What every plastic scale modeller needs to know.
Styrene Modelling Fundamentals
That’s what I do… I build models and know things that most people don’t.
- Scale model kits are typically made from injection-moulded polystyrene and/or resin castings. Styrene hardness varies between kit manufacturers. Many aftermarket parts are made from brass photo-etched parts (PE), machined metal parts and 3D printed objects.
- There is never a perfect kit, excellent yes, perfect… no! Some kit manufacturers produce better scale models than others.
- Scale modelling is a rabbit hole, you get out of it what you put into it. It opens doors to new knowledge, understanding and acquiring new skillsets.
- Kits range from simple builds with few parts, to more advanced, highly detailed kits to complex, intricate, advanced skill builds with high part counts.
- All kits require some form of cleanup, be it removal of flash, mould lines, injection or register marks and sprue gates.
- The obvious is not always apparent.
- Sprue nipper quality ranges from okay, good to excellent.
- There is no such thing as the pursuit of perfection, only the worthwhile pursuit of personal excellence.
- Anything worth doing is worth doing badly at first. The first time is exploration, to do it again is applying what is learned, to refine and make it better. Apply purposeful learning to achieve personal scale modelling victories.
- Compare yourself to yesterday’s you, not to someone else’s today.
- You are building the kit for yourself, not for someone else’s expectations.
- You screw up occasionally, read instructions incorrectly, assemble parts wrong and attach parts incorrectly during momentarily brain freezes.
- Small parts will ping off sprues and tweezers tips if not careful. On occasion, never to be found.
- Super Glue, known as cyanoacrylate (CA) sticks fingers together when we least expect it.
- Plastic cement bottles are inadvertently overturned and paint spilt.
- Plastic Cement comes in thick, thin and extra thin formulations ranging from cool, medium to hot styrene welding properties. Plastic cement technically melts parts together.
- Thin and Extra Thin Plastic Cement have high capillary properties to seep along part assembly joints.
- You will learn how to strip paint incorrectly applied and remove artificial chrome from car and truck kits.
- Airbrushing is tough to learn. When mastered it is a joy, a magic wand.
- Painting figures is challenging.
- Magnifying device(s) is a must for fine detail work.
- Good lighting in the work area is a must. Use 5000K Daylight bulbs or 5000K LED Lighting to produce natural accurate colour.
- You will mess up an unreplaceable part!
