STYRENE MODELING

This book is a workbench manual to help you get the

most out of modeling with styrene plastic. In its pages
you'll find basic techniques for achieving advanced
results — plus hundreds of tricks of the trade from top-
notch builders.

Those builders have a lot to do with making this volume

truly useful. Instead of relying on the modeling
knowledge and experience of just one person, in
compiling Styrene Modeling we asked for modeling
techniques, tips, and photos from accomplished
hobbyists and professional model builders across
North America.

Their contributions provided the all-important variety in

subject matter that makes this book relevant to every
hobbyist who uses styrene. More important, they've
provided alternative ways to solve common modeling
problems — the same modeling problems that you're
likely to encounter in your projects!

FRONT COVER: "On The Waterfront" - A Study in Styrene. The railroad car
ferry G.T. Chrey maneuvers out of its ferry slip on an Sn3 (1/64 scale)
waterfront diorama. The Chrey was built from Evergreen styrene strip and
sheet by Geoffrey Stippes and Paul Scoles. Nearly all the models on this
display including the railroad cars, buildings, streets, sidewalks, and
retaining walls are styrene. Bill Adkins, Tom Beaton, Bill Busacca, Brian
Ellerby, Jan Rons, Bill Wallace, and Dave Woodrell all contributed to this
group project. Photo by Paul Scoles.
Inset photos: 1/48 scale Checkerboard P-47 Thunderbolt model and
photo by Bob Steinbrunn. 1/35 scale German Bison 150mm self-propelled
gun conversion model and photo by Joe Morgan. Airbrushing photo by
Bob Hayden.

BACK COVER: Adventures in scratchbuilding. (Clockwise from top left)

Fireball XL-5 Junior science-fiction rocket and 1/96 scale A/B-l shock-test
submarine hull section under construction. Models and photos by David
Merriman. Safeco Field (baseball stadium) Seattle, Washington,
architectural model by B&B Scale Models, Vancouver, BC, for NBBJ
Architects of Seattle. Photo courtesy NBBJ Architects. Aegis guided-missile
cruiser USS Cowpens, 1/96 scale model and photo by Al Kalbfleisch.
 COMPILED BY BOB HAYDEN

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Case for Styrene, 40 Years Later! …………………………. 3

Chapter 2 Equipping the Styrene Workshop ……………………………….. 6
Chapter 3 Working With Styrene Sheet and Strip …………………………12
Chapter 4 Scratchbuilding Basic Boxes ……………………………………18
Chapter 5 Working With Styrene Kits ……………………………………….27
Chapter 6 Kitbashing and Conversions …………………………………….33
Chapter 7 Detailing Techniques ……………………………………………...45
Chapter 8 Basic Painting and Finishing …………………………………….57
Chapter 9 Advanced Finishing Techniques ………………………………..68
Chapter 10 Scratchbuilding Projects and Techniques .......................…….76
Sources and Index ……………………………………………………………….88
© Copyright 2000 by Evergreen Scale Models. All rights reserved. No part of
this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without persmission in writing from the publisher. The sole
exception to this prohibition is the use of brief quotations in reviews.
Published by Evergreen Scale Models, 18620-F 141st Ave. N.E.,
Woodinville, WA 98072.

Printed in the United States of America

First printing, 2000; Second Printing, 2002

ISBN: 0-9678369-0-5

Major thanks go to the following individuals. You'll find their names men-
tioned throughout the book where their work appears: Jack Burgess, Pat
Hawkey of Hawx Planes, Al Kalbfleisch, James Kloek, John Nehrich, David
Merriman of D&E Miniatures, Joe Morgan, Bob Robbins, Paul Scoles,
Geoffrey Stippes, and Bob Steinbrunn. While what they model differs radi-
caly, their enthusiasm for what they build, and their willingness to share
what they've learned with others make them colleagues. Thank you all!

Special appreciation is due to Brian Ellerby of Evergreen Scale Models, who

saw the need for this book and provided the resources to produce it. Similar
special acknowledgement is due Larry Luser, who expertly designed and
produced the pages. Errors and omissions are entirely my own.

Bob Hayden
Santa Fe, New Mexico
September 2000
 This immense scratchbuilt ore concentrator on Brian Ellerby’s Sn3 (1/64
scale) Copper River & Yukon RR is made almost entirely from styrene sheet
and strip. Brian used Grandt Line plastic window castings, and the crib work
Chapter 1 retaining walls on both sides of the structure were made from wood dowels.
Photo by Paul Scoles.

The Case for Styrene,

40 years later!
F
OUR DECADES AGO this how-to Back then, wood and metal were saw them as toylike compared to the
book would have begun with a what “real” models were built from – “true” craftsmanship of working
selling job. Before we could hey, at least we weren’t using stone! – with basswood or brass.
begin to show you how to build mod- and plastic was considered suspect. All that has changed, and for the
els from styrene, we would have had Although injection-molded plastic better.
to convince you doing so made sense kits had been around for more than a Styrene is now universally accepted
at all. decade, many established modelers as the modern material for building
Styrene Modeling 3
James Kloek converted a Hasegawa 1/700 scale WWII Essex- This diminutive 1/35 scale vehicle started as a Commanders kit
class aircraft carrier kit to build a precise replica of U.S.S. of the World War II Hungarian Csaba armored car. Armor mod-
Hornet (CV-12). He opened the hanger doors in the side of the eler Joe Morgan scratchbuilt the turret hatch, toolboxes on the
ship, added a sheet styrene hanger deck, and scratchbuilt a rear fenders, and the antenna mounts from Evergreen styrene.
hangar-deck catapult extension from styrene strip. The yet-to-be-painted model shows off his modifications.

models – all kinds of models. It’s produced model kits and detail parts, building with styrene are extremely
inexpensive, widely available, and it’s the perfect scratchbuilding and simple, and anyone who has built
above all, easy to work with. It brings detailing medium to complement basic wood or plastic kits is ready to
the workability of clear soft wood to them. try a scratchbuilding project. The
your workbench – but without the Styrene won’t warp or swell due to transition is easy and logical – from
problems of wood grain, fuzz, or changes in humidity, and normal building kits, to kit modification, to
splinters – and combines that worka- household temperature variations building without a kit at all. The
bility with the crisp precision of don’t affect it. It is durable, stable, chapters that follow provide all the
metal. and bonds almost instantly. Styrene techniques you’ll need, plus step-by-
Modelbuilding with styrene is faster takes most hobby paints well, and step examples.
and easier than with any other mate- does not require sanding or priming Styrene may be combined with
rial. Styrene is easy to fabricate using before applying finish coats. wood, metal, and other plastics using
only hand tools, easy to cement, and the appropriate adhesives. Acrylic
equally easy to paint and finish to Scratchbuilding with styrene plastic (Plexiglas, Acrylite, and other
represent a variety of materials. And Many modelers are needlessly in- brands) can be bonded to styrene
because molded styrene is the over- timidated by the term scratchbuild- using acrylic solvent cement. This is a
whelming choice for commercially ing. The basic techniques for model- fast and easy way to build big mod-
els, particularly architectural models
with large areas of glass. Many top
professional modelbuilders use this
technique for most of their work.
Even though styrene is the material
of choice for most modelbuilding, it’s
important to understand its limita-
tions and select other materials when
they are better for your application.
One example is thin, free-standing
details such as hand grabs or anten-
nas: Brass wire or photoetched parts
offer superior strength for these.
Another is unpainted wood struc-
tures such as pilings and timber
bridges; they’re easier to build and
color if you use pre-stained wood.

About the Case Studies

Bob Steinbrunn uses styrene extensively for both aircraft and ship models. His 1/48 Throughout this book we’ll depart
scale Trimaster kit of the Heinkel He 162 Volksjager has been extensively modified frequently from straight how-to
and detailed with parts made from Evergreen sheet, strip, and rod.
4 Styrene Modeling
Before and after! The unpainted model (above) shows the inter- brass wire and detail parts and white-metal castings (including
esting mix of materials that Bob Robbins employed to build the truck sideframes). The roof is a clear styrene part maufac-
Illinois Traction System car No. 203 in O scale. The predomi- tured by Vane Jones. Construction of car No. 200 is identical;
nant material is white Evergreen styrene, augmented with the model was painted by Dennis Love.

description of techniques to show that you’ll have a chance to look over styrene modeler Alan Armitage
you projects called “Case Studies in the shoulders of experienced builders wrote over forty years ago, “The
Styrene.” The idea is not that you’ll as they work. It’s a great way for you things you can do with styrene are
build the same model the same way to learn new ideas and techniques. limited only by your imagination and
the writer did – that’s unlikely – but Now let’s get going. As pioneer ingenuity.”

WHAT IS STYRENE, ANYHOW?

One of the most important plastics, polystyrene is found all
around us – in automobiles, housewares, toys, and packag-
ing. The basic material is derived from gases recovered in
refining petroleum. It first came into widespread use in the
1950s, and one of those uses was to make model kits.
Polystyrene is a thermoplastic, which means it can be
repeatedly softened with heat and formed or molded. Plastic
kits and detail parts are made by heating styrene pellets (usu-
ally with a coloring agent) and forcing the taffy-like molten
material into a mold, or die, under high pressure. The same
process, called injection molding, is used to make everything
from pill bottles to television cases and furniture.
The other common form of styrene is Evergreen strips,
sheets, and shapes. This opaque white material is the same
styrene used in molded plastic kits and parts. Evergreen has
been manufacturing precision styrene for over 25 years.
Styrene is nontoxic, and is impervious to many chemicals,
including water. It can be pliable or brittle depending on its
formulation. Clear styrene is brittle and unsuitable for heat- or
vacuum-forming, but makes good flat window glazing.
Styrene is used extensively in architectural display and plan-
Ultraviolet (UV) light embrittles and degrades unpainted
ning models. Replica Scale Models of Auburn, Washington,
styrene, so it must be protected with paint for use outdoors
built this 1/96 scale model (1/8” = 1’) of One Pacific Tower for
where it will be exposed to sunlight. The much weaker levels
architects Curtis Beattie & Associates and developer
of UV found indoors do not affect it. – Bob Hayden
Hammond Pacific Corp.
Styrene Modeling 5
 A sharp knife, stainless-steel scale rule, and a self-healing cutting mat are
all the tools you'll need for straight cuts on styrene sheet. Note how the fin-
gers of the hand holding the rule are kept well away from the cutting edge.

Equipping the Styrene

Workshop
S
TYRENE IS EASY TO WORK WITH, them already. All but one or two are basic tools you'll need to work with
and you need only a few basic available at well-stocked hobby kits and Evergreen styrene; later in
hand tools. If you've built plas- shops. the book we'll cover specialized tools
tic kits, you probably have In this chapter we'll go over the when they're mentioned in connec-
most of

