Kulatý profil 3,2 mm

Round stock 3.2 millimeters in diameter

A round styrene rod belongs to the heavier sizes of the range. Converted to 1:35 scale it corresponds to a diameter of roughly eleven centimeters, that is, a stout post, piping or a gun barrel; in smaller scales it will make a chimney, a mast or a crane girder.

Typical use

Modelers take it for cylindrical parts that no kit contains: tanks, drums, winches, pins and joints. It will also serve as a solid axle on which a turret or a wheel turns, or as an internal stiffener for a joint that has to carry the weight of a whole structure.

Working the material

The rod is cut with a fine-toothed saw, or scored with a knife and snapped. Square the cut up with sanding paper laid on a board; just turn the piece and the face comes out perpendicular. The joints are held by polystyrene cement, which melts the surface. The circular section can moreover be turned in a hand drill clamped in a vise, so that you can make tapered and stepped shapes from it.

Material data

White styrene, 3.2 mm in diameter, one piece 35 cm long, sold by the piece. The material is the same as the one ordinary plastic kits are molded from, so it joins to the parts of the model without a transition adhesive and sands, fills and paints just as well.

Painting and surface

The rod is painted the same way as kit plastic; just degrease it beforehand and remove fingerprints. The smooth surface takes a primer and a topcoat well, and when you need texture, suggest it with sanding paper or fine scribing before painting. A longer piece will also serve as an auxiliary handle: glued to a small part it makes it easier to hold, and it is snapped off once finished.