What is an effective way to remove delicate plastic parts from larger sprues & their branches when an X-acto knife cannot easily cut through the relatively "thick" branches?
Thanks!
Tom B
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There is a special device called a sprue cutter than cuts cleanly. It looks kind of like pliers. I believe Micro Mark carries it.
As a plastic kit builder too....I have need for this often. I keep a good pair of wire cutters on my desk. I cut the entire area free then cut again and again until all I am left with is the gates (the plastic between the part and the sprue runner) I can then go in with a new x-acto and trim the part off.....or cut again with my wire cutters.
There are a number of 'sprue cutters' on the market....but a $4 set of wire cutters work as well to me..
If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area, check there for the sprue cutter this is where I bough mine a while back. It works like a charm, also you can save 40% off any one item in the store if you print a coupon from there website!!
Jeff
Originally Posted by AMCDave:
As a plastic kit builder too....I have need for this often. I keep a good pair of wire cutters on my desk. I cut the entire area free then cut again and again until all I am left with is the gates (the plastic between the part and the sprue runner) I can then go in with a new x-acto and trim the part off.....or cut again with my wire cutters.
AMCDave - Thanks for the technique. Cutting up the sprue & large runners to get to the parts was the key for me. After that, an X-acto knife seems to work, although I've still "launched" & lost some small parts off of the workbench.
Tom B
One of our customers swore by his technique...heating a #11 blade briefly in a flame (he lights a candle when he's doing this step) and then cutting the gate. He claimed the heat helps to locally soften the gate area as he cuts...easier, less damage, faster, etc.
Then, he discovered this tool...
...which he uses instead of the blade/flame for sprue cutting, among other appropriate hot knife tasks.
Me? I use this tool...
...which is available from MicroMark...but I got mine years ago from Intermountain when they were much more into kits, rather than RTR. Same thing.
Zona and Testors also sell sprue cutters. I'm sure more than a handful of other gizmos are out there, too.
FWIW...
KD
Originally Posted by boxcoupler:
AMCDave - Thanks for the technique. Cutting up the sprue & large runners to get to the parts was the key for me. After that, an X-acto knife seems to work, although I've still "launched" & lost some small parts off of the workbench.
Tom B
For smaller....vital parts....I will place the sprue and part in a clear plastic bag and cut the part off through the bag....if it does fly....I have it trapped! I've also applied masking tape to the part to keep it in play!!!
Razor saw to remove part from tree
X-acto knife to trim sprue
Fine sandpaper for final clean up
Ready to assemble.
I bought a small pair of spring loaded diagonal wire cutters at Dollar Tree in their craft section. They do a great job at tasks like this.What a bargain for a buck!!!
Mike
Mike
Originally Posted by AMCDave:
For smaller....vital parts....I will place the sprue and part in a clear plastic bag and cut the part off through the bag.... I've also applied masking tape to the part to keep it in play!!!
I've done both, too. The plastic bad work really well when you have a bunch of very small parts to take off one after the other. At the end they are all in the plastic bag and you just pour them out.
