Profil 0,50 x 0,50 mm

The thinnest bar for fine details

Half a millimeter in height as in width is a dimension that almost disappears on a model, and that is exactly why this profile is so useful. It is used to suggest hatch frames, ribs on the inside of covers, handholds, strips under the eaves of buildings or the stiffeners of a wooden structure, without the result looking coarse. In 1:35 scale it matches roughly a two-centimeter batten, and in larger scales small framing.

Why styrene

The material is the same as that of ordinary plastic kits, so it joins to them with a liquid cement that bites into both surfaces and lets them grow together. The joint is then as strong as the surrounding plastic, can be sanded and filled without the risk of it peeling off. The profile is cut with a sharp knife by simple pressure on a hard board, not with a saw, so that no burrs remain.

White styrene can be bent into a curve after warming, only it is necessary to proceed carefully, because such a thin section softens very quickly. Shorter runs can be bent cold over an edge. Before painting it is enough to degrease the surface and spray a primer, which gives the paint something to hold on to and at the same time shows up any unevenness of the joint. It pays to store profiles in a tube or laid out flat in a box so that they do not bow.

With the neighboring sizes of the same range more complex shapes can be built up, for example beams or truss structures.

For longer assemblies, mark the lengths out on paper beforehand and cut to the mark, not by eye. A half-millimeter rod slips out of your fingers easily and disappears on the floor even more easily, so it is worth having tweezers with fine tips and a light-colored board at hand.