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Easy Scale
Modeling
Easy Scale
Modeling
W
elcome to the world of scale modeling! Whether you
are taking up the hobby for the first time or returning
after a hiatus, this booklet will be a useful addition to
your workbench. It distills the knowledge and experience of
FineScale Modeler
magazine’s authors and editors into a single
quick-start reference guide.
Modelers build for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s a way to
get closer to a subject (aircraft, tank, ship, auto, or some other
vehicle) that fascinates them. Most of us will never drive a racecar,
fly a fighter plane, or sail on a battleship. But we can build mod-
els of those machines—and learn how they work and what role
they played in history.
Whatever your reason for taking up the hobby, it takes time to
become a good modeler. I’ve never met a modeler who said he had
mastered everything and had nothing more to learn. No matter how
well the last model came out, there’s always something that can be
done better on the next one. With each project, you learn from your
mistakes, add to your skills, and become a better modeler.
How far you develop your skills is up to you. Some modelers
like to build kits straight from the box, without modifications.
That’s fine. Others research their subjects for years, gathering
books, articles, photos, and other data from all over the world.
Then they spend more years meticulously recreating every detail
of a specific vehicle. Developing modeling skills is a journey. As
you progress, you’ll decide how far you want to go.
But now, it’s time to turn the page and begin your modeling
journey. Enjoy!
—Lawrence Hansen
contents
7 steps to safe modeling
...........
3
A matter of scale
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
Top 10 tools
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Go for the glue
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Plan your project
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Remove parts
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Fill seams
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Paint your model
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11
Put on decals
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
Add realism
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19
Acknowledgments:
Christopher Appoldt, Tea Benduhn, Paul Boyer,
Bob Collignon, Jim Forbes, D.J. Heinrich, Elizabeth Lamb, Candice
St. Jacques, Kristin Schneidler, Terry Thompson, Matthew Usher,
Jeff Wilson, William Zuback
Senior editor:
Lawrence Hansen
Managing art director:
Michael Soliday
Art director:
Thomas Ford
The contents of this booklet have previously appeared
in
FineScale Modeler
magazine.
© 2005 Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This book may not be
reproduced in part or in whole without the written permission of the publisher,
except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews. Published by Kalmbach
Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187.
Printed in the United States of America
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Visit our website at http://kalmbachbooks.com
Secure online ordering available
ISBN 0-89024-583-5
SAFE MODELING
7 steps to safe modeling
You have that exciting new kit in your hands, and you’re ready
to tear open the box and start building, right? Not so fast,
buddy. Let’s take a minute to talk about safety. Not only may
you save a trip to the emergency room, you’ll actually be more
productive in your hobby.
#1: Pick the right location
Your work space needs good lighting
and adequate ventilation, especially
if you’ll be airbrushing. Vent the
fumes outside the house—sending
them to another room only endan-
gers someone else. Use a sturdy work
surface; don’t model on a wobbly
tray table in front of the TV. Store all
your modeling supplies behind
closed (or locked) doors when
they’re not in use.
#6: Play it safe
Use materials and tools properly,
and use extra caution when trying a
new product. If you’re picking up
tips from a friend or buying some-
thing at the store, don’t be afraid to
ask questions. It’s foolish to end up
in the hospital because you didn’t
want to ask a “stupid” question.
#3: Breathe easy
Wear disposable dust masks when
you are sanding; wear a respirator
when spray painting or airbrushing.
#7: Use common sense
The most important asset you can
have for safe model building is your
own self-education. Make sure you
know what materials you are work-
ing with, how to work with them,
what they can and cannot do, and
what to do if something goes wrong.
Store paints, solvents, and other
chemicals in well-sealed and well-
labeled containers, in the appropri-
ate temperature range.
Don’t assume that if you don’t
smell anything, there’s nothing harm-
ful in the air. If you begin to feel
sleepy, inattentive, or distracted, take
a break. If you have old materials, call
your local hazardous waste disposal
facility to find out if they’re still safe
to use—or how to dispose of them.
If you have special medical con-
ditions, talk with your doctor about
the chemicals you use and avoid any
that might aggravate your condition.
Precautions aren’t intended to
prevent you from modeling—they’re
meant to keep you modeling happily
for years to come. Use them.
#4: Respect your power tools
Use power tools the way they were
meant to be used—and follow the
manufacturer’s instructions. Clamp
parts securely, then make sure they’re
positioned so that any chips or frag-
ments fly away from you. Wear pro-
tective eyewear; the little shards of
plastic or resin hurt as much as metal
or wood. When necessary, wear
gloves, a mask, and earplugs. Don’t
try to modify a power tool; buy the
specialty attachment you need.
#2: Watch out for sharp tools
The two most important things to
remember about hobby knives is
that if they have round handles, they
will roll—and the end that usually
falls first is very sharp. If something
rolls off your desk, get out of its way
and let it fall—odds are it will be
safer to pick up (or clean up) once
it’s on the floor. Slide a rubber grip
onto the round handle or tape a sec-
tion of sprue to it to take the “round”
out so the knife won’t roll. Also, keep
a sharp blade in the handle at all
times. The cut you get from a sharp,
fresh blade is likely to heal more
quickly than one from a dull blade.
#5: Know your chemistry
Glues, paints, solvents, and sealers
are all chemicals. Some of the com-
binations of these chemicals are
relatively harmless, but others can
be risky, dangerous, or even fatal.
Read the information on the
package. The label will tell you what
the basic hazards are, how you can
avoid them, and what to do in case
of an accident.
3
A MATTER OF SCALE
(some older kits are 1/76 scale).
Detail parts can be finicky to work
with, and many parts are heavy for
scale, but this is a good size if you
have limited space.
