removing stock from resin ship model

An upside down belt sander?? That is how a crude and lazy modeller like me would do it. But then, I'm not one for subtle technique either.

A 4-inch Craftsman Belt Sander,  mounted upside down in the bench vise.   That is my tool of choice too.    If I had a band saw, I'd work up a fixture to hold the hull perpendicular to the table  and go that route.

The sander creates a bunch of dust -- so use a particle mask.    Work slow to minimize heat buildup which can cause resin to warp.

   A belt sander will remove a lot of material, quickly........maybe too quickly. If you go that route, pay attention to how close you are getting to the waterline. Save the last little bit for a sheet of 150 grit sandpaper glued to a piece of particle board (or any other flat surface). Once the hull is ground down to the waterline, you can finish sand with sheets of fine grit paper on a flat surface, moving the hull in a circular pattern on the paper.

The easiest for me was to make a rough line just below where you intend to end and use a band saw.  It is not important to be too particular about the exactness.  Run it through slowly along the line.  Once the major portion is removed using a belt sander as previously described.  However, this only becomes necessary with larger models with excessive casting waste or molded full hulls you wish to convert to waterline displays.  Small sized ships with little flash should be only done with a sander.

 

My thanks to you all for the info. It makes doing my project much easier. Hank, Support The Troops