As familiar as you might be with single-edge razor blades, you may not have seen these plastic razor blades. They’re made by Scraperite and can be used for scraping and cleaning where a metal blade would scratch and mar the surface. They’re available in three different hardnesses, conveniently color-coded. I picked up a set of the general-purpose blades (GP, orange); they’re the softest of the three types (made of polyoxymethylene, commercially known as Delrin, Celcon, or Hostaform) and can be used on relatively delicate surfaces (like clear parts) for such tasks as removing paint and tape.
For example, you can trim tape by laying the blade on the tape and pulling it against the edge. They also work well for applying filler putty. The set I purchased costs less than $5 and includes a holder and five blades.
In order to get into more model-sized spaces, I narrowed one of the blades (as shown in the photograph) by cutting through with a razor saw and scribing along the spine of the blade with a scalpel. After several passes, I flexed it back and forth until it broke clear. Then I sanded the cut edges smooth.
More information is available at www.scraperite.com, including a list of dealers in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Tip submitted by:Vince PuglieseToronto, Ontario, Canada