cutting plastic kit parts

[mikasa]

I want to cut a piece in two and still use the two pieces after the cut. I'm really unsure about how to do this. I'd like to take out the minimum amount of plastic when I do this. Any tips on how best to go about it?

[Chelonian]

How big is this piece? (different advice for a 1/200 hull than for a small 1/700 piece)

[mikasa]

Right. It's, um, actually on a 1/72 plane. I just don't know a forum that is as helpful for those as this one is, and it's kind of a generic question ....

It's the cowl on a 1/72 plane, so the size of large superstructure parts on a 1/700 ship but thin all the way through.

[Chelonian]

What I would do is to cut it with either a sharp thin knife, or a rotary tool such as a Dremel with a thin cut-off wheel. Once the piece is cut, I would glue the two halves in place on the piece that the cowl attaches to, and use filler to refill the gap between the two parts. After sanding to a smooth finish, it should be unnoticeable.

[drasticplastic]

Use a modelling miter box with a razor saw to get fine and straight cuts.

[jpeeler]

For really precise work, I use a JLC micro saw - really thin blade, really fine teeth, smallest kerf I've yet found. A Google search will help you find some reviews and a few suppliers. It's become one of my favorite tools for saw work with no margin for error.

Jodie Peeler