Hello Everyone,
I would love to learn how everyone deals with Ejector pin marks? Visuals would be awesome as I learn a lot better seeing than trying to translate words to actions, if you get what I mean. I am trying to learn new techniques. I find some pin marks can be dealt with putty but others in tight spots can’t be sanded. Just hoping for a better way.
Hope to hear.
Best,
Walter
Lost in Ohio
There are tiny sanding blocks and sanding foams on a stick you can use for the tight spots.
The big question is - what to use for filling them? You’re going to get quite a few answers as everyone has their own favorite, including punched out disks of styrene. Personally, I prefer CA. Dab it in, swirl it around with a piece of armature wire until it meets the entire edge of the circle. Hit with accellerator. Done in about the time it takes to describe the process. No waiting for it to cure, no shrinkage, no pinholes. At times you might need to do it again, but it takes what - thirty seconds? Sand with whatever implement you have, and D U N done, son.
Sometimes other details are annoyingly close to the ejector pin mark, I’m not against shaving those details off and adding them later - often with something better than what was there, i.e. scratched or PE.
I do the same as @18bravo. I’ve tried styrene disks, putty, and sprue goo. Nothing works as well as super glue. Everything else I’ve tried left pin holes or needed multiple coats as it shrank upon drying
use the methods mentioned above but areas that will be seen. you can save time and effort by hiding them with dirt, accessories, tarps etc
Fiberglass pens
I use the Tamiya bottled grey surgace primer, its quite thick, like liquid Tamiya putty. Other people use Mr Surfacer 500, then sand them with a 5mm x 5mm fine piece of sanding sponge.
Thanks everyone for the responses. I appreciate the info. My challenge is the less sanding I can do the better. My hands don’t always cooperate due to a neurological issue. So a lot of sanding is very fatiguing and frustrating. Is there a particular type of CA glue to use?
Dan,
Fiberglass pens? what and how are they used? First I heard of them.
i converted an electric toothbrush by cutting off all the bristles on the cleaning had and then superglued a circular piece of sand paper on the end and viola!
the worlds first electric sanding stick!
This DSPIAE tool may be helpful for you, I have heard good comments about it and they build quality tools:
fiberglass pens are for sanding, head on so to speak, but I would advise against them as they are quite coarse, and the tiny transparent fiberglass pieces that fall on the floor find their way into your socks and then into your foot. Good luck removing a microscopic transparent needle from your foot without help and a damn good set of tweezers.
I also use the super glue method, best to use the liquid one as the gel gives weird results with the accelerator, and can trap air bubbles more easily. If you cannot sand for long, try scraping most of the excess away, you can try using OLFA KB4 SC/2 blades, then just sand to polish.
Varanusk, Klaus-Adler and Smorchan,
Thank you so much for the replies and advice and the information. I will see about the DSPIAE tool. See if it is available in the US and how much. Good info about the fiberglass pens. Brings back some nightmares about the old Yellow insulation as far as it getting into your skin. I will also look at the OLFA blades.
Is there one brand of Cyanoacrylate better than the others? or does it not matter. I seem to remember something about CA glue and baking soda as maybe a filler?
Thanks again everyone,
Best,
Walter
Lost in Ohio
No, one in particular. I like those one and done use ones. the small tubes with enough in it do a single job. I don’t use it enough to keep a bottle full from hardening.
My personal preference is small styrene discs,
the punch & die set I own seems to have the same set of
diameters as the ejection pins. If there is a small gap I fill
it with CA.
Sanding is a pain in the behind as it often results in sanding
down the adjacent area. Files are a little better.
Sandpaper usually turns this:
into this
Filling with CA can result in a filling which is harder than the surrounding styrene.
Styrene discs are usually more similar in hardness to the kit plastic.
A harder filling increase the risk of sanding away too much of the area around
the filling. Steel files (not flexible) increase the chances of filing the filling down
to a flat surface.
That why I shave off details and add them later. I can use something really broad like one of those foam nail files - never an issue.
Excellent advice has already been stated. For myself, I find denial sometimes useful.
Here you go on Amazon: ‘DSPIAE ES-A Electric Reciprocating Sanding Pen’
Mine should be here very soon. …
—mike 
Just came across this. I like the metric sizes and should be able to do think plastic disk as it’s made for thicker leather. What do you all think?
