Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 (edited) Twenty hours or so after I filled the base of my vacformed Dalek with casting resin I found a small area where the plastic had softened to something a bit like stiff chewing gum: It more or less elastically recovers: I don't know the resin chemistry but it is one of those clear embedding types, I got it from Hobby Craft and filled it with some powdered filler and black weathering powder. It only appears to have affected a small area about 1 by 2cm. Has anyone seen anything like this? Will the plastic reharden or is there anything I can proactively do about it like putting it in a low oven, exposing to UV light, nuclear radiation, etc.? Edited September 3, 2013 by Nigel Heath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heloman1 Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I haven't seen this before but the casting resin is polyester based. Maybe what you should ahve used is the eurathane foam in a can, it sets up quickly and you can cut the excess of with a breadknife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_davros Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I have found that when resin cures the reaction is exothermic,the heat given off may have affected the polystyrene of the kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 This resin is very slow at curing, taking 24 hours to achieve a full set so there was no heat build up - puzzling isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Might pay you to pm Prowler0000 he did say in your wip he hoped the resin didn't melt the plastic.Sorry I don't know myself. Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 Good point, I mentally poopooed this when I read it but it looks like he was right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 I have now found that its not the resin at all - its the tube glue, the problem only occurs where parts have been added using it. I have found a few other areas as well. It still seems as soft today as yesterday, its a bit concerning. I hope it does dry out and harden up eventually. It has also caused this bulging: Anyone had this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadders Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I've had it in the past. It will harden up, but its not going to happen over night. I used tube cement to add stiffeners into a vac form aircraft because I thought it would give it a bit of strength, which it did, but it took a good 2 weeks before the kit could be worked on. If I was you I'd put it to one side, and give the glue time to do its thang. It's not a lost cause, it's just going to take a bit of time to cure off, and then you can set about rectifying the damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 Phew, that's regreat relief. I can always do some work on the other parts of the kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Back the the liquid poly then Nigel, glade you found the culprit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 Liquid poly is definitely my glue of choice but it was fun splashing around in copious quantities of tube glue. I think if I had left the polystyrene cement to outgas overnight it might have been OK. I exacerbated the problem by sealing in the solvent with impermeable resin, it then had nowhere to go but through the plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadders Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 It's one of those "live and learn" things Nigel. When it happened to me all sorts of knee jerk remedies went through my mind, it's not a mistake ill make again though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 3, 2013 Author Share Posted September 3, 2013 Another modelling lesson learnt, there are so many aren't there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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