On the other end of the size spec-
trum is 1/16 scale. These huge mod-
els have a high “wow” factor. Be sure
you have the space to display them.
Autos
The “standard” scales for auto kits
are 1/24 and 1/25. (There’s a 4-per-
cent size difference, so be careful
when swapping parts between kits.)
Completed models are large enough
to detail and small enough to dis-
play. You can even combine them
with 1/24 scale aircraft in dioramas.
If you prefer impressive size and
jaw-dropping detailing, go for mod-
els in 1/12, 1/18, or 1/20 scale. Be
prepared for a limited selection of
kits and aftermarket parts. The size
of these models also demands
exceptional painting skills.
In 1/43 scale, you’ll find a good
selection of foreign and racing sub-
jects, as well as die-cast models to
“kitbash” or modify. These models
are conveniently sized for display,
but very few injection-molded plas-
tic kits are available in this scale.
A matter of scale
Before you make a trip to the hobby shop to pick out your
first model, there’s a question you need to ask yourself:
“What scale do I want it to be in?” Read on for the answers.
A model’s “scale” is expressed as a
fraction of its full-sized counterpart.
A 1/6 scale figure of a 6′ person
would be 1′ tall, with the propor-
tions of that subject faithfully repro-
duced head to foot. Put in the
reverse, it would take 72 1/72 scale
F-16 Falcons end-to-end to equal the
length of the real thing.
The P-51 Mustang models in the
photo above show, from front to
back, these scales: 1/144, 1/72, 1/48,
1/32, and 1/24.
Some modelers are “constant
scale” builders, meaning they build
everything in the same scale, often
regardless of the subject. Other
modelers like to skip around a bit
scale-wise.
Before you can decide what scale
you want to model, you need to first
know the strengths and weaknesses
of the various scales.
Easier to build than 1/72 scale,
1/48 scale offers most major single-
engine aircraft, plus some multi-
engine types. Subjects are more
limited than 1/72 scale, but if you
can’t decide on a scale for your next
airplane project, 1/48 scale is your
best choice. The kits are often newer
than their 1/72 scale counterparts,
and the parts fit together more easily.
The largest variety of kits is avail-
able in 1/72 scale. The models are
small enough to display, but large
enough to have good detail. If you
want to build everything, love
obscure subjects, or are short on
space, 1/72 scale is a great choice.
A good variety of kits of airliners
and multi-engine military types is
available in 1/144 and smaller
scales. The models are easy to store
and display, but they demand excel-
lent building and painting skills.
Ships
The majority of ship models are in
1/700 and 1/720 scale. There’s a broad
selection of subjects, especially if
you’re a WWII Pacific Theater mod-
eler, and the size of the finished mod-
els is nice for displays and dioramas.
They’re just big enough to make you
want to add more detail and small
enough that it’s tough to do.
With a narrower choice of sub-
jects but great potential for adding
fantastic detail, 1/350 scale is the
scale of choice for serious ship mod-
elers. The models are impressive
when complete, but few kits are
available in plastic. Completed mod-
els are large but more manageable
than larger scales.
Ship models are available in
scales smaller than 1/720. They’re
excellent for dioramas, wargames,
and large collections, but some of
the models are pretty rough.
Aircraft
Models in 1/32 scale or larger are
big—
really
big. The parts are easier
to handle than in smaller scales, and
there are usually more of them. The
models are impressive, but you’ll
need a lot of display space. There
are fewer subjects available in 1/32
scale than in 1/48 or 1/72.
Armor
The widest variety of armor subjects
is available in 1/35 scale. The models
are big enough to detail but small
enough to display on a shelf. Watch
out for older kits, however—some
are terrific, but many are clunky.
Popular in Europe, 1/72 scale
offers a good variety of subjects
4
TOP 10 TOOLS
Top 10 tools
When it comes to setting up
your work space, you need
tools—tools to construct,
mend, sand, and finish your
models. Not necessarily
expensive, these are the
standard items every good
modeler needs on hand.
If you don’t get the results you want
with these tools, there are more
expensive items out there, including
motor tools, razor saws, scribers,
and jeweler’s files. Start with these
basics, though, and see what you
find—you’ll be surprised.
along the seam; you could also use a
tiny metal spatula. Remove the tape
soon after application.
Sanding sticks
Smooth, seamless plastic makes any
model look better. Sanding sticks and
wet/dry sanding films help remove
flaws from plastic,
4
(page 6).
Use successively finer grades as
you sand. Wet the sanding film to
keep the plastic dust from clogging
the grit; the job will go faster. A four-
way polishing or buffing stick for
fingernails (less than $1 at a beauty
supply store) will remove even the
faintest scratches from plastic.
White glue, swabs, & toothpicks
Great for transparent parts since it
dries clear, white glue also has no
fumes to fog the plastic. Here, white
glue spread gently with a moistened
cotton swab fills a canopy seam,
2.
Toothpicks hold parts awaiting paint.
Masking tape & modeling putty
Every workshop must have these
basics! Use the tape to secure pieces
for painting, hold together sub-
assemblies, and mask paint or putty.
Here, tape masks the rest of the
plane from being marred by seam-
filling putty,
1.
The tape is applied on
either side of the wing-fuselage joint
so the putty won’t dry on any surface
where it shouldn’t be. A flat-bladed
hobby knife spreads the compound
1
Hobby knives
Versatile cutting tools, hobby knives
accept many different blades, making
them ideal for anything from trim-
ming plastic to scribing lines. This
knife (with a No. 11 blade) neatly
removes decals from a sheet,
3.
Sandpaper
Use a full sheet of 320-grit sand-
paper laid on a flat surface to dress
the edges of kit parts, especially
large pieces like fuselage halves,
5.
2
3
5

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