Set of 10 Needle Files

Vallejo set of ten needle files

A needle file is the tool that decides how a model looks once it has been glued together. It is what removes the remains of sprue gates, levels mold seams and adjusts surfaces that do not fit. This set contains ten files, that is enough profiles for a suitable one to be found for every ordinary shape — and that is the main benefit of a set over buying single pieces.

Which profile for what

A flat file belongs on flat surfaces and edges, a half-round one inside curves, a round one in holes and for enlarging them, a triangular one in corners and sharp valleys, and a knife file in narrow grooves. The basic mistake is to use a flat file on a shaped surface — the curve is flattened into a facet that you only notice once the primer is sprayed, when repairs are awkward.

Work and maintenance

• File with a stroke in one direction and lift the tool on the return; a back-and-forth movement needlessly dulls the teeth.
• Do not press. The teeth of the file do the cutting, not the force of your hand, and pressing too hard heats the plastic so that it starts to smear.
• Plastic clogs the teeth very quickly — a clogged file no longer cuts and only burnishes. Clean it with a brass brush or an old toothbrush across the teeth.
• Follow up with abrasive paper in increasing grits for a fine finish, because a file always leaves scratches.
• Store the files so that their working faces do not touch one another; rubbing against each other dulls them faster than the work itself.

Who the files will serve

Builders of plastic kits who want clean joints and edges, modelers working with resin and putty, and anyone who has so far managed with a single universal file and is running into its limits.

A tool for adult users. Filing creates fine dust, so work with adequate ventilation and do not breathe it in.