I haven’t been building much due to medical reasons. Somehow I managed to get tendonitis in both thumbs. The left thumb has improved and the right thumb is taking its damned time about improving. Since the major windows in my shop face due east, every morning I sit in said shop with my coffee and consider that maybe today I’ll do something.

Nope.

I frequent (mostly troll, tbh) FB modeling groups. There are some really clever monkeys out there and I get some great ideas from them. When I feel as if Life is going well and there really aren’t that many problems I have to deal with daily, I go to the comments section and read, amongst all the clever monkeys, some really shortsighted questions. Since I am not ready to resume building at this point (hell…even typing hurts and I ain’t gonna be doing much more of it at one sitting), I thought that I’d address some of the more common questions. I’ll start by stating something I cannot believe I need to say.

Whatever your modeling question, start with an online search. I doubt that you’ll be the first person to have that problem and someone (frequently several someones) has the solution. YouTube is also a handy reference source regarding the sometimes-specialized method(s) to solve the problem and access other minds to better your skills.

Rarely does one problem have one solution. Find one (or invent one, you can do that as well, y’know) that works for you, makes sense to you, and gives you the results you want. It seems most modelers are looking to improve their skills. Excellent. That’s motivation enough to face the big monster: The Unknown. ::eerie Theremin on soundtrack:: I think the most effective manner to build the skill-base is starting a kit you don’t know how to finish…and then working on it until it is. Somewhere along the line you’ll have to face the “problem” and solve it to get it completed.

What’s a good starter kit? Whatever catches your attention. Whatever you like. It doesn’t matter. Your desire, desire, will be the fuel that will get you past the problems that are waiting for you in the kit. Problem solving is a very useful skill in this hobby. Speaking of problems…

None of us are born with many skills. By the time we check out, we have many skills (some of which are actually useful). Those skills are created by figuring a way around a problem. This starts with simply looking at what’s there in front of you. Don’t assume anything (starting with the assumption that you can’t do it). Look at what you’ve got. Identify the problem. Just that will frequently show you what you have to do if you want to fix it. If you believe you can’t do it, then congratulations…you’re now correct. Not one of the builds you see that impress you built themselves. Someone had to figure it all out. If they can do it, demonstrating clearly that it’s possible, why can’t you? It’s only a plastic kit and if you totally bitch it up, box the kit back up, put it on the parts shelf (shelves), and buy another one. Start again. Of course you still don’t know what to do, but you now know what not to do. That’s the process of improving. Learning by experience.

Another question that’s oft asked, “Am I supposed to paint the parts on the trees, and if so, how do I handle them?”

Let’s start with the fact that there’s rarely any “supposed to” in this hobby. Unless you’re a builder who does commission work, all of this hobby (which may not apply when the hobby becomes a business…and since I don’t do commission work, this virgin won’t hypothesize about sex) is about what’s acceptable to you. You’re spending your money and spending your time on it. If you’re pleased with your effort(s), who fornicating cares what someone who doesn’t have any notion as to the effort you put into was thinks about it? What…they have none of their own business to attend to?

When starting a build, after that mystic moment when the box is opened for the first time, pull out the instructions. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not, and sometimes they suck ass (not in the, I suppose, “good” way). This is where I do most of my skull-sweat.

I start by going online and searching the original of the kit I’m considering building. Sometimes I’ll build it the way it was produced OOB (Out Of Box). Sometimes the kit is just the basic start point for a metric butt-load of additions and corrections. (Lemme restate that. For me, delete the “sometimes” at the beginning of that sentence.) This is the place to think, compare, decide, ruminate, and then commit to the version you’re going to build, OOB, mostly scratchbuilt, or any variation between extremes. Make notes on the directions in pencil because it’s not unlikely that at some point during the build you’ll change your mind, figure out a different way to do it, or realize that you don’t need to do it because NObody will see it once the build is completed.

I rarely either work or paint something that’s still attached to the sprue. That’s a personal preference, not a Kosmik Law. Sometimes on very small parts, I’ll leave them attached to the sprue while I take down (or fill in) the defects and parting lines of the piece I’m working on because it’s nice for old hands (and tendonitis) to have a handle on the part being worked. Last step is removal and cleanup. This supports my building style. I build from the inside out in subassemblies. Sometimes the subassemblies will be painted before permanent attachment to the model and sometimes they won’t. I attempt to minimize duplicated effort(s). It’s style, not requirement. You’ll figure out your own method if you keep trying new things. Sure, sometimes it doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s a charm. Sometimes you’ll apply a proven method that worked like a charm and it’s simply not. Put it down, look at it, think about what you tried versus what you’d gotten. It’s more likely that you’ll find a solution if you look for one.

