What is the best way to cut ovals in styrene. I was thinking of using a scriber, but that seems like it would take too long.
If you are looking to make oval pieces, I suggest cutting the amount you need in rectangles, then sand those to the proper shape. If you are looking to make oval shaped openings, use small drilled holes in the proper places, then file away excess.
Hello!
Do you mean oval shaped plastic plates? Depending on how big they should be and how many do you need, you could either draw 'em on a plastic sheet, cut close to the line and then sand to shape, or you could shape a plastic rod and then cut slices off. Just two ways, there are many more, like I said - it depends. Hope it helps, have a nice day
Paweł
Well what I was thinking about doing is making some fuel vents in a wing and than taking a styrene sheet about half the width and glueing them in there.
Scribing styrene for any shape is a pretty good method. You do not need to scribe very deep. It is like glass, a clean scribe/scratch will allow you to break the plastic along the line. Scribe, then bend- it will break fairly cleanly with only a slight amount of touch-up needed.
Don it would be inside the wing.
I guess I don’t understand the nature of the task.
I successfully cut styrene up to .020 with a sharp pair of scissors, then sand to final shape.
what I am planning on doin is cutting a hole in the wing, than taking a piece of styrene half the width of the wing and glueing it in the hole. What this would accomplish is making it a little more realistic. On a C-17 the fuel vent is on the wing, and when they are being fueled it sounds like a horn.
So you want to drill an oval shaped hole into the wing, and then have a recessed oval piece filling the hole for partial thickness?
Why would the fill piece be oval?
Making an oval opening is a simple job with files, assuming the wing isn’t assembled yet.
Exactly… Thin the wing half on the inner surface in the area of the vent first. Drill the oval vent second. Lastly add some sheet plastic on the inner surface of the vent to achieve the desired look.
Ok on the C-17 the fuel vent is a parallagram, not an oval, and since I can’t really replicate the actual shape on the wing a shape I can use a template for is best oval or square. Ok my plan is cut the hole. Cut a piece of styrerne the same size that is same size (the styrene I cur would be half
.Sorry ( hit the post button too soon) but the piece I cut out of sheet would be half the width of the wing.
Any chance that you can post a photo of the actual vent that you are trying to replicate?
If you cut a plastic rod on an angle you will automatically get oval pieces that may be easier to sand to final shape.
Ok here it is.
On the pic, you will notice the black oval towards the winglet, that’s the fuel vent. On the model there isn’t that black oval which means that I want to carve that oval out, insert something with the same size of the oval that I cut out, but half the depth of the oval that I carved out. That would give the wing a little bit more realism.
I think that Stikpusher has the right idea here. Thin the plastic of the wing from behind, drill two holes and trim out the excess between them to form the oval. Dress the sides of the cut with a file, then place a thin piece of styrene on the underside of the opening you’ve created. Check to make sure that it is sitting at the depth you want, make adjustments if necessary, then tack the styrene down with a little cement and Bob’s your uncle.