Lexan vs. Styrene

[zjguy721]

What is the difference? Never worked with styrene, is it as durable as lexan or more prone to cracking? What paint would you use on styrene?

Looking at options for an upcoming Wraith build, looking at Dinky's hoods and just seeing what options I should consider.

[AX10wannabe]

never worked with styrene myself but its hard and will not flex, it will scratch and you can use regular bondo or a putty from the LHS and sounds like you can use automotive paint plus and it cracks but its more realistic than lexan..... lexan flexes, needs special paint but it can be twisted like a pretzel and wont crack.

with styrene you can build a more custom realistic body, lexan your kinda stuck with whats out there already.

[midnight_f150]

Which is better for a newbie too work with?

[jboehler04]

kinda depends on what your going for. i personally like styrene bodies better. easier to paint and work with then lexan. jus my thoughts im sure others are opposite. like that when ur paint scratches on styrene its more realistic then painting the inside of lexan bodies. plus you can fill it in and sand it down and repaint like said before. its really just gonna depend on what your looking to do on the wraith. as far as paint goes on lexan you have to use paint more designed to flex and move where as styrene you can go to walmart and get whatever rattle can color you like and is way cheaper too. i use krylon fusion on my hard body and sticks awesome.

[fr8cture]

I would say styrene if more durable to a point. Simple rollovers is better but if you are rolling down a rocky Hill or cliff it will crack but is repairable. I would say styrene is easier to work with.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

[Fiftygrit]

I did my first lexan body just a little while ago, its still strange for me to paint from the outside in, my next body will be the styrene, you can use body filler, and primer, and then paint, from what I have read you have a better selection of paints also, cheer`s

[Helicopter Len]

After 20+ years of messing with Lexan bodies, I don't think I'll do another one again after building my Dodge out of styrene. Maybe for a racing buggy or a EXO.....

Sent from a rotary wing whirlygig

[sickcivic95]

Styrene is a great medium to work with. It's both strong and durable yet it can flex as well depending on what thickness you work with. Depending on the level of detail and build your going for wether its a complete full body or just body skins etc it can be as thin as paper or up to 1/2 inch thick....

A full custom body will take a good beating without cracking at the joints as long as its reinforced correctly, I had one of mine roll down a 30 foot hill full of debris rocks etc and it was scratched to hell and gouged up, but no breaks. It is fairly easy to work with too, its forgiving if you make a mistake, its inexpensive to repair, and even the scraps can be used to make filler or as reinforcement peices, so its really a win win once you get used to it.

You should check out some of hoosierdady's or pardonmynoob's or Dreadys build threads you'll see a ton of custom body work and learn some good techniques to work with it. Best of luck to you and let's see some pics of the new build once its under way.

Also here's a link with some really good info on styrene repairs glues etc

☆ The Chop Shop What Glue to Use For Body Work/Repairing Cracks in Plastic and Why ☆

And check out the sticky at the top of this section about cutting styrene.

How-To:Cutting with thread

--Dan

[midnight_f150]

I'm plan on just use a dinky hood. I will be using aluminum side skin with the hood. Just in case this makes a difference about which material to pick for the hood.