BAN003 imbus round head 0,6mm

A socket head screw on a model

Modern machines are held together by screws with an internal hex, and modelers know them above all as the place where a kit ends and the detail begins. In a mold all that is left of them is a bump at most, because plastic will not hold a shape that small. A separate element, by contrast, has a head of its own that stands up above the surface and keeps a shadow under it when shading is applied.

The shape of the head and the size

The element represents a screw with an internal hex and a ball, that is a domed head with no sharp edges. The package holds a single size of 0.6 millimeters, which is one of the smallest of the sizes offered. Joints like that appear on a real machine on covers, instruments, brackets and everywhere a larger head would look coarse. On a model it therefore suits places a viewer examines from close by.

Working with a part this small

An element of this size is hard to find once spilled, so work over a light-colored pad with a rim. Pick it up with fine-tipped tweezers or on the moistened tip of a toothpick. For exact seating, drill a shallow recess and glue with cyanoacrylate glue, of which a trace carried on a piece of wire is enough. Wipe the excess away at once; once dry it can only be removed from around the head at the risk of tearing the element off. Try the fit dry beforehand, so that you know whether the head will seat and how deep a recess you need. Painting is easier before gluing, on double-sided tape, and wash and degrease the surface of the model first.

What is not in the box

The model, the paints and the glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.