Help me fix these panel lines!

[tigeraid]

I completely fuxored the panel lines. This was my first time scoring my own panel lines, I tried my best to take my time with it, using first a sharp knife, then the back edge of a dull one, and then a scoring pick, but I just messed it right up, way too thick in some areas, wavy in others. The curve of the door looks half decent, but the lines of the rocker sills are toast.

So my question is a) can I use my Tamiya "Basic Putty" to fill these in reasonably well and b) when/if I do that, can I re-score the panel lines, and is there any trick to getting them smoothly?

[D_LaMz]

fill them up with putty then when dry, cut some styrene templates for the panels and use the templates to carve out the panel lines.

[hirofkd]

Don't use putty. You'll need a harder material with strong adhesion than putty. Fill the grooves with super glue. Apply light coat one at a time, let it dry, then add more in several steps until the grooves are completely filled. Use file and sand papers progressively from coarse to fine, then polish the sanded areas as you would do to clear coat. That should complete restore the smoothness.

[pre98zetec]

i'd try super glue as suggested but mix baby powder with it.. this will create a rock hard substance after it's dried.

[tigeraid]

k well I already did the putty before I read the replies, but it isn't filled in completely, so I'll put super glue in that.... we'll see how it goes :P

[bvia]

WHEW! I'd say stop everything and do the following. Either use Tamiya putty thinned with acetone, or create the same kind of thing by metling some slivers from the kit's sprue with some acetone. This will allow the replacement material to be the same consistency as the body.

Now, before you try this again, go directly to ScaleRaceCars/Hobby Export and get David's incredible PE scribers. This is one of those situations where the right tools make the job "easy".

hth,
Bill

[356speedster]

Originally Posted by bvia

This will allow the replacement material to be the same consistency as the body.

I think this is a good advice. I'm a novice at this, but this advice makes sence. If the filling is softer or harder than the rest of the body I belive the scriber will prefer to follow the softest route.

Just my toughts

[tigeraid]

Well I did the super glue thing and it does appear to be smoothing out nicely... I wonder if there's some kind of alternative to scribing to get the panel lines to stand out...

[drunken monkey]

scribing is the only way to go.
just don't skimp out on the two minutes it takes to securely fix on a guideline/rule and be patient.

[hirofkd]

Originally Posted by tigeraid

Well I did the super glue thing and it does appear to be smoothing out nicely... I wonder if there's some kind of alternative to scribing to get the panel lines to stand out...

A photo-etched saw can be used, instead. Technically you're scribing, but you scribe during the forward motion, instead of backward. If you pull a saw to carve a line, the filled material will come off, so it's like slowly push, push and push. Whatever tool you use, you'll still need a template. Do some practice on a scrap plastic to get the knack of it.

[tigeraid]

Right so about the template, how SHOULD I fix it to the door? I tried a ruler with my clamps and it still move around a bit... maybe glue one there temporarily? I'd have to re-finish the door if I did that though...