I am having trouble cleaning the imperfections off of a large complicated resin casting of a multilevel base.

It is the "Factory Boiler Room" from Masterpiece Models



I was wondering if anyone has worked with this kit or a casting similar to it, and if anyone has any pointers or suggestions for trimming/removing the excess resin slop?

My biggest problem is the overhang for the second level floor on the right hand side of the base.

I will try to get some pictures to you tomorrow with better clarity regarding what I'm trying to address.

Ok I apologize for the delay, the gallery almost worked but got stuck uploading for an hour and I pulled the plug. I'll be posting from an alternate image hosting website for the time being.





As you can see these are some awkward areas to access, and quite honestly I wish they were cast as separate pieces.

Any ideas/tips are welcome, thanks guys!

For the underhang on the platform you could use a file or a sanding stick but for the steps you might need a dremel or other multi tool.

another alternative - build up the area with putty to disguise the lumps

Wow - the rubber mould was definitely past its use-by date! I assume returning it for a better cast is not an option?

I'd do most of the work with a thick chisel blade (the 1/2" wide one in the medium xacto handle because it is stiffer than the thin ones), working slow & gentle. As sculptors say, the aim is to remove everything that isn't the model... It'll never be perfect, but a few minor gouges will only add to the care-worn effect.

Tom

That's awful indeed!

Well, I think that with a lots of patience, some x-acto blades and some sand paper sheets it could get better

And all in all it depicts something which is actually made in bricks and concrete, so it isn't so shapr and smooth

Good luck

Hi Jeremy,

How you approach it will probably depend on how hard or soft the resin is. If it is hard it is likely to chip easily so filing might be better. If it is soft then it shouldn't be too difficult to cut out the excess and smooth it down.

Just my thoughts.

Al

Thanks for the quick responses guys. The resin is quite hard, it took forever to clean up the pipes that are located under the boiler. Honestly I'm not very happy with this kit and I wish I could return it for a replacement.
The foam cylinder for the boiler also warped from shrinkage during cooling when it was removed from the mold.

Jeremy: If all else fails, turn it into a feature, and/or cover it with rubble! That cast was really bad. Good luck my friend.

Happy Modelling, -zon

Haha, nice Zon

If anyone is interested, this is the company's website
http://www.masterpiecemodels.com/. It's not set up all that great, seems they cater more to large custom orders for businesses.

I have most of the initial cleanup done, I'll post a photo before I apply any filler and see what you guys think.