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| 1... Seams: | |
| a... Plan assembly procedures and steps to make parts fit together better and make it easier to fill any remaining seams. | |
| b... Do research; on the real vehicle how large are the seams? Is there a seam at the wing root, or is there a joint line? | |
| c... Test fit all parts! Test every component for accuracy of fit, proper angle of fit. If you are adding a resin interior for instance, it may not fit properly and force a gap in the outer body, fuselage, hull or whatever. Continually test fit! Sand parts, trim or whatever you need to do to get as close as possible to a perfect fit. Or you could just buy newer Tamiya kits and stay away from Airfix. | |
| d... After you have achieved the best dry fit you can and there are still gaps, there are numerous ways of filling these in. Go ahead and glue the parts together, carefully making sure as the glue sets that everything is still in alignment. | |
| e... After the glue has cured and you still have gaps or seams larger that what you want, there are several methods to fill these in. This includes putty, shims, super glues or other chemicals such as white glue. Tamiya makes my personal favorite putty. It dries fairly quickly and feathers beautifully. Putties have a downside though, as they chip when scribed over. This is where super glue is helpful for filling seams that will require rescribing. | |
| f... When you have applied the putty, super glue or other filler, such as small plastic shims, you must sand these smooth. I like to put masking tape close to both sides of the seam to prevent damage to the surrounding area. Remember, you don't have to fix, what you don't damage! I usually start with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and gradually go to higher grades, until I get the shape and smoothness I want. | |
| g... Now you need to prime this area, to see if you have a good seam. I use a couple of methods to do this; First, I paint the seam with silver paint. For some reason (having to do mostly with magic), silver paint shows up the tiniest defects. This can be used to your benefit, as it lets you know if you have more work to do on the seam or if it's good. I like to use Alcad, just brush it on. It works okay for me and can easily be removed or smoothed over for final painting. Second, I prime the whole piece. This is also necessary to fill any putty with pigment so it will be as smooth as the surrounding plastic and will look the same as the plastic when the final paint coat is applied. | |
| 2... Scribing and rescribing panel lines: | |
| a... Once I have made sure I have the seams properly filled, it's time to rescribe any panel lines that have been removed by fixing the seams. | |
| b... There are several tools I use for scribing, a few of these are; sewing needles chucked in a pin vise or X-Acto knife holders, knife blades, small saws, custom made scribers, etc. You have to try quite a few different types to find the ones that you are most confortable with. I am always trying new things in addition to the ones I always trust. | |
| c... To get a properly scribed line to go where you want it and not drift around, you must use a template or guide of some sort. I have a few of these I really like, but I am also always looking for new tools. Some of my favorite guides are pre made templates that were made years ago by Dragon-Trimaster, lable making tape, steel eraser templates used by draftsmen, flexible rulers and the list goes on. | |
| d... Once you have found the guides you need, they will do no good if they slide around while you are scribing your line against them. I always tape them down and this stops thier movement and numerous cuss words from me. | |
| e...When you start scribing your line, remember, you don't have to scribe the complete line on one pass. Matter of fact, this is how to screw up. Making several light passes gives your tool much more control and in the long run, saves you time and your sanity. | |
| f...You are bound to make some mistakes while scribing your lines. These are easily filled in by small amounts of super glue, typing correction fluid or liquid putties like Mr. Surfacer. Use several coats untill you achieve the result you want. | |
| These are just a few suggestions that I have found help me build faster with better results. It all boils down to practice. If you hurry too fast, you will screw up. I have already tested this axiom and it is true, take my word for it. | |
| Here is a short list of supplies I have found work really well; | |
| 1... Evergreen Strip Styrene in various thicknesses and widths | |
| 2... Tamiya putty Basic Type #87053-250 | |
| 3... Gunze Mr. Surfacer 500 and 1000 | |
| 4... Mr Color Thinner 250 (removes Tamiya putty and Mr. Surfacer) | |
| 5... Flex-I-Files with various grit strips | |
| 6... Nail polish remover (be carefull, too much eats your model) | |
| 7... Alcad Lacquer in silver colors | |
| 8... DYMO labeling tape | |
| 9... Tamiya White Spray Paint | |
| 10... Krylon Primer | |
| 11... Trimaster metal templates and micro saws | |
| 12... Sewing needles stolen or borrowed from your wife and something to chuck it in. | |
| 13... Scriber tool of your choice, such as Bare Metal Brand, Tamiya (made by Olfa), etc | |
| 14... 3M 1500 Auto Body Sandpaper | |
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