Locating pins.... Keep em or ditch em?

[Dragline]

For perhaps 25 years I've been removing locator pins on things like 2 piece axles and engine blocks. I like to run the flat sanding stick across the surface in almost a machining fashion to square up mating surfaces. I also makes ridges which provides excellent gluing strength as well. After reading one of Harry's WIP's perhaps a few years ago in which he explained he likes to use the glue as the filler to eliminate any putty use if possible. I was doing the same thing at the time and might have even commented that i did. 

 

So the question is. Do you dump the locators? I've yet to be burned by it so i will probably do it until one day I can no longer build models.

 

Sometimes they are in the wrong place as well and burn YOU!

[Ace-Garageguy]

For perhaps 25 years I've been removing locator pins on things like 2 piece axles and engine blocks. I like to run the flat sanding stick across the surface in almost a machining fashion to square up mating surfaces.

...Sometimes they are in the wrong place as well and burn YOU!

Exactly. Getting rid of the locating bumps and pins on the old Revell parts-pack engines, in particular, makes "fiddly" little kits into beautiful little models that fit together well. "Machining" the mating surfaces of heads, blocks, oil-pan rails, bellhousings, and front covers also vastly improves the outcome, insures against not-real-looking gaps, etc.

Been doin' it for years...but it takes some care and practice. I've "machined" more than a few parts into wonky, non-parallel garbage.

These days, rather than trying to take a file or sanding stick to the part, I'll put a sheet of self-adhesive sandpaper on a flat part of the bench, and "machine" the part against that. Typically 80 grit for the rough cut, 180-400 to finish it. 

Edited March 7, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

On some kits. the locator pins/receivers actually cause the parts to be misaligned. Sand the mating surfaces flat, as Bob says, and use liquid cement to fuse the parts together.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Only thing is, you have to trust your OWN judgement over the kit designers.

[Harry P.]

Only thing is, you have to trust your OWN judgement over the kit designers.

Never a problem.

[cobraman]

I sometimes do but not always. I find them helpful on some items and some kits.

[Dragline]

I can nearly remember when I started doing it. I seem to recall a top fuel car I was building and certain parts just looked wrong. I took em apart sanded em straight and they looked a BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH sight better. I am fairly certain I never trusted those pins ever again.

 

And like you Bill. I too have sanded things past where i should and ended up with parts that simply no longer worked. It took some practice but I do it these days with no ill effects.

 

And I HATE filler. Even though I have Tamiya putty here [the best IMO] I'd rather not use it if it can be helped.

[SSNJim]

For me, it all depends on how things work out during the test fitting. If everything fits and lines up properly, they stay. If it doesn't, off they come.

[Snake45]

Never a problem.

+1. See my sig line.

BTW, agree completely with the OP. But then, after 55 years of building model airplane fuselages, car engine blocks and so forth are a piece of cake.

[Art Anderson]

Exactly. Getting rid of the locating bumps and pins on the old Revell parts-pack engines, in particular, makes "fiddly" little kits into beautiful little models that fit together well. "Machining" the mating surfaces of heads, blocks, oil-pan rails, bellhousings, and front covers also vastly improves the outcome, insures against not-real-looking gaps, etc.

Been doin' it for years...but it takes some care and practice. I've "machined" more than a few parts into wonky, non-parallel garbage.

These days, rather than trying to take a file or sanding stick to the part, I'll put a sheet of self-adhesive sandpaper on a flat part of the bench, and "machine" the part against that. Typically 80 grit for the rough cut, 180-400 to finish it. 

Bill, I do very much the same thing, but I use what I think is an easier way:   A piece of 1/4" plate glass (for absolutely a flat surface) at my bathroom vanity.  I simply sprinkle some water on the glass, place a sheet of 400-grit Wet or Dry Sandpaper "grit side up" on the wet glass, then wet down the grit, hold my part to be trued up with the offending mating edge down on the water-soaked grit and "machine" away!  Been doing that for a good 50 yrs or so now--it's never failed me!

Art

[disabled modeler]

I remove them if the parts do not line up with them otherwise they stay.  I wish they would not put the locating holes in the bodies for stuff on the outside...most all modelers can add them if wanted anyway.

[espo]

I will remove or modify them if they don't allow  the parts to line up. Otherwise they don't seem to make any difference.                                                                              

[Greg Myers]

A whole new way to look at things. I know I've done this but it sure makes sense.  Especially the no putty part.