So, I ordered a selection of screws from
https://www.ebay.com/sch/mulsannemik...1&_ipg=&_from=
on Monday and they arrived today (Friday). Keeping in mind Mike is in N.C. and I'm in Iowa, that's still a very quick turn-around.
Prices are very fair considering what you get, and what you get will knock your socks off.
No kidding, these parts look almost unreal. That attention to detail does come at a cost, however. You need to be very careful in how you separate the screw from its "runner". If you're considering buying these screws for the first time, consider doing a double order so you have something to practice on for the first time.
Mike recommends using a curved ultra fine saw blade. I tried that and my favorite plastic cutter with similar results. Most of the screws cut loose with no problems but I lost a blade (each) on two of the larger 688 screws. Like I said, plan on doing some practice so you get the feel on how to work with these parts.
If you check the pictures for Mike's items, you'll see how the parts are molded inside a "runner" system. This is normal for plastic kits but not so normal for resin parts. While the runner helps protect the part for shipping, I should note that one blade did break loose during shipping but I'm not blaming Mike.
One important thing to keep in mind, these ARE resin parts and not plastic. They are also VERY accurate in terms of scale thickness and at this scale that means some parts are incredibly thin and prone to snapping.
You've been warned, now place your order.
The best way I can explain on how to remove the runner is to start on the outside and work your way in. Each runner tapers close to the part, so try to leave some excess to avoid snapping a blade or having some of the resin shatter. DO NOT try to cut off the runner "flush" to the part. After making the first cut, cut off the runner from its base to get it out of the way. Its better to leave a small nub of runner on the part and clean it up using a very fine file (a nice file for this job is Tamiya's diamond coated PE file). Use a light touch and take your time, the result will be worth it.
Paint is your choice but for US subs I would recommend starting with Tamiya Titanium Gold (X-31) as a base color then weather the part as you see fit. Just don't plan on using a lot of paint coats at this scale. Since its also resin, you should plan on priming the part but avoid putting down too much paint.
These screws are highly recommended if you've already had experience working with resin and very small parts.
