White Metal vs Resin vs Diecast

Nice tutorial John. Seventy five per cent of my 1/43 collection is white metal while twenty per cent is resin. Diecast makes up up the balance but most of those I acquired many years ago when collecting 1.43 scale models was new to me and diecast was primarily what was available. Without question the fastest growing segment in my collection is resin both for the variety available but the extraordinary detail.

Posted by: @bob-jackman

Nice tutorial John. Seventy five per cent of my 1/43 collection is white metal while twenty per cent is resin. Diecast makes up up the balance but most of those I acquired many years ago when collecting 1.43 scale models was new to me and diecast was primarily what was available. Without question the fastest growing segment in my collection is resin both for the variety available but the extraordinary detail.

My collection situation is very similar to what Bob has stated.  Like John Kuvakas has reported in his excellent clip I too very much appreciate Brooklin models and the way their precision and quality has advanced over the years.  This has come at a price increase of course which has caused me to narrow my purchases to the Brooklins that I simply cannot do without and to collect quality resin models of other models i love which thankfully are cheaper.  I am thankful for both white metal and resin high quality models being available to accommodate my budget restrictions and I try to support these companies as best I can.  It is important to note that there seems to be a couple of resin model companies that encourage and react to collector input and who consistently produce very high quality and stand behind their products.  In my personal experience the best such company in recent years has been Goldvarg Models.

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments about Goldvarg. His vision and foresight have dragged the 1/43 world into the sixties and seventies opening up new market segments for the hobby. His commitment to excellence and detail has raised the bar across the board. Aside from that, his willingness to be open early in the prototype stages has been refreshing and adds to the excitement about his product.  

John, thanks for the presentation.  It was very good, and I agree with everything you said.  I started collecting models in this scale in 2013, and have a relatively small collection consisting of 28 white metal, two resin, and three diecast.  My favorite is obviously white metal.  After learning how fragile resin models are, I stopped buying them, and keep my remaining two in their plastic cases.  So far, I have resisted buying the Goldvarg models, but that is getting harder and harder to do as they are very, very nice.  I hope to add several more white metal models later this year, starting with the show in Countryside, Illinois.

@ed-davis, have you seen Jeff Lane's show model? It's a keeper! i was talking to Simon at Brooklin today, they were excited about it. 

Good tutorial John (JK). I especially enjoyed your coverage of the modern Brooklin factory and the people and processes. I remember just how basic the beginnings were in Brooklin, Ontario with John Hall, the founder. I did visit him and say his weekly productions, buying many a the CTCS meetings. It was a cottage industry, actually a garage. They have certainly come a long way in technology and sophistication. I don't buy many American cars these days but do understand the attraction for these heavy well detailed vehicles.

I agree with the comments about Goldvarg models.  Sergio's commitment to authenticity and excellence is evident in every model he produces.  He is quickly moving to the top of the 1/43 world.

@jkuvakas 

I have not seen it.  Its been a while since I talked with Jeff about his future models, and I am not sure what his show model will be.  Something to look forward to!

@ed-davis, his show model is a Brooklin '65 Impala convertible in Artesian Turquoise with top-up and down features and a white interior. It's stunning. There are only a limited number available. If you're interested, you can reach him at

Nice Brooklin promotional video John. Will you be doing others on diecast and resin?

I also give Sergio Goldvarg plenty of respect for taking the time and presumably the expense to get formal licensing from the automakers.  And I agree he is further raising the bar in 1/43 modelling plus giving plenty for 60s aficionados to cheer about.

I love the shrunken 1:1 look of well-sorted resin models, but now that Brooklin is seriously upping their detail levels it's time ti look at white metal again.  I'll just be buying fewer models because the cost is close to double that of resin.

BTW John or Ed, Does Jeff Lane have a site where he sells his models, and does he take "commissions" as John Roberts did?  I'm not familiar with Jeff or his work.

Hi John

I enjoyed your video, even tho I am not a Brookland fan. I have never owned a Brookland model. Mainly because I considered the early models more like door stops than accurate models. (Sorry for that comment) I assume the present models are better, but weight does not make accuracy. In my opinion no mater how good the little old craftsman is soldering sheets of brass together, he cannot compete with a young kid modeling the master on a CAD tube. I spin white metal in the backyard and it is more of an art than science, but it very hard to get the detail from a white metal mold that you can get with a RTV rubber mold that is normally used for resin casting. You can spin white metal in RTV molds but that is a whole different story. Attached is a pic of my home made spin casting machine in the backyard. The guy who normal cast my “Micky mouse” parts went out of business, so we assembled one from bits and pieces laying around. It is fun to make white parts and it is much faster than pouring resin for small stuff. My last thought, PM in its day made some really nice white metal kits, it all started with really, really good brass masters. Weight Matters?

JD

 Daniels back yard

 Casting machine work supprisely well.

Much easier to make changes on the model than in the brass

Final model before going to Shapeways to make a master.

@jack-daniels, most impressive, Jack! I tend to agree on the greater accuracy in resin. But, the gap has been closing since Brooklin and SMTS have moved to CAD-derived masters. So has the development time. The bottom line is this, we buy what we enjoy and what we prefer. There's tremendous diversity in 1/43 models and I'm really happy to see them coming into their own and getting the consideration they deserve.  

Posted by: @mark-lampariello

BTW John or Ed, Does Jeff Lane have a site where he sells his models, and does he take "commissions" as John Roberts did?  I'm not familiar with Jeff or his work.

See Jeff's email above - he does not take commissions as far as I know.  Right now, he is doing low volume specials...