Scribe-ing deeper panel lines

[Ahajmano]

Hi all!

I have a Tamiya Scriber #2. See below. So my problem is I find it impossible to scribe deeper panel lines without inevitably breaking free from the groove, and scratching the panels themselves. This leads to hours of filling scratches and sanding. Does anyone else have this problem? Is this just something I need to learn to live with? I have had this problem on all of my last four model cars. 

 

[Exotics_Builder]

First question to ask is if you are applying too much pressure?  

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Exotics_Builder said:

First question to ask is if you are applying too much pressure?  

Yeah, that would be my guess. The tools are VERY sharp, and you need to go slowly, letting the blade tip do the work.

There are quite a few YouTube videos available on the subject.

[Ahajmano]

I will try to go extra gentle next time around. Wish me luck! Its the curves that get me every time

[Casey]

Take a look in the Tips, Tricks & Tutorials or the Question & Answer section first-- odds are good the question has been asked and answered by a forum member before:

 

[Rider]

Low pressure, many many passes.

These panel lines were scribed from scratch, taking about 2 hours per side. 

[R. Thorne]

I like the trumpeter scriber better.  The tamiya does ok on straight lines, but not on corners or curves.

[Mike Chernecki]

14 hours ago, Rider said:

Low pressure, many many passes.

These panel lines were scribed from scratch, taking about 2 hours per side. 

 

What are you using as a template, is that a plastic sign? How do you keep the template fixed to the body when scriibing?

[Rider]

I use for sale/garage sale signs. They are made from styrene, are .020" thick and cost pennies compared to the cost of EverGreen or PlastiStruct products. I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive, it's contact adhesive, but if only one item, in this case the template is sprayed it is not permanent, any residue left behind once the template is removed simply rubs off. If you can' rub it off it comes off with turpentine, but I have never had to go that rout. 

[Mike Chernecki]

57 minutes ago, Rider said:

I use for sale/garage sale signs. They are made from styrene, are .020" thick and cost pennies compared to the cost of EverGreen or PlastiStruct products. I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive, it's contact adhesive, but if only one item, in this case the template is sprayed it is not permanent, any residue left behind once the template is removed simply rubs off. If you can' rub it off it comes off with turpentine, but I have never had to go that rout. 

I will try this. Thanks

[Rider]

1 hour ago, Mike Chernecki said:

I will try this. Thanks

Your welcome. 

[89AKurt]

There are other scribers, the good ones cost money, if you can even find them!

[Ace-Garageguy]

45 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

There are other scribers, the good ones cost money, if you can even find them!

The best ones I have are made from cheap Chinese (Harbor Freight) dental tools, with a different point ground on the tip. They're easier to guide around corners than the flat-handled tools as well. 

  EDIT: As with every tool, there is a learning curve. Don't practice on the model you care about.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Lotsa options out there, and they don't have to be costly.

 

[Deuces]

Cool video... Thank you!!!! ?

[Miatatom]

I've tried a lot of tools and IMHO, this is my pick.

http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=77_110&products_id=329

[Ahajmano]

5 hours ago, Miatatom said:

I've tried a lot of tools and IMHO, this is my pick.

http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=77_110&products_id=329

Oooo I like this! Know if theere are any US distributors? If not, I’m going to just order one now for shipment to California. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

9 minutes ago, Ahajmano said:

Oooo I like this! Know if theere are any US distributors? If not, I’m going to just order one now for shipment to California. 

I completely forgot about that one. I have it, but haven't tried it yet.

Search eBay for Scribe-R.

[Dave Ambrose]

I got one of these last year and like it a lot. It’s not cheap, but it’s high quality, and it works better than anything else I’ve tried. 

https://www.simpmodels.com/product-page/utimate-chisel-set-with-hand-made-extreme-comfort-handle

 

[kitbash1]

On 10/4/2018 at 4:19 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

The best ones I have are made from cheap Chinese (Harbor Freight) dental tools, with a different point ground on the tip. They're easier to guide around corners than the flat-handled tools as well. 

  EDIT: As with every tool, there is a learning curve. Don't practice on the model you care about.

I asked my Dentist one visit if I could buy some of his old dental scribes. He asked me why I wanted them and I told him. He gave me a handfull of used scribes. So just ask your dentist. His are 100 times better then the junk Harbor Freight have.

[Miatatom]

On 10/5/2018 at 7:38 PM, Ahajmano said:

Oooo I like this! Know if there are any US distributors? If not, I’m going to just order one now for shipment to California. 

I ordered mine from the UK. Took about a week and a half as I recall. eBay, maybe?

[Ahajmano]

I totally got one on ebay! Excited to try it! 

[Pete J.]

Scribers seem to be a bit like potato chips.  You can't have just one.  I like the UMM-USA a lot.  They actually make two.  One slightly larger than the other but both work well. 

There is a new tool out there that I just got and like the heck out of it.  It is the new Tamiya scriber(they actually call them engravers). 

The down side,  -  stupid expensive.  The handle is $17 and the blades are $32 each.  The reason they are so expensive is that they are tungsten carbide and are very sharp.  They are also available at certain overseas hobby companies for about half that price(shipping not included).  There are 4 different blades from .1mm, .2mm, .3mm and .5mm.

  You don't need the handle.  The blades fit in a medium sized collet in a pin vise so you can avoid that cost.  I have a Tamiya pin vice with 4 collets and it is large and heavy which fits my hand well. 

  They have a square end so you get a true flat bottom panel line(not that it matters to most modelers) and with the different sizes you can get different lines.  This works well on cars where you may have a drip edge one sized and door panels a different size or aircraft where you may be doing a door panel vs a flat panel line, or flaps.  I have used them and they require very little pressure to cut a clean line.  These are probably not right for every modelers budget but from the look of this thread, a lot of you have all different types of scribers.  So the search for a "perfect" scriber just added another tool for some of us.  

[Fat Brian]

I made my panel scribe for free with a bamboo skewer and the core of a .56 guitar string. You need about 3/4 of an inch of string with the winding removed, then I took my pin vise and drilled a hole in the blunt end of the skewer the same size as the remaining wire about a half inch deep. Insert the wire in the hole with a liberal amount of super glue and trim it to your desired length, I left mine about an eighth of an inch long. Be sure to trim the skewer to a reasonable length if you want to keep your eyes.

[Mike Chernecki]

4 hours ago, Pete J. said:

Scribers seem to be a bit like potato chips.  You can't have just one.  I like the UMM-USA a lot.  They actually make two.  One slightly larger than the other but both work well. 

There is a new tool out there that I just got and like the heck out of it.  It is the new Tamiya scriber(they actually call them engravers). 

The down side,  -  stupid expensive.  The handle is $17 and the blades are $32 each.  The reason they are so expensive is that they are tungsten carbide and are very sharp.  They are also available at certain overseas hobby companies for about half that price(shipping not included).  There are 4 different blades from .1mm, .2mm, .3mm and .5mm.

  You don't need the handle.  The blades fit in a medium sized collet in a pin vise so you can avoid that cost.  I have a Tamiya pin vice with 4 collets and it is large and heavy which fits my hand well. 

  They have a square end so you get a true flat bottom panel line(not that it matters to most modelers) and with the different sizes you can get different lines.  This works well on cars where you may have a drip edge one sized and door panels a different size or aircraft where you may be doing a door panel vs a flat panel line, or flaps.  I have used them and they require very little pressure to cut a clean line.  These are probably not right for every modelers budget but from the look of this thread, a lot of you have all different types of scribers.  So the search for a "perfect" scriber just added another tool for some of us.  

I bought the complete set and love these.