Getting rid of those “nubs”
May 5, 2008 – 7:59 am Posted in Gundam Models“Nubs” are those little bumps left over from the runner.
For those who don’t know what a runner is, a runner is the frame that holds all the parts that you have to snip out from. I really have no clue why it is called a runner, but who cares!
Back to the point. Everyone has their own technique. Some people like to use the wet sanding method, and some people like to do dry sanding method. If you want my recommendation, I would say go with the wet sanding.
Here are some of the reasons why I recommend wet sanding.
- You don’t need a mask, because the water will hold all of the plastic.
- You don’t have to worry about roughing up the areas that you aren’t trying to sand.
Now, you can’t just use normal paper to wet sand. You need to buy it online or at your local hobby store. I, myself, use Tamiya Finish Abrasives. When buying sand paper, there are different grits to choose from. For example, 1000, 600, 400, etc.. 400 is used for bringing that nub down. 1000 is usually used for polishing. The higher the number, the finer the sanding. This is what I normally do, I use 400 to get that nub down, then 600 to clean it up a bit and 1000 to polish it, so it looks sexy. If you do decide to buy from Tamiya and you want follow my method, I would suggest buying the assortment pack. The pack consists of two 1000 sheets, one 600 sheet, and two 400 sheets.
3 Responses to “Getting rid of those “nubs””
Would love to see your finished product of your gundam!
I’m a fan!
By Bryson on May 15, 2008
before i was just using scissors to cut the sprues from the runners (sorry im not the familiar also with the terms they use)….
but now im using a Testor sprue cutter, it has shearing cutting action so it always do a good job, minimal sanding afterwards…
I use a steel file and sandpaper to smoothen the surface…
but i noticed that if u smoothen it, the color will fade so a problem if u have no plans of painting it…
By Athrun on May 18, 2008
Once in a while , when u get lazy and try to cut the nub or sand to much and have a dent in the model, try using putty and fill in that spot and use and index card or something to scrape off the excess, it does wonders.
Also for all u guys who sometimes cut off pieces like the antennas by accident, there is a good way to fix them without buying a new set(Cuz its F—ing expensive). Take that piece and superglue it together.Then take som putty and smooth it over the piece. Get ride of all excess and gently sand it. Then prime and paint. Trust me, you wont notice a difference.
By Larry on May 23, 2008