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Ok you loverly lot as the title suggests is there anyone out there that enjoys taking the mould lines off minis????

I'm also looking for an easier way of doing it or a more interesting way of doing it to aliviate the bordom!! Any suggestions??

I hate it, it's the most boring part of building and painting. I have to be watching something or listening to music to do it. Cleaning the mould lines off 20-30 skeletons at a time is horrible!

Yeah worst part of the hobby, usually I just listen to youtube stuff to help pass the time.

My favorite part is when I remove all the mould lines and begin painting, and Hey There! Look, I missed one!

I hate mould lines so much. I'd pay heaps more to have models that don't have them, or I'd pay someone to remove them for me.

A couple of things I've ordered from FW didn't have mould lines on them. It blew my mind. I have no idea why they didn't pursue that manufacturing technique that was mould-line-less, must have been prohibitively expensive.

 Lint wrote:
My favorite part is when I remove all the mould lines and begin painting, and Hey There! Look, I missed one!

That's my favorite bit then having to remove it and patch up ergh

This probably makes me weird but I actually don't mind it. I do hate it when you realise you've missed one after starting to paint though!

I also don't really mind. I find it peaceful and relaxing. If it where convenient I could do it for others for a small fee

 granander wrote:
I also don't really mind. I find it peaceful and relaxing. If it where convenient I could do it for others for a small fee

Shut up and take my money.

I bought a dremmel tool to do it. I have a small fine file bit I put in and get most of the model that way. You might need a file to get into the tighter spots but the dremmel tool at least makes it seem easier.

I kind of enjoy it. It's a task where you see your progress, and that's perfect for sitting on the couch pretending to be interested in whatever show your wife wants to watch.

It's just part of the process. I find it no more tedious or relaxing than painting or assembly and tackle it exactly the same way - piecemeal, while listening to music, usually taking frequent breaks for gaming, surfing the net, or tackling household tasks.

Hate it.
I used to find it quite cathartic. I used to enjoy it when I could do 20 left arms, 20 right arms and 20 heads zombie fashion.

The process is made far harder these days when arms/legs/bits are specific to one another.
Now, when the pieces are suited and certain helmets/hairpieces match certain heads, its just a chore.

Anything that makes my mini's better is worth it. The real pain is when you've discovered you missed one, or two! :(

Its washing resin I hate. I don't mind mold lines so much...unless I look up at the tv and cut the flipping model and have to get out the green stuff. Then I get mad. Gggrrrr.

Washing resin is jet terrible, premium product and you have to flipping scub the blnkin stuff several times. Crazy.

Start with Dexter Season 1 Episode 1 and just settle into a zone.

I like removing them, and its actually something to do when bored personally XD I don't mind removing them really, its just part of the process and its worth it in the end too lol.

 Zygrot24 wrote:

 granander wrote:
I also don't really mind. I find it peaceful and relaxing. If it where convenient I could do it for others for a small fee

Shut up and take my money.

Hehe, unfortunately I live a little too far away. Shipping would be a pain. But out of curiosity, what would it be worth to get moldlines removed properly?

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
I hate mould lines so much. I'd pay heaps more to have models that don't have them, or I'd pay someone to remove them for me.

A couple of things I've ordered from FW didn't have mould lines on them. It blew my mind. I have no idea why they didn't pursue that manufacturing technique that was mould-line-less, must have been prohibitively expensive.

That is what is suppose to happen, that is what quality is suppose to enforce. They don't have to do that in this H-H-H Hobby because the consumer is conditioned to remove it for them.

 BunkerBob wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
I hate mould lines so much. I'd pay heaps more to have models that don't have them, or I'd pay someone to remove them for me.

A couple of things I've ordered from FW didn't have mould lines on them. It blew my mind. I have no idea why they didn't pursue that manufacturing technique that was mould-line-less, must have been prohibitively expensive.

That is what is suppose to happen, that is what quality is suppose to enforce. They don't have to do that in this H-H-H Hobby because the consumer is conditioned to remove it for them.

Mold lines are just a part of casting mate. Seriously, you go and figure out how to cast a figure for mass distribution with as much detail as well any average GW kit ; sure there's a couple of lemons in the range

That said they're easily the worst part of the hobby! If GW did it as part of producing a premium product, it would go a long way to making their r.r.p justifiable. Look towarrds high quality precision engineered metal things; they actually have a 'de-burr and clean up' department in the places that make them. (aswell as a quality inspector that has to pass every batch of parts tot he standards ordered by the customer)
This 'de-burring' process isnt strictly necessary, and often just makes a part look prettier and a bit nicer to handle, most times it doesnt really affect the functionality of the parts but they remove it anyway becasue it makes them seem more professional. GW clearly do not have anything akin to this; if they had a Quality Inspector, then finecast wouldnt have made it out the door and youd never see a misaligned casting being sold. They talk a big game about being a premium product but in reality they have a lot to learn about product quality and quality control procedures during manufacture and should probably look at the real premium item markets rather than just assuming theyre in one lol!

