Styrene sheets

[bazzacourt]

Hi you lovely people. I need some help please. I've just started a Sherman Firefly tank in 1/72 scale and would like to add some more detail. I've seen modellers use styrene sheets for adding details to models. Most of the models I build are in 1/72. What thickness sheet would be best for this scale. If it works, I'd use it for other projects too. Any advice or help would be very helpful thanks. Sorry if this has been asked about before. I can't find the topic in my history and I'm not that good at this ☺️

[Chuck1945]

It depends on what bits you want add. I keep 0.01” and 0.02” (approx .025 and 0.5mm) sheets and many packets of varied width and thickness strips and rod.

[Troy Smith]

1 hour ago, bazzacourt said:

Any advice

Plastic sheet is very handy,  bit for small detail bits and pieces you want microstrip and rod, and the strip is the most useful.  Basically it is very hard toi accurately cut strips, and the plastic tends to curl as well.

 

Slaters and Evergreen make these,  but unless you want to buy a lot of packs what you want is Slaters assorted microstrip,  which has various sizes

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383205922764

 

and Evergreen Tube and Rod assortment #217, the only assorted pack they do.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121488483102

 

no connection to sellers, just evilbay is often the easiest place to source these from,  I suggest trying to find a seller with both in stock to combine postage.

They may seem 'expensive'  but you really have no alternative, and unless you do  masses of scratchbuilding then they will last a long time.

 

Be worth finding an assorted pack of plastic card as well, look for 10, 20,30 40 and 60 thou (approx 0.25mm, 0.5, 0.75 1, 1.5 mm thick)

 

If you are really lucky you may have a local shop with them!  Note sort item found in model railway shops/suppliers as well,

 

HTH

 

 

[Ray_W]

2 hours ago, bazzacourt said:

Any advice or help would be very helpful thanks.

 

Both @Chuck1945 and @Troy Smith suggestions are great. I think the assorted packs are an excellent place to start with the sheet sizes 0.25 mm to 1.5 mm capturing most needs. I regularly sand small pieces of 0.25 mm between two sheets of 600 wet and dry for even thinner section. After all, 0.25 mm, the common thinnest sheet section readily available from hobby suppliers, is still a scale 18 mm in 1/72.  I just like more prototypical thickness for, say, armour plate, so thin it a little more. I also have quite a variety of strip, tube and rod sizes that I have built up over time. You'll do the same. 

 

This is the 1/72 Airfix Boomerang with internal framing and cockpit being built up with these materials. 

 

 

You can find also suitable alternatives to build your stock of polystyrene materials such as Starbuck coffee cup lids.  I admit though, in later life, I have got lazy and tend to go with the hobby suppliers.

 

Ray