Please forgive a very basic question- my area of expertise is with German armor.
How do you scribe panel lines?
Do you sand off the raised panel lines first?
What tools are best for scribing?
How well do those templates work? (Verlinden or Hasegawa)
Do you assemble the model first?
What do you do about rivet detail near a panel line? -sand the panel line off very carefully?

Any difference working with 1/48 or 1/72?

thanks!
Peter

Sorry, I can't help you with many of your questions. I've never tried it myself so can't speak from experience, but from what I understand you just sand off the panel lines like you said, and there are tools for scribing the lines, I think Micro-Mark makes one. Sorry I couldn't do more for you

:-) Hi sphyrna,
There are lots of different ways to go about scribing panel lines. I mainly use an Olfa P cutter but I have many other tools as well. Some I have made. However I guessing that you wont have an Olfa P cutter so it is possable to use a pin, fitted into some kind of handle. This method gives you ridges either side of the line which require sanding off, this then puts sanding dust into the scribbing, which you then have to clean out. One of the scribing tools that I made was from a dental tool, I filed the business end to a pointed triangle and that works well. (I will try and update this post later with some pics). To scribe the panel lines use a straight edge, such as a ruler, on curved surfaces I use Dymo Tape. You don't want the lines to deep, use several passes rather than one.
You can sand of the raised detail first. On a silver plastic model the shadow of the lines remains. Other than that you would require good references to be able to position the lines correctly. I scribe 1 line at a time What I do is: using a pointed tool make a small indentation at either end of the line. Remove that line, by sanding or scraping with a scalpel blade or scraper made for the job. Scribe between the two indentations. Go to the next line.
The templates do work, you need to tape them into position. The Olfa cutter is no good for this so I use the pointed tool that I use for making the indentations when scribing lines. The hardest thing about those templates is postioning them.
I would scribe the model before assembly and touch up over seems after. Check though that lines over fuselage halves and the like are in line befor scribing. If not you will have to adjust slightly.
I have had some success by scraping away detail around rivits and screws, using a scalpel, then scribing in the panel using a template. Another methed is to sand of the detail, scribe in the panel then use another home made tool to apply the rivit detail. This tool is made from syringe or stainless steel tube. cut the end square, ream out the inside, to clean it up then taper the outside to a sharp edge. Works well. Something else I have had success with is scribing directly over existing panel lines. I've used this when there is rivit detail either side of the line, as on the Monogram A-10.
Recently I have started priming the parts with a colour that contrasts with the plastic, when you then sand or scrape of the line things are much clearer. I use plastic primer sold for cars. Again I will try and post some pics in an update.
One other thing if you are anything like me re-scribing takes me for ever and I will avoid it if I can.
I don't build in 1/72 but I wouldn't think there would be much difference other than size and depth of the lines.
Hope This Helps
Mal
Update:
Forgot to mention, if you make a mistake, fill with super glue and sand.

Awsome post Holdfast. I echo your note on multiple passes. It's easier to continue to remove materieral rather than putting it back.
Not much difference in my cross scale work. The techniques have been similar, just with a lighter emphasis when the scale goes down. Remember that in smaller scales it is harder to see the detail, meaning it should be smaller. In recessed lines, they should be thinner and shallower, and not as dark.

Hi Peter,



You can do this using either a professional scriber(available at www.micromark.com) or using a sewing machine needle locked into a pin vise. I use the pin vise. You basically gouge a channel in the plastic using these tools.



Depends on whether the existing lines are correct or not. Some folks use the existing lines as a blueprint for drawing the lines(if they are correct), and then sand off the lines. Others just sand off the whole thing using 1200-1500 sandpaper, and then draw the lines as a guide for scribing. For my Ju-88 for the group build, I am following the second method, since the lines were horribly wrong, and had hundreds of rivets too.




Refer above..



Damn well, if you ask me ! I use Verlinden, and have both the 1/72 and 1/48 set. Both are worth their weight in gold, especially for scribing those odd curved things and circles. However, for the main panel lines I use a strip of aluminium from an old Coke can, which has a strip of masking tape overlaid on it. (For details refer my prev post on scribing lines



Again, depends. It does help if you have the assembled parts, but not the whole plane. Assemble only the fuselage and wings separately, using either Blu-Tak or strips of good masking tape, and scribe on these. It helps avoid lining up problems, esp if the lines go all the way around the fuse or wing.



Scale matters here. You wouldn't notice the rivets much on a 1/72 model, while they will pop up on a 1/48. Better use some good reference material and find out whether the rivets really existed. If they didn't take them off pronto! If they did, put a strip of masking tape over the rivets and then sand off the lines. Be careful however, not to sand too deep, or you will hit the rivet level anyway!



Yep, it does. Already answered .

Here are some good articles I found on scribing. Take a look:
[http://www.kithobbyist.com/largescaleplanes/tips/SasoKnez/Scribing/Scribing.htm]Saso Knez[/url]
[http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1999/11/stuff_eng_tech_scribing.htm]Charles Metz[/url]

Let me know if you need more info. I am doing scribing myself currently, so i am sure we can exchange ideas ! Lastly, it requires a lot of patience, and should not be done when you are in a bad mood!!!

Cheers,
BP.