Working With Plasticard

[neilw]

I've not used this before and Im planning on doing abit of scrachbuilding/modification to my current build

Are there any guides out there. I'm intrested in putting curves and bends into it aswell as the best way of cutting it ect.

Thanks

[pigsty]

All will depend on the thickness you're using.

Thin card

You can cut it with a knife (or even scissors, although that will bend it).

You can bend it by hand, especially if it's a long, thin piece, and another technique is to run it along the edge of a scissor blade, similar to curling ribbon. To be sure of a curve staying where you want it, the best method is to use heat. Flames are obviously a no-no*; most people use water that's just about too hot to put your fingers in comfortably. Just immerse the card, let it soften for only a few seconds, then curve it into the shape you want. You may want to create a template first out of more resilient material if you have a specific curvature in mind.

* the one exception is that thin plastic can be made malleable by holding it near a candle flame, but this can be hit-and-miss.

Thick card

Responds better to a saw, although you can also spend long hours blunting a knife. It's possible to cut rough shapes by scoring a line and then snapping the plastic apart, but this leaves a lot of ragged edges to clean up.

Bending is easiest using the hot-water method; you need to allow longer for the plastic to soften. However, if you're using the card as packing rather than the outer surface, another trick is to score it at regular intervals and then bend it at the scores. This is also helpful if the part you need is too big to fit into a container of hot water.

These techniques also work on rod and tube, although you need to be careful to avoid pinching at the tighter curves. Also, cutting through tube can crimp the ends.

Edited January 6, 2011 by pigsty

[Paul Brickles]

Cutting wise I have always used a scriber (tamiya's one is probably the best) it also means you will a nice neat edge which will be square.

HTH

Paul

[PHIL B]

Neil, you might want to check out the wealth of info in Harry Woodman's classic book Scale Model Aircraft In Plastic Card available on the WWI Modeller site:

Harry Woodman book

If you are looking to form curves around a tube or rod former, I've had success with using a steel drill bit as a former with the plastic card taped around it and sticking it in the oven for a few minutes. It takes a bit of experimenting to get the time right and don't allow the plastic to touch the oven shelf. I don't have much luck with hot water for forming sheet material so I tried this instead.

Hope this helps,

Phil.

[neilw]

Thanks Everyone

I thought heat would be the answer, But wouldn't of thought of using hot water.

I have a Tamiya Scriber so I'll give that a go. I;m only going to be doing very simple stuff to start with.

Any suggested suppliers? I got 3 sheets from Ebay for afew quid to start me off.

Edited January 6, 2011 by neilw

[pigsty]

Any suggested suppliers? I got 3 sheets from Ebay for afew quid to start me off.

There's a lot of brands - the ones that spring immediately to mind are Evergreen and Plastruct. Any decent model shop will sell a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes, and a lot (Evergreen, I think) is available from Hobbycraft. Even if the shop doesn't sell plastic kits, it could well have something useful, so you could try model rail or radio-control specialists.

[andym]

Thanks Everyone

I thought heat would be the answer, But wouldn't of thought of using hot water.

I have a Tamiya Scriber so I'll give that a go. I;m only going to be doing very simple stuff to start with.

Any suggested suppliers? I got 3 sheets from Ebay for afew quid to start me off.

Find your local plastic supplier, you'll get it in large sheets from them at a far more economical price than any hobby shop or supplier.

HTH

Andy

Edited January 7, 2011 by andym

[Paul Brickles]

Find your local plastic supplier, you'll get it in large sheets from them at a far more economical price than any hobby shop or supplier.

HTH

Andy

Andy

Do you have any examples of Plastic Suppliers.

Cheers

Paul

[andym]

Andy

Do you have any examples of Plastic Suppliers.

Cheers

Paul

Sorry, I only know the one in my local area, Easter Road Plastics in Edinburgh. Try a google search for plastic suppliers in your area or check your yellow pages. Of course someone here might know a local supplier for you.

HTH

Andy

[mrcooljules]

i know someone on here a little while ago, wanted to split a large amount with someone. very very much cheaper than the ones in your local model shop.

i got one hell of a shock last week when i bought a angle piece last week from my LMS....

would link to find out somewhere myself too.