Alignment pins, yeah right....

Hi Max!

It seems like I shave off the locator pins on about half of the kits I build. Sometimes it's just easier to do the aligning yourself. Like the old saying goes, if you want something done right do it yourself. I think that holds true in this case. So don't worry. You're not alone.

Eric

I shave some off on about every kit, sometimes one or two other times an entire assy. (fuse., wings, etc.) Your method of alignment is the same as mine so hopefully neither of is working too hard.

I use the dry fit, if it doesnt line up shave the pins off method. It works just fine!

I'm usually shaving the pins off kit parts too, replacing them with tabs made from bits of styrene strips.

The tabs allow for a bit of aligning movement to get it right, then when the glue goes on they make good strengthening bridges between the parts.

They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, I'm certain the manufacturers had the best of intentions with the idea of alignment pins, but sometimes those pins just make the kit Hell.

I usually take off the misalignment pins myself. I also use the styrene tab method, been working for me for 25 yrs. Why stop now?

Could you guys describe exactly what you do to form these tabs, this is a new thing to me, but I just got a kit yesterday as a gift that is far from being properly aligned. I was planning on just cutting the pins off, but this tab thing might be just what I need.

madda

Sounds interesting to me as well. I too would like to hear about the tab idea.
Dana

I use flat styrene stock and cut small tabs from it. Then glue them down to one half of the model, about where the pins were. Let them overhang the edge of the model where it works to hold the other half on. After you line everything up start gluin'.The tabs help line everything up and also help to strengthen the seam after gluing. Thats just my method.

I think I'll stick with my "Shave what doesn't fit, super glue, and then Scotch tape the tar out of it to help hold the seam" method. Alignment tabs can be such a pain sometimes, but on some kits (i.e. Tamiya) they line up every time. Dry fitting is the rule of the day.

demono69

I appreciate the imput from you all, I may give the tabs a shot sometime and see how that works for me; I feel like an Appalachian whittler the way I am shaving down high spots on my seams.

Dry fitting's the thing, if it doesn't go together, off with the pins and I always use styrene tabs if I've shaved the pins off. Once you've made a few vacforms it becomes second nature.

Anyone else here built the Matchbox Westland Wessex? They screwed up the design, put pins in both sides of the fuselage, so there was no choice but to shave them off.

For me, with the tabs, I usually start with a 1/4" wide strip of evergreen or Plastruct styrene and cut it into small square bits with a set of sprue nippers or side cutters, I try to keep them all a uniform size.

I then look at the parts I'm bringing together and decide where I can place the tabs so they will cause minimal interference and still be helpful in aligning things.

As Papalazerblue points out, this is old vac form modeling technique. I belive there was an article in FSM within the past couple of years written by a fellow in South America about building a vac form flying boat. He used the styrene tab method and outlines how it works in his article.

If you can find that article, it will tell you all you need to know to get the tab method working for you, theres not too much to know about it, its real simple stuff.

Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for the tips on the tabs, unfortunately, the kit that I need it on is a tie fighter advance and the angles where the sides meet are all about 45 degrees to each other. I don't think the tabs would work for it.

I had an idea just now though, what if I lined the parts up right, held a spot together and cut a narrow slot out of both halves at the same time. I'd do this a few times in areas of the hull with no detail to sand off. Then, when it came time to glue, I'd stick a tab of styrene longways into the pre-cut slot, flow some cement around the tab and the hull. When it dried, I'd whittle off the corners that would be sticking out, and then sand it flat with the surrounding hull. That way, I'd have a good alignment, but still be able to use some kind of a guide tab to keep it from slipping around, and I'd still have a good 45 degree angle where the halves meet. I think that might work nicely, but I'm not sure. I don't know that I even did a very good job explaining it here, but it's clear in my head. Anyone ever try something like this before?

madda

First, check out what's available in the way of styrene stock, both Evergreen and Plastruct carry a variety of plastic strips with various different cross sections to them. I routinely see styrene strips ready made with a 90 degree bend molded into them that runs the length of the strip. 45 degrees is a pretty commonly called for angle on things, so there may be similar strips in either Evergreen's or Plastruct's catalogs that have a 45 rather than 90 degree channel in them.

If you want to try the method you mentioned, I'd try it this way:

1. Line you parts up as you were planning to and secure them in that position.

2. Take a razor saw and make some cuts (not deeper than 1/4") along the parts junction perpendicular to the direction of the seam.

3. Take the components apart and wash the saw dust out of them so it isn't floating around inside the completed model.

4. Resecure the parts as you had them, using the cuts as a guide.

5. find some sheet styrene of a close width match to the saw cuts and paint it the interior colour or something suitably dark.

6. Cut the styrene into peices big enough that they will completely fill the cuts and leave some overhang.

7. Run a bead of medium thickness superglue along the junctions of the styrene chunks and the cuts they fill.

8. once its set, shave off the styrene overhangs and smooth it all out with the filler of your choice.

That should give you a much more secure join between parts than just shaving out a bit off the parts edges.

It's sort of like plywood, you know, strength being gained from multiple layers with their grains running in differing directions.

Hope thats helpful and that I was clear enough in my technique description.

Yep, that's basically what I had in mind, I have use of a professional dental handpiece at work, with a foot pedal to control the speed. I planned to take it to work, caliper the styrene stock, and make a cut just about 2/10 or so thicker than the stock. On the model, the cockpit is small and sealed off, so none of the inside would show, that's a bit bonus. I'll start looking for stock this weekent probably. Thanks fo rall the help.

madda