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this may be a noobish question, but whats the difference between plastic models( lets say GW models) and resin ones(like forgeworld)?

also are resin models worth buying? from what ive seen they are quite pricey. or should i just stick with my normal GW 40k models?

every thing

no but seriously from my own experience and what i have heard
resin is bent more than plastic when you get it and it gives off deadly deadly fumes that can actually kill you(i personally HAVE NOT HAD THAT EXPERIENCE) also easily broken and super glues a no-no.

so their you have now reply to any of the topics i have started.

Not a huge difference. Forgeworld resin acts a bit like harder plastic. So it can hold a lot of detail, but it chips quite easily.

If you heat it up just a little (running a bit of hot water over it is enough), it becomes very flexible so you can easily bend it into (or out of) shape.

When sanding it make sure to wear a mask. The dust is rather toxic.

Those are about the only differences I can think of.

at least the few pieces i've got in my collection are SOFTER (not harder) than plastic. they hold alot of detail (the amount on my Inquisitor Rex still astounds me when i look at him.. and intimidates me into not painting him!). they're easy to bend out of shape (even storing a model like rex with his sword arm sticking out has his weapon bend despite being in a foam case with little pressure on it). it does go back though with warm water. the other thing is that you have to treat resin like metal in that you need to wash it with warm (not hot) soapy water before primering to get rid of any mold release agents (you'll notice a film on the water's surface if you do this in a small tub the size of a cup).

Resin Models, especially those for Forge World, are definitely worth buying. Its also worth noting that they do require a little bit more work and care than plastic and Metal figures. Warping is fairly common, especially on kits with swords and gun barrels (blasted Hydra...), and cleaning them is a key process to allow the paint to stick.

@foor301: It doesn't give off deadly fumes, its the fine filings from sanding a piece of resin that can get in the lungs. Yes you have to excercise a little more care when working and storing it, and in all of my experiences, Super Glue works just fine on Resin. I would imagine plastic glue would work, but I hate that crap, so I stay away from it.

While expensive, picking up some Forge World is really nice for things like Centerpiece models, like Commanders or special Transports.
Hope this helped,
Granesh

Granesh wrote:Resin Models, especially those for Forge World, are definitely worth buying. Its also worth noting that they do require a little bit more work and care than plastic and Metal figures. Warping is fairly common, especially on kits with swords and gun barrels (blasted Hydra...), and cleaning them is a key process to allow the paint to stick.

@foor301: It doesn't give off deadly fumes, its the fine filings from sanding a piece of resin that can get in the lungs. Yes you have to excercise a little more care when working and storing it, and in all of my experiences, Super Glue works just fine on Resin. I would imagine plastic glue would work, but I hate that crap, so I stay away from it.

While expensive, picking up some Forge World is really nice for things like Centerpiece models, like Commanders or special Transports.
Hope this helped,
Granesh

Granesh has it right. I would add that plastic glue does not work on resin, however, superglue instantly bonds and works well. Forgeworld stuff is so detailed and well done, I wouldn't be without it. All four of my armies are loaded with FW stuff. "Deadly fumes"? Not hardly. The dust is harmful but it is easy to avoid. You probably breathe in more bad stuff taking a walk in any major city.

All that said, be prepared to fill some gaps. The resin pieces are not made from 3 ups and CAD programs like modern plastics. They also shrink and warp a bit. A little green stuff is usually needed for the larger kits. Damn. Now I want to start in IG army to get all the cool FW tanks......

I've got a few resin mini's which i'm only just starting to get ready to paint and i've found they're a lot more brittle and easier to snap bits off :(

Resin is more brittle and less flexible than plastic (styrene).

It (especially FW casts) often arrives warped due to the bad packing job they do (every other resin caster I've dealt with knows about void fill. The less the parts move in transit, the less chance the parts have of being misshapen.), inadequate mixing of the resin, and undue haste at which it is demoulded.

(The fumes are outgassing, part of the curing process. It is normal. Unfortunately, the resin FW use looks not unlike a common plastic explosive to a flouroscope (density) and the fumes have a similar tell-tale to one as well).

Resin DOES require a different set of skills and glue to work with. Plastic glue DOES NOT WORK on it.

It should be cleaned in slightly warm soapy water and given a light scrub to remove left-over mould release (makes it easier to remove it from the mould, and helps preserve the rubber of the mould from the effects of the resin).

Resin isn't "hard" to work with, it just takes more time.

Washing it obviously, and equally as important

making sure that you dry fit first, since the superglue bond on resin in my experience dries incredibly quickly and creates a very strong joint (sometimes stronger than the resin around it), so there is little room for error.

Just got a sniper team and as above you need to clean them well . also you may have more flash but the resin is so easy to cut it dosnt matter eg. just hollowed out a helmet useing a scalple in a few mins ..