|
My concerns regarding
the popularity of plastic kit modelling versus more recent pursuits
seem to have been vindicated with news of the recent closure
of the celebrated Maritime Models in Greenwich, London, and
of a number of branches of Beatties. So, good model shops are
becoming increasingly hard to find and, ultimately, recourse
may have to be had to the "dot com" stores for specialist
items!
Again, new releases
in the civilian ship category are lacking. While a somewhat
off-topic, I know that there is tremendous interest in Flower-Class
corvettes and REVELL Germany were due to release a 1:72 offering
of HMCS Snowberry in March 2000. This is a re-release of the
long-defunct MATCHBOX/REVELL kit and works out to be almost
3ft in length! Accuracy is questionable but a good basis to
work from given sufficient enthusiasm. An interesting feature
on the ship can be found at the Naval Museum of Manitoba’s
webpage (http://www.naval-museum.mb.ca/snowberry/index.htm).
Two fascinating
subjects have been touched on in recent issues of the on-line
Ship Models Mailing List (http://www.smml.org.uk/), namely,
materials longevity and the potential toxicity of resin kit
material. Whether we would want our plastic models to pass into
eternity, or oblivion, is debatable but it would be nice to
know that a special object of one’s undivided labours is
not destined for a crumbling end! Similarly, it would be comforting
to assure viewers that a display of expensive resin kits is
not a health hazard!
It would appear
that metal and (curiously!) wood are well accepted as "archival"
materials but plastic seems to be a cause for concern! The main
antagonists regarding plastic are air (oxygen) and light but
models are usually finished with modelling enamels which offer
a protection. I have not noticed any surface deterioration even
after a quarter of a century of exposure in a sunlit room! Modellers
with unpainted models or with acrylic paint finishes may have
other observations. Readers with access to the internet may
like to peruse the Specifications for Construction of Exhibition
models of US Naval Vessels which is posted at the Nautical Research
Guild’s website (http://www.naut-res-guild.org/). Comments
regarding the choice of materials are interesting in that "substances
of unproven longevity should not be employed in models built
under these specifications. It is advised that fiberglass resins,
styrene, expanding foams, casting resins, and cyanoacrylate
glues be avoided when other materials can possibly be used".
Rather "over the top" regarding the average plastic
modeller, but salutary reading, nevertheless.
Writing with some
25 years of plastic models on the shelf, the only "longevity"
problem I have ever had was with a layer of plaster which I
used to simulate sea under a model of LINDBERG’s President
Wilson. For some reason, large random cracks appeared in the
set plaster after a few years which required remedial attention.
No such problems occurred with other models set in Plasticene
even after a similar time period. The cracking plaster is rather
strange as the material expands on setting, whereas these cracks
suggest a subsequent shrinkage - perhaps on drying? The plaster
was supported with a wooden base which may have exacerbated
the problem. My advice is to stay away from plaster for this
purpose!
The question of resin models is
a little more worrying and a number of health & safety issues
have been raised. Regular readers will know that these are relatively
expensive kits where the parts are cold cast by the manufacturer
using a polyurethane resin and suitable rubber moulds. The production
is very often a part-time occupation on the part of dedicated
hobbyists (hence the term "garage kits"). Considerable
experience and skill are required for sound castings. The parts
are boxed or packaged for assembly using epoxy resin or superglue.
David Summers, writing in the Ship Models Mailing List, warns
that one of the components commonly used in processing the resin
castings (acid anhydrides) will "out-gas" from the
final casting for a long period of time. These materials are
toxic and irritant and may cause sensitisation with possible
asthmatic and lung implications. Michael John Zwierko advises
using a wet sanding method when rubbing down resin castings,
together with precautions such as eye protection and working
outdoors (Huh?). Hands should be well-washed after handling
the casting and sanding product. The use of rubber gloves would
also seem a reasonable precaution as well as wearing a mouth
& nose mask. Moreover, these resins continue to cure after
the initial casting has been carried out so that they are reputed
to become more brittle with age - incidentally, polystyrene
does not exhibit this effect. An article on building resin ship
models by Charles J Parker in the March 2000 issue of the on-line
modelling magazine Navismagazine.com (http://navismagazine.com/)
is also worth reading, both for the safety comments therein
and for the interesting discussion of other materials related
to modelling. Again, all of these precautions may seem a little
extreme when constructing a resin kit but it is better safe
than sorry! Until next time, assuming the anhydrides haven’t
worked their worst and our hobby stores haven't self-destructed,
happy modelling?
|