An assortment of knives collected over years of styrene mod- The single-edge razor blade, bottom right, is an old modeling
eling. Note the various additions to the three in the middle to standby. There's a variety of handles available to help you
keep them from rolling off the workbench. The bottom one is a grasp them; the palette scraper on the left and the plastic
utility knife that features segmented blades. As the tip dulls, gizmo in the middle came from an art-supply store, while the
you snap off the segment to make a new point. wood handle at top is a hardware-store item.
6 Styrene Modeling
 store.
Many experienced modelers swear
by single-edge razor blades, which
have the advantage of being inexpen-
sive when purchased in bulk. Several
types of handles are available to
make them easier to hold on to and
use.
Whatever type of knife you choose,
The hands-down favorite hobby knife keep plenty of sharp replacement
blade is the No. 11, top. They're available blades on hand. A sharp knife is the
in bulk packs of 100. You'll also want a only kind you want to pick up - it Sanding blocks are handy for truing the
few of the chisel-like No. 17 blades, bot- cuts cleanly and easily, requires less edges of kit parts before cementing. The
tom, for spots where the No. 11 won't fit. force, and so is safer to use. middle one here is an X-acto product;
So it's important to change blades the others are homemade.
tion with the specific modeling tech- often. I use two color-coded handles:
niques that they're needed for. There's a brand-new blade in the red leaving a finger-sized surface blem-
one, and a used blade in the yellow ish.
Knives and blades one for jobs like opening packages,
A sharp, thin-bladed hobby knife is cleaning the threads of paint bottles, Straightedge and cutting surface
the most essential styrene modeling and other rough work. You'll need a metal straightedge to
tool. Most modelers own several, and guide your knife for making straight
the No. 11 blade is by far the favorite Tweezers cuts in sheet stock. A 12" steel scale
shape. It comes to a very narrow tip, Next comes a good set of tweezers rule graduated for your modeling
and the tip is brittle; you'll break a with fine points. My favorite is the scale will do the job. An old modeling
few. "MM" size, which has fine but strong tip is to stick a strip of fine sandpaper
The No. 17 hobby knife blade has a tips and works with moderate pres- or masking tape on the back of the
l/4"-wide chisel shape that works sure. It's worth owning several types rule to keep it from slipping.
well for slicing away unwanted for different jobs around the work- The cutting surface you choose
molded-in surface details on kits, bench, but you'll find that one size needs to be firm enough to support
such as hand grabs that you want to suits you best - buy two or three of the styrene, but soft enough not to
replace with wire parts. those! dull the tip of your knife blade. The
For heavy cutting such as .040" or If you haven't used tweezers much, self-healing cutting pads used by
thicker styrene sheet, use a small util- it's well worth practicing with them graphic artists are excellent for cut-
ity knife with replaceable blades. The until you get used to their feel (like ting styrene, and they do a good job
tips of these blades can be snapped chopsticks). Tweezer points are safer of protecting the surface beneath
off repeatedly to yield new, sharp than your fingers for holding small them.
points. You can find these handy parts while gluing, as there is less Another excellent cutting surface is
knives and blades for them among chance of cement flowing between a rectangle of Masonite or hardboard.
the wallpaper tools at your hardware your fingers and the model parts and Don't use plywood or soft wood;

Tweezers grasp what fingers can't, and go where fingers can't Similar to the emery boards used for manicures, these sanding
reach. The well-worn MM tweezer at the top is about 5"long. sticks are surfaced with various grits of wet-or-dry sandpaper.
Styrene Modeling 7
You don't need four razor saws! One fine-tooth example will The single-cut flat mill file at the top is 12" long, including the
suffice, but a second with a deeper blade is handy for cutting handle. The four needle files at the bottom have various
large kit parts. square, round, and triangular shapes.

their grain can catch the tip of your handful of standard emery boards styrene can melt. Really heavy sec-
knife blade and draw it off course. around the workbench for rough- tions call for a hacksaw with a fine-
Sandpaper, sanding blocks and shaping jobs. tooth blade.
sticks Power saws are useless with
Unlike wood, styrene cuts cleanly Saws and files styrene, in fact, they can be down-
and doesn't need to be sanded to Styrene cuts easily with most fine- right dangerous because the heat
remove fuzz or grain. I keep a couple tooth hand saws. You should have a from the blade melts the styrene and
of homemade sanding blocks on the fine-tooth hobby razor saw for cut- makes it stick and jam.
bench for finishing corners and ting thick injection-molded kit parts With styrene, a sharp file actually
edges, particularly on kit parts. One and styrene sheet and strip thicker yields a better surface finish than
of these has 220-grit paper, the other than .080". sanding, especially when squaring
100-grit. Better-quality razor saws have cut- joint edges. You'll need a relatively
Several hobby companies offer ting blades that can be replaced. Try coarse 6" to 12" single-cut mill file for
sanding sticks, which are similar to reversing the blade on one of these so truing edges and shaping parts. Once
emery boards but with different the teeth cut on the pull stroke. You'll you get used to it, you'll find it works
grades of wet-or-dry sandpaper on find that cuts are easier to start and a lot faster and better than the tiny
them. I find these handy, especially easier to control. needle files sold for hobby use.
for working with kit parts (they're Occasionally a jeweler's saw comes Needle files are good for shaping
great for smoothing out sprue-con- in handy for cutting thick kit parts. openings and making small parts.
nection marks), and I also keep a You have to cut slowly, otherwise the Most needle file sets include one or

Scribers, left to right: a special tool for

scoring acrylic sheet, two dental picks, a
homemade groove scriber, a compass
point in a pin vise, and a darning needle A vernier caliper (this one is graduated for HO scale, plus decimal inches) and a cou-
mounted in a simple 1/4" dowel handle. ple of metal machinist's squares will bring accuracy to your modeling.
8 Styrene Modeling
 ing styrene sheet. A chisel-point heart's content. The only other cate-
scriber made from a dental pick can gory of tools you'll need are those for
be used to make grooves, cut panel painting and finishing, and we'll
lines, or engrave heavy wood grain. describe them in the chapters on
An inexpensive dial or vernier those topics.
caliper is an investment that can Of course, you can own as many
greatly improve the accuracy of your tools as you have room to store: I do!
modelwork. You'll use it to check the But as an old torpedoman's mate
sizes of strips and sheets, and by once told me on a pistol firing range,
sharpening one jaw you can use it as "It ain't the gun, it's the gunner!"
a marking gauge for transferring
measurements to your work. Styrene cements
The tip of the fixed jaw of this caliper has and bonding techniques
been ground to a sharp point. This Sprue cutters Unlike wood or other porous mate-
makes it ideal for transferring measure- Injection-molded parts come at- rials which must be glued, styrene
ments to styrene sheet by light scoring. tached to plastic trees (also called parts are joined by bonding with a
sprues, or mold gates), and must be solvent, which dissolves and fuses
two shapes with smooth edges that removed before assembly. The quick- the mating surfaces. Suitable solvent
work well for filing inside corners est way to do this is with diagonal cements include Testors Liquid
such as door and window openings. cutting pliers. Once a part is removed Plastic Cement, Tenax 7R, and
Keep in mind that files are cutting from the tree, trim away the sprue Ambroid Pro-Weld.
tools, and they get dull and wear out. stub with a sharp No. 11 blade. Testors, which comes with a brush
If you do a fair amount of modeling, Several companies offer special pli- mounted in the bottle cap, is the most
be sure to replace your files from time ers for the job; it's worthwhile to readily available and easiest to use,
to time. reserve one pair exclusively for sprue though it is not the fastest drying.
cutting, since using them for cutting Tenax 7R dries slightly faster, but
Squares, scribers, and calipers wire will dull them too much to cut does not seem to form as strong a
You'll need one or more small styrene cleanly. joint as Testors. I suggest you keep at
machinist's squares for laying out least two "speeds" of solvent on your
rectangular parts, cutting parts to Other tools bench.
length, and cementing square cor- Add a set of numbered twist drills An even faster drying solvent is
ners. I like the 4" size, which is heavy appropriate to the size of models methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK), which is
you'll be building, a pin vise to chuck available at paint and hardware
enough to hold itself in place while
them in, and a small bench vise, and stores in pint containers. MEK is a
assembling right-angle joints.
you've got all the implements you'll powerful, highly volatile solvent, and
A scriber, which can be a needle or
need to build styrene kits, modify adequate ventilation is a must to
a sharp compass point chucked in a ensure you don't inhale its dangerous
pin vise, is useful for marking or scor- kits, and scratchbuild models to your

Every plastic kit comes with instructions to cut, never twist or The three tools at top and left are standard wire-cutting pliers;
break, the parts from the trees. Here's how. Start by cutting the the odd-looking device at bottom right is a tool offered specif-
tree near the part, then trim the stub away with a knife. ically for cutting sprues.

Styrene Modeling 9
Common solvents for styrene include Hebco's Tenax 7R and Wherever possible, solvent should be applied to the inside or
Testors Liquid Plastic Cement. The most popular applicators back of the model parts. Note the use of a paintbrush instead
are the fine paintbrush and the needlepoint applicator bottle. of the relatively coarse applicator brush provided in the Testors
The base on the Testors bottle helps prevent knocking it over. bottle.

10 Styrene Modeling
fumes.
Styrene-to-styrene joints are made
by positioning the parts and applying
a small amount of solvent to the mat-
ing area. Use a small brush (No. 00 or
000) and apply the cement sparingly
- only a little is required to make
strong joints. The solvent will be
drawn into the joint by capillary
action, softening the mating surfaces
so that a bond as strong as the styrene
is formed.
Solvent cements attack the surface
of styrene and cause wrinkles and
blemishes called "crazing." Ever-
green styrene sheet and strip is more
resistant to solvent than the plastic in
injection-molded kits. MEK will
severely craze molded parts, though
it works well on sheets and strips. Super glues come in various formulations that affect viscosity and setting speed. It's
The key to cementing styrene parts worth having a thin, fast-setting type and a gap-filling variety on your workbench. The
is to use small amounts of solvent. spray bottles of accelerator on the left force the glue to set instantly.
Too much, or excess solvent spilled
on the parts, will ruin them. Thin solvent to the inside or back of the
styrene sheet parts are especially sen- seam, where excess won't be visible. On
sitive, and too much solvent can soft- large parts, the pros often use a
en them all the way through, result- hypodermic syringe to apply solvent
ing in warps or sink holes. along a joint. This technique is fast, but
It's altogether too easy to tip over practice is required to avoid using
the solvent bottle and ruin the model too much cement. When laminating
you're working on. (I've spilled more large parts, use an eyedropper to apply
solvent than I've ever used to assem- the solvent quickly to both surfaces,
ble models!) You can reduce the dan- then press together immediately.
ger by mounting the bottle in a stand
made from a block of wood or Bonding styrene to other materials
cementing it to a 3" square of card- Solvent cements won't bond styrene to
board or heavy styrene sheet with other materials or to painted styrene
super glue. surfaces. For joints between styrene
The thick styrene cement in tubes is and wood or metal, use super glue (also
not recommended as it is difficult to called CA, ACC, or alpha
use, slow drying, and will warp thin cyanoacrylate). Where strength is
styrene sheets. important, use fast-setting two-part
epoxy.
Solvent applicators Gap-filling super glue is best for
You'll want to earmark one paint- wood-to-styrene joints. Wire parts,
brush for exclusive use as a cement such as handrails and grab irons, Painted styrene cannot be glued
applicator, since repeated dips into should be pressed into snug holes with solvent cement, as the solvent
the solvent quickly dry out the hairs and glued with super glue, preferably will not adhere to paint. If the edge of
and make the brush useless for paint- from inside the model wherever a prepainted part can be masked
ing. Wrap some tape around the han- possible. before painting or the paint scraped
dle to remind you that this brush is Water-soluble contact cement is off, solvent may be used. Otherwise,
not for paint. safe, easy, and fast for flat styrene-to- painted styrene must be glued with
There are several alternatives to the wood laminating jobs. Artist's acrylic the same adhesives used for styrene-
brush. Fine needlepoint applicator matte medium will also work on to-metal bonds.
bottles work well for assembling kit large surface areas if the back side of
parts, especially big seams such as the styrene is roughened up with
ship hulls and aircraft fuselages. sandpaper.
Wherever possible, use them to apply
Styrene Modeling 11
 Tom Piccirillo built the body of this O gauge steeple cab electric locomotive
from Evergreen scribed plastic siding, but used a variety of other materials,
including wood, plywood, and metal castings, to complete the project.

