Back to Basics 4: Fixing Surface Defects

Plastic injection is a very efficient and highly accurate method of mass-producing model kits. However the process is not perfect, and some physical flaws can still appear on the surface of some parts. The most common flaws we might find are mold lines, flash and sink marks. These surface defects are easy to address and doing so will be well worth the time spent fixing them before painting your model. In this guide, we'll go over each type of defect and discuss a solution.






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Superbuilds III

Good day plamo nerds, it's time for a long overdue episode of Superbuilds! Cleanliness is next to godliness, as the old saying goes, and it couldn't be more true for the godlike abilities of the builders we're going to check out today. Their work is so clean even the sharpest and most experienced eyes would be hard pressed to find faults in their finishes. Let's go!

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Back to Basics 3: Fixing Seams

For the uninitiated, seams are those unsightly gaps between adjoining pieces that are the result of parts not snapping completely flush against each other. Like Nubs they are inevitable, considering this is injection-molded plastic we are working with and not some laser cut metal precise down to the nanometer. They are frequently found running along the barrels of weapons, or armor sections designed to sandwich something in between. They can be negligible if small and inconspicuous enough - but left unattended they can mean the difference between a professional finish and just another model on your shelf that "could have been better". Luckily they are typically easy to fix. Here's one of the most common ways to deal with them.





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Tallgeese Boros WIP 4

Hello plamo nerds! It's been a while since my last post, I've been too busy with a major non-plamo WIP and haven't had the time to share a progress update on the Boros. It's coming together really well, with just some cleanup and detailing still unchecked on the weapon before I can head to paint prep. Here's what I've been up to...







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Business or Pleasure? Bit of both!

Hello plamo nerds! I apologize for the lack of updates on the blog recently - I've been away on business/pleasure for nearly two months and was supposed to bring a WIP to work on, but I had the opportunity to take my family with me instead, so I decided it best to leave the hobby at home and just enjoy the trip with my wife and son.

Feel free to bail if you were looking for a good plamo read - I should have one of those up soon too. Today I'm trying my hand at travel blogging. Commencing poor attempt in 3...2...1...









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Tallgeese Boros WIP 3

Greetings fellow otakus! I've been busy working on the Boros and have made significant progress over the past couple of weeks. After making the decision to switch to Garazzo shoulders which extended the arm length, I figured I'd go all the way with proportion mods on this project. Here's what I've done so far!











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Magnetic Hydraulics

Greetings plamo otakus! I've been working on a bunch of mods for my Tallgeese Boros project and a WIP post is imminent, but before that I thought I'd squeeze in a quick tutorial on how I make working hydraulics. Let's get cracking!

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Featured Seller - Magnet Manila

Hello plamo fans! I'd like to introduce you all to Magnet Manila, an online store that sells - you guessed it - magnets! But these aren't your typical souvenir thingamabobs holding up a collection of fast food delivery flyers on the fridge door. They sell NdFeb (aka Neodymium) - lightweight yet extremely powerful magnets that should be a staple in a custom modeler's toolbox!




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Tallgeese III Custom WIP 2

Good day plamates! This is WIP 2 for this project. Previous WIPs can be found here:

Tallgeese III Custom WIP 1

      I wasn't comfortable calling this a Tallgeese III anymore after making significant changes to the design, so I came up with a name - Tallgeese Boros - after my favorite Magic:the Gathering deck.

I played Magic for about 15 years, and while I've been retired from the game for some time now, I'll always remember the days when I was a planeswalker in search of glory and power. Good times.

 For the uninitiated, the Boros deck is a red/white aggressive strategy designed to win the game in 3 to 5 turns by rushing the opponent with fast creatures and direct damage spells. Speed is the name of the game, and so shall it be the theme of this build.


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Meijin Modeler - Joshua Darrah

Greetings plamates! Welcome to another edition of Meijin Modeler- where we get up-close and personal with some of our most admired mecha builders, to gain insight on how they work, how they play, and possibly get an idea of why they're so damn good at what they do!

      Our featured modeler for today has a very unique way of customizing his kits: a technique that requires the ultimate in plamo surgery precision, which catapulted his one-of-a-kind entry to the top spot in the Australian leg of last year's GBWC, earning him a shot at the world title. Ladies, gents, and everything in between - I give you the one man who went and won himself a GBWC trophy with an unpainted kit...
Joshua Darrah!



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Tallgeese III Custom WIP 1

Hey plamo nerds, It's been too long since my last WIP post! Just a tiny update for today, but I'm glad I'm able to share my work again. This one's a personal project, meant only for myself and my shelf, haha. I've been working on it in short 30-minute sessions, which was all I could spare for the longest time. These days though I get to put in at least a couple of hours a week. Yay!

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Poor Man's Hobby Chisels

Greetings my fellow otakus! I'm finally starting to gain momentum with my projects, thanks to a much improved work/life balance - and what better way to celebrate my return than by sharing with you a wallet friendly guide on how to "simulate" one of the most coveted tools of the plamo trade - the modeling chisel!

(Sadly I don't own these..pic borrowed from google images..*sigh*)

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