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What is a railway consist?
Posted in: Model Railway
28th January 2022
When used as a noun, and in railway terms, a 'consist' refers to a formation of rolling stock put together to make a...
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How do I paint a white metal kit?
Posted in: Kit building
30th November 2020
Painting a white metal kit involves pretty much the same processes as painting any model, or a real-life metal object...
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What are the advantages of photoetched parts on plastic kits?
Posted in: Kit building
31st October 2022
Photoetched parts are small parts made of metal, manufactured using the photo etching technique. This technique...
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What is Route Availability?
Posted in: Model Railway
26th October 2020
The route availability of a real-life locomotive is another way of saying which tracks an engine is permitted to...
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What is a wagon solebar?
Posted in: Model Railway, Rolling stock
6th August 2021
A wagon's solebar is the outer longitudinal beam of its underframe or chassis.Solebars are an integral part of a...
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What is acetate?

Acetate is a term used in modelling to describe many types of plastic film or sheets and is so called because it's made from a material called cellulose acetate.

The chances are, if you like making model aircraft, you will have come across acetate before as many cockpit instrument panels are made from it.

The main advantage for model manufacturers using acetate is that fine detail can be printed on it easily and cost effectively therefore removing the requirement to use more expensive and less effective etching techniques.

Acetate is produced from natural sources and is a source of polymer. In addition to the manufacture of some model parts, it is also used in the printing trade, medical profession and in the production of some processed foods.

Posted in: Assembling and gluing

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