T HE PHENOMENAL EASE
of cutting sheet styrene is a big
part of what first attracted
modelers to the material. It has no
directions and will not split. Because
of this uniformity, you can rapidly
fabricate parts using a simple, easy-
to-learn technique called "score and
Cutting styrene sheet
The thinnest styrene sheet - .005"
and .010" - can be cut with shears or
scissors, but it tends to curl. You're
grain, so it works the same in all snap." better off using a sharp hobby or util-

The essential skill for working with styrene sheet and strip is Gently bend the sheet away from the score and it will snap
the score-and-snap technique. To score, lightly draw a sharp cleanly along the scored line. It's rarely necessary to cut more
hobby knife blade along the desired cut line. Note how the than a fourth of the way through the sheet. You may be pleas-
machinist's square is being used to ensure a square cut. antly surprised at the precision of the snapped edge.
12 Styrene Modeling

.
If scoring leaves a raised burr along the snapped edge, hold NorthWest Short Line's Chopper cutting tool is ideal when you
the hobby knife blade perpendicular to the surface to scrape it need to make a number of identical strip styrene parts.The tool
away. The extra plastic should curl cleanly away from the edge mounts a replaceable single-edge razor blade, and comes with
as shown here. a replaceable cutting mat.
Styrene Modeling 13
 Here's a typical strip-styrene project.
Geoffrey Stippes scratchbuilt this Sn3
(1/64 scale) stock car using a variety of
sheet and strip sizes. The black detail
parts are commercial castings.

ity knife. On sheets up to .015" you

can cut clear through with one or two
passes.
Sheets .020" thick and on up call for
the score-and-snap method. Align
your metal straightedge with the cut

14 Styrene Modeling
line, and using your sharpest blade,
make a shallow score along the
guide.
Your first pass with the blade
should be very light, with your
emphasis on making a straight line
that only lightly breaks the surface.
This will provide a guide for your
second, and if necessary, third passes.
Go back over the line with addi-
tional light passes to score the styrene
for breaking. A couple of light passes

Styrene Modeling 15
should be adequate. You do not need
to cut more than a fourth of the way
through.
Grasp the sheet on both sides of the
score and bend until it snaps. If it
resists, deepen the score. On heavy
sheet, .060" and over, you may have
to clamp the sheet in a vise or bend it
over the sharp edge of a table or
workbench.
The sheet will break cleanly with
only a slight burr on the top edge.
Use the edge of the knife blade as a
scraper to remove the burr. You may
occasionally have to true the snapped
edge with a file if it will be visible or
part of a joint.
A simple technique for ensuring parts are precisely the same length or height is to
Practice this technique before you
cut a piece of siding or sheet stock as wide as the dimension that must be precise.
start cutting parts you want to keep.
Then slice off pieces as needed to fabricate the parts you need.
Scoring and snapping a l"-wide strip
to make a handful of triangular right- four triangular scrap pieces. This actually more accurate than sawing.
angle gussets is good practice, and places less stress on the part. Thin strips are easy to cut with a
they'll be sure to come in handy for Since styrene has no grain, there is guillotine motion and a single-edge
projects later on. less risk of splitting the siding when razor blade. A strip cutter such as the
cutting near an edge than there is North West Short Line "Chopper" is
Cutting window and with wood. A method for openings great for such cutting, and for mak-
door openings near the edge of the part is to drill a ing duplicate parts.
Making window and door openings pilot hole and saw out the opening
is fast and easy. If the opening is not with a jeweler's saw. A pillar file with Making identical parts
near the edge of the sheet, the basic two smooth edges is excellent for fil- To cut and file a number of identical
score-and-snap method works on ing square corners. parts to shape, stack the number of
sheets up to .040" thick. Simply score See Chapter 4 for Jack Burgess' sheet or strip pieces needed and bond
deeply using several passes, then technique for making openings with them together at the edges or ends.
carefully flex the opening on all four a nibbling cutter. Before bonding, scribe or file grooves
sides.
in the stock outside the area where
Another approach is to score the Cutting strip stock the parts will be made so solvent
outline of the window or door, then Styrene strips are cut to length won't bond the parts themselves.
score an "X" connecting the corners. using the same method as for sheets. Then shape the stack of parts and cut
Remove the material from the open- On thicker strips, score the strip and off the bonded ends or edges as the
ings by flexing and snapping out the snap it. This is faster, cleaner, and final step.

This Micro-Mark styrene scriber is made from a dental tool. Applying solvent to Evergreen styrene sheet and strip will turn
Note how it removes a clean spiral chip of material as it cuts a the exposed surface slightly glossy. These "solvent stains" will
V-shaped groove. Uniform pressure yields identical depth. be hidden completely by your first coat of paint.
16 Styrene Modeling
 Occasionally you'll need to make sheet for the score-and-snap tech- do not craze as readily as injection-
several parts precisely the same nique, except you want to remove molded kit parts, you don't have to
length. An old trick doing this is to material from the grooves. Hold the worry about getting small amounts
make that dimension the width of a straightedge tightly against the sheet of solvent on the surfaces of the parts
piece of styrene sheet. Then score and and draw the scriber toward you. outside the joint. The styrene surface
snap the parts from the precut piece, Start with a light cut to establish the may turn slightly glossy where the
and the critical dimension will be line, then go back with more pressure solvent touched it, almost like a stain,
constant. This is especially handy in to remove material. With just a little but paint will make the stain disap-
bridge construction, where even practice you'll be surprised at the pear completely.
minor inaccuracies will be obvious. uniformity of depth and width you You do have a couple of seconds to
can achieve simply by feel. move the parts or pull the joint apart
Scribing your own grooves If the scriber raises a burr-like edge if you did not position the parts cor-
The variety of milled styrene siding on one or both sides of the groove, rectly, but anything longer than that
and roofing sheets in the Evergreen scrape or sand it away. A fine grade will result in a blemish on the surface
product line makes it unlikely you'll (400-grit or higher) of wet-or-dry of the parts - or a gooey mess. If the
often have to scribe your own sandpaper, used wet, will quickly parts are simple, discard them and
grooves in plain sheet, but eventually remove the burrs without marring make new ones.
you'll find a special project that the surface of the sheet. When you don't want the solvent to
requires doing so. go somewhere, for example, when
The scriber can be simple. A surplus Assembling sheet and strip parts you are building a model that will
dental pick, sharpened to the shape You can assemble fabricated styrene come apart into several sections, the
of the groove you want to cut, is a parts almost as fast as you can make trick is to defeat the capillary action.
common scriber, and better hobby them, since there's no waiting for the Solvent can't flow past a groove or
shops will carry a special tool made glue to dry. Just hold the parts in trench, so scribe or file a groove
for the purpose. In a pinch — or if place for a few seconds until the sol- where you want the bonding action
you have only a few grooves to make, vent starts to evaporate. On small to stop. A surprisingly small groove
the back of the tip of a No. 11 hobby parts, the joint will set almost imme- will do the trick. Chamfering the cor-
knife blade can do the job. diately. ner of an opening is another way of
The technique is a lot like scoring a Because Evergreen sheet and strip preventing solvent flow.

Styrene Modeling 17
 This charming country church in 1/64
scale is the work of Geoffrey Stippes. He
built the model as a gift for his wife to
commemorate their wedding — which
took place in the full-size church!

as complex as producing detailed

plans and engineering drawings.
Most modeling projects will fall
somewhere in between, usually at the
simpler end of the spectrum.
Jack Burgess’ structure project on
pages 22 and 23 employs templates
made on a computer, and if you are
proficient with such a program it
greatly simplifies the layout chore.
You can also use published drawings
as templates by photocopying them
to the scale of your model and taping
or gluing them to sheet styrene. The
sidebar on pages 20 and 21 provides
the simple math you’ll need to calcu-
late enlargement and reduction per-
centages.
When you are designing a model,
it’s often worthwhile to first make a
full-size mockup from cardboard.
This extra step helps you think
through how the model will go
together, and lets you evaluate the
shape and size in three dimensions.
(It also means you can throw mis-
takes away and try again without
wasting anything but cardboard!)
Just about any rigid, single-ply
cardboard will do for this, including
printed product packaging. If you cut
the cardboard parts carefully, you can
use them as templates for making the
Chapter 4 model parts later.

Scale rules and other

measuring tools

Scratchbuilding My most essential layout and

assembly tool is the right triangle.
This can be a drafting triangle, a

Basic Boxes machinist’s square, or even a home-

made styrene item. I have an assort-
ment of machinist’s squares and pre-
fer them over plastic tools because
most solvents and glues won’t stick

A
SSEMBLING BOXES of vari- both fabrication and assembly. to them. Their weight also makes
ous sizes and shapes is a fun- them handy as assembly fixtures.
damental building skill, par- Let’s start with layout A 12” metal scale rule is indispen-
ticularly if you model trains, military The first step in building anything sable for cutting styrene sheet, and
vehicles, or structures. Styrene is from scratch is to lay out the parts. you’ll need a rule graduated in your
ideal for boxlike assemblies because This can be as simple as drawing pen- modeling scale for measuring and
of its uniform strength and ease of cil lines directly on styrene sheet, or laying out parts. Chapter 2 shows a
18 Styrene Modeling
Geoffrey Stippes’ Sn3 (1/64 scale) box-
cars (above) are all styrene. Brian
Ellerby made the S scale sheds at right
from Evergreen sheet and strip using
techniques explained in this chapter.

vernier caliper graduated in HO

scale, which allows accurate meas-
urements. Triangular architectural
and engineering scales come in
handy when your model corresponds
to their graduations.
Dial or digital calipers can be used
for scale measurements, and the new
digital calipers are really easy to read. Use drafting dividers to lay out pencil line, which has a width of its
Simply convert the measurement on repeated spacing, such as for win- own.
the real thing to inches and divide by dows. If you use the points of the
your scale on a calculator. Here’s a divider to make prick marks where Drawing parts on plastic
simple example: you need to cut, you’ll be able to feel To draw parts on plastic sheet,
the point of your knife contact the always use a metal straightedge and
4´-6˝ = 54˝ /48 (for 1/48 scale) = 1.25˝ tiny indentation. This gives you a far a square. Check right-angle corners
more accurate measurement than a on the sheets with a square, even if

Crisp 90-degree angles are essential for building accurate You’ll need a stainless-steel scale ruler for your scale to meas-
models, and these are the tools to help you achieve them. From ure and lay out scratchbuilt models, and to cut sheet styrene.
left to right: Metal and plastic drafting triangles, four metal The triangular engineer’s scale, top, comes in handy when
machinists’ squares, and a pair of heavy toolmakers’ right- either your plans or your model correspond to one of its six
angle clamping plates. graduated edges.
Styrene Modeling 19
Scaling down prototype dimensions got a lot easier with the Dividers are handy for marking repetitive dimensions such as
advent of digital calculators. They’re inexpensive, so you can window spacings or rivet locations during layout. Make sure
have one that stays on your workbench. The digital-readout the divider legs end in sharp points so you can use them to
calipers are equally handy for transferring dimensions. prick accurate locations on the styrene.

SCALING UP AND DOWN

Ready for your first math lesson in

years? Our challenge is to produce
accurate scale drawings in the size of
our model, so we can compare model
parts to the drawing and use pieces of
the drawing as templates.

What scale is your plan?

The first tool we’ll need is a calculator,
and the first calculation we need to make
is the actual scale of the plans we have.
(Just because they say “1/48 scale”
down in the corner doesn’t mean it’s
true.)
Start by finding a long, labeled meas-
urement on the plan. Let’s say it’s 50 We now know that 12.3˝ on the plan We divide the scale of the drawing we
feet. Convert that to inches: equals 600˝ on the real thing. If we divide have by the scale we want, and express
600˝ by 12.3 we come up with 48.78 — the result as a percentage:
50´ x 12 = 600˝ so the plan is actually 1/48.78 scale. This
is not at all unusual with published plans. 48.78 ÷ 35 = 1.39 = 139%
and divide the inch measurement by
the stated scale of the drawing: Calculating an enlargement or reduc- The same calculation will work if we are
tion percentage building in a scale smaller than the
600˝ ÷ 48 = 12.5˝ Suppose we want to build a model in plans, say, 1/72 scale. We again divide
1/35 scale. That means we’ll have to the scale we have by the scale we want:
Now measure the labeled measure- enlarge the plans we have.
ment on the plan and compare it to the The formula is: 48.78 ÷ 72 = .68 = 68%
number you just came up with. Suppose
it turns out to be 12.3˝ instead of 12.5˝. Scale of drawing One easy way to check that you’re
The plan is some scale other than 1/48! Desired scale = Conversion % doing the calculation correctly is to

20 Styrene Modeling
To accurately size window and door openings for commercial A sheet of 1/4" glass makes an ideal flat assembly surface for
castings, measure the outside back edges of the casting with boxlike models. The machinists' squares and toolmakers'
the jaws of the calipers, then transfer the dimension using the blocks are used to check alignment and to prop the parts in
inside-reading blades on the back edge of the tool. place during assembly.

