Hi all,

Well long story short is that i bought a german ww2 bust to convert and discovered its made from white metal and not resin which i am used to, it looks like the one in the link.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Andrea-Mi...aultDomain_0&hash=item56464228d0#ht_500wt_823

what is the best way to cut and remove items from white metal, i do have a set of needle files but an i going to need something more industrial?

i was also hoping to chip off and save the nazi winged eagle and reuse it, is there a way to still be able to do that or am i going to have to source a new one?

James
Sometimes with white metal all you need are some files (which you already have) the back of an xacto blade and sand paper/sticks. It all depends on the size of the seam. My prefered method for removing seams on metal kits is sanding sticks. I don't bother with hobby shop sanding sticks anymore as these are severely over priced. Go to a beauty supply store and you can pick up sanding sticks of all different grades and rather cheaply I might add .

Some painters take a fine grade steel wool and polish out any imperfections that remain after cleaning the seams.

Lastly, you need to clean the metal figure with some dish detergent and a soft brush (an old, worn out, toothbrush works perfect here). Good luck!

Jim Patrick

well i took the first step into a a new world, there was a large lump of white metal excess on the rear of the helmet and feeling lazy, i opted not to physically sand it by instead run it over my belt sander... it would seen this works as well on white metal as it does resin.

Jim Patrick, i like you style sir, i'll need to remember that little money saving idea, thanks for that tip.

housecarl, damn that is a clever, wish i had thought of that, the only snag i see is that the nazi eagle is not complete but it will give me something to go on, so i appreciate that.

ok the next question, is how do i go about removing key details such as, the straps that are already carved into the torso section,, any ideas?

one thing that i have found out about white metal kits is that they don't bond well with super glue, so i'm having to use the two tone epoxy resin glue instead, which is giving better results

Superglue can work okay with white metal, but the extra weight means you shouldn't rely on it alone for some joints. If you're having success with epoxy then continue to use it, it'll give you much safer joins with heavier parts.

White metal should be cleaned well before gluing in case you don't know - it's less of an issue now than in the old days but there may be a light layer of oxidation on the surface which can prevent a firm glue join being made. Most old-timers go over the surface of their metal kits with a brass or bronze brush to get the surface shiny clean, prior to gluing and priming.

Einion

well when i sanded down the collar section to fit the new insignia, i experimented with two different glue, and once again the super glue failed as the insignia tab fell off again so i will stick with the epoxy resin glue from here on in, i just need to buy some more.

the good news so far is that the milliput putty seems to be doing ok when it comes to covering over the unwanted details, will know more when i start painting it i guess.

I am kind of surprised that super glue would not hold small metal detail parts. How old is the glue? It can get weak if it is old.

well it aint holding anything for very long and its all new glue, i bought it a month or so ago.

i'm doing fine with the epoxy resin glue for now so i'll stick with that.

Well use what works.