Robby the Robot & Altaira (1/12 Polar lights USA) chapter 2

This is a test of a new photo system I am using.  It's hands free.

Here is one of the Robot's feet.  As you can see, there is a pesky mold seam intersecting a number of elevation changes.  If improving it takes the same as a normal clean up....then....you know the drill.

File the round detail so it is flat.

Mark the disc detail with a bwack snarpie.  Spreek engrish, troop!

Using a small drill, find and mark the center.

Go to your rod stock/styrene and find a standard size that matches the detail.  In this case it's .060.

Drill it out using a drill size slightly smaller, in this case a # 53 @ .059.  You can ream it for a tight fit.  Hey there!

Expunge the detail completely.

With the detail gone you can GO TO TOWN and get rid of the parting line.  You can't mess up something that is not there.

I now take the .060 rod and put it a especial tool I have, using double stick tape.  The tool is a square chunk of maple that has a square guide on it.

 

Put the stock in so one end is slightly proud.  Then use your sanding block to square of the end by rubbing on the face of the block.  Yes, it's like you are a finely tuned machine.

Like so.  The idea is to get the end flat.  Not "Kinda flat", but actually square and flat.  The Maple block is super hard and the large flat surface acts as a guide.  I use this "Ro Block" all the time.

Chop off a section at an angle so it's easy to tell which end is which.  (And you thought I was being sloppy).

Insert.

Who cares what the inside looks like, right?  I then fuse to main part using liquid cement.  (Actually, Sticky made me chop it off and sand it).

Ok, it took slightly longer than cleaning up the seams.  But, gosh I feel so much more....  The sad truth is no one will notice (except you).  If they do, then they are probably like you OR your going to get a lecture on wasting your time.  Enjoy!  Long Live The Model Builders!

Robby the Robot & Altaira (1/12 Polar lights USA) chapter 1

When I started this blog, I was already in the middle of a number of projects (!), my goal is to stay on one and finish, but sometimes glue has to dry, or you are waiting for Lucky Model to send a set of resin tires with snow chains on them or Stinky sits on your reptile brain and you wake up and you've started two new "easy" projects.  Not even from your stash.  Why bother to put them in order if your just going to buy something new and tear into it?  This is an "easy" project, no resin wheels, no mysterious color conundrums, or etched sheets of brass.  No pics of Leslie Nielsen.  ("Do you like Gladiator movies?")

No pics of glueing the various parts together I'm afraid.  The parts look rough on the sprues, lots of very weird looking stuff.  Have to say, the engineering on this kit is pretty amazing.  It all fits together very well.  If you use old fashioned toob glue and spring clamps there are almost no seems to fill.  Well done PL!  One thing I've learned is to look and see what needs to be fixed based on what can be seen.  I don't know how many times I fixed a difficult blemish only to find out it's underneath something.  In the pic above I put model together and used a sharpie to mark seems that are covered up.

If you look closely (who has time for this?) the hair covers the shoulder, so no need to fix that seam.

Oooops.

Here is another trick to fix seams.  Here is Altaira's hair (say that 3 times fast), at the bottom is a visible join.  I have taken a file and made it roughly straight and compatible with some .030 styrene stock.

Add some fancy toob glue.....

Add the stock.  Be liberal with the glue, you want the stock to melt.  Use your fingernail to mush it into place.  It will conform like a wet noodle in a couple of minutes.

Done the same on her foot.  So much easier than putty.  Make sure to really really let it dry.  BTW, it is a perfectly valid excuse to go on Squadron (right now) and order a 1/24th scale ICM Model T.  Use coupon code H0leinmyhead.

Here is the foot filed down.