you are using the edge of a brand-

new sheet as your finished edge.
Armor modeler Joe Morgan adds,
"Although all the Evergreen sheets
I've ever used have been square, it's
simply good modelbuilding practice
to check - every time."
For boxlike models, lay out all the
sides adjacent to one another on a
single sheet of styrene so the height is
identical. This is where the dividers
come in handy: Use them to verify
that all the walls are the same height,
and that opposite walls are the same
length. The old adage about measur-
ing twice, then cutting once is still
great advice.
The thickness of the styrene that
you use to make the box must be
taken into account when laying out
the model. For instance, if you use
.060" styrene for the walls of a rectan-
gular structure, either the ends or the
sides must be shorter by .120" to
compensate for two thicknesses of
the overlapping material.
For models with peaked roofs, it's
generally better for the gabled end to
overlap the sides, so the roof material
can rest on the ends and tops of the
sides.
If you are building a structure and
will use commercial window and
door castings, a vernier or digital
Styrene Modeling 21
caliper makes laying out openings for Cut and assemble keep things straight during assembly
them easy. Clamp the jaws of the When you've completed laying out - once you've glued together a few
caliper lightly on the back of the cast- the model and checked the dimen- pieces upside-down, a note like "top"
ing (the part that fits in the wall open- sions twice, scribe and snap the parts doesn't seem so silly.
ing), then use the blades of the caliper as described in Chapter 3. If the box Thin styrene wall sections (.010"
(the part used to take internal meas- has more than four walls, use mask- .015", or .020") will need bracing to
urements) to transfer the exact ing tape to assemble them temporari- hold them flat and rigid. This is espe-
dimension to the correct location on ly to see how things fit. Label the cially true of scribed sheet, which is
the model. pieces as you cut them to help you likely to bow. You can use strip stock

22 Styrene Modeling
for bracing, or cut backing ribs from ble models. A sheet of l/4"-thick machinists' squares and toolmaker's
.040" sheet where they will not show. glass works well, and a glass shop right-angle plates. 1 consider them
Make window openings by scribing will gladly cut a piece to size and essential tools for building square
around and diagonally across the bevel or polish the edges for you. and plumb assemblies. In addition to
opening, then snapping. Jack Burgess (Most older modeling books call for checking assemblies for squareness,
recommends a nibbler, below. plate glass, but modern glassmaking you can often use the squares to hold
techniques yield a flat surface even parts in position while bonding them.
Flat and square construction on common glass.) The drawing (page 26) shows a sim-
You'll need a flat surface to assem- Micro-Mark sells a wide variety of ple trick to ensure that solvent does-

Styrene Modeling 23
n't seep onto your assembly surface bonding. Here the trick is to bond a (page 26) shows an easy-to-make
and ruin a finished model surface. stop or corner brace along the edge, styrene fixture to accomplish this.
Large wall pieces can be cumber- spaced the exact thickness of the mat- With the stop in place, it's easy to
some to hold in alignment while ing wall from the edge. The drawing make an accurate corner joint, even if

24 Styrene Modeling
you only have two hands! Rather than cutting them to dimen- ends won't be amplified in the new
When you've assembled the sides sions taken from your plans, make parts.
and ends of your box, it's time to add these parts to fit the model. That way, Removable structure roofs are easy
a top and bottom (or roof and floor). minor inaccuracies in the sides and to make with styrene. Add strips or

Styrene Modeling 25
 Here's a simple way to provide a recessed alignment tab along
one edge of a model wall. The gauge, made of scrap styrene,
ensures the tab will be the same depth as the thickness of the
mating wall.

Cementing clear parts is tricky, since

glues will craze or discolor them. Testor
Molded styrene windows and doors come in all scales, and all shapes and sizes.
makes a special cement, or you can use
Particularly in the smaller scales they are far easier than fabricating your own parts.
a white PVA glue such as Elmer's.
gussets to the bottom of the roof that the parts by applying small amounts
are a slip-fit with the walls, then be of solvent from the back of the wall. maintain crystal clarity. This calls for
careful not to bond them to the walls care in assembly, because even tiny
Working with clear styrene amounts of solvent will etch or craze
during subsequent assembly.
the surface, turning the window
Dozens and dozens of molded Clear styrene, whether sheet stock
translucent.
styrene door, window, and detail or injection-molded, is more brittle
Substituting super glue for solvent
castings are available in the most than white or colored. This makes it
isn't the answer either, because it
common modeling scales, and they slightly more difficult to scribe and
causes a frosty white residue to form
greatly simplify structure modeling. snap clear sheet, and you'll find you
on clear styrene parts. Try white glue
Test-fit each one in its opening have to cut most of the way through
such as Elmer's (polyvinyl acetate, or
before assembly, and be particularly it before snapping.
PVA). Testers offers a water-based
careful to align the bottom edges of The main use for clear plastic is as
Clear Parts Cement (No. 3515) specif-
windows. Wherever possible, bond window glazing, where you want to
ically for this application.

26 Styrene Modeling
 Pat Hawkey built this handsome 1/48th scale TBF-1 Avenger from an
Accurate Miniatures kit. The WWII torpedo bomber model owes most of its
fineness to a modern, highly detailed kit, but Pat made sheet styrene open
Chapter 5 cowling gills to add an extra bit of life to an otherwise static model.

Working with Styrene Kits

M
OST MODEL KITS are ing more and more sophisticated, tions – nowadays, they’re mostly
made from styrene, and the particularly in the way they hide drawings – you’ll want to think about
techniques used to assem- joints. This means the way the parts breaking the model down by sub-
ble them are similar to the techniques fit together may not be obvious. assemblies for painting. Kit manufac-
for assembling Evergreen sheet and As you look through the instruc- turers don’t always concern them-
strip parts. In this chapter we’ll
explore those techniques, and begin
to show how Evergreen materials can
be used to augment and improve kits.

Sizing up the job

The first step in building a kit to
always — ALWAYS! — sort out the
parts to see what you’ve got. At the
very least, you should inventory the
parts to determine whether anything
is missing. This is also the time to
look over the instructions from begin-
ning to end to see how the parts go
together.
Most modelers will admit to a phi-
losophy of “When all else fails, read The fit of the fuselage and wing parts on this Hasegawa 1/72 scale F4F-4 Wildcat is
the instructions.” This can and will nothing short of spectacular, but it still makes sense to dry-fit the parts with masking
get you into trouble. Kits are becom- tape to see how the model goes together.
Styrene Modeling 27
 Joint bead

The large green hull molding on this old Aurora schooner kit By softening both mating surfaces of this ship hull with sol-
wasn’t quite flat along the joint line, and the aligning pins hin- vent, then joining them with a little extra pressure, this small
dered more than helped. Here a sanding block is being used to bead of molten styrene was squeezed out of the joint. When
flatten the mating surface and eliminate the pins to make more the bead hardens, the joint can be sanded and polished
accurate fitting possible. smooth with little or no filling required.

A B C

added to ensure a solid joint between fuselage and wings, C.

REINFORCING KIT JOINTS AND SEAMS This photo also shows another useful role for sheet stock: fill-
ing landing gear openings. If you build aircraft in the in-flight
by Pat Hawkey configuration, you’ll soon discover most kits weren’t meant to
be presented that way. As often as not, the fit of gear doors in
I often use styrene sheet and strip to strengthen internal model the closed position is something of a joke. Especially if there
joints and provide more gluing surface. Especially on large air - are multiple doors to fit into a given opening, it’s easier to
craft models, fuselage halves and wing leading edges offer rel- replace the kit parts with a single piece of sheet cut and sand-
atively small bonding surfaces. With all the handling the model ed to fit.
will receive during construction and finishing, it’s easy for these Here are two more examples of the same situation, D.
joints to fail — and once the model is painted, a split fuselage Hasegawa 1/48th P-51 on the left and Monogram 1/48th A-37
seam is a hateful problem to deal with. Therefore I make a
point of building extra strength into any doubtful area.
This Italeri B-66 features a long fuselage unbroken by win-
dows, turrets, or similar openings. To remove the flex potential,
I fabricated an inner box of long strips top and bottom braced
by three crosspieces, A. This provided plenty of gluing surface
fore and aft, and the vertical braces eliminated any chance of
flexing.
This Italeri V-22 also has a long unbroken fuselage line, and
the moldings were slightly warped to boot. With the main floor
fixed solidly in place, I added a wide strip of .040” strip stock
and forced out the dip in the belly with a crossbar, B.
I believe plastic airplanes simply can’t be built too strong. This D
Monogram 1/48 scale Me 262 shows a pair of mating surfaces

28 Styrene Modeling
selves with this, but it’s a vital aspect
of building top-notch models.
Make notes on the instruction sheet
showing the places where you plan to
pause in assembly to paint or finish a
subassembly. You may change your
plan as you actually work with the
model, but at least you’ll have one.

To clean or not to clean?

A lot of experienced modelers rec-
ommend washing injection-molded
kit parts before detaching them from
the sprues. This removes mold-
release lubricants that can prevent
solvents and paints from sticking. I
don’t perform this step, and I’ve
never had a model where the solvent
wouldn’t bond the parts. When we
talk about finishing, however, I’ll rec-
ommend a thorough cleaning of the To fill a long, thin seam such as this sawdust-burner joint, place masking tape along
assembled model before applying both sides to protect the adjacent detailed surfaces, then apply filler and sand. Nitro-
any paint or primer. Stan 9001 is a common fine-grain auto body putty, and a toothpick is a good way to
apply it. From the looks of the battered tube, it’s seen plenty lot of use.
Removing flash
Plastic is forced into steel molds you’ll want to remove one or more of apart as you prepare to paint the
under extremely high pressure to them to allow you to adjust the fit. model, there’s usually not much you
make injection-molded parts. Where You’ll also find problems where the can do about it except buy another kit
the halves of the mold come together mating parts aren’t perfectly flat and start over.
they leave a thin line called a parting along their joint; the solution here is To strengthen these joints, start by
line. Some manufacturers are clever to sand the edges smooth for a better applying a slow-acting solvent to
enough to make these correspond to fit. both edges to soften them, then bring
raised detail lines on the real thing, Joints between major parts require the parts together and apply more
but usually you’ll have to remove extra care. Not only are these areas solvent from the inside of the model.
them by scraping, sanding, or both. often prominent on the finished Press the parts together until a small
When molten plastic seeps between model, but they also need to be extra- bead of softened plastic oozes out
the parts of the mold, it forms thin, strong to hold up during subsequent along the joint line. When this bead
featherlike projections called “flash.” construction and finishing steps. If an hardens, you can often sand it
Old kits – molds that have been in aircraft fuselage or ship hull splits smooth and make the joint disappear
production for decades – often have
this problem. Flash is something that
shouldn’t be there; remove it by trim-
ming with a brand-new No. 11 blade
and by sanding the area smooth
where required.

Looking for trouble

After removing the parts from their
sprues and cleaning up the attach-
ment points, begin assembly by dry-
fitting the major kit parts. Masking
tape makes a convenient “third
hand” to hold parts together tem-
porarily, and you may want to use it
during final assembly, too.
The little pins and holes provided The circular ejector-pin marks on this plastic trestle-bent molding will be obvious on
on kits to help align the parts aren’t the finished model. The mark on the right side has been filled with a drop of thick
always helpful, and occasionally super glue, then quickly set with accelerator. The next step will be to sand it flush.
Styrene Modeling 29
30 Styrene Modeling
 without using any filler at all.
Bear in mind that you don't always
have to cement the entire joint at
I once. Where possible, reinforce
major joints with strip or sheet
styrene (see the sidebar, page 28).
Once the solvent has dried, also con-
sider reinforcing the inside of the
joint with a fillet of thick super
glue
j or 5-minute epoxy.

