Well, everybody seems to make moves for making their model airplane kits better into an outclass scale model airplane. Even we don’t criticize our fellows or friends when they show off their airplane models because we know how crazy hobbyists they are. But who does like a model airplane with glue layers dried over the parts, unevenly painted pieces, pieces not filed correctly, and whatnot.
Everything is just a matter of time. There’s nothing rocket science in becoming a better model airplane builder. Some may take a little time, and some may need to take a few steps to ace in their interest. All you need is now to sit back and read some of the tips to help you out in conquering the art of model airplane building.
Tips to become a better airplane model builder
There are some tips for you to test and get yourself surprised at the end, seeing an adorable model airplane in front of you. It will help you make your models from looking a rough, old 50s aircraft to today’s luxurious, elegant aircraft. So, let’s begin with the tips before you get bored of all these:
☛ Wash your model airplane parts before assembling
Before cutting out pieces from the model airplane sprue, always wash it in soapy water with some vinegar. This process will make your parts dry and comfortable to stick paint on. Parts are made in the molds and so to avoid sticking to the mold walls, they are lubricated with oils. So to be sure that paint will not jump off the details, you need to wash them.
☛ Paint small parts first
Painting small pieces that are still on sprue, such as a miniature pilot. This way, it is clean to paint while your parts are still in the sprue.
☛ Practice before assembling
It is always a good thing to practice before joining your model airplane with glue. This will tell you that parts are fitted well to each other or loose.
☛ Buy yourself a glue with fine applicator nozzle
Getting adhesive with applicator nozzle helps avoid a mess on the pieces. But, if you want to continue with your old glue, apply it with the back of the paintbrush stick.
☛ Make sure your paint has a better consistency
While painting your parts, always mix your paint with an equal amount of thinner or in such consistency that your brush fiber is still visible while painting.
☛ Use the most extensive brush to paint larger parts
Widest brushes are useful to paint larger areas to have an excellent finishing on the pieces as sometimes brushstrokes are visible, and that doesn’t look good on the model.
☛ Apply coats more than one on a model
Never apply one thick layer to minimize your workload. Apply more than one layer in one direction so that it looks sound.
☛ Use chalks or pastel for creating another look
If you ever feel like creating another look on your model, use pastels or colorful chalks. That way, you’ll have temporary paint on your model airplane, and it will dissolve on washing with water, and you will be able to repaint it.
☛ Paint decals with glass coat or PVA glue
Stickers turn silver after a particular time. You can paint them with glass coats of PVA glue to prevent them from silvering.
☛ Remove stains with pastels and chalks
To remove or vanish stubborn stains, you can paint the areas with hard or soft colors depending upon the nature of paints or chalks with a paintbrush.
Other measures to be pro at model airplane building
Some other means will be useful for you in the process of model airplane building, keep in mind:
- Wear gloves to avoid glue sticking to your hands or exhausted paints, leaving stains on your fingers.
- Avoid using spray paints if you have breathing problems or wear a mask while painting. Safety before hobby!
- Get yourself a set of screwdrivers to fix your parts quickly.
- Use masking tapes to create designs or patterns.
- Keep cloth tags or clamps in stock to dry your pieces.
