Soft Plastic – Yuck!

[Nigel Heather]

Just started to work on my starter set and noticed that the Gallic archers and the heroes are made of a soft polythene like plastic – similar to that used on the boxes of Airfix soldiers I used to get as a kid.

Don’t like it myself – can’t use polystyrene glue, can you use superglue, I don’t have any at hand to try. Harder to clean up, doesn’t sand well. Has thick chunky bases – hoping to cut those off and use superglue to fix to proper bases, but I can’t try that until the weekend. And if it is anything like the Airfix soldiers of my childhood, then paint will flake off as the model flexes- particularly thin items like swords, spears, bows.

Is this likely to be a continuing theme for SPQR?

Cheers,

Nigel

[Richard Coates]

Hi Nigel,

sorry you’re not a fan of the new Warlord Resin. It is definitely not like the plastic Airfix used so you’re concerns about paint etc. are unnecessary, but as it’s a replacement for metal rather than standard plastic you’re right that polystyrene cement isn’t going to work. Warlord Resin is going to be used instead of metal for the SPQR range, and others going forwards. This article might provide you with some more detailed answers to your questions – Warlord Resin – A New Material.

Of course, many miniatures in the SPQR range continue to be available in metal as part of our existing Hail Caesar range, so that’s also an option.

[Charles McKellar]

I like the detail but the smell needs some getting used to.

[Nigel Heather]

OMG – is that resin?

I had read through the SPQR shop-front and been reassured because I saw that figures were either resin or metal.

But if that is resin I’m not so sure any more. That is not like any resin I have encountered before and I have seen a lot of resin in wargaming and modelling – including bolt action vehicles.

In my experience, resin can be sanded, can be scraped, takes detail very well but is subject to moulding bubbles and does not bend, often brittle.

The stuff that the archers is made of seems much more like polythene to me, maybe a bit stiffer but still bendy and doesn’t sand. They are not like any resin I have seen before.

So just to clarify, you are saying that the archers in the Starter Set are resin?

Cheers,

Nigel

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Nigel Heather.

[Richard Coates]

Hi Nigel,

yes indeed, the archers in the starter set are Warlord Resin. It is different to other types of resin, including the resin that Warlord uses for tanks and other large models, with different properties. It does bend slightly where other resins are more likely to just snap off.

All of the SPQR branded miniatures will either be plastic or resin.

[Nigel Heather]

I’ve just spotted and read the link you provided. I see that says that the resin can be sanded and scraped. Must admit, I didn’t think that when I tried on a shield but maybe my mind was being clouded by my thoughts of Airfix soldier plastic.

So I will give it another go tonight and report back.

I did find that the bows and arrows were quite flexible, bending more than ‘slightly’ in my opinion.

Does the Warlord resin bond well with superglue? I don’t have any with me to try – that will have to wait until the weekend.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Richard Coates]

Yes, superglue will be perfectly fine to use on Warlord Resin.

[Nigel Heather]

Okay, I have tried it again and it does sand and scrape after a fashion.

It’s harder and slower work than with polystyrene.

At first it doesn’t feel like it is working, it is a little rubbery and balls up a little rather than coming off smooth. But persevere it does work. Much easier to cut off.

So it does sand and scrape but one shield took me 2x or 3x the time it would take with a similar polystyrene shield.

So not as bad as I first thought but I still prefer polystyrene.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Wesley Myers]

Is this the same plastic that is used by companies for various gaming figures like Star Wars Imperial Assault, the Dungeons and Dragons Board Games, Wizkids figures, etc?

Is ‘Warlord Resin’ polyurethane?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 3 months ago by Wesley Myers.

[Richard Coates]

@wmyers No.

[Wesley Myers]

I’ll take that to be no to both questions.

I have not seen the new figures yet. I do like the idea of more flexibility for spears/swords/bows/etc so they do not break.

This may be an opportunity to sell flexible pilum to replace broken ones (or just drill out the plastic ones and put the flexible ones in when assembling).

(*Note – if Warlord uses my idea, please supply me with some for said idea)

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