Assembly & finishing
Dry-fit a printed model before reaching for glue
Check alignment, access and assembly order with temporary placement before an adhesive makes the decision permanent.
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Assembly & finishing
Bring separate parts and surfaces together.
16 articles
Ideas, decisions & making notes
Assembly & finishing
Remove support marks without flattening the model
Identify each support scar and protect the surrounding shape before removing material from a finished print.
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Assembly & finishing
Plan a primer test on spare material
Test the complete primer and paint sequence on representative spare material before coating the model.
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Assembly & finishing
Choose brushes for base coats and small details
Choose brush shapes around the surfaces you need to paint, with a separate tool for rough texture work.
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Assembly & finishing
Use a wash to reveal recesses without flooding a model
Place a wash where the model needs separation, then remove excess before it collects into distracting pools.
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Assembly & finishing
Dry-brush stone texture with a controlled test
Use a spare textured piece to establish paint load, pressure and highlight colour before touching the finished stonework.
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Assembly & finishing
Paint small windows without outlining every pane
Use a clear dark shape and selective reflections to suggest tiny windows without turning every pane into a heavy grid.
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Assembly & finishing
Hide a join between two terrain pieces
Decide whether a terrain join is permanent or removable before using filler, colour or scenic details to disguise it.
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Assembly & finishing
Plan a limited colour palette for a miniature building
Assign colours to material roles and reserve one accent before painting a miniature building.
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Assembly & finishing
Mask a straight edge on a small model
Plan the paint boundary, test the tape and control the paint load before masking a small straight edge.
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Assembly & finishing
Create readable weathering on a harbour structure
Place weathering where water, handling and exposed edges would leave different marks on a harbour structure.
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Assembly & finishing
Choose a finish by the way a model will be handled
Choose surface sheen and a protective coating around the model's materials, contact points and intended handling.
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Assembly & finishing
Keep moving parts free of paint
Identify bearing, sliding and locating surfaces before painting so the finish does not turn a movable assembly into a tight fit.
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Assembly & finishing
Repair a broken terrain detail with a planned joint
Identify the cause of a break and the load path before choosing a repair that may simply fail in the same place.
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Assembly & finishing
Make an assembly sequence for a complex kit
Map the order of joints, painting access and trapped parts before committing to a complex model assembly.
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Assembly & finishing
Know when to stop adding surface detail
Judge each new detail by what it explains in the scene, and stop when additions compete with the subject or complicate handling.
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