Removing molded door handles

[mooneysober]

I am getting ready to try and remove door handles from a car model. I am uneasy about the process as I do not want to damage the body. I would really appreciate some advice please.

[mnwildpunk]

If your quite worried just sand down the handles until they are flush with the body. That way no cutting up the body

[jeffs396]

Hey Dan, for removing raised details like this, I personally take a sharpie marker and blacken all around the area and use a small, sharp wood chisel to CAREFULLY remove small layers (not all at once). Try not to scratch off the black and you'll be assured you aren't undercutting styrene you don't want removed!

Then you can proceed with sanding (and the black works nicely as a guide coat as in 1:1 bodywork). A coat or two of liquid cement afterwards will prevent ghosting of the raised area. Primer and a bit more sanding and you're there!

Practice on a scrap body if in doubt...

[southpier]

priming the body and using the paint as a guide coat can be a helpful way to see where you're removing material. i'll also use a magic marker - similar to how a machinist uses dye - and it gives me some perspective on where i'm starting and how much & where material is coming off.

[1930fordpickup]

You can also use a layer or two of good masking tape next to the door handle. This will protect the body until you get close enough to finish sand with sand paper on a sanding stick or small block.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The marker is a really good idea, but I recommend you DON'T use sandpaper. It's flexible and it WILL damage surrounding material and leave you with a wavy panel.

A chisel or chisel-tip X-acto is good ONLY if you're used to controlling those very tightly, but I prefer a small flat FILE to gently and SLOWLY remove the material.

Once you have the handle removed to the level of the surrounding panel, 320 or 400 grit sandpaper GLUED ON A STICK or BLOCK to make it rigid can be used to blend the area flat and smooth.

I shaved everything on this build using this method...

Edited August 20, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[MAGNUM4342]

I would use Scotch brand cellophane tape to surround the area and an emery board to file down the handle.

[ScaleDale]

I would drill it out with a Dremel and fill it from behind with epoxy putty, but that's just me. I don't recommend you follow any of my recommendations.

Except that one. I'll let you figure out which one I mean...

Dale

[Bastardo]

Just shaved a handle of my Superbird a few nights ago:

- I used my Olfa blade to slowly cut it off - I didn't cut it off in one piece, but in thin layers, thinner than 0.5 mm

- After about 10 layers of cutting I got to an almost perfectly flat surface. Aiming the model at a corect angle to a strong light shows you where to cut more and when to stop

- I finished the job with sanding paper #1200 and a few water drops. The result is a completely flat and shaved door

Don't worry too much. Work slowly, don't rush and don't be scared - if you cut or sand away too much, you can still use some putty to fill the gaps

[Art Anderson]

The marker is a really good idea, but I recommend you DON'T use sandpaper. It's flexible and it WILL damage surrounding material and leave you with a wavy panel.

A chisel or chisel-tip X-acto is good ONLY if you're used to controlling those very tightly, but I prefer a small flat FILE to gently and SLOWLY remove the material.

Once you have the handle removed to the level of the surrounding panel, 320 or 400 grit sandpaper GLUED ON A STICK or BLOCK to make it rigid can be used to blend the area flat and smooth.

I shaved everything on this build using this method...

Bill,

IMHO, you have it down pat!

I've used this technique for many years, so I know it works. To flesh this out a bit, I use an Xacto (or similar brand--there are a couple of "copycat" lines of knife blades out there that are literal duplicates of Xacto!) #17 light chiseling blade, which fits the #1 size Xacto handle. http://www.xacto.com/products/cutting-solutions/blades/x-life-blades/X-LIFE-17-Lightweight-Chiseling-Blade.aspx

Take a hint from woodworkers (cabinetmakers) when using this blade. Note that the blade is ground on one side of the blade only, which gives it a beveled edge that is flat on the opposite side from the ground edge. When slicing off say, a door handle from a model car body, use the ground, or beveled edge, as flat as you can, on the surface of the body shell, and gently push the blade into the raised detail. That will allow the blade to slice off the door handle while minimizing any chance that the blade will go too deep into the body surface.

With a bit of practice/experience, you can slice off door handles, even scripts and badges, even raised chrome spears on flat or even convex surfaces and need only a bit of sanding or minor putty work to finish the job.

As Bill and others have noted, wherever and whenever possible, use a small block of either wood or styrene, with Wet or Dry sandpaper glued to it to "block sand" the area smooth--block sanding greatly helps to eliminate the possibility of sanding too deeply into the body surface which will result in a low spot or "dimple".

Art

[Skydime]

I usually get a craft saw and lay the back edge against the car door and saw along the bottom edge of the door handle. I try to leave just a little of the door handle so I dont get too close. Then I block sand off the additional material. Im sure the tape or marker methods could easily apply to what I do as well. i just live a little wrecklessly.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Skydime

[mnwildpunk]

I guess i shpuld of been more clear on the method which the other guys filled in what i should of explained and also gave ya a few other options