Instead of metal saws and knives, I use cotton thread to cut styrene and resin. This is a highly controlled and delicate method for opening doors, ailerons, rudders, slats, and many other fragile pieces that can be damaged easily. I wrap the thread around two fingers – just like flossing teeth – and use a slow, deliberate sawing motion. The friction cuts through the plastic smoothly. From experience, working slowly yields better results. The friction does most of the work with a steady rocking and sawing motion. Too much pressure will break the thread, but this is remedied simply by rolling out another section of thread. Cotton thread works much better than nylon thread. I don’t recommend dental floss, as it is too slick and doesn’t get a good “bite” into the material being cut. The chief benefits of this technique are the extremely fine cut and the small amount of material that is removed; there is no need to replace lost material with putty or styrene.
Tip submitted by:
James FullingimKilleen, Texas