Vinyl kits and safety?

[Snow Goblin]

Is there anything special that needs to be done with Vinyl kits compared to the standard plastic? I just got one as a gift from a friend clearing his stash and I've never worked with the material before.

 

[Jim]

Are you talking about a hollow-cast large-scale figure? If so, a heat gun or hair dryer is your friend to soften the vinyl to cut it. You can use hot water, but it's cumbersome. Be very, very careful cutting. Always use a new blade and for God's sake, watch how you cut as there are 'hard' and 'soft' spots in the vinyl. An instant of inattention can rip a blade into your finger or hand and blood will flow - trust me, I have the scars to prove it.

Fill the feet and legs with Plaster of Paris or Durham's water putty. This gives them stability. Some will put a screw or bolt or rod in prior to pouring the plaster, but it could be added afterwards by drilling into the hardened plaster and securing it with five-minute epoxy.

The torso and arms need to be filled with crumpled up paper - newspaper (remember those?) are the cheapest. Since these are hollow figures and vinyl can be affected by temperature changes, this maintains the shapes. I don't recommend putting plaster into the upper torsos or arms - unless you want a seriously heavy figure. Joints are problematic, though most well-designed figures have 'natural' seams that don't require much filling. However, if you have to fill seams, you can't sand them the way you normally do metal, resin or plastic figures as the vinyl won't sand. Filling seams is more fill and smooth with whatever putty you like. Be aware that the flexibility of vinyl might cause cracking with the filler material.

It's best to mount the figure on a work stand, particularly one that turns, to keep from handling it because that could cause the filler material to crack. There are special vinyl primers - light coats are best. The best paints to use are acrylics as enamels and lacquers can cause problems with the vinyl, though once fully painted, a sealer like Dullcote can be lightly used.

These are the basics that I was taught and have used for a lot of figures. I haven't looked, but I'm sure there are YouTube videos that will have other ideas and tips. Vinyl figures are fun and different as they're subjects not usually covered by other manufacturers.

Have fun!

 

[Snow Goblin]

So no need for protective gear of any kind? Just be careful to keep the knife pointed away from me?

 

[Jim]

Some folks use a respirator when airbrushing acrylic paints - I don't, but I paint in a well-ventilated area. If you use other paints, plan accordingly.
Given the size of these kits, an airbrush is a necessity to properly paint skin tones, shading and highlighting. I've used a Badger Sotar and a Testor's Aztek; everyone has their favorites and the ones they curse. I'm not an airbrush expert. If you know someone who has one, ask to try theirs and see how you like it.

Yes, keep the knife pointed away and if you're doing a lot of cutting, change the blade frequently, as a dull blade will slip or slice you. Go slow cutting, because if you hurry, you'll get cut - badly.

 

[Snow Goblin]

Awesome. Thank you very much for the help. I look forward to dipping into this kit soon.

 

[Dan Morton]

I agree with Jim about safe knife use, but to prevent at least some hand injuries, cut resistant gloves are available. Google "cut resistant gloves". "Cut resistant" because these gloves resist being cut and do a good job of preventing nicks and punctures but don't protect everyone from every knife related injury. Some of the gloves are made for meat packing or hard industrial uses and probably would not meet your needs because they're too thick and inflexible. Try to select gloves that fit your hands tightly and are thinner and flexible. Prices are wide ranging but you should be able to find some that won't destroy your hobby budget.

All the best,
Dan

 

[MrBMB]

You can also use some expandable foam from the hardware store as its light but when set, helps the kit from sagging. Try to get the foam with the straw like nozzle, It can be sticky so where cheap gloves. I also wrap some cling wrap around the parts just so if the foam expands to much it doesnt stick to the model, just to the cling wrap. Don't go over board, just have all the parts set up and give a squirt in each, try to leave space where the parts join so you can glue them together. If you can glue some parts together with holes for the foam to travel through that's even better for strength.

 

[Jim]

Use a tiny amount of the expanding foam as that stuff EXPANDS! If you're not very careful, the foam will expand and swell the parts. I thought I used a small amount in an 'Ambassador Spock' figure - it looked like 'Jabba the Hutt' when the foam finished expanding. A little bit, let it fully expand, then add a bit more, if needed.

 

[Snow Goblin]

I finished cleaning up the kit yesterday and didn't have a problem with knife safety. I naturally gravitate towards a knife for clean up so found it completely natural to me as I worked on it. Did end up with some rather sore hands from using my clippers to get rid of the majority of the extra plastic though.

I was thinking of using milliput for the foot filling. It's weighty and doesn't heat up while it cures. Figure I can fill the feet and if I need something more I can buy the expanding foam

 

[MrBMB]

Plaster and alittle PVA glue is fine for feet and cheaper. Yes tiny amounts of foam at a time. I normally add it to the places that take the weight/strain. You can also put coat hanger wire in to help,Bend to shape or double over to make stronger.

http://www.brisbanemodelbuilder.com/images/stories/the thing blue painted.jpg