Molding lines?

[Sidney Schwartz]

This is my first question here (see my post in the Introduce Yourself section). My first project will be the Monogram 1953 Corvette. Kit number seems to be 2291. The body has some lines on it that I'm guessing are molding lines that need to be removed, but I thought I'd check with the folks here and make sure before I do try removing them. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

[1930fordpickup]

Most of them seem to be just that . Google the car you are working on and see if you can find picture of the real one to check where the body seem are and are not.

[Sidney Schwartz]

Thanks, Andy. The photos I've seen don't show any such seam lines. Looks like I get lots of filing and sanding practice. Oh well...you deal with what you find when you open the box. I think Forrest Gump said that.

[southpier]

those are pretty prominent. after you get the most obvious gone, you might try a guide coat of primer to help you see what's left.

[Drake69]

those are pretty prominent. after you get the most obvious gone, you might try a guide coat of primer to help you see what's left.

Agreed. A light coat of gray primer will help you see anything you might have missed earlier. This happens a lot with repeated repops.

[Art Anderson]

Agreed. A light coat of gray primer will help you see anything you might have missed earlier. This happens a lot with repeated repops.

FWIW, that body shell was shot in tooling originally designed and used to cast the body as a diecast metal shell--it had those mold parting lines rather prominent way back in1977 when the metal bodied kit was first introduced.

Art

[Sidney Schwartz]

FWIW, that body shell was shot in tooling originally designed and used to cast the body as a diecast metal shell--it had those mold parting lines rather prominent way back in1977 when the metal bodied kit was first introduced.

Art

Interesting. Annoying, but interesting.

Thanks all for the help. Once I get started on this project I'll post some pics of my progress.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Nobody has mentioned it yet, so I will.

You need to use files and / or sandpaper with a hard backing (stuck on something flat or rolled around something round with a radius similar to the radius you're working in) to effectively cut those mold parting-lines down without taking off too much material in adjacent areas.

Unsupported sandpaper isn't too selective about what it cuts, and will take plastic off next to the lines too, which you really don't want. This can lead to wavy looking body panels.

If you use files or sandpaper on some kind of hard backing, you'll find you can control it better, and "shave" the high areas without getting into the low areas and making things worse.

Once you have the lines removed, THEN you can use your sandpaper unsupported to smooth everything out.

Beware of shooting a lot of primer too. You can fill and blur surface details that should remain crisp pretty quickly

[Sidney Schwartz]

Thats a good suggestion, Bill. I ordered sanding/polishing sticks (should arrive today) and a variety of rifflers, but I'm pretty sure I'll need sandpaper as well for getting into the tighter spaces. Got a recommendation on what grades of sandpaper to use?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Got a recommendation on what grades of sandpaper to use?

I personally like 180 for doing this kind of work. It cuts quick but doesn't leave really horrible sanding scratches. 400 after that if I'm going to use a high-build primer, and 600 or finer if I'm using a non-high-build product.

I'll even go as coarse as 80 grit for doing heavy bodywork, rough-shaping bondo quickly.

[DrGlueblob]

I'm a big fan of the Squadron Seam Scraper for jobs like this. It'll cut the seam line evenly, and won't damage surrounding detail or surface.

[southpier]

in addition to 3M wet & dry paper from the local autoshop and Stevens International sanding sticks,i've had pretty good luck with these:

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fa03000/#.VQiBFI7F9u4

(i know how much we like pictures)

don't do too much customizing/ putty work, so mostly use 180, 220, & 320 grits, but there's more on both sides of those grades (finer & more coarse). there are also different brands of basically the same stuff at the big box stores in the paint department - just more expensive per pad/ smaller packages, but you won't have to wait for shipping or make an investment until you determine if you like them.

[Sidney Schwartz]

Thanks for the great info. I love the internet.

That seam scraper looks handy...I just ordered one from Amazon.com. I'll hit Home Depot or the hobby store for sandpaper.

