For Newbies.. sorting a poorly molded car body using the new Italeri 1/12 Stratos as the Gineau pig

[@markoldreive]

Thanks for a great informational video on a technique it’s worth knowing. Away from the how to it does seem as if more and more mistakes are occurring in kits. I average between 1 in3 ad 1 in 4 errors per kit purchased. Often it’s parts or even sprues missing and sometimes it’s broken pieces. I suspect many will fix the broken part, but is that sending, or more correctly not sending the right message to kit manufacturers, that QC sent all that important as they’ll fix it themselves. Whether it’s because kits go into a stash possibly for years by which time errors may not be possible to fix as spares are no longer available. When I receive a new kit the first thing I carry out is a sprue and part check, checking every sprue is present, and checking every part for breakages, short shots anything that is out of the ordinary. Then no matter I can fix it I report any damage or missing items with photos to the retailer, who invariably agrees and requests replacements from the manufacturer or the importer. I had a 1/35 Italeri Schnellboote from Italeri, not a cheap kit especially when on disability. Delivered and one hull section( a metre long) with a broken outer ring for the end of a torpedo tube. It’s an easy fix, but I reported it and received a new part from Italy in just over a week. If we don’t report issues as Nigel has done manufacturers will continue to let us fix the issues, caused by manufacturing faults, poor handling both in factory and in transit if the packaging isn’t enough. It’s only by making them pay for replacements that they just get the message and May improve production or transport issues to save on sending replacements.

[@captngrinell]

Great video Nigel. Happy new year to you and Dottie.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Happy new year!

[@johnkelly2098]

About as informative as it gets. Top stuff, Nige, as ever.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I do try John...

[@danielryan6711]

Nigel, you're a bloody modellers national treasure and I, for one am ,as always, very grateful. don't change anything that you do.

[@simonallen6427]

I hope both Dotty and you had a great Christmas. Given the amount of sanding and filling, is it worth washing the parts to remove dust, etc.?

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Yes, before final paint.

[@jeremysnow3030]

Great video, where do you get your sanding sticks and sponges ? Thanks.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Brooks models dot com

[@randomnickify]

Seems like either machine or plastic didn't get to the working temperature and short shoot the sprue or whatever its called, probably first mold of the day :D

[@NigelsModellingBench]

The moulding of pretty much every part in the kit is full of sink marks or distortion. I believe it is the sprues being removed from the tool too quickly.

[@SisoBoadaClotas]

I guess this kind of deffects are because a too fast unmolding. Plastic uses to stretch if you take it out from the mold too fast. A shame on the plastic company…..

[@ghostrider564]

I still classify myself as a novice so maybe a silly question. You've gone over the model and fixed all the tags and sink marks so your right to start. You spray on the under coat and you start putting the model together. you spray the colours and they highlight some things that you didn't know and see before. So I take it that you then sand and correct and repaint. Ok to stop that, to some waste of time, you spray the model at the beginning and lightly sand over the whole model to see if there is anything that maybe there. Is that the process or you fix what you can and then if anything comes up you then go back and fix at that time. Hope that explains what I'm trying to ask. I suppose some would consider its a waste of time either way.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

I thought my video was clear? Get the issues out out of the way BEFORE you start assmebly?

[@ghostrider564]

@@NigelsModellingBench yet fell into the trap of not watching all the video before asking a question. ha it happens

[@vincentlussier8264]

Knowing this I won't buy this kit at all. With the cost of models today Italeri should re-tool the molds for the damn body and get it right! They fucked it up, let them un-fuck it !

[@NigelsModellingBench]

This is not a tooling issue. The tooling is fine, the molding process is the let down throughout the whole kit. Sink marks everywhere on all sprues.

[@sambuka57]

lol Italian cars full of filler, like going back to the 70's