ABS Plasticard - Profile SQUARED TUBE 4mm

Hollow square ABS profile, 4 mm

A hollow square profile is the basic building element wherever a structure is to appear on a model: trailer frames, railing posts, crane beams, shelter uprights, crate bracing or the skeletons of buildings in a diorama. It has two advantages over a solid bar. It is lighter, so a large structure does not weigh the base down, and above all it can be slipped over a pin or over a thinner profile, which makes for a firm and concentric joint. The material is ABS, a tough plastic that cuts, bonds and sands well and takes a slight bend without cracking.

Use

• Cut it with a saw or a sharp knife and keep the cut square; a slanted end ruins the whole frame.
• True the end up with a file after cutting, as burrs stay on the inside of a hollow tube.
• Bond it with a cement for plastics or with super glue, and dry-fit the joints of the frame first.
• Reinforce corner joints with a piece of thinner profile inserted inside; the structure then holds its shape.
• Key the surface with fine paper before painting, as smooth ABS holds paint less well.

Who it is for

The material is for modelers who build conversions, add to dioramas or make features that are not in the kit. Working with it is straightforward; it only calls for accurate cuts, because a frame made of inaccurate parts cannot be trued up afterwards.

Do not leave offcuts lying about and store the material out of the reach of children. Sand in a ventilated room and do not breathe the dust in.