Arghhh! FINECAST: are they okay?

[BloodTithe]

So it seems that metal models are now "finecast" resin (yup I'm late to the party). My solution was simple: never buy a finecast model.

But. Here lies the problem. A figure I love is finecast. And the metal versions of that model are INSANELY EXPENSIVE! *insert annoyance here*

I have never brought a resin model and have heard too many horror stories about them. Can anyone reassure me that they are actually okay? (Or better yet find me a metal queek the headtaker - newer version ?)

[BloodTithe]

I mean..... look at this thing. 

(Does anyone actually remember queek?)

[Spiky Norman]

I prefer GW-plastic by a long shot, but I haven't had much problems with the finecast models I have.

If you're really worried, buy them in a store and open it right there, so you can hand it in and get a new one, if you somehow got one that is irredeemable.

[ZealousJ]

I've had friends who have had warped Finecast in the past and GW were happy to replace with a receipt and photographic evidence. Delivered for no cost I believe.

New GW is much better about this sort of thing.

Also, I've been playing with tiny plastic toys for twenty years now. You bet I remember Queek

[swarmofseals]

Sweet model! 

Finecast varies a lot. Older finecast stuff is more prone to have problems like air bubbles. Who knows if the thing you buy is a recent cast or has just been sitting on the shelf for a long while.

GW has gotten a lot better about supporting their products, but be a bit wary about OOP stuff. I bought two OOP items in store and found them to have pretty bad air bubbles after I opened the boxes. I sent pics to GW and they gave me a voucher for the cost of the items, but said that after that I'd be on my own and should buy OOP finecast at my own risk. If the model is currently in print and defective I'm pretty sure they will replace it. 

Also note that warped stuff and air bubbles can be fixed to an extent, but it can be a pain. 

[BloodTithe]

59 minutes ago, ZealousJ said:

I've had friends who have had warped Finecast in the past and GW were happy to replace with a receipt and photographic evidence. Delivered for no cost I believe.

New GW is much better about this sort of thing.

Also, I've been playing with tiny plastic toys for twenty years now. You bet I remember Queek

I've heard people say the whole "bend it back in warm water" thing Doesnt work and they rebend after a few hours?

And apparently resin is very fragile?

[BloodTithe]

4 minutes ago, swarmofseals said:

Sweet model! 

Finecast varies a lot. Older finecast stuff is more prone to have problems like air bubbles. Who knows if the thing you buy is a recent cast or has just been sitting on the shelf for a long while.

GW has gotten a lot better about supporting their products, but be a bit wary about OOP stuff. I bought two OOP items in store and found them to have pretty bad air bubbles after I opened the boxes. I sent pics to GW and they gave me a voucher for the cost of the items, but said that after that I'd be on my own and should buy OOP finecast at my own risk. If the model is currently in print and defective I'm pretty sure they will replace it. 

Also note that warped stuff and air bubbles can be fixed to an extent, but it can be a pain. 

What is "oop"? And wow.... they should replace them until you get one that's right! That is your basic consumer rights....

[BloodTithe]

1 hour ago, Spiky Norman said:

I prefer GW-plastic by a long shot, but I haven't had much problems with the finecast models I have.

If you're really worried, buy them in a store and open it right there, so you can hand it in and get a new one, if you somehow got one that is irredeemable.

What about bending? Air bubbles? And are they as fragile as people say? My local store never seems to have stock but I guess I could order online to collect in store....

[swarmofseals]

6 minutes ago, BloodTithe said:

What about bending? Air bubbles? And are they as fragile as people say? My local store never seems to have stock but I guess I could order online to collect in store....

I personally haven't seen any bent finecast out of the box but I imagine it does happen. I have had other resin models that were warped and I successfully fixed them using the warm water method. Be careful and increase the temperature gradually until you find the right temperature. You may need to repeat the process more than once or bend a bit further than you want initially and have it cool back into the correct position. It's tricky but it's not like the model just goes back to being exactly the way it was. It just takes some practice to fix this kind of thing.

One really cool thing about this is that it allows you to reposition parts if you want -- I have a large non-GW resin model that I used the hot water method to take an open hand and convert it into a hand cradling the broken body of a smaller model. 

Air bubbles happen. I've seen a couple of finecast models that were totally ruined by air bubbles and seen plenty with no air bubbles at all. From what I hear, more recently produced finecast are MUCH less likely to have air bubbles.

As far as fragility goes, finecast is more fragile than plastic or metal but it's not like it's going to shatter if you sneeze on it. Metal has its own risks (paint chips more easily, can damage surfaces if dropped, can more easily damage your other models.)

7 minutes ago, BloodTithe said:

What is "oop"? And wow.... they should replace them until you get one that's right! That is your basic consumer rights....

OOP is Out of Production. They literally can't replace it because they don't have any, and they don't make them anymore. I have no doubt that they will replace or refund any defective product that you buy directly from them (they don't sell OOP products). I was really impressed that they refunded me for a model that I bought from my FLGS -- they certainly didn't have to do that.

If you are buying from a non-GW source, be sure to ask if they accept returns for defective products. If they tell you that all sales are final, then buy at your own risk. 

