SSGToms
If I haven’t said it already to your post I’ll say it again because your post is much braver than mine and expresses more candor. By that I mean I see so many good models get new out of scale weld seams. For almost the entirety of the war, the Germans didn’t make welds out so scale. The source I included speaks of this. Right on!
18bravo:
Did you somehow get the impression that my post was a net cast too wide? I’m not talking about cases that your citing in detail with photos. What you’re describing is not the problem I’m talking about.
I’m talking about the almost reflexive need to carve out lines for seams which in some cases don’t look good, or are out of scale. The article I linked made the point that Wehrmacht armor makers did their seams and beads so well the Soviet’s marveled at them.
When you say “we aren’t “, I’m not sure why? I don’t think the cases you showed would be included in my thesis. So, if there’s some reason you think I’m talking about you, please, I’m not. Justifiable enhancement are the modelers license. But, if you’re going to put things out there on the www, then expect some commentary. I think the issue I’m speaking of are needless enhancements that just don’t need to be done by any objective measure . Nobody would criticize a modeler for making an artistic choice as it is his, but then , shouldn’t one expect some comments on the piece? I think SSGToms made my point. But you ain’t what I’m talking about
Dan
Also remember many of the YouTube modeler’s are trying to make a living with social media. Their content will reflect to some degree current trends as they want views to boost revenues.
(Soap box)
Thirty+ years ago, I used Millput (2 part epoxy putty) and scribed welds for missing weld seams on occasion. So it’s hilarious to see the technique in main stream discussion so many years later. The technique works very well for placing a welds in a recess and texturing. Pz IV road wheel welds being a typical application.
Using the technique to add big goofy 1/16 scale welds on 1/35 model are entirely modelers choice. I’m a NightShift Patreon but snicker at some of the over scale (in my view) welds. He probably does it to add visual appeal and makes the model look sexy for the video before painting etc. He’s successful making a living on social media building models which is his goal with model building.
My serious model building friends felt dealing with 2 part epoxy putty was too much hassle and sprue or plastic strip worked with less effort. They had a good point but chopping bits of sprue for wheel welds was even worse.
So anyway, Molak Stucco Putty thinned with Testor’s Liquid Cement replaced Millput (2 part epoxy putty) scribed weld seams for the vast majority of that sort of detailing.
Tamiya Pz IV F road wheel w/Molak Stucco Putty welds.
Pz IV, beads can be seen by those who know what they are looking for.
Slightly less obvious in this photo
I think I’ll pass, replicating those weld beads would compel me to fix all the other small details and I have (too many) other models to build.
Note to self: the three weld beads will never align with three spokes or spaces between spokes since there are eight spokes
Ha! you’ve nailed it. i’ve been using styrene rod and melting it with Tamiya thin cement then using either a regular Xacto or other tool or the Excel Hot Knife which can carve weld seams in Panzer seams
I like that idea and will have to try it on one of my many Sherman’s in the stash.
I’m just happy to get something completed…rarely (read never) do I care about accuracy. That’s why I don’t read build reviews or the dreaded in box review. I just like building stuff…not one person who’s ever looked in my display case has ever counted a rivet or taken a measurement or inspected a weld. But they do ask lots of questions and many are reminded of their childhoods spent building kits themselves. Lots of great conversations are had.
Precisely! my post was intended to evoke debate among good modelers so i could synthesize all of the comments.
It is refreshing to hear this from a modeler with such gravitas.
But there are other excellent modelers who do decide to carve up seams de rigueur. i got confused by this conundrum when i began modeling 10 months ago.
Nevertheless, I appreciate everyone”s comments . But when UH weighs in people listen
brilliant
I didn’t think people were getting rid of the injection made weld beads and seams - just to add more over-scaled custom-made seams. My observation was hobbyists to add the details to older kits that do not have such detail. Maybe that is just my observation…
Interestingly, my 3D printable weld seams are one of my best sellers on cults3d. I guess people tend to like weld beads/seams?
