+ Photo Gallery + Model Making + Links + About You are currently at: Index > > Technique

A box of plastic model can contain hundreds of parts. It would be a headache if they are not removed from the tree carefully, as you will have a hard time mending the scratches. It would be nice if we can remove the parts from the tree, with the spures removed cleanly, leaving no surface defects. This is what this tutorial is trying to guide you to do. My beloved tool is the plastic nipper. We use this to remove parts from trees. Try not to cut close to the part, we will deal with the sprue after the part is removed from the tree. This is an incorrect demonstration, i.e., something you should avoid doing. Cutting too close to the part itself have a high chance of damaging it. Avoid at all cost. See the reverse side of the cut. Leave some spure. Now the part has been separated from the tree. You can use your nipper to trim the spure a little bit more if you want. I only do this if I left too much. A better way is to trim the spure with a knife. Do not remove all of it. Trying to cut away the whole spure is one easy way to damage the part. At least leave a tiny bit of it. Here's what you should have after cutting. A nice clean part with a small spure. Polish with a file. Push the file in one direction only. Many files are designed so it won't clog easily if you only push it forward. Be careful not to file too much away. According to experience, the direction of the part is also significant. Do not try to file toward the edge. Plastics will easily chip off if you do it this way, especially when you use too much strength. If that happens, you'll have to mend it using putty. Not good. Done! The surface is flat after filing. Now you can use some sandpaper to polish it. I prefer to polish it only after fitting, and possibly after I glue them, because in this way, I can get rid of the sprue and seamline in one shot. There are circumstances where you should never use a nipper. You have to be extra careful when you remove parts that are irregular in shape from the tree, otherwise there will be a lot of extra work to do. The problem with small circular parts is that, if you cut it with a nipper, it is too easy for you to cut away too much. Keep the part steady. If it moves, the joints will break and the part will be damaged. A nice idea is to use some plasticine to hold the part in position before doing the cut. Use a sharp knife to remove the part. Remember, leave some sprue. This is what the part should look like after the cut. Remove more sprue with a knife. Be careful not to cut too much. Here's what it should look like. Now, trim the remaining sprue. Use a flat file and polish, comforming to the contours of the part. Ah ha! Done!

© Nevolution