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So I'm thinking of getting a Venerable Dreadnought model from Forgeworld. I've never worked with resin before and was wondering what I should know. Honestly, the warning about using a respirator while sanding or cutting it is kind of imtimidating, and I was wondering if I'll need to do a lot of that. Basically anything anyone could tell me about Forgeworld kits would be great. I've not even seen one in person.

How much resin is different from plastic sure does seem overblown - once you get used to it, there's very little to worry about difference wise.

You will want to wear a mask/respirator when you sand it - resin is very, very fine, and can get into your lungs easily.

You will want to wash it all in soapy water before you do anything - resin has a release agent on the molds that make paint slide off also, and forgeworld especially really slathers it on there.

You may have some pitting or anomolies that you need to repair - this is because resin molds are both less perfect and under less pressure than plastic molds. Sometimes, especially from FW, you may get a piece that's just beyond the pale in terms of bad quality - if so, don't hesitate to call them about it, they are very used to it.

Superglue only, obviously.\

Resin can be made slightly malleable by putting it in warm/hot water for a bit - you can set it after bending by letting it cool or putting it in icewater.

The last thing to keep in mind is that resin tends to be way, way more brittle than plastic - use care and caution, although you will likely break something in learning this lesson, don't sweat it, just repair it and move on

I cover a few things about resin in a predator tutorial (via my blog). In short though think of it a lot like plastic that's been in the freezer - it's a bit brittle compared to normal plastic, and it won't react with poly cement. Do wear a mask when sanding / sawing. When doing final cleanup with fine sandpaper, working wet (put a little water where you're sanding) can help stop dust going everywhere.

i'm no resin expert, but here are my two cents:

- check if you've got all the parts. It can happen something is missing, but fortunately forgeworld has an excellent customer service and will sent you the missing
part(s) ASAP.
- clean every part in lukewarm water (not too hot, this will soften up and warp the parts) and dishwashing soap. Let dry completely.
- clean moldlines and/or flash. Go slowly and carefully over every piece.
When you use a file or sandpaper a dustmask is a must, you don't want this stuff in your lungs.
- dry-fit all pieces and sand them down till they fit.
- assemble with superglue.

The normal dreadnought are pretty easy. The legs and torso connect with a ball and socket joint. The arms have a little peg sticking out and the body a hole it fits into. Besides that there a some little bits for the torso, but that it. The venerable dreadnought probably has some extra bits and the banner pole, but looks the same as the regular ones.

Like i said, i'm no expert and probably missed something. But i'm sure my fellow dakkaites will correct me.
Good luck and have fun !