Hi all,

I'm currently building my first 1/144 scale kit, a Revell F-15A Eagle. Unfortunately, some of the parts only fit 'where they touch', and this has meant the use of a lot of putty, not to mention some surgery! Several of the engraved panel lines have been lost, and I was just wondering whether it would be better to try to restore them, or fill them in over the entire aircraft?

Personally, I'd like the lines visible, but I'm not really too sure how to go about restoring them.

Any thoughts, ideas or guidance would be most appreciated.

Cheers,

Steve

The best way to restore engraved panel lines is to rescribe them. Use a heavy needle or pin in a pin vise and carefully run it along the panel line until it matches the rest. You have to scrub out the shavings and other mess the pin leaves behind. Use Dymo tape and a template to help keep your scribing tool on track. It's best to practise on a scrap model first before committing your pride and joy to the treatment.

at 1/144, i personally would fill them and then with a super fine mechanical pencil very lightly draw them in between flat coats, or even just use slight variations in the camo paint to indicate them that way - you could probably make panel lines look a lot better that way than with panel lines that are basically 1:1 scale.

Hi, thanks for the advice. Have since found out that the putty I was using (Vallejo Plastic Putty, not recommended) pretty much rubbed off anyway! Back to the drawing board...

I am scribing the panel lines BEFORE sanding, and when the putty is still wet.

While sanding, I regualrly scrie a bit in places where the lines become less profound.

The existing panel line works as a guidance for the scribing knife.