SANDING RESIN

JUST A SIMPLE TIP that I thought would be obvious but I run into a lot of modellers that this never occurrs to .
To avoid all that 'cancerous' dust that will nail your lungs in the long term, I always sand my resin underwater.
I use wet and dry sand paper and sand in a shallow amount of water in my worshop sink. Thats my wifes hand.
No dust and easy clean-up with the sink bottom providing a nice 'dead flat' surface.

An excellent tip that I have used for years! It is nice to see a photo illustrating it though. I started using this technique with vacuum-formed parts to keep the amount of polystyrene dust down.

My addition is to mark where you need to stop sanding. For this I use a pointed permanent marker (Sharpie brand is the one I use in various colors). I cover the bottom (undercut) edges of the part I want to sand free and this allows me to visually see if I am sanding unevenly so as to apply more or less pressure. A figure 8 motion while sanding helps but so does rotating the part in one's hand every so often.

On small, flat, or other hard to hold items, I use a piece of cellophane tape, longer than the piece I am sanding, and tape it with a raised loop in the middle to create a handle. By the way, I use this technique also when masking clear parts as it helps me lift the edges of any liquid mask I use facilitating its removal.

This is all old school modeling but it still holds true.

Regards,

...next time I need to sand resin I will make sure I use my wifes hand!

Better add that I am just joking or someone will take umbridge!

Regards Dave

It reads rather strangely doesn't it. I included the comment because it doesn't look like a mans hand andI though I would get jokes about that Got one anyway

Ian.

I just tried this yesterday, and it didn't work out all that well for me


Hmmm . I am not all that sure about this one. I prefer my old method as it is a little bit more simple.






Gary

You know Ian,

I have probably breathed so much resin dust in my life, I may be a ticking time bomb! Mrosko used to tell me that it was toxic, but I never even thought about it!

When I am gone, The industry can use me as an example, you know, like cigarettes and the Marlboro man, to young modelers!

To sand something under water would absolutely never have occurred to me, and I really believe it is too late now! Hey, what the hell! I'm just joking with you Buddy!

I love you man!

Bob

Trouble is Bob, we are no longer young enough to know everything.

When I was a young lad in the 1950's my father would occasionally take me to the garage where he worked as a mechanic and there I learned things like how to remove asbestos dust from drum brakes...by blasting it out with compressed air. He worked in the motor trade for most of his working life, lived to be 86, and died from prostate cancer that is unlikely to have been related to any of the substances he was exposed to during his life.

I dont suggest that anybody deliberately expose themselves to harmful chemicals, materials or processes but the way that things like enamel paints and resin dust create an almost hysterical reaction on modelling forums hovers somewhere between very funny and very sad.

Given the amount of unhealthy chemicals in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the recreational substances many consume, I cant see that there is much to worry about while modelling.

So I must pour another Scotch and get back to sniffing my styrene cement......

Regards Dave

Dave,

I'm with you Buddy, Hell, we all have to die of something! I used to paint houses every Summer when I was a teen for my grandmother. I have probably been exposed to more mercury than that naked guy with the WW I Helmet with wings!

Ya know, you just have to accept the cards you were dealt, no matter how toxic, and play them! Regardless, It still has been an incredible ride, toxicity and all!

Bob

Well, I will leave it to you 2 toxic commandoes
I don't want to role the dice with mesolithylioma (I don't even know how to spell it let alone die from it ). This tip is for the people who want to hedge their bets and haven't 'sucked down ' to much yet.
Hey Bob, between Tim Tams, resin, Mercury, glue and pollution you are doin' OK

Thanks Guys
Ian.

I worked DOD plants for years as a maintence electrican, we would change motors on the cutting machines covered with different solvents and cuttings, breathing in the mists as the machines run + I was on the Hasmat responce team, so when we had a spill guss who cleaned it up. But Califorina banned most chemicals and the company that I thought I would work for for the rest of my life packed up and left. I have been exposed to aspastos from electrical, mercury, trclroethelene, radio active cutttings and the list goes on. even the glue I use Methal chloride aka weld on #3 is banned I have to drive 2 hourd just to get it, but last time I bought a gallon so it should las for the rest of my life. I guess my point is your body will flush some of the junk out, others will eat you up. funny what got me was my back it wore out 4 surgurys and possibly 1 more, but not this year 2 is enough. my tip is read the msds for the product so that you lnow what your working with and wear proper safty equipment. ok I step off my soap box.
have a good safe day of modeling.
jim