I'm not quite new, but have been encountering something new(for me). I've been trying to figure out how to remove the very small parts for a resin engine, the top parts for the cylinder of a 1/48 Le Rhone rotary, the parts being the valve and valve spring. How do I safely remove them? As they are close to microscopic, and the tweezers can only do so much.

There are many ways to remove resin parts from the casting block. I find flush cut nippers to be adequate for all but the largest ones. I assume though that your question is how to remove them without losing them. For very small parts I place the part and block on a piece of tape. Since the part is small I can just use a plain old #11 X-Acto blade with a gentle sawing motion. The part should separate from the block and remain stuck to the tape.

I never thought to use tape.

But then, now that I'd get the part off, tiny as it is, such as the valve, valve spring, or other cylinder part of the Le Rhone rotary, how can I manipulate then hold it down for attaching to the main part?

Here is what I'm doing: I have the Eduard PKZ-2 helicopter in 1/48 scale, and the kit-supplied engines leave a lot to be desired. So I purchased 3 Taurus resin Le Rhones in order to help it look more scale. I mean, the engines are fully exposed for all the world to see, so I wanted something a bit more realistic looking. Besides which, I've worked on the full-size Le Rhone(on a Tommy Morse), so this was more a given for me.

I have some needle point tweezers I use. More expensive but well worth it. Even so, I know how hard it can be to get the part where you want it, and hold it there. That's where silly putty comes in - use it to secure the part where you want it. You can push/pull it around with a small implement, then touch a bit of CA to the joint.

Hi Max

I always use a very fine razor saw to do the cutting. That way, tiny parts are less likely to fly off somewhere. A bit of blue-tak can help keep a hold of them too.

All the best

Rowan

Never heard of Blue Tak.

It's the stuff your teachers (or now, kids) stick stuff to the board/wall with. It's like a clay but very sticky.


A razor saw is the answer to your problem.

And yes, I have a razor saw. I think that the fact that the parts are quite small, and that I'm not really used to small and fiddly parts, is why I have a bit of a problem(that and having the build table situated over The Rug Monster), just by not being used to, yet, working with really small parts.

Hi Max

Sorry, I probably should have called it Blu-Tack - I never can get it straight!

As regards defeating the rug-monster (or the frighteningly-well-camouflaged blue/grey lino-monster in my workroom)... cut off the parts inside a large flat box (the base of a big conventional kit box is good), and/or wear a jeweller's apron. Boring advice, but both do help - the apron is a godsend for catching things in your lap that would otherwise have got away (which is almost certainly why jewellers wear them when working with gems and precious metals ).

Have fun and all the best

Rowan

Never even thought about a jeweler's apron. So, yes, very useful information.

Forgot to add:

One thing I use that is quite handy is a ball cap with integral lights. I realize that some here might not be used to wearing a ball cap, but take it from me, with the little lights in the bill(two setting, close in, and bright for distance), dropping small parts become somewhat easier to find.

You see, in real life, I'm a mechanic, specifically A&P, and I have have many needs from time to of a light source that I didn't have to hold in my hand. Now, there are many kinds of clip up, or belt on lights that you can wrap around your forehead, but for my use, a ball cap with integral lights works the best. And here in the states, they can be had at hardware chains like Lowes, Home Depot, and Menards, among many others, and in the UK, probably the equivalent. And, if those are anything like what I have, they use those 2032 style wafer batteries, four at a time, which equates to about 3 days' continuous use, or ten days intermittent use.