What's New?
As molds wear out, I've started changing production of some parts from cast polyurethane resin to 3D-printed resin. This is a running change that does not affect the quality of the parts, but will allow me to reduce some expenses and improve production rates.
If you ordered something in the past and it was cast resin, you might get a 3D-printed resin version now. There's only one real downside to 3D-printed resin compared to cast resin, and that is strength/brittleness. A cast-resin item will generally be stronger than a 3D-printed counterpart. For Example, my carburetors need to be made in cast resin because the tiny pieces that stick out from the carb bodies can break off very easily. Other designs, like wheels and hubcaps, are more resilient and can be made from 3D-resin very easily.
3D-printed resin can be stripped with isopropyl alcohol. If you try to strip paint off a cast resin part with isopropyl alcohol, the part will melt! With acrylic paint being standard in model building now, the ability to strip parts with isopropyl alcohol is important. For cast resin, it's better to use Purple Power or an equivalent lye-based degreaser. In either case, don't leave the parts immersed for days. If the paint doesn't some off within a couple of hours, rinse the parts in clean water and let them soak in the solvent a little longer.
Some of my sets are now shipping with a mix of 3D-printed parts and cast resin parts. It's easy to tell the difference: 3D-printed parts are dark blue, and cast resin parts are light gray.
