Modelling with resin - where to start ?

[Paul W. Beverung]

I'll second the advice to check the Smooth On site. I use there products in my job and they are excelent. They also have very good customer service.Try and find a local distributer. Than you have help close at hand. They have a product called OOMO 30 for making silicone molds. It does not need to be de-gased,( have the trapped air removed.) They also have videos and phamlets to help you out. If you want to drop me a line at [e-mail]. Paul

[areibel]

Forgot one thing!
There's a company called Freeman Mfg. that sells a good DVD with instructions on getting started. A lot of good info on building mold boxes and making the mold itself. You can find them on Ebay (user ID freemanmfg) or their website www.freemansupply.com. They also sell different resins and mold rubber, but I haven't tried them yet.

[areibel]

Assuming you're talking about making parts, not scenic stuff like water-
First, go to www.smoothon.com and order one of their starter kits with the Smooth Cast 300 resin. It is the best (and cheapest!) way to get started, period! They have very good products, very easy to use and a wealth of information available. All the products are simple 50/50 mix, you don't need an expensive scale, pressure pots, degassers, etc (which you'll learn more about). Just prepare your master, make the mold and start cranking out parts!
Once you get the hang of it, there are several other companies that sell resins. There is a lot of over lap on products, you can try different types and see what you like best.
The hardest part is usually making the mold. You do need to plan ahead and decide how to orient the part, where to leave the passages to fill it and remove the air, but the literature you get will really help.
There are a couple Yahoo groups that cover resin casting, but I haven't found one specific to model RR'ing. There are links for different sites from those pages, or if you want you can email me direct with any questions.
Al

[Anonymous]

A newbie question - what exactly is resin, how to work with it and where to get it ?
I've tried searching the web only to find very vague info.
I've seen some amazing stuff made with it and wanter to give it a try.
Any tips ?