hey guys ive been customizing for a while but one thing i try and stay away from is sanding when i do it it always sticks out like a sore thumb and i see so many great customs where people have sanded stuff of and you never notice it so id love to know the secret to sanding and making it blend in right

Get yerself a Dremel tool. There are several fine grits and buffers that can help you make a better blend.

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Here's two things I have that might help you. File sticks and nail sanders/buffers. Once I get things down to about where I'd like them using regular sand paper or a dremel, I then use one of the two depending on the surface. If it is rounded or in a tough spot I use the file sticks which are just metal files but smaller and the ones I have are curved to a point. I got them at a hobby store that went out of business but I've seen them at other hobby stores as well.

If it is a flat surface I'll usually go with the roughest surface of the nail buffer. These you can find in any store that carries nail polish. They range in price from $2-$10. I've used some that are block shaped and some that are like a thicker file shape. None of that matters. They all have different sides that you use to buff from one side to the next until you get a smooth plastic factory shine. Just don't do it after you paint or your will ruin it. Good luck.

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Also, don't forget your sandpaper grades make a huge difference in how things turn out.

Fine to very fine grits (400-600 grit) are easy to find in most hobby stores and are a must to produce a smooth finish after heavier sanding (100-120 grit usually). They're also terrific if you need to take just a little bit off a surface (say, a shoulder joint) without leaving much in the way of scratches. Another trick--which I picked up here on the board--is to the flip the sandpaper over and smooth with the backing. It produces a smooth, slightly shiny look on most plastics, works really well.

Testors and Mona Lisa both sell mixed-grit packs for hobby use, around $5 or so per pack. Mona Lisa also sells the very fine grit for about $3 at Michael's (this is a very thin, very fine white sanding paper that's tops for finishing.)

You can find the sanding sticks Pluv mentioned in various grits, and some come with grits right up to very fine (600). I have one I found in the dollar store I've almost worn out, it's so useful.

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Yep, as mentioned, if you get some heavy grit sand paper, you'll have a bad looking surface. The heavy grit is for do the heavy sanding and getting the layer worked down. Once you get the big chunk out, you use the fine grit to smooth it out. Generally you won't use heavy grit sand paper on a figure. Not unless you're sanding a face off or something like that. A dremel as mentioned should be in your "inventory" of tools too with various grits of sanders.

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