Correcting warped parts

Minor warping on thin parts can be
worked out by gently bending the
parts during assembly and holding
them straight while the solvent sets.
Thick, badly warped parts can
require softening in 180-degree E
water (not boiling!) and straighten-
ing against a flat surface such as a
sheet of glass. Where this won't The Flexi-File is a U-shaped frame with a thin band of Mylar-backed wet-or-dry sand-
work, the solution is to make multi- paper stretched across the open end. It's an ideal tool for smoothing joints on round
ple thin slots with a razor saw on the parts such as aircraft fuselages or this smokestack.
back of the part to render it flexible
enough to bend it into place, then fill face. On full-size automobiles the too long to smooth the filled joint,
the slots where they are visible. surface imperfections are sealed you'll have to work a lot harder to do
with a heavy-bodied primer, and the it.
Choosing and using fillers same approach works for models, Gap-filling super glue is ideal for
Kit manufacturers divide a model especially large-scale ones. eliminating the circular ejection-pin
into parts to mold it, and the joints Another way to seal the putty is to marks you'll occasionally find on the
between the parts may be visible smooth on a thin coat of super glue, outer surfaces of kit parts. Just apply
when the parts are assembled. When then wet sand. This also reinforces a drop of the glue to the depression,
they shouldn't be, we need to dis- the surface of the putty during sub- hit it with accelerator, and sand
guise them - usually with a filler. sequent finishing operations. flush.
There are many commercial fillers
available, and you should experi- Filling gaps with super glue Sanding joints and fillets
ment until you find one that you An excellent alternative to filler Smooth either putty or super glue
like. The old standby is auto-body putty is gap-filling super glue. This joint fillets with files and sandpaper.
filler, used to smooth out imperfec- thick super glue stays where you put If you've never tried wet-sanding
tions in - you guessed it - automo- it, including in a gap that you want with wet-or-dry sandpaper, you're in
biles, before painting. Several of to fill. A quick spritz of super-glue for a treat. The water serves as a
these are repackaged and sold in accelerator will make it set instantly, lubricant and flushing medium to
hobby shops as filler putty, and since which means that you can proceed remove sanded material from the
it's unlikely that you'll ever use up with sanding, more filling, or paint- working area, and this helps the
two pounds of fine-grained auto ing without waiting for the filler to paper remove material quickly and
body filler, that's the kind to buy. dry. leave a smooth surface.
The main problems with one-part There's an important caution when Start wet sanding with 400-grit
auto body fillers stem from the fact using super glue as a filler: Don't fill paper, then go to 600-grit for a ready-
that they dry by evaporation. This a joint and put it aside before filing to-paint finish. You can even remove
means that drying takes time - often or sanding the filler smooth. When scratches and scuff marks from clear
overnight - and that the putty may freshly set, super glue has roughly parts and restore a crystal-clear sur-
shrink, making another application the same hardness and workability face if you wet-sand with polishing
necessary. as styrene, but in 24 hours it turns grits in the range of 1600- to 2400-
Filler putties are often quite rock-hard. This is good for the model grit.
porous, and on models this can show in terms of durability, but if you wait Scrub out sanding dust with an old
up as pinholes in the painted sur-

Styrene Modeling 31
toothbrush and detergent and water
before proceeding with assembly.

Painting as you go
Where visible parts of a model will
become inaccessible to paint after
major parts are joined, you'll have to
pre-paint them. This happens most
often with aircraft fuselages and ship
hulls.
After painting such areas and
assembling the painted parts, protect
them with tissue stuffed into the
openings or mask them with tape
and the plastic from food-storage or
sandwich bags.

Adding clear parts

Clear parts and the adhesives for
them were discussed in Chapter 4.
Regardless of what the kit instruc-
tions say or show, whenever possible
parts such as canopies and windows
should be applied after all painting,
decaling, and weathering operations
are completed.
When the design of the model
makes installing clear parts earlier a
must, you'll have to mask or other-
wise protect them from damage dur-
ing subsequent steps.
When you've become proficient in
kit assembly, it won't be long before
you'll want to model something that
isn't offered as a kit. One way to
accomplish that is to adapt parts from
two or more kits to make something
distinctively your own. That's the
subject of our next chapter.

32 Styrene Modeling
This 1/35 scale Marine Corps M2A4 tank
is the result of a complex kitbashing
project that started with a Tamiya M3A1
kit. Joe Morgan built the model and took
the picture.

S
OMETIMES IT SEEMS as if
there must be a kit offered for
every subject you could ever
want to build —■ and in every
scale! It doesn't take long, though,
to find something that isn't
available. Often, the best way to
model the subject is to modify a kit
that's close, or use parts from several
kits.
Some modelers call models built
using this approach "conversions,"
while others call them "kitbashed."
Whatever term vou choose, modify-

ing kits combines the best of what

kits bring to the table — accurate
forms and wonderful surface detail So how do you learn to size up a kit structures, you can array the kit
- with your specific modeling in terms of what else you might build pieces on a copy machine and make
needs. from it? One good way is to take a paper parts to test cut and fit. Gluing
In one sense, kitbashing or convert- conversion project from a book or the paper parts to cardboard will
ing is really scratch-building, with kit magazine and build it just the way allow you to mock up the model in three
parts as the "scratch." You can start the author did. By following the dimensions.
either with a kit that you like and hands-on instructions, you'll quickly For many conversions, the way the
change its configuration to better suit learn how the builder thought his real thing was built can lead the way for
what you need, or you can settle on way through the project. you. Many prototypes — aircraft,
what you want to build, then go look- For models that will be kitbashed automobiles, tanks, railroad equipment
ing for the kits than lend themselves from flat parts like model railroad — went through documented
to building it. Well-known model
railroad structure expert Art Curren
once explained the essence of kit-
bashing as "Seeing kits as parts."

Concept or technique?
That quote leads to a chicken-and-
egg question: What's more impor-
tant, the ability to see the a kit as grist
for the model you want to build, or
the techniques for building it?
I'd say strategy is more important
than tactics here. The concept is the
most important ingredient, since the Revell's 1/177 scale WWII fleet submarine has appeared in a variety of boxes, includ-
techniques for kitbashing arc mostly ing "USS Lionfish." David Merriman used it to model USS Rasher, a radar picket sub-
the same ones you use for building marine. He lengthened the hull by grafting on parts from a second kit, and made a
straight kits or for working with new sail from wood, fiberglass, and vacuum-formed styrene. The distinctive planked
styrene sheet and strip. wood deck was represented with specially scribed pieces of .015"styrene sheet.
Styrene Modeling 33
 Bob Steinbrunn converted Monogram's
1/48th scale Lockheed P-80C into a YP-
80A (the service-test model). He used
parts from two kits, extensively modifiy-
ing and detailed them with Evergreen
sheet, strip, and rod.

ber of pieces required to make the

model. This will make your finished
product stronger, and usually the
pieces will be easier to align.
And finally, don't hog-tie yourself
by trying to make the model entirely
from kit parts. Especially when the
model has flat surfaces, it can be eas-
ier to substitute styrene sheet, detail-
ing the surface with surface features
removed from the molded pieces.

Saws for styrene

After deciding how your conver-
sion will be pieced together — and
perhaps making a rough sketch — it's
evolutionary development, and kits Conversion techniques time to put saw to plastic. Because
of the versions before and after the Only a few modeling techniques are molded parts vary in thickness, the
one you want to model will provide truly specific to converting kits. Most score-and-snap technique we use for
the shapes and details you need. involve cutting kit parts and bonding cutting sheet styrene usually won't
When the real thing was itself a con- them together in their new configura- work. Instead, it's time to reach for
version, such as a two-seat trainer tions. the saws.
version of a single-seat fighter plane, Spend plenty of time brainstorming The most common type of model-
you can often start with the standard with the kit parts before you make building saw is a fine-toothed razor
version — or more likely, two kits of any cuts. Juxtapose the pieces to eval- saw. It has a thin blade stiffened by a
the standard version. uate how they'll fit together and heavier metal channel along the back
Modelers interested in World War where the joints will fall. Often, you edge. As explained in Chapter 2,
Two German military vehicles need can position joints where they'll be reversing the blade so it cuts on the
only follow the lead of the Wehr- hidden later by details, which means pull stroke improves your control
macht, who became the all-time you don't have to finish them careful- over the sawing action. (A larger
champs of converting captured and ly. Although kitbashing is by defini- brother of the razor saw called a
outdated equipment to new uses. Joe tion a patchwork process, we don't dovetail saw or tenon saw may be
Morgan's Bison project in this chap- want a patchwork result. just what you need for kitbashing
ter is a perfect example. Try to work out the smallest num- larger models.)

Bridges are easy to kitbash, because real bridges consist of

repeating standard pieces. Here's a typical project: Parts from
two Walthers HO (1/87 scale) kits were combined to make a
bridge two bays longer than the kit. If the bridge were signifi-
cantly longer the trusses would have to be higher for strength,
but this conversion has good proportions and is convincing.
34 Styrene Modeling
 The thin-bladed jeweler's saw or its
larger version, the coping saw, is
handy because the blade can be
removed from the frame and passed
through a hole in the model to cut
inside openings.
Very heavy plastic sections call for a
fine-toothed hacksaw. Start with a
brand new blade, and earmark it for
use only on styrene so it will stay
sharp.

Making the cut

The key to cutting plastic quickly is
to work slowly. Start the saw with
very light strokes, and once the cut is
started, continue with light pressure.
Let the tool do the work: If the saw
does not cut quickly or cleanly, a
sharper blade — not more speed or
pressure — is what's needed.
When you can, use a joint line,
panel line, or some other molded-in
detail of the model as a guide for
sawing, as well as for alignment dur-
ing assembly.
Masking tape is excellent for laying
out cuts and protecting parts while
you cut. Plan to cut parts wide of the
joint, then file, sand, and trim them
for a precise fit.
It's common for the saw blade to
jam when cutting thick sections; if An excellent illustration of kit pieces being used as parts, Geoff Stippes built these
this happens, lubricate the blade with Sn3 (1/64 scale) passenger cars from Model Die Casting HO models and Evergreen
Vaseline or vegetable oil, then styrene sheet and strip (the white parts in the top photo). He used Grandt Line win-
remove the residue with dishwash- dow moldings, commercial end platforms, and duckbill roof sections from the MDC
ing detergent after sawing. kits to speed up the most ticklish parts of the job. While the results aren't pure
When the major parts have been scratchbulding, the models are distinctive and attractive.

A typical kitbashing project entails mak-

ing a cut in this HO (1/87 scale) locomo-
tive shell. The job calls for a razor saw,
machinist's square, and masking tape.
The blade of the saw has been reversed
so that it cuts on the pull stroke, offering
better control. The tape covers the por-
tion of the shell that will be used in the
model, protecting it from scratches.
Styrene Modeling 35
ly useful for accurately truing the
ends of body moldings or other parts
with rectangular or cylindrical cross
sections.
Adjust the fit of the major parts
until the pieces line up properly. As
you go, identify areas where rein-
forcement will be necessary.

Making new openings and

plugging old ones
Cut new openings for windows or
doors by drilling, sawing, and trim-
ming. If a detailed molded opening
can be salvaged from an unneeded
part of the donor model, you may
want to cut around it, then cut an
oversize hole where it's needed in the
conversion and fair it into the surface.
Plug unwanted holes with styrene.
Small round holes can be filled with a
length of sprue or runner whittled to
fit, or by enlarging the hole to accept Northwest Short Line's True Sander is especially useful for truing the ends of kit-
the next larger size of Evergreen bashed parts. The moveable sanding block on the right side slides back and forth
styrene rod. When the solvent has while the model part is held stationary against the top fence and angled guides.
dried clip off the excess and sand the
plug flush. details may not wind up where remaining stub removed with chisels
Fill larger openings with sheet stock they're supposed to be. Remove cast-in and sandpaper.
plugs, reinforced from behind. Cut detail with a chisel blade (No. 17 or 18) The photos on page 44 show how to
the plug as precisely as possible to in a modeling knife, or with a chisel salvage raised surface details from a
minimize the amount of filler needed made for the job. molded part. First cut around the
around the edges. Work slowly, and protect the sur- detail, then sand the backing away
rounding surface with masking tape until the plastic is translucent. Trim
Removing and salvaging detail until the last finishing pass. Larger the "flash" with a knife, then sand
When you hack up plastic kits with details should first be clipped off again to prepare the part for use on
a saw, chances are that the surface with flush-cutting nippers, then the the model.
38 Styrene Modeling
Assembly procedures
Remove alignment pins and lugs
from the back of kit parts except in
the rare instance where they'll help
during assembly. Usually they'll hin-
der instead of help.
Where possible, overlap parts to
help them reinforce each other and
align the overall assembly. For exam-
ple, make the cuts in two halves of an
aircraft fuselage at different locations,
so the completed fuselage will be
strong and straight.
The same goes for any rectangular
assembly such as a model railroad
buildings. Splice the walls at one
location, but offset the joint in the
roof to strengthen the model.
Assemble the conversion parts tem-
porarily with masking tape, just as
you would do with a kit. This often
reveals areas where the converted Cutting a new window opening with the coping saw starts with a hole drilled near one
model will require bracing or stiff- corner. After the opening is roughed out, it will be finished with files.
enrs for strength.
As with any modeling project, think modeling project, my preference is to Don't hesitate to make up a simple
in terms of subassemblies that can be engineer subassemblies to facilitate assembly fixture for complicated
substantially finished, then brought painting. Mechanical considerations models where alignment is critical.
together later in the game to com- also apply, particularly in the case of WWI biplanes, for instance, are best
plete the model. Because painting is models that must be disassembled assembled with a jig to hold fuselage text
such an important aspect of every for adjustment or maintenance. continues on page 44

Styrene Modeling 39
40 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 41
42 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 43
and wings in position while the glue
sets and the struts and rigging are
installed.
Strength is an important considera-
tion in kitbashed models, since the
inherent rigidity of the original kit
parts is compromised when you saw
them apart. In addition to reinforcing
strips and gussets on the back of the
parts, think about inserting wire pins
or brass or plastic tubing to ensure
alignment, add strength at joints, and
key parts together.

