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I love the KoS model, I have been kicking dirt and mumbling about buying it for a long time. I have now been told that FW kits get worse in detail and quality over time... Is the KoS now too old a model to buy? Will it be lacking in detail? Warped (pardong the pun)? Brittle?

They won't get more brittle as that's not the nature of the material. Resin is fairly brittle to begin with, but it doesn't get moreso with age.

The detail concern - I've got some FW models that have been available for many years, and they're not lacking in detail, so I doubt that too. Maybe more pronounced mold lines, but you need to clean those up anyway, and it's not hard.

Warping is sovled with the application of heat - either hot water or a hair dryer will do it. You're going to have to do this with either the FW Keeper or Bloodthirster - her hair and his whip need to be shaped.

For popular models, FW has to remake the master moulds from time to time, so there shouldn't be a problem of degradation. Resin casting moulds are typically not very long lived at all.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:I love the KoS model, I have been kicking dirt and mumbling about buying it for a long time. I have now been told that FW kits get worse in detail and quality over time... Is the KoS now too old a model to buy? Will it be lacking in detail? Warped (pardong the pun)? Brittle?

They're talking about that typically, the kind of molds use for resin casting are good for a hundred or so uses (IIRC) before they wear out and need to be replaced. So one from the end of the mold lifespan will not be as finely detailed and might have more casting flaws than one from when the mold was brand new.

A hundred is pretty high. I remember hearing the Reaver Titan molds are good for about six castings.

Wow. However, I'd expect the Reaver is a special case, given the size of the model. Smaller models are probably a little gentler on the silicone.

This depends entirely on how Forgeworld casts their models, but resin molds are good for between 20-40 casts. On a very large mold like a Titan you could get less then 10 casts. Usually you just need to bake the mold in an oven for a bit. Sometimes you need to produce a new mold from the master.

Well, sounds as though there isn't a rush for it then. Now to befriend a forgeworld staff member so they can tip me off to when a fresh mould is made...

I can certainly manage 30-40 casts from a mold in my garage setup. Nothing the size of a reaver (largest so far is around 10" long. 5" wide and 4" high, smooth curves and few undercuts.

It's partly the cast pieces and partly the chemistry between the mold rubber, the release agent and the resin that is responsible for degradation in the mold.

Different resins give different lifespans to the mold, and the mold release is mainly used to extend the lifespan it has.

I have noticed on recent models, FW seemed to have changed thier release agent. I didn't used to have to even clean their stuff but now I'm finding I have to scrub them, sometimes even with a brass wire brush to get undercoat to stick - anyone else find this?

bubber wrote:I have noticed on recent models, FW seemed to have changed thier release agent. I didn't used to have to even clean their stuff but now I'm finding I have to scrub them, sometimes even with a brass wire brush to get undercoat to stick - anyone else find this?

I just got Captain Culln and he painted really well after just a rinse with fairy liquid and warm water; are you spray undercoating?

I don't like painting resin for some reason though, I just can't get as good a finish as plastic or metal :(

From the look of some kits I'd say that do more than 30-40 casts.