How to Know Pin Marks Are Sanded Down **SMOOTH and FLUSH?**

Cenebar · Post by **Cenebar** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:10 pm

I sand off pin marks down to what my finger and eyes see as smooth and flush, but when I prime, I see that I didn't sand them down flush enough. So I sand off the primer and the marks again, but I can't tell if they're totally flush or not.

Is there a method to know that the pin marks are smooth and flush before I spray primer? Would handbrushing a layer of paint work?

Thanks.

Umi_Ryuzuki · Post by **Umi_Ryuzuki** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:33 pm

That is exactly what sandable primer is for.

You are doing it correctly.

Whiteraven_2001 · Post by **Whiteraven_2001** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:23 pm

I read somewhere that the best way to check is to paint the questionable area with silver paint. It apparently makes any problems obvious.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:56 am

You may try using a finer grit sandpaper. I do this so that it imparts a bit of shine or "polish" to the area of primer being sanded. This allows you better eyeballing of the area.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

Cenebar · Post by **Cenebar** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:16 am

Actually, I meant sprue marks

.

Does the saying, "Sand it down until you don't see it anymore" true?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 1:15 pm

Two words... Sanding Sticks.

Yes those items made by Squadron or Flex-i-File that look like color coated emory boards and come in multiple grits. Why? Well the semi-soft flat surface enables one to sand the sprue marks flat and then polish them to a gloss finish. One look at the highlight will tell you if you've gone far enough.

Cenebar · Post by **Cenebar** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:36 pm

Yep, I use the sanding sticks. I sand the sprue marks flat, but I still see them, which kind of makes me wonder if I need to sand them down until they totally disappear.

To do so makes me wonder if I've gone too far and lost detail, not to mention one side with the sprue mark will be lower than the other side without a sprue mark.

Sanding again after priming's not too bad as long as one doesn't prime over so much detail.

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 5:10 pm

A lot of times you'll see marks in the plastic, even though it's smooth...it can be a stress point where the sprue connected. You won't notice it after it's primed.

Dan

Stu Pidasso · Post by **Stu Pidasso** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:35 am

Sanding doesn't bother me at all.

It's filling in those stupid exposed ejector pin marks that I hate.

DasPhule · Post by **DasPhule** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:27 pm

I recently devised a way to hide the knockout pin marks that works great for mecha. Turn em into screw heads! A simple swipe of the scriber (I use a graver) to engrave one line across te circle and tada! it's a screw head.

Erin
<*>

Cenebar · Post by **Cenebar** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 10:57 pm

I sanded down the sprue marks and reprimed...couldn't think of any better method or shortcut.

I got everything smooth the second time around.

Sometimes I just have to work to make it right.

.

Zen-Builder · Post by **Zen-Builder** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:02 pm

For raised ejector marks, nothing helps than sanding them down.

For recessed ejector marks you can either fill them with putty or a punched out disc from sheet styrene and than sand them down.

Nasty ones are the ones located in a curve of the body, etc.

Sometimes it takes multiple passes of putty and sanding.

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How to Know Pin Marks Are Sanded Down SMOOTH and FLUSH?

How to Know Pin Marks Are Sanded Down SMOOTH and FLUSH?