giuliodondi
New Member
I am currently working on a Revell 1/2700 Star Destroyer kit and currently I'm well into the modding/greebling phase. But yesterday I drilled some holes for fiber optics and that got me thinking ahead at the fiber installation phase.
I'm going to use 0.25mm fibers set into 0.3mm drilled holes.
My question is: what is the best procedure to set them and to trim them flush?
Solution 1: install them before painting. Most builds take this approach, leaving a short strand poking on the outside which is trimmed flush after painting. The alternative is Solution 2: paint first, then install onto the open holes.
I would be fine with going straight for solution 1, but how would I trim the fibers in recessed nooks that a side cutter wouldn't reach? And what would I do if I wanted to add some small details right in front of an installed fiber, such as a lattice or a pipe?
I looked up cutting tweezers and they are quite expensive and still couldn't find one with tips as slender as the precision tweezers I use.
People who tackled this issue before, how did you manage?
I'm going to use 0.25mm fibers set into 0.3mm drilled holes.
My question is: what is the best procedure to set them and to trim them flush?
Solution 1: install them before painting. Most builds take this approach, leaving a short strand poking on the outside which is trimmed flush after painting. The alternative is Solution 2: paint first, then install onto the open holes.
- With solution 2, paint accumulates on the open drilled holes, which can make them narrower and cause the fiber not to fit
- In theory I have at least a 0.05mm tolerance between the fiber and the hole. Can this be enough to avoid this issue?
- With solution 2, if the fibers don't fit, I would need to re-bore every hole with a hand drill and risk damaging the paintwork
- With solution 1, I can be less careful with the glue for the fibers knowing I would paint over it
- Solution 1 also allows for retouches or additions/alterations to the greeblies around the fiber holes
- Solution 1 allows me to leave the paintwork as the very last step which works out better for my home setup
- Solution 1 requires trimming all the fibers after painting
- Solution 2, instead, allows to trim the fiber before installation and then gluing it flush directly
I would be fine with going straight for solution 1, but how would I trim the fibers in recessed nooks that a side cutter wouldn't reach? And what would I do if I wanted to add some small details right in front of an installed fiber, such as a lattice or a pipe?
I looked up cutting tweezers and they are quite expensive and still couldn't find one with tips as slender as the precision tweezers I use.
People who tackled this issue before, how did you manage?