[Galas]

I have receive two Krells from GW recently (Actually, I bought 1, but it delivered after the stimated time, so they send me other totally free) and they have 0 problems. 0 bubbles, etc... but Krell was a model originally released as Finecast. The models with more problems where the ones that originally where metal and then made finecast.

[Jharen]

Not a fan of finecast.  That being said, I have purchased a few.  My advice, don't purchase it locally if your shop isn't a high traffic zone that is constantly resupplying it's shelves.  You're more likely to get an older cast if that is the case and those older batches were more prone to issues.  I'd recommend ordering it directly from GW if that's at all possible for you.  In my own experience I've had no issues with the ones I've ordered directly from GW (at least nothing liquid green stuff or some putty couldn't fill).  What you'll want to be ready for is filling gaps, mold lines, bending parts back into place, and filling any tiny air bubbles (if any).  You may also need to glue some longer/thin bits back together. You'll also want to wash the model with some warm water and a very tiny dash of dish soap just to be sure to get rid of any release agent left on the model.  Use an old toothbrush for this or something similar.

Overall they aren't as bad as some of the older reviews you see floating around the web let on, but they are a bit more work than that lovely plastic we're used to.

[someone2040]

Resin is the devil. I really dislike working with the stuff, and then it's easier for stuff to snap off as well. I reckon I've had about half my Chaos Chosen axes snap off (some even a second time right after the area I pinned it, so I can't pin it again :S).

I would be fine getting one off models in resin, such as characters. But I wouldn't put myself through a unit of resin models. Just too much frustration and work to be worthwhile.

[TheOtherJosh]

Newer finecast is much improved over the original finecast.

 

The only major issue is keeping it out of extreme heat (like all resin) during transport or storage. (i.e. Don't leave it in a hot car all day)

 

You're basically working with several options.

Spend the cash for the newer metal version. (And the heavy metal craziness that it is.) (instead of the much easier to get and cheaper old sculpt)

 

Get the finecast version, which is lighter. And less likely to chip if it falls over or drops. Do a direct order to your local gw store to avoid shipping costs.

 

Convert your own model from the plastic Isle of Blood/Spire of Dawn Skaven warlord. He needs more skulls on his back banner, and to have the chopper swapped for a sword. (And you could swap his poking spear) Advantage: you. You'll have both plastic, and a custom model.

 

https://www.games-workshop.com/Age-of-Sigmar-Spire-of-Dawn-ENG

 

 

[Bjarni St.]

Newer Finecast is not the useless ****** they released initially but it's still the worst possible material and I avoid it as much as I can. It's not just the air bubbles and warping (those are in some amounts inevitable with all resin casts), it's also the softer details that it usually produces for whatever reason. If you're buying something that's in print then as said you can return it until you get a decent one so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[Cerlin]

I have a witch hunter and warrior priest that were good. I bought them from GW with no print issues.

I did also get a resin anvil of doom and part of the forge had melted in storage. It was almost not enough to notice and I did minor repairs with green stuff.  I picked this off a dusty shelf in an old hobby store.

When in doubt by from GW. In a local store just be careful.

[Menkeroth]

The same by me - back in the day I had some space marines of resin and they were good, without major flaws and highly detailed, so now it's really pretty safe.

[Killax]

In general I think it's save to buy a finecast and yes I'd still prefer a metal model if I had the option, but in many cases I dont have it.

The beauty of GW is that if you really think the model is beyond redemption you can send it back and recieve a new one. I had that happen once but also had it happen once with a metal Fleshhound so there is that...

[BloodTithe]

21 minutes ago, Killax said:

In general I think it's save to buy a finecast and yes I'd still prefer a metal model if I had the option, but in many cases I dont have it.

The beauty of GW is that if you really think the model is beyond redemption you can send it back and recieve a new one. I had that happen once but also had it happen once with a metal Fleshhound so there is that...

Im also very concerned that people keep saying how fragile they are. I consider plastic models fairly fragile so I'm not too happy with though thought of a model being more fragile than that.....

[Killax]

14 minutes ago, BloodTithe said:

Im also very concerned that people keep saying how fragile they are. I consider plastic models fairly fragile so I'm not too happy with though thought of a model being more fragile than that.....

Well they arn't made of glass or pottery. I mean it's not too fragile. In general my opinion on that is that players should consider transport cases if they don't want models to be destroyed. Same with the handling of models. Though again it also matters what model we're talking about.

Space Marines are typical robust models so will work out for you. My Valkia on the other hand does certainly require some propper handling. Granted the same would be true if she was made from plastic instead. 

One of the rule of tumbs my shop owner has is that if the original model was metal that the Finecast models do tend to come out a bit worse as if they are only made in Finecast. In general though it seems that they solved most of the initial re-casting issues with Finecast.

Then again I have some china-cast, Privateer Press and Reaper Bones mini/models/scenics aswell and they are roughly on the same level. Sometimes you get lucky and the stuff is very good and in certain cases you get bad quality. Then again remember it's just a model, if your not making a whole army of Finecast models you should be fine. 

[Storm]

Finecast can be a pain in the ******, but not any more than any other resin, if you really like a model the material shouldn't stop you, but be aware it might be more time consuming than something like plastic.

And btw, you can quote multiple times in a single post, no need to post multiple times to reply to several posts.