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Which scribing tool would you recommend for re-scribing an entire kit? I have tried a sewing needle in a pin vise and really did not like using it. When I have to restore lines lost to sanding I use a dental pick type of tool and it works well for very short segments. I have tried that tool on an old junker kit and did not like using it. Not enough control for long lines. So, what tool do you guys use? I want something that doesn't just carve a gash in the plastic but rather removes the plastic in the form of very tight spirals (swarf?).

Also, what is a good guide material for compound curves? I use Dymo tape for the short lines that I need to restore but that isn't going to cut it when trying to guide the scribing tool over compled curves or rounded panel edges.

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Try the UMM "universal scriber":

http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?products_id=474&osCsid=8e7b1a5f8ad2453fcb869fb9037173fa

It takes a bit of getting used to holding, but it works great. You can either "push" or "pull", and it also works great as a seam scraper too.

Curtis

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Try the UMM "universal scriber":

http://umm-usa.com/o...b869fb9037173fa

It takes a bit of getting used to holding, but it works great. You can either "push" or "pull", and it also works great as a seam scraper too.

Curtis

Ditto on steroids. Great tool, though you should practice on that junker kit first, as it takes a little practice. Use a very light touch…no, lighter that that. These things are SHARP.

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Ditto on steroids. Great tool, though you should practice on that junker kit first, as it takes a little practice. Use a very light touch…no, lighter that that. These things are SHARP.

DOUBLE ditto! This tool is one of my most used tools on the workbench.

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Triple Ditto...Great tool, I use it all the time. A light touch is way too heavy....I pretty much put no pressure on it at all, and use its own weight for pressure, more than that and it could cause major damage. I may have to do the scribe a couple of times but rather that than ruin the model. Still practicing with it as I have only had it for a few weeks, but I really don't know how I have done without it.

Happy modelling!

Darryl

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Well, contrary to the enthusiasm expressed so far, I have tried almost every new scribing tool that has come out always hoping that it will be the magic tool we have all been waiting for. Unfortunately I always end up going back to a sewing needle in a pin vice. Tried, tested, reliable, cheap.

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I would just like to state a couple of things about scribing. I definitely agree 100% with everything that has been said here and other threads about the subject. First of all is; which is right sunken or raised panel lines? There are no gaps between panels so which is more precise in scale? What I think would be the most precise would be a smooth model with panel lines drawn on the model in a very sharp pencil. The second thing that I have found is that; the best tool to use is the one you find to be the most controllable. No matter what that tool is. The best thing to do is to take a model that you were about to sell on eBay for a couple of bucks, just to get rid of it and not having to throw it away, and practice on it. I did that with an AMT/Esci Skyraider. I love the raider but out of the 1/48 kits on the market it is the farthest out of whack. The problem is that once I got the hang of it and wound up re-scribing the fuse, now I have to figure out how to use it (The fuse that is, the wing is way too far out of whack). I was going to use it to attempt to remove the front fuse armor to make an AD-2 or -3. Back in the 80s someone decided that sunken panel lines look better than raised ones and that became the norm/industry standard. Personally as I have mentioned I don't like either. One is as bad or good as the other. I think that a FINE raised panel line is just as nice as a scribd one. I have just extremely recently decided to learn how to use my Bare-Metal tool which I have had for the last 20 years and have been scared to use for anything more than to fix lines which I have sanded away. One thing I have definitely learned is what has been stated before, and that is to be EXTREMELY lite on the first and second pass. This will prevent slipping into places you don't want to be. The second thing I have learned about this particular tool is that if you first PUSH it instead of dragging it, you have MUCH better control. The lines are much straighter and wind up smoother. So now I push the tool for three scribes and than pull it once or twice to finish. This tool is less expensive than the UMM tool and this tool is very easy to hold and be gentle with. I am curious about the sewing needle and will give that a try. I will buy some for a sewing machine since they are much harder steel than the hand held ones. For those of you that like the needle, which size do you prefer? One other thing that I have noticed about the Bare-Metal #3 tool is that if you push it very lightly, it tracks extremely well even next to the finest of raised panel lines. This method is much faster than sanding the model and than starting from scratch and just as nice as using a surface guide to guide the scriber.

Edited by Otto
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Well, contrary to the enthusiasm expressed so far, I have tried almost every new scribing tool that has come out always hoping that it will be the magic tool we have all been waiting for. Unfortunately I always end up going back to a sewing needle in a pin vice. Tried, tested, reliable, cheap.

