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My time tested method has always been a good set of files and a lot of time and patience. Recently I was introduced to a new method and I want to share it here.

The first image shows the tools needed.



The bottle is Tenax-7R. It is called a Plastic Welder.
The brush is a trusty addition from the 79 cent bin at Micheal's.

Before we begin I STRONGLY suggest purchasing a separate brush for the Tenax. This brush is for this sole item only due to the properties of the Tenax. Accidental usage of this brush to paint will ruin plastic models. You have been warned.

Next we have the new sprue.


This is the DA Upgrade sprue, robed legs.

To use the Tenax simply dip the brush into the jar and apply it in one direction across the mold line, careful not to get brush strokes in the plastic. Yes, this melts the plastic for a few moments and can build up on the brush if it is left in contact with the plastic.

Depending on the height of the mold line, it may take a few passes for it to "melt" away.

Here is the same sprue after a few passes.


Yes the camera angle has changed due to it being held by me. Notice the stark difference of the two images. This technique saves me a lot of time and dust.

The following are a few more images of what the product does.

So you used plastic glue to melt mouldlines?
Ingenius, well done

It's a clever idea, but I'm not seeing how it would be any less work than just filing them off.

Brilliant!

insaniak wrote:It's a clever idea, but I'm not seeing how it would be any less work than just filing them off.

Don't files get clogged? He does say in the post that it saves him from the dust.

But he says the plastic also melts and gets stuck in the brush .

Not to mention the fume ( exterminatus on brain cells )

good idea effective and time saving. Thanks for the post I will be sure to use this.

The plastic only gets into the brush if you do not use single strokes.

I would dearly love this to work as mould line removal (both dust and texture issues) are my biggest beef with plastic models. Has anyone else tried this with success, or are there any other things that need to be considered. I imagine that this might not work too well on heavily textured things like piping or fur, and anything that has offset moulds might not work compared to being shaped with a knife, but does anyone have any direct experience of these issues? I would try it myself but am away from my models for the next 2 weeks so more information is very welcome!

I have used this method on my Nurgle Chaos Mortals army, and have had no problems with the fur on all of them.

I have used this for those hard to clean areas like fur and skelly ribcages.

Would make mould line removal on areas like hands easier if it didn't melt the detail off. Is the Tenex like a liquid or is it more like the Testors plastic glue in consistency?

It is a liquid.

insaniak wrote:It's a clever idea, but I'm not seeing how it would be any less work than just filing them off.

It's about the same amount of work really, but the advantage is that you can "melt" moldlines in areas of models where you can't reach with a file or knife.

Where do we get this stuff?

i usually just scrape with the back edge of an xacto blade

Tenax is generally available at most hobby stores.

Any chance of some detailed photos of the label/active ingredients so that we can find equivalent products? I've not seen that particular product before but wonder if I have anything identical in my cupboards.

No problem. I will take some and get them up.

Edit.

Upon reading the label, I cant find a single active ingredient. I will get the whole label up anyways.

Asked for and recieved.

Thanks for that, now I know what to look for

Whoa, that's some serious stuff Looks like a great idea! Thanks for the pics and the walkthrough

I want more examples on detailed areas...

-J.

Interesting, so is the consensus that any plastic glue would work the same? I hate mold lines, if this works well it has to be better than filing away on mini after mini. Maybe I'm old, but after filing a dozen or so marines-my hands are all cramped up. I welcome a new technique.

I have just tried this with my Humbrol Liquid Poly cement and it worked quite well (I normally favour a combination of scalpel blade and needle file for removing mould lines). I am a true 'tightwad' Yorkshireman so I wouldn't use this technique as the sole solution to removing plastic mould-lines and having the glue bottle open for long periods of time will not only cause evaporation but give you a stonkin' headache to boot.

The technique is definitely useful for hard to reach areas though and a welcome addition to my repertoire, so a big thumbs up to InquisitorFabius for bringing us this handy tutorial, well done.


KNOW YOUR GLUE
Just as a matter of interest...most liquid poly/plastic weld products are Dichloromethane (pronounced Di - Cloro - Methane) based or a derivitive of it. Basically if it smells a bit sickly sweet pear-droppy and makes your eyes water and head pound after using it too much you have the right stuff...needless to say...use in a well ventilated area and if you can't, using organic vapor cartridges attached to a half face respirator will help keep your brain cells alive and kicking.

I've got enough brain cells, I usually try to kill as many as I can in one go.

jabbakahut wrote:I've got enough brain cells, I usually try to kill as many as I can in one go.

I was always taught that if you do something, do it right!

-J.

I know this topic has been inactive for a bit, but I have a bit of input.

My friend does this with most of his big mold lines. It appears to work really well, even on areas like hands. Apply the stuff as lightly as possible to get the most control. I personally use files because I can actually finish a box faster than my friend can. My building and painting methods are pretty production line, so I like to avoid any mishaps beyond my own mistakes. If you are good with files there is really no need to do this (it smells pretty bad as well).

"Note"
Clean your files with some paint thinner and a small brush (goggles are advisable for this). Pewter tends to wreck files over a period of a month or two of heavy use; there is no way I know of to avoid this.

Wrexasaur wrote:
"Note"
Clean your files with some paint thinner and a small brush (goggles are advisable for this). Pewter tends to wreck files over a period of a month or two of heavy use; there is no way I know of to avoid this.

Use a fine wire brush (like the kind used for cleaning spark plugs)...this will clean your files up just fine!

i like the toutorial , saves me from a lot of SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH in my vaccum cleaner

One question though :

I already used up all my spare braincells trying too use purified acetone for stripping my models in an non air condition place , does this one use up the ones i need ?

I've used this process for years it works very well. I stiff brush works best as does brushing perpendicular to the mold line.

In my opinion this method works best for heavily textured areas that have mold lines. Stuff like tubes, fur, wrinkled skin, and rib cages.

Use only Tenax 7R or Ambroid ProWeld as they are the thinnest plastic glues on the market. What makes this work so well is how quickly both these glues evaporate. This lets you precisely control the exact amount of mold line removed.

I use this method in combination with files, and Xacto knives. You can also smooth out a roughly filed area with a thin coat, and easily fill gaps in plastic models with a few passes.