COARSE SANDING STICK

Coarse Sanding Stick - a coarse sanding stick, 150 grit (AK interactive)

Coarse Sanding Stick from AK interactive is a modeling tool, not a kit. It is a stick with a coarse abrasive of 150 grit that the manufacturer intends for basic shaping, that is, for the stage of the work where material mainly has to come off fast and not be polished. The good abrasive is built for a longer life and the degree of coarseness is told by the color of the stick, so you will not lose your way among your tools.

A coarse stick is the tool for the first, dirtiest work: cut-off casting blocks, burrs and plastic flash left by the mold, coarse leveling of dried putty and glued seams that first have to be brought down flush. On resin parts it also copes with the stubs of casting gates. Precisely because it removes material fast, it is used with a light touch and in short strokes, as it is a moment's work to sand too far.

Remember the logic of the numbers: 150 grit is a low number, so a coarse abrasive. A coarse stick leaves visible scratches on the surface and assumes that a finer grit will follow. The natural continuation is the Fine Sanding Stick of 600 grit from the same line, which smooths the surface after the coarse stick. The order cannot be reversed: whoever starts with the fine one only lengthens the work, and whoever finishes with the coarse one will see the scratches under the paint.

Use

• Removing flash, burrs and the remains of casting blocks from plastic and resin parts.
• Coarse leveling of dried putty in seams and in repaired spots.
• Leveling the glued seams of a fuselage, a hull or an engine block before smoothing.
• Adjusting the shape of a part: shortening, rounding, chamfering an edge.
• Wet sanding: dampening it keeps the dust down, the abrasive clogs less and the surface comes out cleaner.

Who it is for

For every modeler who builds from plastic and resin and needs a dependable tool for the coarse preparation of parts. On its own it will not finish a surface; it belongs at the start of the chain and works best paired with a fine stick. Rinse it after work and let it dry; a sanding stick is meant to be used again and again.

Sanding releases fine dust, so do not breathe it. Work in a ventilated space, protect your airways and sand wet if you can. On resin parts, respiratory protection is especially in order.