Assembling and gluing

For many modellers, part of the fun of assembling a layout or a diorama is to create their own buildings. Although there are many manufacturers who supply building kits in a variety of mediums, including plastic, resin and card it can be a...

Photo Etch, or PE parts are metal parts that are generally made from brass. Many model kits are supplied with PE parts that are supplied on their own specific sprues, which are usually referred to as frets. The great advantage of PE parts is they...

Sandbags can be a very useful addition to a layout or diorama and can be relatively easy to achieve. Although it is possible to purchase aftermarket resin or plastic sandbags to enhance a kit, these items may not necessarily be the most...

Wire Glue is an electrically conductive adhesive specifically formulated to connect wires without the need for soldering. Wire Glue is produced by a number of manufacturers and has numerous advantages for modellers wishing to provide electrical...

One of the most useful tools for a modeller to have in their tools/supplies stash is modelling two-part epoxy putty as it lends itself to a number of requirements and uses. Two-part Epoxy as the name suggests comes with two distinct components,...

Ejector pin marks are distinctive, consistently sized circular effects that can appear on the surface of model parts. These are an inevitable part of the manufacturing process used by manufacturers to help eject plastic sprues and other parts from...

Stretched sprue is a modelling technique frequently used by modellers that can be utilised to create a number of additional parts and effects for models. On most injection moulded plastic kits the parts will be provided on a series of plastic...

Outbuildings come in a variety of roofing styles and many can be modelled quite easily and cheaply with materials that might be readily at hand. Many modellers scratch-build buildings for a layout or diorama, or wish to add a little more texture...

The use of glue and putty is an inevitable part of modelmaking but they don't necessarily always behave as we would like and sometimes they can stray into unwanted places. Likewise, inevitably we sometimes use too much of these materials during...

One of the most enjoyable elements of creating a layout is to scratch-build significant scene elements, whether that be buildings or other fixed structures such as bridges. Many manufacturers will create such elements in kit form and these can be...

There are several types of glues that can be removed for repair purposes, including: Solvent-based glues such as cyanoacrylate (CA) glue can be dissolved with a solvent such as acetone or naphtha. These solvents can be applied to the glue with a...

There are several ways to overcome the problem of lights shining through narrow gaps around the base of a model building. In this case, it is good practice to test buildings for light leakage before securing them in place. One option for the...