FILLING JOINTS & SEAMS

  Squadron White putty in joints: Stuff it in, wipe off with nail polish remover. No sanding needed and no lost details.

  Fill small seams with gap-filling super glue. Let it set up briefly, then gently wipe the surface with a soft cloth soaked with debonder. No sanding needed and no lost details.

  From Chris Hall—For very small seams, use Tippex, preferably in the pen-type applicator. Wipe with a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Again, no need for sanding. Used on the port forward wing root of this Airfix Ford Trimotor, to avoid damaging the corrugated plastic: http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL887/4189935/12309317/183655356.jpg

APPLYING PHOTOETCH PARTS

  Using the corner tip of a piece of masking tape (Like Tamiya or 3M Blue medium tack), you can just barely touch the photo-etch piece with the tape, apply super glue to the side that you will adhere to the surface, then attach it to the plastic or resin and let the super glue set up for a few seconds (5-10). By then the super glue has dried enough and the tape comes right off. No more trying to do this with a tweezers or fingers. It even allows me to place the part in the right place the first time.

WORKBENCH TIPS

  Found a mat (in Walmart) of green rubbery material in the produce department (also try the kitchen utinsels area of the stores). It holds the part/model you are working on it, without slippage (and hands-free). Size is 12" X 12", just the right size for the workbench top.

  Need a palette for paint, super glue, etc.? Cheap playing cards that are made of 10 thou (ish) styrene can be found at many stores and work well. $1 for a whole deck.

ONLINE TIPS

Ship modelers find some very useful and interesting tips & tricks at the Fine Waterline website: http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/tips&tricks/tips&tricks.htm

Tom Teliczan compiles a 115-page document with various hints, tips and answers to some commonly asked questions from HyperScale's popular Plane Talking discussion group: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/hintsandtipstt_1.htm

And speaking of Hyperscale, here’s a link to their very useful online reference library: http://www.clubhyper.com/referenc.htm

Another good source of tips can be found on Fine Scale Modeler’s website, at http://www.finescale.com//home/how%20to/tips%20database.aspx

Over on Cybermodeler you’ll find: http://www.cybermodeler.com/tips.shtml

For our German-reading friends: http://www.modellmarine.de/index.php?option=com_alphacontent&section=10&Itemid=4350 and http://www.modellversium.de/tipps/

Matt Swan's website provides another source of excellent "Tools & Tips."

Need some airbrushing guidance? Have a look at Don Wheeler's site.

BUILDING TITANIC?

  Here’s a paint and colour reference that is pretty definitive: http://titanic-model.com/articles/paints/WEBPAGE_Paint%20Reference%20Main%20Page/WEBPAGE_Paint%20Reference%20Main%20Page.htm#white%20star%20buff