I’m just starting out with these minis, and have been looking at your feed for inspiration. (Lovely stuff btw) How do you approach the mould lines? Do you clean em up, or just forget about them?
Replies
i guess i dont have any really good advice. look for painted examples of the mech you want to paint to see ahead of time where the mold lines are. ive heard of folks using a metel brush to gently clean up spaces but never tried it
aug 26, 2025, 3:31 pm • 1 0 • view
oh boy. because of the material they are made of, Battletech mold lines are a real pita. mostly i slice them off with a hobby knife. before painting, they are often surprisingly very hard to see despite being so large. often i am cleaning them up even after painting has started :/
aug 26, 2025, 3:30 pm • 2 0 • view
Been there too many times. (Sporting them after I’ve started!) Small sharp blade it is.
aug 26, 2025, 3:35 pm • 2 0 • view
its something you will learn to live with. it sucks but its the cost of BT minis being so cheap i think they've improved the casting process recently. newer minis aren't so bad. ive gotten a couple in the later boxes that have come out almost perfect
aug 26, 2025, 3:37 pm • 1 0 • view
3d printed models can have the same problem, I tend to prime early these days because that makes them stand out a lot more. Second clean up round and prime again after.
aug 26, 2025, 3:32 pm • 1 0 • view
not a bad idea, but i still dont see them even with the primer. its after i start laying down paint that i find some of them
aug 26, 2025, 3:33 pm • 2 0 • view
oh boy that sounds like the worst. Wonder if a ink wash after the first priming would help?
aug 26, 2025, 3:35 pm • 1 0 • view
probably, if you're priming white. i always prime black tho
aug 26, 2025, 3:36 pm • 1 0 • view
Same here. And yeah I'm thinking how best to take them apart for cleaning. And maybe set them up for modularity for some WYSIWYG later. Kinda considering getting some lego technic plugs to make rotating wastes for during play?
aug 26, 2025, 3:31 pm • 2 0 • view
Wow. I am not going to do that! Too fiddly for me. I guess I just need a scalpel, the lines I’ve seen aren’t responding particularly well to the plastic kit mould line tool I usually use.
aug 26, 2025, 3:33 pm • 1 0 • view
they are TOUGH to take apart without breaking them. you typically have to slice the arms and legs off if you go that route. not usually worth the effort in my opinion
aug 26, 2025, 3:31 pm • 1 0 • view
Yeah I was getting that idea. This is where my trusty jewelers saw comes in, and the first 3 months of tradeschool doing little besides practicing with it.
aug 26, 2025, 3:34 pm • 1 0 • view