Murphy's Law of Kitbashing

We started this discussion of kit-
bashing with the thought that it's a
technique for producing models that
are not available as kits. Be aware
that one of the many Murphy's Laws
of modelbuilding is: About the time Removing molded-in surface detail (in this case, so it can be replaced by free-stand-
you paint an extensive conversion ing wire parts) calls for care and patience. Micro-Mark offers this detail chisel specif-
and begin to apply decals, a kit will ically for the task; the No. 17 hobby knife blade also works well. It's best to slice away
be announced! such details in several thin cuts to prevent gouging the underlying surface.

44 Styrene Modeling
 This beautiful 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.lX is the work of Bob Steinbrunn. He
started with an Arii Mk.VIII kit, then added dozens of photoetched cockpit
parts and details made from sheet and strip styrene.

Detailing Techniques
H OW MUCH DETAIL
IS ENOUGH? That's a
question that every
modeler has to answer on every
the surface of the model, to raised
bits like rivet or bolt heads, to exten-
sive interior treatments.
With kit models, much detailing
involves first removing inaccurate or
them with after-market or scratch-
built items. The hardest aspect of this
work is often getting rid of the
unwanted parts without damaging
the underlying surface of the model.
modeling project, and it's never an
easy one. Details range from panel oversimplified details, then replacing If you are new to modeling, the best
lines scribed into

Modelers of all ages have been wearing Donegan OptiVisors De-spruing tweezers have sharpened jaws to cut through the
for decades to help with close-up work. A pair of inexpensive gate that connects the part without twisting or bending it. You'll
magnifying glasses from the drugstore will also do the job, but want a pair to deal with very delicate molded styrene detail
they won't flip up out of the way like the visor. parts such as these tank car handrails.
Styrene Modeling 45
46 Styrene Modeling
Fold a piece of masking tape with the sticky side up to grab The interior detailing on this 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.lX had to be
small details as you separate them from the casting sprues. installed, painted, and virtually 100 percent complete before
The adhesive surface will keep the parts from flying merrily the fuselage could be closed up. Model and photo by Bob
across your workbench. Steinbrunn.

way to learn detailing techniques is where it won't be seen, or where spe- lanced models depend on references
to follow a project in a magazine, or cial effort will be required to notice it. for convincing detail, and historically
one of the sidebar projects in this Instead, devote extra time to detail- accurate models demand photos and
chapter. One way to get started slow- ing the parts of the model that view- drawings.
ly is to add at least one or two extra ers — and you — will see and appre- Yet another Murphy's Law of mod-
details to every kit that you build, to ciate. eling is that photos of the "missing"
make it distinctive and your own. Good reference material is essential side of the real thing will always be
Resist the temptation to add detail for accurate detailing. Even free- text continues on page 51

Monogram's vintage 1/48 scale P-40B/C kit gave you the option (Above and below) You don't have to heat thin styrene to get it
of open or closed canopy, but the bottom frame of the sliding to form simple curves. I needed to make open cowling gills for
portion was molded in the closed position on the fuselage. an Accurate Miniatures 1/48 scale TBF. I cut the gill shapes
Posing the canopy slid back would therefore give you the from .010"sheet stock, then rolled the handle of a paint brush
unlikely situation of the bottom edge closed, and the clear bit over them against my fingertip. This curved them evenly to
open. The bottom fuselage half shows the problem area match the cowling. — Pat Hawkey
removed and replaced with channel stock to represent the rail-
ing that the canopy frame rollers roll along. — Pat Hawkey

The strength and thinness of photoetched metal parts yields

astounding scale appearance. Here's the 1/48 scale Spitfire
cockpit in progress. Photo and model by Bob Steinbrunn.
Styrene Modeling 47
48 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 49
50 Styrene Modeling
Separating photoetched parts from their fret calls for a sharp
knife and patience. Safety glasses are a good idea, too, since
the pieces can go flying. (Left) Parts supplied on a flexible
backing should be dipped in lacquer thinner to free them.

published in a magazine the month knife blade, as will slipping the sprue the model has been completed.
after you complete the model! into a clear plastic sandwich bag and Antennas of all kinds fit into this cat-
I make a habit of keeping my best cutting through both bag and part. egory.
two or three references on or near An important consideration in
workbench during construction. adding detail is when to do it. White metal and resin details
Even on a straight-from-the-box kit Sometimes the sequence is obvious The main concern in working with
model, I jot down a list of possible — interior framing in an aircraft fuse- white metal and resin detail parts is
details as they occur to me. I don't lage has to be installed and painted removing molding flash and cleaning
always add them all, but the list before the fuselage is closed up — but up the castings for use. Thin flash
means I won't forget something more often you'll need to think it and molding lines can be trimmed
important. through. Complex projects call for away with a sharp knife, but thicker
assembly of detailed subassemblies, sections call for files.
Detailing with styrene parts then uniting them. Cast metal parts may lack the crisp-
Never underestimate how much Details that will be easy to damage ness of injection-molded plastic, and
interest a few simple boxes or panels or that will make the model hard to the sidebar on ship detailing in this
made from strip stock can add to an handle should be installed late in chapter shows how Bob Steinbrunn
otherwise plain model. Nothing construction, perhaps as painted sub- extensively reworked white metal
could be simpler than detailing a assemblies after the main portion of parts for his model of USS Kidd.
styrene model with styrene parts,
whether you make them yourself or
buy them in clear plastic envelopes.
Application to the model is easy, and
the key is to use the absolute mini-
mum of solvent required.
The trend in commercial detail parts
is for them to be more and more fine-
ly molded and delicate. This means
they can be tricky to remove from the
molding sprue, and tricky to handle.
(It also makes them tricky to see.
Regardless of your age, you'll occa-
sionally want some optical help.
Binocular magnifiers such as the
OptiVisor provide hands-free assis-
tance, and at least a little depth per-
ception. Good lighting helps, too.)
A pair of de-spruing tweezers will
help you separate small parts cleanly
from their molding frames. Placing
the sprue on top of a piece of mask-
ing tape, sticky side up, will keep The set of small drills on the left, No. 61-80, will handle most of the holes you need
parts from flying off into never-never for detail work. The No. 1-60 set on the right is a luxury, but well worth the cost if your
land as you detach them with a sharp modeling calls for holes in that range of diameters.
Styrene Modeling 51
 Metal and resin parts require super especially useful where scale-thick- A few photoetched sets come
glue or epoxy to fasten them to a ness plastic or resin parts would not attached to a flexible plastic backing
styrene model. Use epoxy for large, be strong enough to withstand sheet. This means you don't have to
heavy parts, and consider reinforc- assembly or handling. cut them free, but you do have to
ing joints with wire pins where a Most photoetched parts come soak the part and its backing in lac-
heavy white metal part must be attached to a frame, or fret, and must quer thinner to remove the backing
attached. be separated from it. To avoid bend- and adhesive residue.
ing the parts, hold them against a The etching process may leave a
Photoetched parts metal or glass surface and cut them slight burr on the edges of the parts.
Detail parts made by photo etching with a sharp blade. (This dulls the True the edge (especially if it will be
thin metal sheet (the technology is blade, so you'll need to replace it a gluing surface) by light filing or
similar to making printed-circuit often.) Work on a sticky surface or sanding. Sanding sticks are handy
boards) offer crispness and realisti- hold the parts with tweezers to keep for this, and for removing the sprue-
cally thin cross sections. They are them from flying off. like nubs where the parts were

52 Styrene Modeling
Here's the pin vise collection of a modeler who never saw one
he didn't like. The three large models at the top are suitable for
bigger drills; the ones below them are the right size for wire-
size drill bits. The homemade job at the bottom consists of a
micro drill bit adapter chuck for a motor tool epoxied into a A cake of beeswax from the sewing store makes an excellent
piece of 1/2" dowel. Weighing only two tenths of an ounce, it's lubricant for small drill bits. Just drill the trip of the bit into the
perfect for drills in the No. 75-80 range. wax, then go to work on your model.

Styrene Modeling 53
attached to the fret. the parts in place on the model. sizes. You'll want a complete set, with
Bending photoetched parts can be an index to store them, and you'll
tricky. The thin metal fatigues easily: Drilling holes for details probably want a few spares on hand
Bend it more than once, and it will Securely installing details like of the sizes that you use — and break
break. antennas, railings, and wire hand — most often. Small drills are virtual-
Even when they are intended for a grabs calls for drilling holes. The ly impossible to sharpen; when they
specific kit, photoetched parts require combination of very small drills and dull, discard them.
repeated test fitting. Most often you'll styrene means you'll be drilling by In addition to drill bits, you'll need
have to trim away areas of the kit to hand, both to minimize drill break- a couple of pin vises to hold them.
allow the parts to fit properly. age and to keep the plastic from melt- These are small collet chucks with
Super glue is the adhesive of choice ing. handles. Some come with inter-
for attaching photoetched parts, and The tiniest twist drills come in sets changeable collets to hold different
you'll often need an accelerator to numbered from 60 to 80, with the size drills.
make the glue kick while you hold highest numbers being the smallest Drills smaller than No. 60 are deli-

54 Styrene Modeling
The tiny details on the engine of this 1/48 scale He 162 (a WWII German jet) look com-
plex, but they were added one at a time. Wire strands, fine solder, and styrene strip
and rod make up most of the added parts. Bob Steinbrunn had to paint the pieces as
they were attached, because each successive layer made previous parts inaccessi-
ble. Note how the contrasting colors make individual detail parts stand out.

beeswax. Oil can be used as a lubri-

cant, but it may discolor the plastic
and its residue must be washed away
after use.
Reamers are useful when you need to
slowly enlarge a drilled hole for a
precise fit, or when you don't have the
exact size drill you need. The tiny
reamer set offered by Micro-Mark
ranks as one of the most-used tools on
my workbench.
Reamers are extremely handy. The large Detailing with paint
T-handled job makes holes up to 1/2" Gluing bits to the model is not the
diameter; the plastic-handled version only way to achieve a detailed look.
goes up to 3/8". The set of six micro- Picking out parts with contrasting
reamers is perfect for model work; it colors adds visual interest to the
comes from Micro-Mark. model, and is every bit as good as
three-dimensional detail, sometimes
cate — if you momentarily relax your better.
grip on the pin vise, its weight may A perfect example of this is painting
be enough to snap the bit. For these the engraved detail of the instrument
tiny drills I use a miniature pin vise panels provided in most aircraft kits.
that's so light the drill can support it. Painting the instrument faces white or
Before drilling, make a dimple to black, dry-brushing them, and
start the hole so the drill won't wan- flowing on clear gloss lenses makes the
der across the plastic. A heavy darn- panel look as if you spent hours — not
ing needle in a pin vise or dowel han- minutes — detailing it.
dle is ideal for this.
Sharp drills cut styrene easily with Detailing projects and tips
very little pressure, producing a spi- In the sidebars of this chapter several
ral chip. Remove the bit after every talented modelers demonstrate
two or three turns to clear the chip so techniques you can use to detail your
it won't jam and break the bit. If the models. They won't help you decide
drill seems hard to turn, try lubricat- what details to add or where to stop,
ing the tip by twisting it in a cake of but they'll show you how it's done.
Styrene Modeling 55
56 Styrene Modeling
 An airbrush is the paint applicator of choice for styrene models. Note the
paper towel tube in use as a painting fixture, and the disposable plastic
glove on the hand holding the model.
Chapter 8