I completely agree with wdw. I've tried many also (Mission Models, Tamiya, Squadron, Bare Metal Foil, UMM, Hasegawa Tri-Tool & line engravers, back side of a #11 blade, etc) but find myself going back to a simple needle & pin vise. Yes, these scribing tools can do straight and curved lines well, but they can't do circles, hatches, or small access panels unfortunately. Just my opinion.

:cheers:

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OK, now we have determined something else. No one tool can do everything the best. This is why I have these tools in my stable to do most everything. The top one is the Bare Metal tool and the lower three are Harbor Freight tools.

DSC02937.jpg

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I've tried many as well (including the UMM scriber) and, of them, I like the one offer by Trumpeter the best for straight lines. For circles, well, nothing beats a good needle in a pin vise.

As a side note, I bought the Tamiya Scriber II the other day and didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

Rob

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Try the UMM "universal scriber":

http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?products_id=474&osCsid=8e7b1a5f8ad2453fcb869fb9037173fa

It takes a bit of getting used to holding, but it works great. You can either "push" or "pull", and it also works great as a seam scraper too.

Curtis

I bought one of these a few months ago to see how well it would work. I never really got too far with it because you have to hold a VERY sharp blade against your hands while you use the scribing points at the other end. I suppose I'm doing something wrong and I guess I could put a protective cover of some kind on this blade, but that makes it cumbersome- at least to me- so it sits unused.

After trying about 6 different tools I always go back to my Trumpeter scribing tools, which are very similar to the Hasegawa ones (half the price too), but for some reason they work much better for me. They can also be used to cut thick plastic in half by just re-scribing the same line over and over.

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I don't really have a favorite as I don't particularly like rescribing..... I have most of the above and equally hate rescribing when using all tools. I do agree on the real thing panel lines are really not a huge thing and have thought thin decal lines would probably be more accurate.

I work on Airliners and I haven't seen a gap that is wider than an 1/8th of an inch at 1/1 scale so at 1/144 you do the math ..... and that is around the cargo doors. I have seen raised lines where skin overlaps, so a ridge is formed. But really most airliner models are grossly inaccurate with engraved panel lines. I also suspect the same with military A/C. Now I do know that panels that are frequently assessable are pretty dirty from the grime being transferred.... also there would be more wear and tear so to speak.

Probably masking individual areas but using the same colour would create a subtle ridge which would be slightly pronounced in the weathering process which might create a more accurate model..... Just my 2 cents.

I actually think that doors and panels on airliners look better when a decal is used..... But I think the lines have got to be hairline and no larger.

:cheers:

Emil

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I bought one of these a few months ago to see how well it would work. I never really got too far with it because you have to hold a VERY sharp blade against your hands while you use the scribing points at the other end. I suppose I'm doing something wrong and I guess I could put a protective cover of some kind on this blade, but that makes it cumbersome- at least to me- so it sits unused.

After trying about 6 different tools I always go back to my Trumpeter scribing tools, which are very similar to the Hasegawa ones (half the price too), but for some reason they work much better for me. They can also be used to cut thick plastic in half by just re-scribing the same line over and over.

I've got the UMM scriber and I love it. In conjunction with the very sharp blade, only very light pressure is needed to scribe. Just grams of pressure, not ounces. I've never felt in danger of cutting myself and I have soft computer programmer hands.

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I too like the UMM scriber. I have used a needle in a pin vise, Hasegawa's scriber, and most recently the UMM scriber. I have found the UMM scriber to be much better in terms of control and the cleanliness of the scribed lines. It nicely removes plastic, rather than merely plowing it to the side. Here is a picture of the lines deepened with the UMM scriber:

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=229983&view=findpost&p=2211887

FWIW, here is a Youtube video explaining the usage of the scriber:

http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=229983&view=findpost&p=2211887

However, when it comes to oval/round curves, I still use the needle in a pin vise (with scribing templates) almost exclusively.

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Thanks for all of the input, guys. I am going to purchase the UMM scriber and one of their razor saws. I occasionally see these saws in people's in-progress threads, but had no idea who made or sold them!

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Thanks for all of the input, guys. I am going to purchase the UMM scriber and one of their razor saws. I occasionally see these saws in people's in-progress threads, but had no idea who made or sold them!

Yes, the saw is very nice too. Cuts plastic like a hot knife through butter. Be carful as the blades are quite brittle.

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I prefer the needle and pin vise also :thumbsup: When I am making kit panel lines a bit deeper I usually just freehand with the pin vise. It also work great using dymo tape or templates. For straight lines I do about four swipes with the pin vise and go over it very lightly with the Tamiya II scriber to clean out the groove...

/Jesse

Edited by JesniF-16
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