I have snipped off the extraneous lugs, flash and projections, prior to washing the models to degrease them (warm water and washing-up liquid). Should I file down rough edges/surfaces/mould lines before the wash as well? I presume one can use a normal metal file to level the appropriate areas, and that a mask and eye protection from dust are de rigeur.

Should I also wash the metal bits at the same time?

Any helpful stuff on YouTube (I'm building four Panzer IIs A/B/C and one Panzer IVD)?

Cheers.

[RMD]

I've been wargaming for around 35 years and I've yet to wash a resin model. Not noticed any problems yet with just slapping the undercoat straight onto the unwashed model.

I remember Evan Allen used to do his swede on a weekly basis on the old Flames of War forum in response to the constant advice to wash resin models 'in order to remove the release agent'. Evan's constant cries of "WE DON'T USE A FECKING RELEASE AGENT!!!" fell on deaf ears, I fear...

[RMD]

What I would say however, is always to use a proper primer or thinned enamel (I use 50/50 Humbrol black enamel and turps or a spray matt black enamel). Never use acrylic paint to undercoat, as that does seem to rub off extremely readily. My former friend always used to pass me acrylic 'undercoated' models and they were hopelessly flaky. You can happily paint acrylics on top of the enamel undercoat.

[goat major]

Forgeworld do a handy guide to various things resiny https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/ ... esinFW.pdf

[Etranger]

I do wash mine, usually once assembled, but that's to get rid of any residual dust from sanding & remove greasy fingerprints. I do the same with metals too.

[BaronVonWreckedoften]

Thanks for the replies, chaps.

RMD - Point taken, but presumably some manufacturers do use it, or else why would they advise you to wash the models in their instruction sheets? My regular gaming buddy NEVER washes OR primes/undercoats anything and claims he never has a problem (which, to be fair, seems genuine from what I've seen of his stuff - he used to get the occasional runner-up prize at Salute). I use Halford's grey metal primer (you can get a "plastic" version as well, but I've not tried that - plus it's black which is too dark for my poor old eyes) - and no, never acrylic for priming/undercoating.

GM - Thanks, I shall watch that with interest later this morning.

ET - Funnily enough, I've recently (last coupe of years) started washing everything after prep but before painting, largely on the advice of Timmo. Now all I need to do is actually paint something.....

[Etranger]

I suspect that there's more of an issue with larger scale models, There's nothing worse than finding a fingerprint on a nicely painted flat surface, usually just after putting the last coat of varnish on...

[Essex Boy]

Just about everything I've painted for the last twenty years has been acrylic undercoated. When all I was painting was 15 or 20mm I hadn't noticed any problems. However, now I've started to do larger stuff, 28/30/42mm, I'm seeing rubbed off paint all over the place - despite hefty varnishing.

It's all a bit of a worry!

[RMD]

RMD - Point taken, but presumably some manufacturers do use it, or else why would they advise you to wash the models in their instruction sheets?

Meh, just a standard disclaimer. Like pharmacists telling you not to take alcohol with antibiotics, even though mixing alcohol and antibiotics makes not the slightest bit of difference.

[grizzlymc]

It does dee nd on the amount of booze and the antibiotics.

I wash all stuff in 1/3 amonia bleach with ater (alcohol optional) I am told that with some plastics this strips stuff at the molecular level improving primer bonding, but most importantly my greasy finger marks off. I also keep my fingers clean before handling after - that hand sanitiser you've been cutting with pineapple juice, use some of that without the pineapple juice.