I love mold lines like a good bikini line...

Warmonger2757 wrote:
I bought a dremmel tool to do it. I have a small fine file bit I put in and get most of the model that way. You might need a file to get into the tighter spots but the dremmel tool at least makes it seem easier.

I lie that idea very much now I must find said tool ...

HairySticks wrote:

 BunkerBob wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
I hate mould lines so much. I'd pay heaps more to have models that don't have them, or I'd pay someone to remove them for me.

A couple of things I've ordered from FW didn't have mould lines on them. It blew my mind. I have no idea why they didn't pursue that manufacturing technique that was mould-line-less, must have been prohibitively expensive.

That is what is suppose to happen, that is what quality is suppose to enforce. They don't have to do that in this H-H-H Hobby because the consumer is conditioned to remove it for them.

Mold lines are just a part of casting mate. Seriously, you go and figure out how to cast a figure for mass distribution with as much detail as well any average GW kit ; sure there's a couple of lemons in the range

Well a couple of FW things I bought had a much more yellowy resin and no mould lines. Not "smaller mould lines", not "less noticeable mould lines", they had NO mould lines. I don't know how they were created but I love them, lol. The Aeronautica Imperialis Thunderhawk transporter I have (the one with the land raider) is quite amazing. No mould lines and somehow the inside of the model where the land raider sits is well detailed even though it's one part, I have no idea how it was made, maybe a 3 or 4 part mould?

I imagine they were experimenting with a new material or new method that turned out too expensive, I dunno, but it was nice to assemble it with no mould lines to clean.

If they were casting with a 1piece 'sock' type of mold then yes, no mold lines is possible.
I'm no casting and mold making expert (actually very little experience with this) but most of the figures made by GW and FW wouldnt suit this kind of molding because of undercuts and general awkward shapes.

However if they are casting with 2 part molds (more likely) they either had the best fitting molds ever seen for those pieces you have or just got it perfect that time. Once you apply mold release, and a few hundred thousand runs of wear and tear onto a mold then getting no mold lines is going to be pretty hard (the first few runs might be that good however?)

I dunno, this model has really big undercuts, and detailed undercuts. There's no way in hell you could make it from a 2 part solid mould and I think you'd struggle with a 2 part silicone mould as well. It also has resin sprues with guns and accessories on it, none of them have mould lines either. Maybe I just got lucky and it was one of the first ones they made, however it was a different resin to any other FW or GW model I made, it was yellowish and more stiff (not as easy to bend).

But yeah, huge undercuts on the thunderhawk transporter. This is a full scale one:

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/AlternativeFW/xlarge/Thawktgeneric1.jpg

But the hull of the aeronautica one is 1 piece and all that underside is very well detailed despite being obscured by the sides of the ship, so you'd have to flex the moulding about half an inch around a sharp edge to remove it.

Really no idea how they made it, I've never had a FW or GW model that had no mould lines AND had huge but very well detailed undercuts. But I'd love to know, lol.

I would gladly remove mold lines for anyone if they paid me. I have wayyyy too much time and I love working with my hands.

 JohnDoe1990 wrote:
I would gladly remove mold lines for anyone if they paid me. I have wayyyy too much time and I love working with my hands.

hehe you should start doing it then seems as if theres potential customers here on this thread.

If I could get the same wage as I get at my job for doing it, and consistent work then I think I'd rather be a mold line scraper than a warehouse monkey tbh. Even though its a horrible horrible task when part of the hobby, as an actual paying job its not the worst thing I can think of.

Honestly I don't hate it that much. Que up youtube and scrape away. Kind of calming.

Now, what I hate is buying pre-assembled ebay models in which the person didn't bother to remove mold lines before gluing everything.

So I hate not being able to reach all the mold lines I know are going to be visible. (looking at you ebay Mawloc :[ )

HairySticks wrote:

 JohnDoe1990 wrote:
I would gladly remove mold lines for anyone if they paid me. I have wayyyy too much time and I love working with my hands.

hehe you should start doing it then seems as if theres potential customers here on this thread.

If I could get the same wage as I get at my job for doing it, and consistent work then I think I'd rather be a mold line scraper than a warehouse monkey tbh. Even though its a horrible horrible task when part of the hobby, as an actual paying job its not the worst thing I can think of.

Well anyone who is interested can shoot me a PM and we can work out shipping and prices. I am bored!

Not I said the duck