Artistic interpretation I suppose.
Very nice. How much does a decent 3D printer cost? I bought some decal waterslide ones from Archer but I hate decals. I try to use either resin or paint stencils if I can. I watched as my liquid mask literally pulled off my vehicle number as I was fixing a paint issue. Pffht.
That’s when I called it quits with waterslide. I’ll only use them as a last resort. Nice work
Dan
A good 3D printer for 220 USD: ELEGOO Mars 4 9K Resin 3D Printer – ELEGOO Official
If the build plate seems too small then go for the Saturn series but for 1/35 accessories, I found Mars series was sufficient.
I caught your observation that some Modellers are not getting rid of weld seams, they’re just improving them . I wish I could agree with that. Since I’ve been modeling and watching YouTube I’ve seen good modelers take the Tamiya scribe and drag it all down the seams all over the vehicle only to replace the whole thing with “sausages “ of rolled epoxy. Then they use hand made tools to make their seams look like they know what the seams SHOULD look like. But, as I stated in my original post on the subject in a link to an article on the engineering and craftsmanship of the German guild welders vs the Soviet and Allied automated welding, the Soviets were enamored by how aesthetically pleasing the German tanks welds were when they captured them. So, I posited that if a quality 1/35 scale kit had nice weld detail as most good kits do these days, why touch them at all? I also said that if something was lacking artistic license would be fine to enhance or fix them. But I’m afraid to say that I’ve seen so many good modelers just grab the hulls of AFV’s and start ripping out the weld seams without saying why or even looking at them. It’s reflexive, To me, as I think a wise man here said, if they’re there, leave them be, But, I’m not asking to form weld seam police. It’s none of my business until someone puts it out in public then it’s fair game to call a spade a spade. Fair enough?
Thanks man. That’s not too much. Is it hard to learn how to use it?
Not too hard to learn. Takes lots of trial and error. YouTube tutorial videos will be your help. For me, it took about 6 months to get really comfortable with it without print failure.
A link to an example would be brilliant.
Just because some folks do it and post on YouTube doesn’t make it a good idea! I view these “influencers” as a tiny minority of humanity, who need to be taken with a grain of salt. As I said earlier, my own approach is to only change things that need changed, and leave those that are already good enough. But I’m sure if I posted a vid of me NOT replacing welds it wouldn’t garner as many “likes” from the fans because it’d be a film of nothing happening!
A good approach to modeling and life in general is “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” As many have offered, sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone. I’ve never watched a modeling video. In part because I’d rather spend my time building, and in part because I’m a contrarian and would rather find my own way, even if it means I screw up. You learn more from your failures than from success.
18Bravo
Right now I’m in no mind to find one as I am convalescing from yet another back surgery, courtesy of military service. But, in futuro (as Caesar might say), I will link to an example since it lends gravitas to a thesis of mine.
I do not take back the observation to which I believe other, more experienced modelers might already agree with me. But your query serves dual purposes and is appreciated. Perhaps , I can take a minute to edit my post when I am up to it.
In any event, I will continue to posit my theorem that taking a good kit, with proper scale and detail and ripping out the injection molded welds, is a dumb idea. I don’t think one needs to have to have some modicum of long experience to even put forward my opinion on . I ran the post because it was a thing bugging me about current scale modeling trends. It’s reminiscent of my D****(g post. That was basically, the same argument, but about different things.
Anyway, I’ll go in soon and see if I can link an exemplar of my thesis. Most are posted as tutorials. But, I’ve also seen it in some fast-paced build videos where the content creator shows us his/her/ their—whatever— build technique, but are fast-forwarding to the painting stage of the build. Thus, the idea of chiseling out perfectly good welds seems like a dumb idea if the kit has to scale, detailed weld seams. Thanks for your input and request.
S/ Dan
Never. But gassing up the snowblower in minus-stupid-cold weather is another story. 
