Posted: 11/17/14
There are two ways to properly trim a body. One is the obvious method of using scissors to slowly trim the Lexan material away. The second method involves the far less obvious trick of scoring and snapping off the unwanted material.
When using scissors, two types of scissors are recommended, one set of traditional straight blade scissors and a pair of RC-specific body scissors with short curved blades.
Duratrax makes both the curved short bladed and straight short bladed scissors. The perfect setup is actually three total pairs. Add to the pair of previously described Duratrax scissors a pair of long straight bladed scissors. These are very handy for cutting long, perfectly straight lines such as the rocker panel area between wheel wells. The key is to avoid scissors with the fine serrations. Using the scissors is pretty straightforward. Just take your time and use longer blade scissors for long cuts so you get a straight edge.
The second method of trimming a body requires a sharp hobby knife. The preferred blade for RC use is the #11 blade. Revell, the model company, offers a high-quality knife that includes five #11 blades.
You may have seen glass cut by it being first scored with a sharp device and then snapped at the score line. Lexan RC bodies can be trimmed the same way. If you score the trim lines and then bend the excess material back and forth, the body should snap apart at the score line. Do not peel the Lexan extra material away from the body. This can go wrong and result in a tear across your expensive body. Overall, this technique takes some practice, but the end result can be very impressive.
While using these techniques can, with some practice, yield some great looking smooth results, you can still touch up areas occasionally. The best tool for the job is a rotary tool with a sanding drum. While you'll find dozens of uses for a rotary tool, even if you only used it for finishing up a body, you'll find it's worth every penny.
