Hexagonal bolts & nuts

Hexagonal bolts and nuts - Aber

This is a modeling material from the Polish maker Aber, not a kit. The package holds turned metal imitations of hexagonal bolts and nuts, that is small heads with a regular hexagon, of the kind that appear by the hundreds on real machines. Neither injected plastic nor photo-etched sheet captures this shape faithfully - a plastic head tends to be soft and a photo-etched replacement is flat. Turned metal, by contrast, holds sharp edges and a real height, so it casts a shadow of its own on the surface.

Use

• Replacing worn-off or simplified bolts on armor plates and flanges
• Detailing wheel hubs, transmissions, engines and chassis
• Ship deck equipment, pipe flanges and the fastenings of superstructures
• Adding hardware in conversions and in building parts yourself
• A workshop or diorama scene where the detail is seen from close up

How to work with the material

The procedure is always the same: at the place where the bolt is to go, drill a hole matching the shank with a micro drill, seat the head in it and fix it with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue applied with a pin. The parts are small, so work over a tray with a rim and use tweezers with rounded tips. Degrease the metal with alcohol before painting and apply a metal primer, otherwise the heads will rub off during handling. Spacing is what makes it convincing - real bolts are set out regularly, so mark the spacing out in advance with a soft pencil.

Who the material is for

For advanced modelers who build vehicles, ships or conversions and want to complete the surface of a model with detail that an ordinary kit lacks. It calls for patience, a micro drill and a steady hand, but the reward is a surface that will stand up even to a close-up photograph.

This is a modeling material, not a kit. The parts are very small, so keep them out of the reach of children. Glue, paints and tools are not included in the package.