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Anyone else have this problem? My thumb has looked like this(minus the blood, little slip this morning) for about 10 years now.

Well, I just use my knife and scrape the moldlines off. My fingers are fine except for my trashed fingertips caused by my guitar.

You should'nt really need to turn the blade sideways and push toward a fingertip. Instead you can put the blade perpendicular to the mold line and scrape. Works for me.. no bloody thumbs

even on metal? I've always had to scrape sideways parallel to the model.

Urm I go perpendicular across mould lines Never cut myself,

I use a file on metal models, as most of it is the stringy bits rather than lines...

I use a file on my plastic soldiers. Quick and easy and no harm to my fingers.

Yeah, I get that, except never blood. Just put the blade at an angle or something. They heal in a couple minutes though, so It's never been a problem for me.

http://www.micromark.com/SEAM-SCRAPER,7547.html

Buy this, you'll never have cut finger/thumb again!

I always cut away from me... except when I don't and then my fingers usually look worse than that.

there was a thread on injury's due to this hobby. Nearly all of them where either by blades or drills. Never, ever cut towards yourself. If you drill, use a vice.

Personally I like the files. I got a whole set of various sizes and shapes. Its good to wash your mini's after though due to all the scrapings.

Worst I ever got was into the knuckle of my thumb. Won't forget that model.

A cloth band-aid works great for protection (better grip than the plastic). Layers of things such as medical tape also work.

I dunno exactly what it's called, but ya know that "web" of skin between your thumb and index finger? I was young (maybe 14ish) and had bought a model that was supposed to be slotted into the base, but the base had no slots, so I was carving out slots with a pair of scissors (obviously not thought through thoroughly). The scissors slipped and cut that "web" clean open. It was nasty, but luckily it healed on its own.

I have since learned.

I use a Dremel tool. =D

Put a band-aid on your thumb BEFORE you clean the mold lies off. Think of it as armour.

Yeah, when I am doing a hell of a lot of work in a pretty brief period. I think of it as natures way of telling me to go do somethign else for a bit. I dont get it from scraping mold lines so much (which I always do wiht the blade perpendicular to the line, even on metal models) as triming off the little remnants where the piece is connected to the sprue, when the spruecutter doesnt make a perfectly clean cut. The bandaid bit is a good idea, but I rarely go on binges resulting in this much anymore.

Kilgore19d wrote:I use a Dremel tool. =D

Heads up, you'll cut yourself WAY worse with a dremel if you mess up

Just don't use balsa wood cement to glue your thumb back together.

Ordo Dakka wrote:

Kilgore19d wrote:I use a Dremel tool. =D

Heads up, you'll cut yourself WAY worse with a dremel if you mess up

Not with the sanding stone tips.

I just use the back of my blade whenever I clean mold lines.

My worst injury was about half a year ago when I was trimming a piece of a lasgun to make it look more like a shotgun sort of thing, I had one hand holding the gun and the other one cutting(its stupid when I say it but I think it works much better for stability) and the pressure relief when the blade was through all the plastic was so much I sliced my palm wide open. It healed alright, and just left a fine line on my palm instead of a nasty scar. However, now I cant give anyone the middle finger without looking like a slow, becouse I cant bent it into a straight line.

I started using one of those money counting thumb things. Gives a little extra protection and has some addition grip as well

My problem with mold lines is I HATE cleaning them... I can paint up models real quick, and given enough time and patience I can make them look nice... but I get almost nothing done because I can't bring myself to clean flash/mold lines...

Someone PLEASE make a flash/mold cleaning service! ...I'll pay!

Seam scraper / flash removers are apparently the way forward not used one myself yet but the demo I saw of one makes me want it. As for not cutting towards yourself that's rubbish you maintain a far higher level of control over the pressure used on the blade cutting towards yourself rather than away. If there is any doubt look into real wood carving and you'll soon see the technique is the same.

i use Jewelers files for metal items. xacto for plastic/resin.
i have to admit that seem scraper looks like it might be worth a try.

The problem is that you're left handed. Switch over to the proper hand, and you won't have this problem

aerethan wrote:even on metal? I've always had to scrape sideways parallel to the model.

Yes, but it will just take more time.

Do you have like an entire metal army or something?

Otherwise, yeah, go get some files or something.

i use an old blade in my x-acto to do the job.
(I currently have 4 handles set up with different blade sizes and shapes for various jobs).

Apart from that, try electronics as a hobby as well. After a few years of cleaning the crud off the iron with your thumb and forefinger (wet, naturally), your thumb will have a nice callous on it from burn scar tissue.

I'm left handed too. I only cut myself when I try to do something with the wrong hand.

chromedog wrote:i use an old blade in my x-acto to do the job.
(I currently have 4 handles set up with different blade sizes and shapes for various jobs).

Apart from that, try electronics as a hobby as well. After a few years of cleaning the crud off the iron with your thumb and forefinger (wet, naturally), your thumb will have a nice callous on it from burn scar tissue.

I'm left handed too. I only cut myself when I try to do something with the wrong hand.

i usually do that, but my wife keeps stealing them!!!!

I think that files are the only way to go. Use a round file for cloth and the like, and a flatter one for "hard" surfaces. It's how I've been removing mould lines from my GK and Cadians.

I actually find a round file is best for some hard surfaces, especially something like a marine or termie as it reduces the likelihood of leaving a flat spots on the mini.

1: I'm not left handed. I use my right hand for all painting and cleaning.

2: I use my thumb as an end point for the motion of scraping off the mold line with an xacto knife.

3: Gunzhard I'll clean models for a small fee if you have enough to make it worth my while

4: files take FOREVER on metal and often cannot reach the smaller areas that a razor knife can.

5: a dremel is far too unwieldy and time consuming to be worthwhile for mass production cleaning.

6: cutting away as mentioned before affords far less control and often ends with cutting off too much of the model.

Leather glove for the hand holding the metal model.

I cut myself too many times not to wear a leather glove, now.

For plastic bits, I don't bother with gloves since you don't have to press too hard.