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Hi all,

I've recently picked up some Dark Vengeance space marine models and must have been unlucky as they had really bad mould lines. Do you guys find simply removing with a craft knife is enough, or do you get better results with a dedicated tool like the one GW sell?

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Citadel-Mouldline-Remover

I found some of the areas hard to reach with a craft knife, but it doesn't look like using that tool will be any easier!

cheers,
Matt.

Personally, i just use a hobby knife, and that works just fine! The GW mouldline remover seems to me like a tool created for a job another could do just as well.

In order of how I do it;

Good clippers
Hobby knife
diamond file or regular file
hobby knife
emery board
800+ sandpaper

The mould line remover is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen, but folks that I respect quite a lot swear by it, so your mileage may vary.

Most of my mould line routine is just scraping with the back of a knife, angled at about 45 degrees and scrape gently along the mould line to remove it. It's better to do a couple of light quick passes instead of one heavy pass. That way if it's a curved surface you can carve the curve back in to the model rather than creating a flat spot where the mould line was. It helps to use a good stiff knife, if the knife isn't stiff it'll tend to judder over the surface. I once bought a really cheap knife (I think it was a couple of dollars for a handle and a bunch of blades) and they were so floppy that it made mould line removal much harder.

I find on small parts that's good enough. On large parts like vehicles, I'll also crack out some sand paper, but that's because on those big surfaces a small imperfection will stand out more so it's worth taking the time. Typically just 1000 grit to remove flaws and finish off with some 2000 to make sure there's no visible scratches once it's painted.

Personally I've never really liked files, maybe I just have never bought a "good" set, but all the files I've tried don't really fill a niche that isn't filled better by the knives or the sand paper.

As long as your knife is stiff enough I don't really see a benefit to a dedicated mould line removal tool, though I haven't tried GW's one, and at $19AUD for what amounts to a shaped piece of metal, I don't think I ever will try it

File type (diamond grit, single/double cut steel, etc.), shape, and quality make a huge difference in terms of application, control, feel, and final finish. You may simply have a preferred method, Skink, or you might just not know what you're missing. Either way, if you're comfortable and successful with what you're doing (this goes for the OP, as well), there's no need to try and force change... especially if it means buying new tools!

Personally, I use the ubiquitous #11 X-acto blade (the cutting edge - never been a fan of using the back) for... oh, probably 85-90% of mold line removal. That said, while there's a tool for every job, you can frequently make do with something else. Most of the models I work on that need cleanup are rank and file plastics. A knife will do a good enough job in a relatively short amount of time. More elaborate/problematic sculpts, different materials (white metal, restic, etc.), different levels of care (i.e. display piece vs. game counter), etc. cause me issues that the old #11 just can't adequately address. Those cases call for other tools that I happen to have at my disposal. If warranted, I'll use files, gravers, DIY card scrapers (just need some moderately hard - ideally spring - sheet steel, a good file, and a dedicated or DIY burnisher to make one), sanding sticks, manicurist's nail buffers, or whatever else can do what the knife can't (or at least does it better).

Something like the GW scraper won't do much that a blade can't - it might do it better, for all I know, but it's a similar enough shape being used in the same way. If you find the blade lacking (for certain tasks, at least), I'd look for a tool more fundamentally different. You don't need to refine the scraping process - you need to attack the broader mold-line removal process from a different angle.

For plastics, I'd say 98% of the time I use the back of my hobby knife, and a file only for things like grooves/vents.

Mould lines are one of the main reason I prefer plastic over metal... Trying to remove mould lines from the armour lacing of a white metal samurai model is time better spent doing nearly anything else.

I have the GW mould line remover, a regular xacto, small files, smaller files, sandpaper and those lovely Tamiya (I think) sanding sticks

I use them all, but typically I use the xacto the most, then the sanding stick and then maybe sandpaper - entirely dependant upon what I'm actually doing, where the mould line is and how I can get to it.

I do use and like the mould line remover (aka deburring tool) but I also got it on sale ^_^ so I spent a lot less for it than GW sells it for on their site.

It's a nice tool, it fits the hand very well, is comfortable to use, works very well and the blade doesn't wear out. And sometimes you want something a little shorter, but stronger, not as flexible as an xacto for instance, to get in places or get a mould line off.

There are cheaper deburring tools on amazon tbh.

So, overall: if you have the cash, why not? If you don't, it's easily lived without, honestly.

I highly recommend those sanding sticks btw, very useful in a lot of applications.

As kb_lock wisely pointed out, if you lay the primer on thick enough, you don't have to worry about mold lines. (joking!)

I suggest small & hobby files, diamond files (like the GW ones) and an xacto blade for a lot of the mold line removal on the detail areas. For larger areas, like along the leg armor plates, or flat plates on armor, the mold line remover is indispensable.

The mold line remover is also a good investment if you build terrain, particularly of the GW sort, where there are mold lines that run laterally down a large piece of plastic.

It's worth mentioning that regular files have teeth that work in a back-and-forth direction (perpendicular to the file), whereas a diamond file works like sandpaper (use in any direction). For a lot of tight spaces, a diamond file works really well. Plus, the fine GW diamond file is *really* fine and smooths out plastic really well.

Tamiya also makes a really nice, fancy plastic file that has special teeth that channel the bits of plastic out. It leaves a really nice finish, too, much smoother than most regular files.