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My main problem seems to flash. I put together figures and often it is difficult to get the flash off. I usually scape with a knife, however, sometimes I need to sand. I can't find a small, thin, fine (800+ grit) grit file that can get into tight places. I have looked everywhere and can't find something like this.

Any recommendation on where I can find something like this? I've tried Micro Mark with no luck.

I have been researching the best way to fill gaps on models and Aves Apoxie Sculpt came up. Seems like a lot of pro modelers use it. I wanted to get feedback on it. For those that have used it, do you recommend it for a good way to fill gaps? And is it easy to use?

For small gaps (<0.1mm) I use liquid green stuff.

Overhangs are best by filling the gap with some modelling putty (I use green stuff) so that there is excess putty. After the putty has dried I just cut the excess with a knife.

The best way to get small files is to make them yourself. Take suitable sandpaper and cut it to size. Then you just glue (super glue is best as it's fast drying and holds well) some sort of support (like a toothpick or plastic rod) which also serves as a handle. Voila.

Deja vu - what...

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/465940.page

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/435400.page

I think a bit of your problem is that you are looking for a magic tool which doesn't exist. Very few files will be much finer than 100 grit (diamond files get to around 200). Once you get above that - you are looking at sanding sticks, cord and similar items.

Once you remove the majority of it with a knife, a file will work fine - even a somewhat coarse cut metal file like those I linked to from Widget's or MicroMark (and to be perfectly honest...if they don't have it - it doesn't exist without moving into high dollar industrial and commercial tools). If there is something which is difficult to get at because of an awkward joint, I will sometimes take a bit of sand paper - slice off a section which is a few mm across and then with the miniature held in place in my vice use the sand paper a bit like a double sided saw with one end held in each hand. The make a variety of items already for that too (see the sanding section one level up from the files on Micromark).

The gap filling is another rehash. You see a lot of stuff being used by a lot of people for various reasons. Mostly the reason is force of habit or someone told them to. When it comes to gap filling on plastic figures and models - very few things ever match good old fashioned Squadron Green Putty.

http://www.micromark.com/squadron-green-putty-46-oz,6412.html

Easy to work, bonds to the plastic like solvent cements do, fairly cheap. If you need to use a lot - 3M Acryl Putties give you more bang for your buck.

Apoxie Sculpt, Procreate, old fashioned GS, Milliput are all A+B epoxy putties. The work well enough, but are better suited for sculpting than for blending and filling. One of the reasons is that since they do not bond to the plastic like the Squadron putty does - when you get to the edge of the feathering of a patch you are relying on the adhesive properties of the putty to the plastic.

On metal and resin, there is a lot more "tooth" for it to stick to, but the nature of injection plastics means that there isn't much for them to grab hold of. Combine that with the really thin layer of putty and you will often have flaking or other issues.

Unless there is something that requires it (having to resculpt details, add something or working with metals) I very rarely use epoxy putties for assembly. It isn't that they are bad - just that there are other things which are better. With proper gap filling putty - I can be on to the next step in 15-30 minutes. With an epoxy putty (take your pick) you really need to let it fully cure before you start sanding - that can mean an additional day, and cause a weekends modeling to be lost.

Not looking for a magic tool. Just a thin sanding stick. Doesn't seem all that complicated but I guess it must be a magic tool cause I can't find it ;-)

Yeah, micromark, widget, etc, tried em all. They don't have the correct grit of files. I have looked everywhere and can't find a fine grit sanding stick that will fit in small places. Maybe the best solution is gluing some sandpaper to a stick as illuknisaa suggested.

As for the Squadron, I have read it shrinks when drying and you have to put on multiple layers. A 100% solution probably does out exist, however, I have read many of the "pro" modelers use the Aves.

Like I said - the grit doesn't exist without going to high dollar commercial tools...and most of those have been replaced with power tools like Jeweler's points instead.

http://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Point-Abrasives-Jewelers-Polishing/dp/B000OVHVZW

They are a rubber material with an abrasive imbedded in them. Come in dozens of sizes, shapes and levels of coarseness. They are designed mostly for putting the final polish on things (everything else will use a diamond grit...which is down in the 100-200 range). You can shape them like an eraser too to make round ends, pointed ends and the like.

It is very rare for me to ever look to anything finer than my diamond files and a knife for working with plastic. The light scratches which are left are so fine that the primer coat hides them completely. 100 grit on a file is not the same as 100 grit on sand paper (well, it is - but the end result is different).

The squadron putty only shrinks if you apply a lot of it - and it is minimal shrinkage. Usually if you need that much - there is a different problem in play (like something wasn't assembled properly). Epoxy putties don't shrink as much, but they don't bond as well to plastic either.

If you want a smooth finish from file work, I'd get away from diamond grits - a decent single cut steel file leaves a significantly smoother surface (unless we're talking about specialty polishing products). They're also easier to keep in good working order, as the teeth can be cleared with a few swipes of a brass brush or steel file card, whereas diamond grit files tend to clog like sandpaper, which can be difficult to clear. If you're working with soft materials, mostly, and don't abuse them (like by "sawing," instead of only cutting on the push), a good file will last a lifetime or more. My best steel files leave a near-mirror finish on steel or white metal minis (one of which has seen decades of service - my dad used it on his model ships in the '70s and it still cuts like a dream), but even my cheaper double cut needle file set makes for cleaner work than its diamond grit cousins.

I found these on Scalehobbyist.com and they seem to work very well for me. Although the finest they go to is 400 Grit:



http://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Paint_and_Construction/FLX00000101/product.php?kw=sanding

oadie wrote:If you want a smooth finish from file work, I'd get away from diamond grits - a decent single cut steel file leaves a significantly smoother surface (unless we're talking about specialty polishing products). They're also easier to keep in good working order, as the teeth can be cleared with a few swipes of a brass brush or steel file card, whereas diamond grit files tend to clog like sandpaper, which can be difficult to clear. If you're working with soft materials, mostly, and don't abuse them (like by "sawing," instead of only cutting on the push), a good file will last a lifetime or more. My best steel files leave a near-mirror finish on steel or white metal minis (one of which has seen decades of service - my dad used it on his model ships in the '70s and it still cuts like a dream), but even my cheaper double cut needle file set makes for cleaner work than its diamond grit cousins.

I agree completely - the cut files and knife are what I use with few exceptions. The reason I pointed to the diamond files though was that he had been insistent about grit in the previous threads. Most flashing can be dealt with with a good old fashioned #11 X-acto blade. Some of the funky stuff may need a file, that is what I have found to work. I normally only use grit when I am grinding off things like resin gates which are big and brittle.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Digging to the bottom of my "draw of things which scratch" - I managed to find another option as well:

http://www.flex-i-file.com/flex-i-file.php

Bit like a bow saw which will hold sand paper. They have precut strips or you can cut your own. The Xtra fine is 600 grit.