[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BagJo

The file is for the "gates" or raised/jagged areas where something has been cut away from a sprue. I cut away the excess with the Xacto and sand the gate down until smooth.

Does it still leave that little discoloration, where the plastic's been stressed or whatever?

[BagJo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Does it still leave that little discoloration, where the plastic's been stressed or whatever?

It usually depends on the color of the plastic, but sometimes yes. Usually this is not a big deal for me as I paint most of my models, but in the case of something like Figure-Rise or Sodo where it's detail paint instead of a top to bottom, your mileage may vary. If you're going to try it for the first time I'd suggest somewhere that isn't going to be very visible. It's also import to find fine toothed files or fine grain sand paper because something coarser is going to leave the plastic just looking scratched up.

It's also my suggestion that taking your time with this is key, don't worry about hogging away a bunch of material at once, just slowly smooth it down.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BagJo

It usually depends on the color of the plastic, but sometimes yes. Usually this is not a big deal for me as I paint most of my models, but in the case of something like Figure-Rise or Sodo where it's detail paint instead of a top to bottom, your mileage may vary. If you're going to try it for the first time I'd suggest somewhere that isn't going to be very visible. It's also import to find fine toothed files or fine grain sand paper because something coarser is going to leave the plastic just looking scratched up.

It's also my suggestion that taking your time with this is key, don't worry about hogging away a bunch of material at once, just slowly smooth it down.

Huh! Okay, cool. I guess I've been pretty solid in my nippering (proper conjugation of "nipper" as a verb?) because I haven't really had any nubs to sand down. The only construction problem I've had that bugs me is the infrequent bits of... flashing, maybe, that happen to the plastic after you cut off a sprue. Is that just the cost of doing business for building a kit? Or am I doing something badly?

[BagJo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Huh! Okay, cool. I guess I've been pretty solid in my nippering (proper conjugation of "nipper" as a verb?) because I haven't really had any nubs to sand down. The only construction problem I've had that bugs me is the infrequent bits of... flashing, maybe, that happen to the plastic after you cut off a sprue. Is that just the cost of doing business for building a kit? Or am I doing something badly?

I think you're cutting too close to the actual piece, you want to leave a bit of excess. Even if your nippers are sharp, you are essentially squeezing the plastic until it separates, which stresses the plastic and causes discoloration.



(not my pics)

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BagJo

I think you're cutting too close to the actual piece, you want to leave a bit of excess. Even if your nippers are sharp, you are essentially squeezing the plastic until it separates, which stresses the plastic and causes discoloration.

Oh, so nip farther away from the piece, and then use a knife to cut away the nub? Is that the best practice? I'm not sure how to get to a smooth surface, exactly.

[BagJo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Oh, so nip farther away from the piece, and then use a knife to cut away the nub? Is that the best practice? I'm not sure how to get to a smooth surface, exactly.

That's right, nip farther away, cut the excess down with a sharp knife, if you can still catch the edge with your fingernail, that's when you bring in the file or sandpaper. You can also remove the guard from a nail grinder for dogs/cats and essentially turn it into a weak dremel, which works quickly and smoothly, but can be less precise than a file or sandpaper.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BagJo

That's right, nip farther away, cut the excess down with a sharp knife, if you can still catch the edge with your fingernail, that's when you bring in the file or sandpaper. You can also remove the guard from a nail grinder for dogs/cats and essentially turn it into a weak dremel, which works quickly and smoothly, but can be less precise than a file or sandpaper.

Awesome! Thanks for the tips!

[ShiShiLeo]

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShiShiLeo

helpful video

Thanks for linking to that helpful video! Those are... a lot of steps! And tools!

I feel like my process is going to have to stop at the xacto knife. All of the sanding and whatnot... I just don't need it that perfect? And I can't even imagine how much extra time it'd take me to make it 8% more pretty. I can do a Figure-Rise kit (badly, as it turns out) in about 90-odd minutes. A Transformers Furai kit, closer to 3 hours. Doing all of the work in that video for one individual piece, I think I'd be working on a kit for a week, and man, that just ain't me.

Still, thank you for that video! It was incredibly informative!

[ShiShiLeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I feel like my process is going to have to stop at the xacto knife. All of the sanding and whatnot... I just don't need it that perfect?

I'm totally with you. I basically nip the sprue, then slice the nub and rarely sand or file.

For me, it comes down to where the piece will be visible. Is it a big shoulder piece with a nub on a seam? I will go at it with some sandpaper (also the color of the plastic dictates how much I will sand!)

Pieces that will be hidden, I sometimes just cut straight from the runner and don't do anything else.

What I love about model kits is how they can be many things to many people. Paint them or don't, customize or go stock, do it in one sitting or use it has a fun activity over a few nights.

Sometimes when I am bored, I will go back to a old kit I haven't touched in months and add more details or paint applications.