Basic Painting and Finishing

P
AINT CAN MAKE OR BREAK
a model. No matter how fastid-
ious your fabrication, assem-
bly, and detailing, what you see on
the completed model is the paint job.
While I’ve seen a great paint job res-
cue a so-so model, I’ve seen a lot
more cases where a beautiful con-
struction job was rendered mediocre
by poor finishing.
Because painting is the finishing
step in every modeling project, it’s an
absolutely essential skill. Many
moons ago I purchased my first air-

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub! The main step in

preparing a model for painting is clean-
ing it. This styrene kit structure is get-
ting a bath in warm water and dishwash-
ing detergent. The toothbrush removes
dust from recessed detail areas.
Styrene Modeling 57
 PAINTS FOR STYRENE
MODELS

Virtually all of the paints offered specif-

ically for model work are high-quality
coating systems, and all of them can
be made to work on styrene. Paint
comes down to choices: What brands
have the colors you need? How will
you apply them? And finally, What are
you comfortable with?
The most important thing about
choosing a paint system is that you
choose. The alternative is to have half
a dozen colors from each of half a
dozen brands, none of which can be
mixed. This is OK while you’re experi-
menting, but once you find a brand of
paint that you can achieve consistently
This Pocket Color Wheel has a rotating middle section with windows that indicate good results with, stick with it.
what colors to mix to achieve the hue you want. The back has a similar rotating dis-
play that shows color complements and harmonies. Acrylics
Water-based and water-cleanup
brush and taught myself to use it by shade you want. Stir frequently, and modeling paints have been available
trial and error (a lot of error!). Since let the paint dry on a piece of white for a couple of decades. The brands
then, I’ve settled on the airbrush as cardboard or white sheet styrene so include Testor Acrylic, Polly Scale,
the best way to paint almost every- you can assess the color accurately. Tamiya, and Accu-Flex, and it seems
thing I build. Color mixing is something of an art, as if a new line comes along every
For models, the paint coating needs and you’ll find a color wheel at art couple of years.
to be thin — probably not exactly to and craft stores to help you. The gen- Acrylics are easy to use, and espe-
scale, but thin enough not to obscure eral rule is that you should combine cially easy to clean up. Properly han-
detail, and skin-tight. Virtually all of the fewest possible colors to achieve dled — which usually means simply
today’s model paints incorporate what you need for the model. This following the manufacturer’s instruc-
fine-ground pigments to achieve this. keeps the color from becoming tions — they airbrush beautifully, dry
muddy. quickly, and adhere well.
First, cleanliness Most often, you’ll mix paints to Acrylics are fussy about cleanliness,
Styrene models must be cleaned achieve scale color. This concept is and any traces of finger oils or lubri-
before painting. This isn’t just whisk- best summed up by the equation: cants from molding machinery on the
ing away the big pieces, it’s a thor- model can repel the paint — oil and
ough cleaning with detergent and Distance = dulling water don’t mix! Thoroughly cleaning
water, gentle solvents, or both. I wash the model with water and detergent will
styrene models in warm water and The further you stand from an prevent this.
dishwashing detergent, then give object in the real world, the duller Other than cleanliness, the main con-
them a final dip in clean denatured and grayer it appears. Since our cern with acrylics is getting them to
alcohol. viewing distance for models does not flow smoothly. This is because the sur-
After the model is clean and dry, vary appreciably with their scale, this face tension of water is much higher
handle it only with disposable rubber means that the smaller the scale, the than mineral spirits or other petroleum-
gloves, and cover it to keep it dust- duller the colors should be. Most based solvents.
free until you apply the paint – modelers achieve this scale effect by The solution — literally — is to add a
preferably right away. mixing full-strength colors with vary- wetting agent to the paint at the same
ing amounts of white, light gray, or time you dilute it. The home remedy is
Mixing colors gray-blue. a couple of drops of liquid dishwashing
Model paints come in a bewildering Keep a record of the special mixes detergent in a pint of water; commer-
variety of colors, so you won’t often you make, particularly if you know cial preparations include Liquitex Flow-
have to mix your own. When you do, you’ll need the same color again. A Aid, Kodak Photo-Flo, and airbrush
start with the lightest colors and add good way to do this is to spray the thinners from the makers of the paints.
the darker ones until you have the color on a scrap of styrene or white
58 Styrene Modeling
 Here’s a sampling of the water-based acrylic colors available for painting styrene.
The Accu-Flex and Tamiya colors (left and center) each have their own thinners; the
Polly Scale Military and Railroad Colors (right) thin with distilled water.

Acrylic water-based paints need help

to get them to flow smoothly on a
styrene surface. A drop or two of one of
these wetting agents will do the job.

All of them use detergent, alcohol, or

both to make the paint “wetter.”
One note of caution: Acrylics are air-
brush killers. Leaving even small
amounts of acrylic paint residue in your
airbrush can all but weld it shut, and
once dry, acrylics are impervious to
water. Since the cleaning solvent is Enamels are the traditional paints for finishing styrene. The broad range of Humbrol
water — maybe with a little denatured colors (left) comes from England. Testor Model Master enamels (center) are widely
alcohol or ammonia added to make it available in hobby and craft stores. Floquil Railroad Colors (right) have a strong sol-
clean better — there’s no excuse for not vent, and must be airbrushed carefully on styrene models.
cleaning your airbrush thoroughly.

Enamels
Enamels are the old standbys for paint-
ing plastic models. The most widely
available brands are Testor Model
Master, Humbrol, and Floquil. (Floquil’s
thinner, Dio-Sol, includes xylene, which
crazes styrene badly. For that reason
Floquil paints should only be applied to
styrene with an airbrush, and then with
extra care.)
Most enamels are thinned with mineral
spirits (or their own proprietary thinners),
and can be cleaned up with lacquer thin-
ner. These are petroleum-based (organ- Modelbuilders will argue vociferously about their favorite clear finishes. From left
ic) solvents, and must be used with good to right: Testor Dullcote, Testor Model Master Lusterless Lacquer Overcoat, Floquil
ventilation — for airbrushing, an exhaust Glaze (a glossy additive to make the paint stick when thinned), Floquil Clear Flat,
booth is all but mandatory. and Floquil Crystal-Cote (clear gloss).
Enamels are easy to airbrush, and they
lay down smoothly when properly dilut- finishes. Most of the model lacquers are er, even years after application. For
ed. Properly applied, they become intended for use on metal or wood, and styrene this is actually a significant dis-
impervious to their own solvent after cur- are poor choices for styrene. Some of advantage, since we usually want the
ing for several days. the brands offer a barrier coat, but it is base coat of paint to protect the plastic
rarely worth the extra trouble. surface from crazing during subsequent
Lacquers True lacquers have the properly of finishing steps.
Lacquers are one of the oldest types of being dissolvable by their solvent forev- — Bob Hayden

Styrene Modeling 59
These high-quality red sable artist's brushes are ideal for The two brushes in the foreground have been used regularly
model work. The broad-tipped flat brushes at top are good for for more than a decade. One reason for their longevity is regu-
applying smooth base coats; the smaller rounds at the bottom lar applications of hair conditioner after cleaning. The clear
are what you'll need for picking out details tube next to the round brush also helps preserve its bristles.

cardboard at the same time you spray Brush painting bubbles), so check the instructions
the model. Then record the mixture Brushes are wonderful for applying and stir if that's 'what they specify.
specifications on the back of the sam- weathering treatments and painting Right out of the bottle the paint is
ple and put it away for future refer- small details, but it's difficult to usually too thick to flow smoothly.
ence. obtain a smooth, thin base coat of Thin it before brushing it on the
Do not mix different brands of paint with them. Brush painting is model, either by adding thinner to
paint, and do not thin model paints also time-consuming compared to each brush load, or by thinning a
with anything but what the manufac- airbrushing or spray-can application. supply in a separate container.
turer specifies. In addition to sol- High-quality red sable artists' Make a styrene palette from a scrap
vents, many proprietary thinners brushes are what you need, and the of sheet stock and use it to check the
include retarders or conditioning prices can be absolutely breathtaking. paint consistency. Dip the brush hairs
agents to make the paint perform as Depending on the size of the model halfway into the mixed paint, then
specified. While you can often substi- and the surfaces you'll have to cover, spread the color across the palette to
tute a cheap solvent such as lacquer you'll need a couple of No. 6 or No. 8 work it into the hairs. This will let
thinner for cleanup, don't add it to flat-tipped brushes for broad areas you see and feel how the paint is
the paint. and two or three No. 1 or No. 0 round going to flow onto the model.
Acrylic paints are especially fussy ones for picking out details. Brush the paint on the model in
about thinners. Some brands may be Don't be fooled into buying the very short strokes, going in one direction
thinned only with water, and even a small brush sizes — No. 000, 0000, and never going back over the same
trace of alcohol will turn them into a and finer. These hold almost no paint, area twice. If the model needs more
gooey mess. Read the instructions! and their work is better done with a paint for coverage, apply a second
Most brands caution against return- sharp-point on a No. 0. coat after the first has dried.
ing thinned paint to the bottle. This is The keys to brushing smooth base Otherwise you'll have brush marks
especially true with acrylics, where coats are to moisten the brush with for sure. Most jobs ■will require two
the manufacturers recommend dis- thinner — either water or solvent — coats.
carding thinned colors if they will not and to adjust the consistency of the For small details, or for freehand
be applied within a few days of mix- paint before applying it to the model. painting of camouflage patterns,
ing. The first is easy: Just dip the brush reach for the No. 1 brush. Form it into
Enamels and lacquers can be safely into the thinner and squeeze out the a sharp point with your fingers or by
returned to the bottle after thinning. excess, leaving the brush hairs damp rolling it in paint on your styrene
Add a BB to the bottle to remind you but not wet. palette, then use the point or side to
that it is no longer full-strength paint. Thoroughly mix the paint before apply the paint. If the area is large,
Otherwise you may forget and over- application. Some of the newer paint the edges with the fine brush,
thin the paint the next time you apply water-thinned model paints caution then switch to a flat brush to fill in the
the color. against shaking the bottle (it causes center.
60 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 61
This battered warrior, a Binks diaphragm compressor, is 30 Originally intended for the cake-decorating trade, this compact
years old and still chugging away. An entry-level air supply for Airmaster compressor is quiet and demand-regulated: It only
airbrushing, it's relatively quiet and will get the job done. starts up when you depress the air button on your airbrush.

Although it makes enough noise to wake

the dead, this 3/4-h.p. home-shop com-
pressor is an excellent source for air-
brushing. The motor charges the tank,
then cuts off until the tank pressure falls
below a preset level. A quick-disconnect
fitting on the outlet pipe allows swap-
ping the airbrush and its regulator for a
variety of air tools.

Caring for quality brushes

Good brushes are expensive, but
they can last for years if you take
good care of them. Follow these three
steps:
Clean the brush first in your every-
day dirty thinner, then rinse again in
clean thinner. This removes most of
the paint from the brush hairs. Never
scrub the hairs against anything
harder than a wet bar of soap.
Wash the brush with warm water take a couple of minutes per brush ter and level out quickly when it hits
and soap (you can buy commercial each time you use it, but you'll spend the model.
artist's brush soaps, or use plain a lot less time and money buying Start spraying to one side of the
shampoo). Rinse with clear water, new ones at the art supply store. model, them move the can quickly
then gently dry the brush with a rag across it and off to the other side.
or paper towel. Spray cans Never reverse direction with the
Finish by working a drop of hair Aerosol spray cans are useful, espe- spray pattern on the model — you'll
conditioner into the hairs and mold cially for painting large models get a double dose of paint and a run
them to the brush's original shape. quickly, but they lack the precision or glob.
Then store your brushes upright in a and fineness of airbrush painting.
coffee can or Styrofoam block so They have only one spray setting — Airbrushing equipment
nothing can touch and deform the Full On — and they apply a lot of The sidebar on page 61 will help
hairs. Keep the clear plastic tube pro- paint. This can lead to runs and drips you choose an airbrush if you don't
tectors that came on the small brush- on the model, and a great deal of already own one. In addition, you'll
es when you bought them. They're wasted overspray. need a source of pressurized gas and
good for protecting the tips during If you must use spray cans, start by some other accessories. Good news:
storage. warming the can in warm (not hot) All of these items cost a lot less than
This simple brush-care drill will water. This makes the paint flow bet- they did only a few years ago.
62 Styrene Modeling
This North Coast Hobbies spray booth is
the definition of "adequate ventilation."
Its powerful blower exhausts solvent
fumes out the 5"-diameter duct in the
back, keeping them out of your lungs.
Paint solids are captured by the replace-
able furnace filter in the back wall.

