What is all of this Resin Addict stuff about?

Well it starts with me – Mangozac.

Back in 2008 I embarked on a stupidly ambitious project: the Superheavy Assault Walker (build log on Advanced Tau Tactica). This was my first scratchbuild and man was it a crazy project to cut my teeth on! I have a habit of jumping into the deep end with things – I’m a sink or swim kind of guy 😉

Initially the SAW was just a personal project. I had decided that I would scratchbuild just the one leg and then cast copies for the other three. Then somewhere along the line I got talked into casting all of the parts so that a few other online friends could have one too.

Learning to produce quality, bubble-free casts is a VERY steep learning curve. Around the time I was starting to learn about it the concept of resin casting was still very taboo in the wargaming community (I think mainly fuelled by fictitious pseudo-legal nonsense by GW) and there wasn’t a lot of information around about casting specifically the types of parts that we use in wargaming models. I started out with a tub of silicone and some resin and was soon tumbling down the rabbit hole of figuring out how to prevent those incessant bubbles from forming in the casts. A lot of trial and error led to me perfecting a really good technique that was working well for me.

Resin Addict was created in 2009 for the primary reason that my online hobby friends and I wanted somewhere to discuss and share casting techniques for wargaming related subjects. Back then just mentioning that you had cast something in resin would cause a huge furore on most wargaming hobby forums (again I attribute it to naivety and fear of legal bullying from GW). But I honestly feel that casting is a necessary tool for high quality hobby and modelling work, something which I’m all about.

Initially we just wanted to discuss advanced hobby and primarily casting techniques. We wanted to help lessen that steep learning curve for those interested in trying out resin casting for themselves. But in the past year this has expanded into a secondary direction: facilitating boutique, quality miniatures and models by connecting talented artists and people who can help bring their designs to production. So in 2013 Resin Addict Co-Labs was born.

Co-Labs is a word play on collaboration, something that has become a big part of my hobby. The one thing that I am most proud of about Resin Addict is the network of people it has joined together. We only have a small group of core members but I’m in regular personal contact with many of them and I consider many to be good friends, despite being entire continents away! When you have a community like that collaboration is inevitable, even if it’s not formally recognised. I know of several projects that have had invaluable input (relating to both design and physical creation) from others, without any money changing hands. Not that I’m saying people shouldn’t be paid for their talent (quite the opposite) but I think it says a lot when such people are willing to do things for others purely for their love of the hobby.

So in many ways the Co-Labs branding helps to promote those collaborations (whether the work was recompensed or not) and thus help strengthen these relationships. But more importantly I’m hoping that it will allow us to create more fantastic wargaming related models for the discerning hobbyist by connecting talented designers with casting services who are involved with the wargaming hobby.

So please, browse the site, introduce yourself in the forums and be a part of what we hope is an important resource for the discerning “veteran” modeller and the passionate beginner alike!