OCD & mold lines

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ShinRa

New member
before we get any further i dont suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder however mold lines drive me CRAZY! i find my self spending 40+min on a single helmet meticulously getting rid of mold lines on my SW army that im working on but its been like 2months since i got my battleforce via ebay and no where completion. im i being to much a perfectionist an if so does the mold line visible after i paint them; if so how distracting is it?

on another note i have an x-acto blade with a triangular tip ive seen other variation of the blade(rectangular) but im oblivious as in what purpose/condition there meant 2 be used. i do have files but i dont seem to need/use them; should I?
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Moulding lines on a Tabletop army shouldn\'t be that much of a big deal. (Except if you are doing it as a Commission work)
Most Gamers I See have figures with lines on them, no big deal. It\'s on display or competition level mini\'s that you need to work hard at removing the lines.
 
mattsterbenz

mattsterbenz

New member
I get very obsessive with mold lines. I absolutely remove them on commission work and my obsessiveness makes me remove them on my own personal armies.

There\'s tricks to removing them quickly. I can get a Space Marine cleaned up in just a couple minutes, and they still look very clean after priming. Here\'s a couple pointers:

-Use a blade to scrape them away. Turn the blade facing away from you and held in your right hand (left if you are left-handed). Pressing your right thumb against the model, drag the blade towards your thumb as if you were carving wood. Since the blade is facing away it will not dig into the plastic, but lightly scrape the surface. One or two quick passes over an area will leave it spotless.

-Files. Invest in a decent file set, these remove lines very fast and leave the surface smooth. A rounded one, triangle one, and a flat file are the best 3 to have. If you get a mold line in hair, the sharp edge of the triangle file can get in most of the grooves, just one or two passes in each groove will remove the line. Flat files are great for large flat surfaces. Round files are very helpful if there\'s a mold line on an organic, rounded shape, such as a cloak. Using these different shapes allows you to clean up a model with ease.

Hope this is helpful,

-Matt
 
freakinacage

freakinacage

New member
remove them all!!

as matt said, ther are a few options. also bear in mind cheap, yet fine, nail files are good and invest in some fine grit sandpaper

also if it\'s really bad, bear in mind you can add rather than take away - sometimes it\'s better to build up the other side with putty
 
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ShinRa

New member
Originally posted by mattsterbenz

-Files. Invest in a decent file set, these remove lines very fast and leave the surface smooth. A rounded one, triangle one, and a flat file are the best 3 to have. If you get a mold line in hair, the sharp edge of the triangle file can get in most of the grooves, just one or two passes in each groove will remove the line. Flat files are great for large flat surfaces. Round files are very helpful if there\'s a mold line on an organic, rounded shape, such as a cloak. Using these different shapes allows you to clean up a model with ease.

Hope this is helpful,

-Matt
Click to expand...

thx 4 teh comments guys especially matt. The technique you mention is quite helpful an I\'m grateful that now i know wat files r 4. . . i do have all 3 files from GW(dont know if there any good) but w/ prolong use the plastic gets caught in the grooves an i supposed it hinders the effectiveness of the files. should i invest in a better set? which brand?
also which file would i use for say the coils on a powerfist or the grooves on a bolter ammo cartridge
 
freakinacage

freakinacage

New member
the coild i would use a blade to get them off. gw should be ok (i haven\'t used them). draper are also good and a decent price. also invest in a good set of diamond files

for hard to reach ares, you can wrap a piece of fine sandpaper (such as wet and dry) around a toothpick (you can superglue it if you want). that technique is brilliant (thanks anders!)
 
mattsterbenz

mattsterbenz

New member
Originally posted by Kester
I always have problems getting rid of flash on hands... any tips?
Click to expand...

Well if the hand is gripped around something, say a spear, and the mold line goes right down through the gaps in the fingers, I prefer to use the triangle shaped file. Run the edge of the file a couple times through the grooves between the fingers, and it will get things perfect!

@ ShinRa, files will get clogged with plastic dust. It shouldn\'t hinder their effectiveness. I bought the GW set and it works just fine. A couple things you could try to get the plastic out is either blow on it, or whack the file very hard against your hand or something soft (so as not to dent the file). It will make a lot of the dust come off.

-Matt
 
H

hestan101

New member
for mould lines i reccomend a gw knife, files, and a good amount of old fashioned \"sod it thatll have to do\". just dont impale yourself in the leg like i didlo
(warning:do not listen to any of the advice given in the post)[size=-2]
 
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uberdark

New member
i use files, x-acto's, and a dremel. the dremel is incredibly helpful on big areas or in between legs. just buff a space marines johnson and its done. lol....seriously though, my table top army has no mould lines. just like my ork army that is 100% converted and display quality. it doesnt matter to me.

on a side note: i have actually filed off mould lines on my childrens action figures, cups, tools, and the like. it just bothers me now. hehe
 
Einion

Einion

New member
uberdark said:
...seriously though, my table top army has no mould lines. just like my ork army that is 100% converted and display quality. it doesnt matter to me.
Click to expand...
I'm a little like that too - irrespective of what it was for they all have to go regardless. No mould lines on anything, unless I just didn't spot it.

uberdark said:
on a side note: i have actually filed off mould lines on my childrens action figures, cups, tools, and the like. it just bothers me now. hehe
Click to expand...
I have to say it really bugs me when I see them on something expensive, like the €209 KitchenAid blender I saw over the weekend!

Einion
 
Shawn R. L.

Shawn R. L.

New member
uberdark said:
on a side note: i have actually filed off mould lines on my childrens action figures, cups, tools, and the like. it just bothers me now. hehe
Click to expand...

Haaaa! ! ! ! Thought I was the only one doing that! I see mold lines EVERYWHERE! I'll see really expensive statuette's sold as 'the real thing' or something like 'genuine hand carved' and see mold lines, bubbles, belt sanded bases with belt sanded mold lines.
 
M

Mourner

New member
i use two grades of sandpaper....

coarse for the rough work (removing the actual moldlines)

and fine to smooth out the part of the mini that had the moldline :p

the rough grade speeds up the work, the fine grade gives me a smooth model

i also make my own files..... just glue two strips of sandpaper onto different side of a wooden stirrer (like those you get at McD's)
i use both grades so i effectively have a file with both grades i need....
 
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