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Here's a good description of how they are produced. http://members.ozemail.com.au/%7Eandkeller/page9.htm "Resin" usually means polyurethane resin, although ten years ago epoxy and other resins might also be used. The material comes in two parts, the resin itself and a catalyst, which must be mixed to start the whole process. It sets up in a very short time, usually a couple of minutes, and once cured it can be "worked" much like polystyrene. BUT! Resin cannot be glued with conventional modelling adhesives. Cyanoacrylates are about the only thing that will work, apart from epoxy and raw resin. The catalyst used with polyurethane resins contains isocyanates which are carcinogenic. If you're ever tempted to pour resin (it's not hard!) avoid getting the liquid on your skin. When sanding or filing resin, avoid breathing the dust and clean up all traces as soon as you're done. Resin kits make use of moulds made from RTV rubber, a material like latex. It is possible to get much better detail on parts and much deeper undercuts than is possible with steel moulds as used for injection plastic kits. The rubber is not cheap, and moulds have a limited life (about 100 to 150 "shots") so mould replacement is a significant part of the dollar and time expense of producing kits. Nor is the process foolproof. The rejects cost as much to produce as the gems do, again adding to the cost. Therefore resin kits tend to be more expensive than mass-produced injection-moulded kits are, but as pointed out, resin/rubber offers MUCH more flexibility in choosing a subject, since a moderately-sized injection-moulding tool costs upwards of $350,000 to produce, while a rubber mould will cost a small fraction of that. HTH Scott Fraser
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