Techniques

The contents of a typical kit.















Here is a sample of a page from an instruction manual.















Removing the parts from the tree:














In all plastic model kits, the parts are attached to plastic frameworks, or "trees" that they were molded on to. The trees have small labels molded onto them, telling you which part is which; so it is not wise to remove the pieces from the tree unless you are about to use them.
When I cut a piece out of a tree, I use an ordinary wirecutter. First, I remove the piece from the tree by cutting close, but not right against, the places where the part is attached to the tree. This prevents accidental damage of parts and stress marks from cutting.
















Next, I use the same wirecutter to clip off the little bumps where the piece was attached to the tree.

If there is still a rough spot, I carefully shave it off and sand it lightly with fine sandpaper.

I do this for every single piece that I use.


Building the Model:















When piecing together pieces, I find it helpful to arrange them according to the pictures in the manual. This will prevent putting together pieces the wrong way or using the wrong pieces.



Outlining / Touching Up:




This is the black paint marker I use to outline and touch up my kits. It uses oil-based paint.



This is a picture of the tip of the marker. It is very fine, so it is useful for outlining very thin lines. However, it is a little difficult to use because the tip is so small.


This is a set of oil-based paint markers that I got for touching up, coloring, and patching up mistakes.