1/72 plastic mould lines

[keeper]

As some of you already know, I've been painting quite a few 1/72 plastics of late, which are, to say the least, variable in quality.  Especially when you're double-cheap like me and are picking lots of older stuff up off ebay

Quite a few of the older plastic soldiers have mould lines which vary from just bin it though carve and pray and not too bad to no mould lines at all!! Is this really plastic?.

The trying ones are the not too bad mould lines.  I really don't know how to remove them cleanly.  I've tried using a very sharp modelling knife, which produces so-so results, but I'd like something better.  I've tried various files, but they're bugger all use to be honest.  The only thing I know I haven't tried is heat.  Should I try this?  Anyone got any advice?

I know some people will say - move to 20mm metal.  Which is what I intend to do over time - but I wanted some forces on the table quickly, and then paint some decent ones later.

[Mad Carew Snr]

I've bought some 20mm metal figures recently, and to be honest they vary alot in quality as well! I've also noticed that more recent 1/72nd plastic figures are bigger than they used to be -they're more like 25mm figures.

[Orctrader]

...Anyone got any advice?

...move to metal. 

 

[keeper]

Yeah, I know what you mean, J.  The last section I finished was some very old 8th Army Airfix figures, painted as 1938 socialist militia.  And to be honest, they're about the right size to be compatible with some old metal 25mm fantasy skeletons.

[Mad Carew Snr]

Imex make really nice plastic figures but they are HUGE in comprison with many other manufacturers - their US "Pioneers" make great generic agricultural/countryside citizens, but they tower over, for example, old Airfix figures

[Backyardpatrol]

The soft plastic stuff, airfix, etc I just live with. A very sharp knife to remove the over flow is about the only thing, our club even tried using a hot knife!
The newer stuff by pegasus and Hat is pretty good at casting the figures where the lines can't be seen and have separate heads.
I say try to live with it.
And BTW metal has just as much flash as plastic, but it's much more easy to remove/repair.

[Cosmotiger]

I don't recommend heat, myself. I've tried a hot knife, and it's too easy to melt the detail off.  Perhaps if you have a lot of figures to practice on, it could work ... 

I haven't found anything better than a very sharp blade.  Get a bulk pack of X-acto blades, and replace them often. 

[Mad Carew Snr]

Just out of interest, here is a height comparison on some (unfinished!) plastic figures that are nominally 1/72nd - the left hand female pioneer is by Imex, the right hand is from the old Airfix Wagon Train set



The same applies to the two female child figures on the left and male figures on the right

[myincubliss]

Someone on here (apologies, I forget who) suggested sticking a paperclip into an impromptu handle (a cork or somesuch), heating it and using it to 'iron' off the mould lines...

[archangel1]

Be careful when comparing Airfix '1/72' scale figures to other brands.  They're not - they're 1/76 (OO) scale.  I don't know why Airfix is trying to pass off all their old figures and military models as 1/72 when they clearly are not.  It was even worse when they used to market their figures as HO/OO.  HO's 1/87 is nowhere near 1/76!

[keeper]

I know exactly what you mean archangel1   In searching ebay, I've found the whole range of 1/72, 1/76 and 1/87 listed as HO/OO - I even saw a chinese chap listing 1/100 as suitable for OO, and I know they certainly aren't, as I've got a bunch of 1/100 railway plastics figures for use as 15mm zombies!

I know in the wargaming community some people get uptight over the difference between scale and size.  In the outside world some people seem to have a problem with the concept of scale at all!

Still, on a lighter note, I've just posted up what I did manage to do with 20 of this type of figure ... http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=10255.msg117938;topicseen#new

[Mr. Peabody]

The newer stuff by pegasus and Hat is pretty good at casting the figures where the lines can't be seen and have separate heads.
I say try to live with it.
And BTW metal has just as much flash as plastic, but it's much more easy to remove/repair.

What he said.

Having recently added some SHQ and RAFM 20mm metals to my plastics by Pegasus and Italeri and Revell (the last two are both Esci reissues) I would say that I'm happier with the detail on the plastics overall.

Sure I can cut and file away on the metal while plastic is generally a bit too delicate to do much with other than perhaps conversions, but overall, once they are down on the table it is pretty hard to pick out any flash problems anyhow.

The Esci reissues from Italeri and Revell that I have used have been so inexpensive that I would have no hesitation to skip a 'problem' figure if there was one. I can't say that for the metal 20mm I have bought so far. Most of these have been special types; vehicle crews, pilots, command and weapons teams that aren't amongst the generic troops of the plastics. These particular metal figures have come dearer and often had very soft detail or significant flash.

[Mad Carew Snr]

Still, on a lighter note, I've just posted up what I did manage to do with 20 of this type of figure ... http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=10255.msg117938;topicseen#new

Nice idea that