What do I have to do to win a contest? Well, my first response to that is, “Grow up.” If there are 20 models in the class you’re entering your Magnum Opus in, right off the blocks the odds are 19-1 against winning. What organization is sponsoring the contest/show? Sanctioning bodies have different requirements. I have no evidence that will mean squat to you, but I entered several IPMS shows to see what, in FACT, the judges were using as criteria. Here’s what I’ve taken away from those events.

It’s gotta be a clean build. No seams, fingerprints, or sloppiness in general. It’s my opinion that the IPMS wants clean builds. Weathering and wear are not your friends at an IPMS show. The consensus seems to be that weathering hides flaws. (No, not a bullshit hole I care to go down.) I’ve not done an AMPS-sponsored event and cannot speak to their judging criteria. I don’t build “clean.” I prefer worn and dirty (kinda like my wimmen). In case the subtext isn’t obvious, I build for me, not judges. I went to shows, and may go to others, because of a couple of reasons. The primary being the knowledge that I’m not the craziest bastid in the room. And then there are some simply amazing examples of what modeling can be and I love seeing them on display.

Is an airbrush worth it? Definitely. Is a double-action airbrush worth it? Depends. It seems that most people use them. I’m not one of them. I use a single-action airbrush (Badger 200 if that matters to you). I can do almost everything I want with it without ever feeling, “Gee…if only I had a double-action airbrush.” Not once. (For the instances that happen outside of “almost,” I use a brush.) I prefer the single-action because it’s a simpler machine. I have HORRIBLE color-vision. Seeing delicate shades of color are almost impossible for me. Knowing that, I clean the airbrush after each use. I know I won’t see color contamination so I make certain that there will be no color at all in the airbrush left from previous passes. Single-action airbrushes clean much faster.

How do I clean up a clear part that I got glue on? Sand and polish, assuming that you don’t vacuum-mold parts. Fix or replace are the only options (aside from not getting the glue on there to begin with). If it’s bad, I’ll start with 200 grit until the deformation cause by the glue is gone. All subsequent steps are to remove the sanding striations from the previous pass. After 200, my steps are 320, 400, 600, 1200, 3000, and if I want a high gloss finish, I’ll also use 5000 and 8000 grit. Then I polish with Novus Plastic Polish. If there are any striations left that I miss, I’ve no problem going back to coarser grits to fix it. If you don’t fix what’s wrong, it stays wrong.

Do I have to remove paint from gluing surfaces? Yeah. You do. Solvent-based adhesives will move acrylic paint out of its way. Superglue and UV-setting resin will not. So for two out of three (and there are even more adhesives than that) the answer is a solid yeah. You do.

How do I remove chrome from parts without damaging the part? Bleach. Bleach will go bad so if you go this route, buy a quart sized bottle. Sometimes the “chrome” (in quotes because it’s not chrome, it’s aluminum and bleach will dissolve aluminum) has an undercoat that encourages the aluminum to plate easier. It ignores any solvent-based adhesive and will need to be scraped away. The problem is that you won’t know if the part has this undercoating or not until you try to glue it in place. I use a section of the sprue as a test. Snip off a section, drop it into a glass jar of bleach, and then try to glue it to itself. If it works, excellent. If it doesn’t, I scrape.

How do I remove paint? Depends on what you’re using. I rarely use anything but acrylic paint and for that, denatured alcohol works perfectly and doesn’t damage styrene. For lacquer and enamel good luck.

What do I clean my brushes, airbrush with? Same answer as above. Denatured alcohol.

Should I get a Dremel? What are you using it on? Plastic? Unless you’re extremely careful, you’ll melt the plastic with it because even the variable-speed motor tools spin too quickly.

What’s the best tool to sculpt small styrene parts? An dentist’s electrical drill, Buffalo #15 or #17. Pricey, though it’s profoundly useful and speed controlled so that you don’t have to melt plastic.

Where do you find the models you build? How can I tell which are good and which are not? Internet. I don’t buy a kit anymore (usually) until I look online for build reviews.

When was this model first produced? Is it a reboxing? Scalemates.com will give you a complete listing of the kit, initial release, subsequent re-releases, who reboxed it, and whatever accessories, references, and decals associated with the kit you’re researching.

Is 3D printing worth it? At my age? No. I’ve spent over 50 years developing skills that 3D printing obviate. Unless you’re an old fart (such as I) who doesn’t have time to learn Blender, etc., stick with what you know. Just starting in this hobby? Yep. Definitely.

And there are about as many questions as there are modelers. I’ve just hit the frequent fliers and all of the above is just my opinion. Your opinions should differ. Your questions are different.

In closing, I restate the notion that there are many modelers who do things differently from how I do them, probably as many that do things the same way. There’s no one answer, but if they were, it would be this:

I paid for the model, the tools, the paint, and all associated with it. I’ll build the way I choose to.

So. Go make choices!