[fseva]

i've had pretty good luck with these:

http://www.woodworkingshop.com/product/fa03000/#.VQiBFI7F9u4

Being that the finest they offer is 320 grit, many hobby shops are now selling the same type of product by Tamiya, called Sanding Sponges - I use 400 and 600 regularly, but not on seams, because the flexible nature of the product allows it to "conform" to shapes - not sand just them. For that I've found that beauty salon suppliers offer some great nail files that are exactly like the hobby manufacturers who sell them for double the price. Try http://nailfiles.com/ - they have a very reasonable minimum order for a wholesaler. (Check their "Sterifiles" for a selection of tapered files in several combos of grits.)

[fseva]

I'm a big fan of the Squadron Seam Scraper for jobs like this. It'll cut the seam line evenly, and won't damage surrounding detail or surface.

And if you don't want to spend the money, you can just use a fresh blade in your X-Acto knife on the seams - instead of cutting, you just hold it at a very low angle to the seam and scrape rather than cut.

[Sidney Schwartz]

Thanks, Frank. The seam scraper works very nicely, but is too big to get all the places I need to get. Mr. Exacto will be kept busy.

I did a test on a section of the body seam. First the seam scraper, then sanding sticks, then Novus scratch remover. Worked a treat...looks perfectly smooth. Went pretty quickly, too.

[Nitrozilla]

When you need to do a rounded area, try wrapping sandpaper around various size drill bits. Use the shaft end of course. Works like a champ for me.

[1930fordpickup]

You may want to locate the local beauty supply store. They sell sanding sticks for nails and carry many chemicals we use here in smaller containers.

[fseva]

Thanks, Frank. The seam scraper works very nicely, but is too big to get all the places I need to get. Mr. Exacto will be kept busy.

I did a test on a section of the body seam. First the seam scraper, then sanding sticks, then Novus scratch remover. Worked a treat...looks perfectly smooth. Went pretty quickly, too.

You know... looks can be deceiving... that perfectly smooth area might have a ton of very small scratches that aren't even visible to a casual look-see. That's why the guys recommend a thin primer coat - because that will reveal where the problems are. I prefer not using a scratch-filler primer though, because you want to see the scratches, not hide them. And scratch-filler primer is going to be thicker and could hide small details.

[Drake69]

You may want to locate the local beauty supply store. They sell sanding sticks for nails and carry many chemicals we use here in smaller containers.

Yup. I was going to suggest emery boards from either WalMart or nail salons are great to have, both in metal and foam board. Get different grits and their shape makes them so easy to use.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Drake69

[Sidney Schwartz]

That's why the guys recommend a thin primer coat - because that will reveal where the problems are.

I have to read up on primers and decide which kind to get. I'm still waiting for my airbrushes and am not ready to paint yet anyway.

[Quick GMC]

I have this particular kit and it's not a great one for a beginner as far as body work goes. The headlights need a lot of work.

[Longbox55]

I'm going to throw this out there, all of the tips given are on target, however, there is one thing that should be mentioned. Before you remove all of the mold lines from a model car body, do some research on the actual car. I have seen a few cases where the body was molded in such a way that the mold seams actually are in places where the 1:1 has a similar seams. a case in point, the AMT '55 and '57 Chevrolet trucks. On those, there is a mold line that runs down from the bottom of the headlamp to the bottom of the fender. Most builders tend to file and sand it smooth. However, on the 1:1 truck, there actually is a seam in that location. It's from how the fender is stamped, and was not filled in any way as they come from the factory. In that case, the line on the kit only needs knocked down a little bit to make a convincing replica of the 1:1.

[Sidney Schwartz]

I'm still looking for suitable emery boards. In the meantime rolled up sandpaper is working pretty well. I think I've done about as much as I can with scraping and sanding. Polishing next. Turns out this model has more serious problems than just seam lines. Some of the body parts aren't shaped quite right. Looks like it fits together OK, but it's probably going to look a bit "off." Oh well...I'm getting some good practice.

[fseva]

I have to read up on primers and decide which kind to get. I'm still waiting for my airbrushes and am not ready to paint yet anyway.

I've stopped using my airbrush for priming - especially the ones with micro-fillers - they really gum up the airbrush. If I have to prime, I do so right out of a spray can. (I don't do a lot of priming because I use lacquers and they can almost act like primers on the first coat). I've used Tamiya and Model Master and they both work well.

Edited March 23, 2015 by fseva