Advice for shaving details off a scale model car
Removing emblems, trim, and other molded details can be a simple task with the right tools and some practice
Sometimes a model car body has details molded on that you want to remove, like emblems and trim. To start, you’ll want a No. 17 hobby blade and 180-, 240-, and 320-grit sanding sticks.
To remove the base-level trim from a 3D-printed 1969 Dodge Polara, I slowly removed about 75% of the trim with a knife. I kept the knife steady and worked my way along the body, careful not to gouge it. Then I sanded the area with progressively finer sanding sticks.
Beneath the molding was a feature line running the length of the body. In such cases, be careful not to sand too deep, like I did. Hold the body under direct lighting at various angles to reveal the body lines and be sure to preserve them.
I should have shaved the turn signal and engine callouts off this Revell 1968 Chevelle SS. I applied the decal over the raised detail and managed to get it to settle with heat and Micro Sol, but the rectangle shape looks a little off compared to the decal.
On this 1972 Pontiac GTO from MPC, I scraped off and sanded the GTO emblem on the quarter panel. But once I sprayed a coat of primer over it, a ghost of the emblem appeared!
For this late ‘70s Volkswagen Scirocco, I was determined to not commit either mistake again. I began with the same scrape-and-sand method to remove the marker lights as shown in Step 1. To prevent the ghost from appearing, I grabbed some Plastruct Plastic Weld.
Using the in-cap applicator brush, I swiped the area and allowed 15 minutes for it to dry. The chemical reaction brought what’s left of the emblem to the surface. Then I gave the area a final sanding and applied primer as needed. No ghost image this time!