BAN039 light hex bolt & large washer 1,0mm

One millimeter across the faces

A flat one is the most easily pictured value of the whole grid. A millimeter can be held against a part and compared by eye, so it is by this size that it is easiest to decide which molded joints on a model to swap for metal and which to leave alone. The head has a low profile and a loose washer of larger diameter sits beneath it.

How to tell that the size is right

The procedure is simple: find a molded hex on the model, measure it with calipers and look for the nearest grade of the grid. If the molded head comes out somewhere between two grades, go for the smaller one; an oversized metal joint is more disturbing on a scale machine than one that is a shade too small.

An accessory there is no point buying on its own

• What it makes no sense without: a kit with something on it to replace
• What it cannot be fitted without: a drill and tweezers, plus a needle for dosing the glue
• What speeds the work up: a waste piece of sprue for testing the hole and a shallow dish to tip the parts out onto
• What gets added over time: the neighboring grades of the grid, once you know where one dimension was not enough

A bag of ready-made heads solves another problem besides appearance. A molded hex often gets damaged while being cut off the sprue, and it cannot be made again. A metal replacement reliably covers over that kind of damage, and that is a more frequent reason for buying one than a longing for shine.