Hello,
I am working on the Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Ki-43, and so far it is going together great. But they put a real rough finish on the control surfaces to represent the fabric covering.
I have seen fabric surfaces and they are smooth, so there is my problem, how to remove the “burlap” texture without removing the indications of the structure represented below. All I can think of is light sanding, but I am open to other ideas!
Very light sanding is probably the best option. By the time you prime, paint & topcoat, some of the texture will be smoothed out anyway.
Regards, Rick
I’m glad that someone else shares my feelings on this. I suppose you could use something like a Dremel with a sanding drum, but I consider the grit on the drums to be too heavy but even with a far finer grit, it seems to me to be an accident waiting to happen. So you’re stuck with the hand sanding. I use 400 to 600 grit, wet, to sand the “fabric” representation out. I do this before assembly and if the surface is already attached to a part and I’m not going to remove it, I put tape on the surrounding structure to protect it. Adds time to the construction but is worth it in the end.
I’d get some really fine sanding film that has enough grit to tone down the texture but not enough to remove the structure.
Once you have the texture toned down, wash the part to get the dust and grit off and brush some Testors liquid cement in a thin layer over the area and set the part aside to dry.
The solvent quality of the cement should take care of the rest of the texture to the point it wont be detectable under a layer of paint. Just remember to keep your fingers away from the areas while the cement is curing.
I actually find that liquid cement is one of the best tools for smoothing out slightly rough surfaces without doing undo damge to surrounding structures.
Thank You al for your input!
I will give it a try.
Red Five