Resin outgassing questions

[Shinnentai]

I've read in the past that freshly cast resin will continue to outgass on some level for over a month after initial curing. I remember reading in posts here that some modelers will let a newly purchased kit mellow for a month or two or three before starting work on it in order to avoid any outgassing-related issues.

My questions are:

Is it true, and if so...

How long is the outgassing period on average?

What kind of issues might result from working on a kit before this period has cooled down?

Reason I ask is because I just recieved a nice chunk of Japanese garage kit in the mail. I'm feeling extremely antsy to start basic construction and filling on it, but the resin is giving off a distinct odor. Not an unpleasant or suspicious odor, but strong enought to make me suspect the resin is indeed very young out of the mold.

I've never experienced problems that might be chaulked up to outgassing while working on fresh resin before, and I've noticed that many people here seem to just dive in to some degree as soon as the kit hits the doorstep. Still, the smell got me thinking, and thinking led to worrying.

Should I worry? Or should I just go for it?

[DennisH]

I've never really noticed a problem with it. Unless you have a bad batch of resin or it wasn't mixed properly and it has "soft spots" that are bleeding.

At the shop I used to work at, we made LRVs (light rail vehicles- those trains at aiports) all the time. The parts came out of the mold, got cleaned up, assembled, puttied, sanded, primed, painted and out the door in a few days- start to finish.

We never had one come back from any outgassing effects that I'm aware of. Models coming back because of someone dropping it was a different story however.

HTH


Dennis

[Owen E Oulton]

I've assembled and painted resin that was only out of the mould a few minutes, with nary a problem - acrylics, enamels, lacquers, it doesn't matter. As for the smell, I've got resin castings that are years old, and they smell the same as soon as you sand the surface (some of those yellow Herb Deeks kits really stink, too!), so if the resin is outgassing to any extent, it takes years.

In other words, don't worry about it (for those of you in New York, that's pronounced fuggedabouddit!). If the resin has been mixed properly, there's no problem jumping right in.