Pinholes are the plague that infects resin kits - they are caused by tiny air bubbles in the liquid resin floating to the surface as the resin cures. More sophisticated casting processes are being developed which help reduce the the amount of bubbles, but these are often restricted to the more expensive kits.
For most, bubbles and pinholes are a fact of resin kit life. Until now, I've been unable to find a quick & easy process for dealing with them - larger ones (0.5mm and up) can be painstakingly drilled out and individually filled with putty, but this can become ultra-tedious when you are faced with hundreds and hundreds of the buggers.
Liquitex produce a thick acrylic Modelling Paste that is designed for adding form and texture to paintings, which makes it an ideal medium for creating basework. You just spread it on and let it dry. It can then be easily carved and sanded into more intricate shapes. I bought a tub and began experimenting with it on a few old scrap bits of wood and then suddenly wondered how well it might fill the dreaded pinholes.
Using an old, stiff brush, I stippled the paste across a particularly badly infected kit part ( the lower jaw from Grey Zon's Godzilla Skull) and then before it dried (here's the advantage of an acrylic paste) used a piece of rag dipped in water to wipe off all the excess. Bingo! all the holes were filled and the surface was smooth - and all in a matter of seconds. After the paste had dried for an hour or so, I shot another coat of primer over the treated area and the results were perfect!
Why has it taken me so long to find such a simple solution?
Next week - how to remove mold seams with an angle grinder...
