Flexible straight edge

A quick search for Scribing Templates might get you what you're looking for.  The ones I have are photoetch and relatively flexible.

keavdog

A quick search for Scribing Templates might get you what you're looking for.  The ones I have are photoetch and relatively flexible.

 

That's exactly what I need. Thanks. 

Also, does anyone have recommended steps to scribe panel lines? I've been trying a variety of different methods with varying amount of success and still end up messing up my lines.

Reguarding scribing panel lines, don't get in a hurry. Everytime I try to quicken up the process my line goes astray. If I remember to take multiple LIGHT passes with the scriber then lines come out much better no matter which scribing tool I use. It helps me to view the experts do it on You Tube too, people like Paul Budzik.

Scribing has been a slow learning process for me, hope it goes better for you. Paul Budzik's vids are very helpful.

I want to recommend a scribing template from Verlinden, No. 0281 which has many useful shapes in 1/48 scale and is very finely etched and flexible. I bought mine on a clearance sale from (if I recall) Sprue Bros. It's a really useful tool, helps a whole lot.

Eduard makes some scribing templates which appear to be specific to shapes and sizes..don't know about them firsthand.

Happy modelling in 2018!

Mike 

Thanks for the info. I'll definately check out the videos and the templates.

I often find offers in the mail for a new credit card.  These usually come with a dummy credit card, usually plastic, though a bit thinner than the plastic in actual credit cards.  They are thin enough to bend if the curvature is not too much, yet thick enough to guide a knife or scalpel.  Also, I use them for glue pallets and drybrushing paint pallets.

Don Stauffer

I often find offers in the mail for a new credit card.  These usually come with a dummy credit card, usually plastic, though a bit thinner than the plastic in actual credit cards.  They are thin enough to bend if the curvature is not too much, yet thick enough to guide a knife or scalpel.  Also, I use them for glue pallets and drybrushing paint pallets.

 

I have a ton of these and also use them as plastic sheet stock for scratch building. I sand off the gloss for proper glue bonding.

I also have several Verlinden scribing template sets and are very useful. Scribing takes a lot of patience and a VERY light hand. 

 For a flexible ruler that will conform to curved surfaces get a cheap tape measure where the actual tape measure is made of a flexible metal.  Try to find one of the mini ones where the tape measure is usually only 1/4 in wide.

Open up the case, remove the coiled up tape measure and cut it into various lengths, short and long.  You will only need a few sections so save the remainder of the coil for other purposes.

I have the perfect solution. I have been using this for three years to apply rivets and for cutting Bare Metal Foil. I use my old plastic lettering template from College. It is a thin and VERY flexible plastic strip. It bends very easy and it can be cut to maker smaller straight edges of various shapes. You can buy it on the Internet for about $7.00. It is an essential tool for making straight cuts and straight lines of rivets on curved surfaces. I could not have put rivets on my B-29 without this simple tool.

That template looks like it works very well. I have a similar solution however for less $.   I bought a 6" flexible ruler at an office supply store for a buck.  It's made from very thin plastic like your template and does the job well.

That seems like a good solution.

I just use a strip of styrene sheet ... like .020" ... if you want to hold it in place, just use masking tape on one side.  I'm doing the same thing with a thin strip of brass in my video on scribing here:

Paul

UMM has great scribing tools.  I think this might be what you're looking for if I read your post correctly:

Flexible Scribing Rule

Here's a link to all of the scribing tools:

UMM Scribing Tools

Paul Budzik

I just use a strip of styrene sheet ... like .020" ... if you want to hold it in place, just use masking tape on one side.  I'm doing the same thing with a thin strip of brass in my video on scribing here:

 

Paul

 

John

That just may be the thing to help do invasion stripes on fuselages and wings. Thanks for the idea!

Fly-n-hi

UMM has great scribing tools.  I think this might be what you're looking for if I read your post correctly:

Flexible Scribing Rule

Here's a link to all of the scribing tools:

UMM Scribing Tools

 

I second UMM's tools. I just received a JLC saw and I love it for panel lines. I use the saw with enough passes to just create the line, and then lightly go over 2 times with my scriber, sand the raised plastic with 1000 grit sandpaper and Tamiya extra thin cement to clear out the residual plastic. I'm still practicing myself, but I'm improving, I go too deep. 

7474

 

I second UMM's tools. I just received a JLC saw and I love it for panel lines. I use the saw with enough passes to just create the line, and then lightly go over 2 times with my scriber, sand the raised plastic with 1000 grit sandpaper and Tamiya extra thin cement to clear out the residual plastic. I'm still practicing myself, but I'm improving, I go too deep. 

Those JLC saws are so nice.  Its one of my "can't live without" tools...