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Looking for a tip on how to handle this detail

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  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: Louisiana Gulf South
Posted by Mrchntmarine on Tuesday, January 4, 2022 5:27 PM

Yes, i think these too maught get "lost"....  But, i wanted to try and see how'd theyd come out.  Anyway, this little gun is kicking my rear.  Maybe because i took off so much time away from the bench.  Its tiny parts are getting to me a little.  But i know too that the eyes are getting tired and the fingers shaky, etc., etc.  And i hope im not making a mistake assemblying componets then priming then painting.  We'll see.  haha

Keep on modeling!

All the best,

William

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Monday, January 3, 2022 7:21 PM

OOOh Yes;

      The Bolt and Rivet conundrum! I finally went out and bought a set from a Model Rail Detail Parts firm that has them( Rivets, Nuts and Bolts )in five sizes. I cut them off with a GEM Single Edged Blade inside a Quart ZipLoc bag! That way you don't lose none of the pesky little things.

    My first run in with this kind of things WAS on the Trumpeter DickerMax. On Armor, which I only build occassionally, (just for me) I don't get that serious. For instance, if a ship has them I make them go away. After all, even in 1/350 or 1/200 how are you gonna see them anyway?

  • Member since
    June 2021
Posted by rocketman2000 on Friday, December 31, 2021 8:41 AM

The bolts I mentioned above include a stem so you can easily cut them free with an Xacto blade.  They are sold by a vendor that caters  to model railroad folks- found in the RR area of hobby shops.  They are tiny bolts (no thread), rather than just a head.  You can drill holes and mount the bolts in a hole, or cut the heads of at top of stem and glue them on flush.

I took mine out of the package so I don't know the brand.  I found them by googling dummy bolts for scale modelers.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Thursday, December 30, 2021 4:08 PM

Yeah, there are Maschinen Krieger kits that include a flat section of sprue with bolt heads molded on.  I use deep box or plastic container to work in, and slice the bolt heads off with a razor blade.  I did invest in an RP Toolz hex punch and die set, though, too.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: Louisiana Gulf South
Posted by Mrchntmarine on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 10:16 PM

well, here is where we are for now.  Here is the correct side with some new "bolts" cut....

Tks all - good tip too bill on the sprue shape and stretching - i dint know that either..

Keep on modeling!

All the best,

William

  • Member since
    June 2014
Posted by BrandonK on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 2:13 PM

I had a kit that had me shave off small rivits and apply them. It was not fun working with such small bits, but it did work and looked the part when done. It was a piece of armor too, I forget which one. I'm thinking is was the Trumpeter Dickermax.

BK

On the bench:

A lot !! And I mean A LOT!!

2024 Kits on deck / in process / completed   

                         14 / 5 / 2  

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  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 11:36 AM

So you one-upped the kit! Bolts have two ends, after all.

Side note- when you stretch sprue, the section of the stretched part keeps the same section as the original. So if you shape a piece of sprue to be a hexagon, and the then stretch it; the thinned part will also be a hexagon unless you really melt it.

 

Bill

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    June 2021
Posted by rocketman2000 on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 9:53 AM

There are afternarket vendors who sell dummy bold heads in a varity of sizes.  The heads are mounted on tiny cylinders, so you can easily cut them off the sprue.  If you can find the size you need, that is an easy way to handle bolts.  Also, if you are handy in cutting that cylinder a sixteenth or so, you can drill a tiny hole to make positioning more accurate when you glue it in place.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: Louisiana Gulf South
Posted by Mrchntmarine on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 9:53 PM

So it looks like i get to practice multiple methods....  haha.  i was able to shave them off and only lost 1.  Hoping that the manufacturer priovided some that would not be needed, i took off an extra.  I got them all on, see picture. 

THEN i discovered i glued them on the wrong darn side.  So, into the kits parts bin to find a tiny length of leftover and shaved a few pieces off and glued to the other side.  These will have to be sanded when dried.  We'll see.

 

Tks for the tips!!!   I really didnt think these would shave off so easily - while only loosing 1.

Keep on modeling!

All the best,

William

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 8:56 PM

Shaving off those little bolts will take a sharp razor and a steady hand.  Go slow and try to get all of the bolt (unlike my usual results of curly half-bolts).

I stink at doing this, so I have some round and hex punches which I use in lieu of actual skill.

But Pawel's idea works well too, as I have successfully used it.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    January 2020
  • From: Maryland
Posted by wpwar11 on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 8:50 PM

What an interesting idea.  Never seen a kit offer something like that before.  I would try to remove them with the razor idea.  Maybe use tape on the model as a guide so they will be straight and spaced properly.  

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • From: Poland
Posted by Pawel on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 7:12 PM

Hello!

Should any of them babies get lost or something like that you could take some hex rod (or stretched sprue in a pinch), cut some slices off of it with a sharp blade and glue those slices on with liquid glue. When the glue is completely dry you can file the ends of your "bolts" a little for neatness - the glue will hold if you do it gently.

I used this method for truck frame:

1:24 Mack RW Superliner by Pawel

All comments and critique welcomed. Thanks for your honest opinions!

www.vietnam.net.pl

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Towson MD
Posted by gregbale on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 6:29 PM

That's a really neat idea I've never seen before. Kudos to the manufacturer for providing that detail...although it seems it might have been easier just to mold them right onto the respective parts. Big Smile

Anyway, if you choose to use them, those bolts should 'shave off' quite easily (and cleanly) with a single-edge razor blade. It might almost be worth putting a piece of clear (see-through) cello tape on top first, then using the razor blade beneath that. It might reduce the likelihood of the tiny pieces pinging off into space.

Cheers

Greg

George Lewis:

"Every time you correct me on my grammar I love you a little fewer."
 
  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: Louisiana Gulf South
Looking for a tip on how to handle this detail
Posted by Mrchntmarine on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 5:50 PM

So im working on this 1/35 model and the directions say to cut out this piece of sprue then i guess trim off the bolt pieces???  Anyhow, it seems to me very unlikely ill be able to get these small nubs off - i havent tried yet  -  but looking for alternative ideas please.  Ive included a shot of the directions and the front and back of the sprue.  Im only guessing here - that im suppose to trim (shave) off the bolt pieces and not cut them out of the sprue.

Keep on modeling!

All the best,

William

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