Modeling Tips and Tricks

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• Assorted nail files (varied coarseness from fine to gritty)
• Needle Nose Mini-Pliers (Plastic Cutting Nippers)
• Toe Nail Clipper (yes - not joking!)
• Sandpaper (assorted coarseness from fine to gritty)
• Paint Brushes (from fine tip to quarter-inch tip)
• Modeling Knife with Sharp Blade (make sure to have extra blades)
• Clear Adhesive / Sticky Tape
• Magnifying Glass (headband or mounted on movable stand)
• Dremel-style Battery Operated Tool
• First Aid Kit (accidents happen - be prepared!)
• A Clean Working Surface

Sometimes model parts don't line up. When that occurs, you need have a gap filled which visually looks like no gap exists.  This is where Super Glue comes in.  

This product activates Super Glue so it cures in about 30 seconds.  This will be a huge time saver when building your model.  Note...this should not be sprayed on!

There are varying viscosities of glue such as thin, extra thin, and super thin.  As you progress in your modeling abilities you will find what one you like most which works best for your style.      Keep in mind- using too much glue on a model never ends well!

First, take your parts which you need to align, and stage them so that you have them ready.  Trim some of the excess plastic and put a piece of Scotch Tape over these parts.  You will be building a "dam" of sorts where the Super Glue and Kicker will sit as it sets.

Once you have your parts aligned and tape applied, fill the gap between the aligned parts with Super Glue and a bit of Kicker

Files can help smooth out super glue and kicker joints, smaller plastic joints, and may save on a some sandpaper use.

You've aligned your parts, you've glued them together, and remove the tape (once Super Glue and Kicker are cured).  Now, you can take sand paper to finish off the surface of your glued parts (400 and finer will work - depending on the desired finish you want for your model inner workings to have).  This will give your model a fantastic finish and hold, and assure your alignment is spot-on!

If you are building a model car with great interior details, that means a dashboard will have gauges which you want people to see.  A way to enhance your dashboard visibility is to place it on a flat, level surface and apply a drop of clear glue on the gauge (or gauges).  Allow the glue to dry overnight.  In the morning, you will see what appears to be glass on your gauges which creates a very neat and detailed look.

Using these tools and applying these pro methods will allow your creativity to soar! You can take many different parts of various models, and combine them into YOUR vision of YOUR model vehicle!