Profil „I“ 2,0 mm

An I beam 2.0 mm high

The classic rolled shape reduced to two millimeters. Two flanges joined by a thin web, exactly the silhouette you are looking for on crane runways, walkways, industrial halls and lattice structures. White polystyrene, a strip 35 cm long; the unit of sale is one piece.

When to reach for a dry brush

The dry brush is a tool for edges, not for areas. The brush is dipped into a lighter tone, wiped dry on paper and then only drawn gently across the profile. The paint clings solely to the raised places, to the edges of the flanges, to rivets and to the edges of joints, and the shape steps out of the gloom. On an I profile this is especially rewarding, because its character is made precisely by those four longitudinal edges.

The condition is a genuinely dry brush and a lighter, not a white shade. White raises the contrast so much that the model looks dusted with chalk. And the second condition: the surface must be matte, because on gloss the paint slides into the flat areas as well and the effect is smeared.

• Choose a shade two tones lighter than the base.
• Wipe the brush until a stroke leaves no mark.
• Draw it across the edge, never along its length.
• Build it up in three light passes rather than in one heavy one.

Cutting is done with a fine-toothed saw; a knife easily deflects the thin web and the cut is then not square. The end only needs to be squared up with a few strokes of a file.

The material is pure white and slightly translucent at the edge, so it is easy to check the squareness of the cut against the light. At the start of a build that is often more valuable than an accurate ruler.