Dealing with "flash" on replacement parts

[Tinman]

I needed a couple of steering wheels, one for a Ferrari and one for the Aston Martin racers. They share the same part. I had to use reproduction cast parts as I had no spares.

I've dealt with some "flash" before but this is ridiculous and it's a tiny and delicate part to work with. Here is what that part looked like when I started:



I got out the dental picks and placed it upside down on a wood block and began to punch holes in the flash. Once I punched it as much as I could with a straight dental pick, I switch to needle files. Here it is about half way through the filing.



After Using the files as much as possible, I switch to very fine sand paper and try to work the shape as much as possible. Here it is before I buff it back to a shine.



Here is as all buffed up. It's not perfect, but it will have to do. fortunately it's partially hidden in the car.



Most parts are not that bad. However, sometimes the 13a, b & c crane booms are pretty bad. I've even had to discard a few of those because they were to bad to salvage.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Joe, are these parts made of 'White Metal' like they used to be during the late 70'S.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Tinman]

Joe, are these parts made of 'White Metal' like they used to be during the late 70'S.

GHOSTHUNTER.

They are. I had to clean up two of these in a row today.

When they are done correctly, this is how they come out of the mold.



Now, that's a decent part. I don't know what they are doing wrong to get all those flashy ones. Worst of all, I am upset they don't cull out the parts with heavy flash ... it's just poor quality control on the parts of the reproduction parts guys. I can't pick and choose at the toy fairs like you guys across the pond, I'm stuck with what they send me in my order and the shipping rate precludes me sending them back for replacement.

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Thank's Joe.

White Metal parts of this type and size were usually moulded in big round moulds made of a heat resistant rubber based compound. This mould was not very hard and pliable enough to have to be held together with strapping during the metal pouring session and then the cooling off period. As the mould was spun the molten white metal mix was centrifugally thrown around the mould, but this was so crude a lot of the parts came out badly moulded or very flashy due to the cavities around the outer circumference just not seating properly, and they would just be thrown back into the hot mix and another set would be moulded, very basic very crude but this was pioneering times for the White Metal models industry.

During the mid to late 1980's, things were getting better due to better mixes of White Metal and much better moulding methods, but I would imagine the Guys moulding those things like your steering wheels are still using the earlier method, as it is still cheap to do it that way and all the items you need can be sourced from the internet and a moulding industry can be set up in your spare bedroom...

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Tinman]

and all the items you need can be sourced from the internet and a moulding industry can be set up in your spare bedroom...

GHOSTHUNTER.

... and when the wife walks in and asks WTF happened to the guest room, I'll be back on the internet looking for a good used caravan as my new home!

[GHOSTHUNTER]

and all the items you need can be sourced from the internet and a moulding industry can be set up in your spare bedroom...

GHOSTHUNTER.

... and when the wife walks in and asks WTF happened to the guest room, I'll be back on the internet looking for a good used caravan as my new home!

Ghosty.

[CrazyDave]

If these parts were cheap, no biggie. But we pay through the nose, then have to work on them to make them fit. Oh well.

[Tinman]

If these parts were cheap, no biggie. But we pay through the nose, then have to work on them to make them fit. Oh well.

Now there's the voice of someone who's been there and done that (lol). It certainly is frustrating.