The Ship Model Forum

I have tried filing thick plastic sheet to shape and glueing thin plastic sheet: the results were mere blobs, no right angles in sight.
The thingy is to go underneath the mast of a 1/700 Tamiya O-class destroyer.
TIA, Richard

Keep trying...measure...cut...measure...cut...measure...

In order to get right angles when sanding, you need a flat surface and a 90 degree surface.

Take a small piece of wood, 2x1x0.5 inches, or similar and crazy glue sand paper to one side. I have several blocks with different grits so I can move to finer grits easily. 220, 320, 600, 1200 are good ones to have.

Next, find something with smooth sides a couple inches square. I have a small right angle metal block.

Now place the sanding block on your work surface (bench) with the sandpaper facing up. Then place the right angle block on the sandpaper so that it is stable yet there is enough sandpaper showing to work with.

Hold both items firm and steady with one hand, while you press the plastic piece down onto the sandpaper and against the right angle surface. Now slowly push away from you, keeping a slight pressure on the block to keep it from wobbling or turning. Bring it back and push again. Sanding in one direction only, helps you keep the piece from rocking and gives a better edge.

When one surface is done, rotate the block so that that surface is against the right angle block and do another side. Keep rotating until all sides are done.

If the piece is too small to hold by your fingers, make a small push tool out of scrap plastic or wood. Basically, a stick no wider than the part with a notch that the piece will fit into, yet still have material touching the sandpaper. It only needs to be a few inches long and wide enough not to break.

_________________
Darren (Admiral Hawk)
In the not so tropical climate of the Great White North.

#175 Evergreen is 2.54mm x 2.54mm.

https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collections/14-white-polystrene-strips/products/175-100-x-100

Micro saw and a miter box will get you close to 5.5mm high and then clean up with some 320 grit taped to the side of a square piece of wood to clean up and you're done.

Remember - He who dies with the most Evergreen WINS!

_________________
-- Scott

Oh - And definitely pick up one of these sanding guides:

https://hlj.com/pallet-for-file-2-wavht-082

Super cheap and just the thing for truing up a 45* or 90* edge. A life saver that I use all the time when scratchbuilding.

_________________
-- Scott

Is there a US source for the mini sanding guide? I have the Micromark or NW Shortline Sand it, but it is often too big for the work that I am doing.