How do you deal with difficult mold lines on metal minis?

[Wihtesparrow]

They are so frustrating!! It seems like even if the line isn't in a difficult spot, using an xacto knife just makes bumpy ridges and mini files work better but are often too "bulky" to fit in the smaller areas. Anyway...I'm finding mold lines much more frustrating on metal than on plastic. It seems like I have to keep scraping and scraping and filing and filing and scraping to get anywhere with them. And then there's the one's in the super awkward spots that prevent you from scraping or filing as accurately as you need to. How do you more experienced guys and gals deal with them?? The ones where it seems that if you use an xacto it will cut other areas or if you use files it will file other areas. Here's some shots of what I'm talking about (the last shot is for scale of the arm as compared to the knife blade...the arm is also laying next to one of my mini files in the other shots):

 

[cassar]

just patience scrape away at the mold line, use the blade at a 90 degree angle.

 

[Wihtesparrow]

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but thanks for the response!! But what about the little "ledges" on different parts. For instance: In the first shot the mold line runs flat on the barrel then goes up and then flat again. That part of the mold line that goes up has nearly no room to be scraped at all. Is there not some handy dandy advice for sections like that?

 

[Niranth]

I picked up a carbide scraper from Rio Rondo. Not cheap, but does allow getting into tight spaces.

http://www.riorondo.com/tools/scrapers.html

Still requires patience though.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

Some sort of tiny chisle with a square front end. Drill bits make great stock for making your own chisles...and allen wrenches. You have to be REAL careful when grinding them though. If you grind them too long and they get too hot they can loose some of their temper.

Scraping can work for some stuff and for some mold lines you need to 'sculpt' them away. Sometimes it's a combination of using a chisle AND then putty.

 

[Dragonsreach]

There is a Push Chisel available from Historex-Agents which is designed exactly for this task.
It's supplied blade is 2mm but it has an exchangeable set with 1mm blades.
They are incredibly sharp and pare moulding lines away with ease, then the area can be touched over with wet and dry emery paper (wet works best).
http://www.historexagents.com/shop/hxproductdetail.php?ProductCode=EMMM9
http://www.historexagents.com/shop/hxproductdetail.php?ProductCode=EMMM10
http://www.historexagents.com/shop/hxproductdetail.php?ProductCode=EMMM11

 

[Wyrmypops]

I have one of those micro-chisels and can attest it is the only go-to tool for some hard to reach mold lines. For the most part it stays on the table in favour of the craft knife though.

I lost one, and having had one when I found another job it was ripe for had to go a buy another. Knowing it'd do the job well, rather than try and cope with other tools.