What is the point of painting while still in the sprue?

['08SEAL]

I could never figure it out. When you take it out of the sprue it will have a white plastic mark where it came off the sprue and you have to repaint it. Why do you paint it then have to repaint it?

[Chuck Most]

You don't need to repaint the entire part- just touch up the area where it was attached.

[Scottnkat]

Exactly! I detatch and spray my larger pieces, but small pieces are painted on the sprue so I don't lose them (I have 5 kids still at home and 2 dogs) and I only have a little spot to touch up when I detatch it.

[rhs856]

I never got this either. In order to sand the mold lines and such, I have to take the parts off of the sprue. I guess this works best for parts without seams, or builders who don't care if they're there.

[Agent G]

Not necessarily. Some of my armor builds have literally hundreds of parts, many of which are really really small. I cut so a piece of the sprue can be used as a handle. Once the glue dries, I can sand or scrape the mold lines.

Same with painting small parts, some are just easier to paint when attached to the sprue. You could cut it off, sand away the mold lines/attachment points, then how do you hold it for painting?

I assemble entire engines, then paint it as a whole.

G

[martinfan5]

It just depends on what part it is, some I leave on, some I take off, and it depends on where the attach points are as well. But I find when I paint the parts still on the spure's my fingers dont get painted

[Chuck Most]

I never got this either. In order to sand the mold lines and such, I have to take the parts off of the sprue. I guess this works best for parts without seams, or builders who don't care if they're there.

Removing seams is easier on the sprue as well- all you need is a sanding stick or some sand paper folded back on itself. The only time I ever remove small, fiddly parts to take care of the seam is if the sprue attachment points are weak, and the part will break loose during the process.

[mikemodeler]

I paint alot of the small pieces while on the sprue as I usually have 5 or more builds going on at the same time and try not to lose them. I don't build for contests so if my parts aren't perfect, it isn't a big deal to me.

[LoneWolf15]

Mr Most ,

Far be it from me to tell you what to do , but .... Lol ! If you tackle any of these newer kits from Revell , the first stroke of the sanding stick is going to launch a part into the stratosphere !

Bad words ! Bad words ! And ... Even more bad words !

[Harry P.]

It's just a matter of personal preference.

I take every part off the sprue, do any cleanup/sanding, test fitting, etc. first... then I use a piece of sprue and attach the prepared part to it with a dot of superglue (in a spot that won't be seen on the finished model), then paint it. When the paint is dry I just snap the part off my sprue handle.

[Guest]

Doesn't make sense to me either. I remove every part,sand/clean them up. Then I re attach them to scrap sprue with a tiny drop of super glue in an area that will be glued,primer,paint and detail. It makes handling,painting and detailing so much easier. Every part and sub assembly literally has a handle. When the parts are dry,just snap the parts off and assemble.

[Chuck Most]

Mr Most ,

Far be it from me to tell you what to do , but .... Lol ! If you tackle any of these newer kits from Revell , the first stroke of the sanding stick is going to launch a part into the stratosphere !

Bad words ! Bad words ! And ... Even more bad words !

Yes- the newer Revell kits were actually what I had in mind when I said that... just didn't want to name any names.

[LoneWolf15]

For me , everything comes off the sprues , sanded , cleaned up , and then placed on masking tape for overall painting with the airbrush . After that , any parts requiring fine detail painting goes onto a masking tape wrapped stand and finished up in this manor . Look , Ma , no hands !

[62rebel]

so.... now my painting and assembly methods are under scrutiny and criticism. we build in the manner that best suits the kit, the detail wanted, and the wishes of the builder themselves. i tend to clean parts of flash and such while on the sprue; i paint most of the parts that don't go into a sub-assembly on the sprue. engines, etc., paint as assemblies.

this comes from my time building armor models with sometimes dozens of identical small parts... darn sight easier to touch up a few bare spots than come up with replacement parts that go missing.

how many "wanted" threads are for parts that were being detailed or painted and went missing?

[Harry P.]

so.... now my painting and assembly methods are under scrutiny and criticism.

???

This is your first post in this thread. How do you figure anyone was criticizing your methods? You haven't even told us what your methods are!

[Sixx]

I do it both ways, depends on the parts, I agree with Agent G on the military stuff. I usually pull em off on a car build tho...gotta test fit!!

[Dr. Cranky]

Yes, what Harry said, I think many of us learn techniques along the way and stick with what works. What's that old saying: you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Now, techniques get dumped by the wayside by much better and sound ones.

[62rebel]

Harry... the point i was making seemed obvious to me, but i suppose i came off a little oblique. what i meant, and still mean, is that everybody has their own style of working, and having your methods questioned as poor procedure in relation to another's methods is kind of irritating. i usually have pretty thick skin but some things do manage to get under it.

the best method... is whatever you find is easiest and most productive for your own satisfaction.

[Dragline]

I also remove every part, clean up, then paint them. I have some pretty ingenious [to me] ways of attaching parts to toothpicks, old sprue and spray can tops for either brush or spray painting.

I remove every parting line that is visible [and some that are not] for as clean an item as can be possible.

But that's me.

Bob

[Scale-Master]

Painting wheels is often easiest while the are still on the sprue. Even this older kit has the attachment points where the tires will hide them. Plus it makes it easy to paint both sides...

[simonr]

100% true and agree!

Simón P. Rivera Torres

For me , everything comes off the sprues , sanded , cleaned up , and then placed on masking tape for overall painting with the airbrush . After that , any parts requiring fine detail painting goes onto a masking tape wrapped stand and finished up in this manor . Look , Ma , no hands !

[brad4321]

I guess we all have a different degree of quality we're willing to accept from a model. Painting is more difficult, but I have to rid each part of basic imperfections before it's painted and you can't do that when the part is attached. But there are also little things I let slide that the next guy has to make better.