Working with a few Ultracast products on my Mustang WIP have reminded me just how much I love Ultracast’s super-thin pour stubs, and how much I hate those giant block stubs.
Encountered a particularly nasty one last night on the Barracudacast seat I picked up for my Spitfire. The seat is absolutely stunning, but it came with a solid pour stub almost as big as the seat bottom itself. There’s some fragile framework on the back of the seat, so it’s tough to get a grip for playing with razor saws or even to get any vigorous filing done. I did manage to hack most of it away with a pair of Xuron shears, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the best use for them!
Anybody got any suggestions for making this a bit less frustrating?
I just had the same issue with a seat for an A-7. The pour was way bigger than the seat. I hacked away at it with a razor saw and it came off pretty easy. I cut it a little low then sanded it smooth.
I’ve never bought from Ultracast, but “super-thin pour stubs” sounds like Heaven. All the resin (the MiG ejection seats, P-38 wheels, and other stuff) I’ve purchased have had MASSIVE pour plugs, at least twice the mass of parts minus the stubs. As a long time Alumilite user, I know it doesn’t have to be that way — my goal is for the wastage to be no more than 25% of the material.
I clamp the part, or the stub, gently but firmly, in a big vise with rubber jaws, then gently saw away the stub with a Zona razor saw. Always works good for me.
Try taking the plug off of a Sherman turret in 35th scale some time
I got an early Verlinden variant Sherman turret back in the late 80s long before most of the full kit options existed as well as before Dragon was around.
That thing took me more than an HOUR with my MAKITA BELT SANDER. The plug was the size of the base of the turret. It was just more than 1/4 of an inch thick (which is a lot considering).
The Verlinden Sherman M50 turret I got was basically round too of the same thrill.
