Maybe somebody can illuminate me on this. As I was remembering that old Revell A-1 Skyraider kit, and its engraved rivets and panel lines, it reminded me that finely (relatively speaking) engraved lines are not new technology. Take the 1950s vintage Revell X-5. Admittedly, an awful kit by modern standards and it didn’t deserve a re-release, but it had engraved rivets. And decal locations. Like a lot of kits from then and during my early modeling years, the 60s, they were certainly able to engrave the outline of the decals. Why did it take so long for kit manufacturers to make this more desirable (to most of us, anyway) form – engraved panel lines, not markings – the industry standard? Anyone out there an expert on mold making and casting plastic? Are raised lines easier and cheaper to make?
Thats a ggood question mate,
I can’t help with the question but I’d be interested to hear the answer. And if its alright I might add a question of my own. How are panel lines done? Are they moulded in or engraved after the part has been moulded?
Is there any place on the web with info on the moulding process?
Thanks
I can answer that one, at least a very little of it. Keep in mind, I am ignorant of how computer aided design figures into model making in our modern world. However, I’ve seen vac-form masters in books and articles about the subject, and they used some type of rigid wire and flexible, very thin strips added to the aircraft shape to give engraved lines on the vacformed result. Some, as we know, were better than others. I’ve mentioned before those ERTL/ESCI F-4s of the early 80s (that’s when I met up with them, anyway) and those engraved lines were DEEP, and in profile they were square. Engraved, but, like the old Matchbox ditches, not very realistic. I have to admit, I have started often, but never comleted sanding and rescribing a model with raised lines. I just don’t buy them any more. Anyone know the whole story, though?
i dont have your answer either. but i believe it was just because it was easier to do the raised than the engraved, i could be and most likely am wrong. i am not skilled enough to rescribe an entire plane. so when i get one with raised lines i swallow my pride and build it with them.
joe
Raised lines and details are lots easier to provide. The plastic part is created inside a steel mold. It’s a lot easier to engrave the inside of the mold that forms the outside of the part (resulting in a raised line on the part) than it is to add a tiny line of material to the inside of the mold that results in an indented line in the plastic. It’s not quite as hard to add a thick versus thin line of material, taking care not to create a situation wherein you “trap” the plastic part in the mold, hence the trenches in the Matchbox parts.
It basically had to do with cost of the mold. Raised lines are a lot less expensive to tool & a lot of the early kits were considered to be a form of toy, so model manufacturers tooled as cheeply as possible. Many of the early Frog kits had practically no detail, raised or recessed, but the major Companies like Airfix, Revell, Heller, etal, only offered raised lines. As modelers of that era got tired of having to rescribe every build, there was a demand for kits with recessed panel lines. Matchbox tried & failed miserably, but some smaller Model Companies like Otaki & Nichimo began offering quality kits with recessed lines and other Companies were pretty much forced to follow, although some, like Airfix, were very slow in responding. Like a lot of good things, there is a price to be paid as the higher tooling costs also mean higher kit prices.