SPRUE CUTTERS UNION #37 – ESSENTIAL ASPECTS YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO CUT CORNERS ON DURING A BUILD

TAMIYA'S BRILLIANT 1:12 DUCATI PANIGALE GETTING THE SPA TREATMENT

Initial thoughts upon reading the topic post was to break it down into build categories: for automotive, having a glass-like finish for the body is priority or when building sci-fi subjects, adding that extra bit of scratch-built detail to bring that vehicle, that doesn’t even exist, to life/reality.

"What step do everyone of these plastic treasures receive?"

I then took a step back and asked myself "What step do everyone of these plastic treasures receive?" and then it struck me like a piece of flying styrene shrapnel. They all get the spa treatment. It doesn’t matter the subject I’m working on or the scale, but no cutters will touch a single sprue, nor a file to any plastic until everything has received a proper bath. That’s right, everything gets washed first. 

It’s actually pretty therapeutic, as I get to examine every part on every sprue. They usually get a nice soak in a warm detergent bath and then everything gets a thorough toothbrush scrub down, followed by a good rinse and then air dried. 

Seeing all the sprues laid out only increases the anticipation but it’s well worth the wait. Having a clean surface means every piece will have a stronger bond when glued and paint will adhere properly. Sometimes I’ll only wash a few sprues
at a time, so will mark those with a ‘W’. Bonus: you’ll really get to know the kit’s content and perhaps even foresee
any problems.

"You’ll really get to know the kit’s content and perhaps even foresee any problems." 

All this combined means you’ll have a smoother, and thus more enjoyable build. And isn’t that one of the reasons we partake in this hobby, for the sheer pleasure of building. Though, if the missus notices your scrubbing skills, you might
be stuck with dish duty more often. 

_pL

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