Compressed gas
While there are alternatives such as
canned propellants and recharge-
able gas tanks, nothing beats the
convenience or long-term economy
of an electric air compressor.
As with airbrushes, there are sev-
eral types and choices. For years I
used a Binks diaphragm compres-
sor, which was relatively quiet but
suffered from pulsations in the air
pressure at the airbrush. Adding a
12-foot hose between the compres-
sor and the airbrush helped, and the
problem was solved when I added
an inexpensive 5-gallon portable air
tank between the compressor and noise to wake the dead. for crafts and cake decorating. These
regulator. The tank served both as a If noise is a major consideration, are compact, inexpensive, and run
surge suppresser and an efficient look into the noiseless compressors only when you depress the airbrush
moisture separator. available from art-supply houses. button.
Next I tried a Campbell-Hausfield Similar to the silent compressors
3/4-h.p. tank-mounted general-pur- used in refrigerators, they are truly Regulators and moisture traps
pose shop compressor. The rig close to noiseless — but expensive. The output pressure of the com-
includes a pressure gauge and regu- They're surely worth it for apart- pressor needs to be throttled down
lator, and shuts down when the tank ment dwellers, or if you work far to between 8 and 30 psi for airbrush-
is charged up. It even has wheels into the night while the rest of the ing model paints. On my shop com-
and a handle to make it easy to family sleeps. pressor I use the regulator on the
move around. Its sole disadvantage Yet another choice are the quiet, compressor to reduce the pressure to
is that it makes more than enough demand-operated compressors sold 60 psi or so, then use a Norgren air-

Here's a belt-plus-suspenders approach to moisture traps. Straining lumps out of the paint is one of the keys to suc-
The device with the gauge reduces the output pressure of the cessful airbrushed finishes. The small tea (center) and enam-
compressor to what the airbrush can use. The can-shaped el (right) strainers are used before you airbrush. The cylin-
metal item is a second moisture trap, used to ensure dry air drical mesh strainer on the left slips over the siphon tube in
output during humid summers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. the airbrush color bottle.
Styrene Modeling 63
brush regulator-filter-trap to bring it
down to 15-25 psi.
Most regulators include a dust and
moisture trap. Getting the moisture
out of the air supply is important.
Otherwise, under humid conditions
your airbrush can spit a big gob of
water on the model along with the
paint. This does not make for top-
notch finishes.

Adequate ventilation
Spray painting is one of the few
modeling operations where you can
seriously hurt yourself. Solvent
fumes in the air are not good for you
to breathe, and even the water-
thinned paints have bad things in the
paint solids that you don't want in
your lungs.
If you only paint a few models a
year, "adequate ventilation" might
be painting outdoors, or in your
garage with the door open. If you can
still smell the solvent in the paint,
you can achieve a measure of protec-
tion if you wear a respirator mask
with replaceable cartridges that
absorb organic compounds. You can
find these at large hardware stores or
farm centers, and the cost is reason-
able.
If you paint frequently, nothing
beats a powerful exhaust booth,
ducted outdoors. Such an appliance
may cost several hundred dollars,
but I count mine as one of the
smartest hobby purchases I ever
made. There is no greater luxury
than walking over to the spray booth,
switching it on, spraying away, and
knowing that your health is protect-
ed.
Also on the safety front, wear at
least one disposable latex examina-
tion glove whenever you spray paint.
The glove allows you to hold the
model, and it means you won't have
to douse that hand with solvent or I
spend time scrubbing away paint
residue.
Most loaded airbrushes will fall I
over if you set them down on a flat
surface, so you need a holder for
them in your painting area. You can
buy one at your art supply store, or I
you can make up something simple
by bending coat hanger wire. You'll
 be amazed how much having a
secure place to set the airbrush sim-
plifies painting with it.

How to airbrush
Airbrushing is not a difficult skill to
master if you're willing to buy the
right equipment, follow directions,
I and spend some time practicing.
(Sounds like learning to play the
piano!)
There are three variables to deal
with: How thin the paint is (or needs
I to be), the volume of paint the air-
brush is set to deliver, and the air
pressure being delivered to the air-
brush.
While one of these variables may
change slightly from color to color
(light colors, for example, have more
pigment per drop of paint than dark
colors, and may require a little extra
air pressure), for all intents and pur-
poses once you've found a combina-
tion of settings that works, you're in
business.

Paint dilution and straining

Even paints that claim they can be
airbrushed right from the bottle will
need at least minor dilution. Thicker
paints can call for as much as 50 per-
cent thinner (one part paint, one part You don't have to completely field-strip your airbrush every time you use it, but fre-
thinner). quent partial disassembly is required to ensure that critical paint and air passages
Start with the manufacturer's rec- remain clear. The Paasche H3 model (top) is easy to clean because the air and paint
ommendation for thinning. In the are mixed outside the airbrush body. The Badger 150 (above) has a needle to control
absence of instructions, use two parts the paint flow, which should be removed and cleaned often.
paint to one part thinner as your
starting point. If the paint won't brushing pressure by reading the air- fine for the relatively heavy paints we
come out of the airbrush, add more brush and paint manufacturers' rec- spray on models.
thinner; if it sprays on easily but ommendations . Move the airbrush smoothly across the
looks watery and won't cover, use Start with the pressure at 17-18 psi, model, with the tip from 2" to 8" from
less. then work up or down. Thin and the surface being painted. This is closer
strain the paint, load up the airbrush, than most instructions call for, but as
The only real trick I've found to air-
brushing is always to strain the paint.and try various volume settings on a long as the paint glistens briefly when it
You can use a fine-mesh tea strainer sheet of clean white styrene or an old hits the surface, then dries, it's correct.
when you decant the paint into the model. Evaluate the results, then It's better to build up coverage slowly
color bottle, or an in-bottle wire meshraise or lower the pressure about than to apply too much paint and cause
strainer that fits on the siphon tube. three pounds and test again. a run or puddle.
You will be surprised at how many Water-base acrylic colors require an Apply paint from inside to out,
clumps come out of a well-mixed bot- extra pound or two, but not much spraying interior surfaces and inside
tle of brand new paint, and each is a more than that. Your average pres- corners, then broad exterior surfaces and
clogged airbrush tip or needle and a sure should fall somewhere between outside corners. Stop every now and
ruined painting session just waiting 8 and 24 psi — anything higher than then to assess how you're doing —
to happen. 30 psi means something is wrong: there's a tendency to be drawn into the
The paint isn't thin enough, the color work and apply too much paint.
Spraying pressures control isn't providing enough paint,
Styrene Modeling 65
Begin your quest for the perfect air- or the needle/tip combination is too
 Then set the model aside to dry in a misting on light coats that are almost solid mass. For acrylic paints, spray
dust-proof area. A large clean card- dry when they hit the model. This lots and lots of water through the
board box turned upside down over takes practice, but as long as the paint color tip, then spray some more!
the model achieves this nicely. dries immediately it won't have a (Some brands suggest adding ammo-
Give the paint as long as possible to chance to craze the surface. Once the nia to the water to help with flushing.
dry before proceeding with addition- base coat dries thoroughly, heavier Others have proprietary airbrush
al colors or construction steps. I con- subsequent coats can be applied cleaners. Use them.)
sider overnight drying a minimum, without fear of damage. In my workshop the spray booth is
with two or three days even better. If These paint lines usually include a right next to the laundry tub, so I can
you try to move on before the paint "surface prep" or barrier-coat prod- hold my airbrush under a stream of
has set, you risk undoing earlier uct meant to be used for plastics. warm water for a couple of minutes
work. These can be brushed or sprayed, while spraying to clean it. It's not
allowed to dry, and the standard much more work to haul a bucket of
Airbrushing "hot" paints paints applied over them. Such water to your spraying area.
Paints with "hot" solvents will preparations are the only way you
attack or craze styrene, just like the can brush paint lacquers over Practice makes perfect!
solvents we use for bonding. They styrene. The absolute best way to become
can be applied to styrene using one of proficient and confident with your
two techniques. Airbrush cleanup airbrush is to paint models you don't
Most experienced modelers air- Model paints, especially acrylics, care about. Use a half-finished model,
brush lacquers or enamels with are almost bulletproof after drying, an incomplete kit bought at a yard
strong solvents (such as Floquil and that means even small traces can sale, or leftover parts from a kitbash-
Railroad and Military Colors) by weld your airbrush into a useless ing project to practice your technique
66 Styrene Modeling
without the pressure of obtaining paint you expect to choose for your models and vice versa, so you can see
presentable results. models. (This is a great way to use up what the paint is doing, and be sure
As you practice, experiment with those two bottles of awful pink that that you have plenty of lighting so
paint dilutions and spray pressures, you bought by mistake.) you can evaluate and adjust the
but make sure you use the brand of Practice with dark colors on light results as you go along.
 Doug and Jackie Hole built this spectac-
ular HO (1/87 scale) model of the
Canadian National's massive steel arch
bridge over the Fraser River in British
Columbia. The 10'-long model is con-
structed almost entirely of styrene, and
superb finishing techniques bring out
the detail and exquisite construction.
Photo by Don Weixl.

color and lighting make details more

visible on the real thing.
Many modelers call these painting
techniques "weathering," but it's
instructive that some do not. Military
modelers, especially the talented
individuals who paint ultra-realistic
figures, simply call their finishing
steps "painting." Whatever term you
like, these techniques are essential to
producing realistic appearance.

Masking — it's not just tape

Complicated multicolor paint and
camouflage schemes require mask-
ing, which is not difficult. Masking
tape is only one means of preventing
paint from hitting parts of the model,
and many other materials can be
used.
To use masking tape on models,
first press it down on a sheet of glass
and cut a fresh, sharp edge with a
modeling knife or razor blade.
Applying the tape to the glass also
reduces its stickiness, or tack, which
makes it less likely to pull up paint.
If you can find it, start with low-
tack masking tape. Scotch Magic
Tape, the frosty kind used at home
and at the office, makes an excellent
masking tape for models.
You'll also find fine-line masking
tapes at the hobby shop. These are
great for conforming to curves and

Advanced Finishing complex surfaces. Use them to estab-

lish precise edges, then fill in broad
areas with regular tape. Fine areas

Techniques such as canopy framing can be

masked completely over, then the
areas to be painted cut out with a No.
11 blade and the tape peeled away.

I F APPLYING A THIN, SMOOTH coat model to life. Altering colors and Instead of masking them, cavities
of paint to your model is impor- adding evidence of exposure to dirt such as cockpits, fuselage interiors, or
tant, what you do next is even and weather will give it a history. other places you don't want paint to
more so. Adding markings, whether These finishing techniques bring reach can be stuffed with damp tissue
they are simple railroad lettering or out the shapes, textures, and details while you paint. Testor offers Para-
colorful airline liveries, will bring the on our models, just as variations in film M, a clinging plastic film, as an
68 Styrene Modeling
alternative to tape for curved sur-
faces.
On extremely delicate surfaces such
as natural-metal paint surfaces, use
wet newspaper masks or the edges of
3M Post-It Notes for masking.
The masking principle I live by is
that masking media should remain
on the model for the absolute mini-
mum time possible. Apply the masks,
paint, and remove them as soon as
the model is dry enough to handle.
This avoids leaving tape residue on
the model, and reduces the likelihood
of lifting paint when you pull off the
tape. Never leave masking on a
model overnight.
Bob Steinbrunn's 1/48 scale Seversky P-35 was built from a HobbyCraft Canada kit.
Lettering and markings In addition to extensive detailing, Bob gave the model a top-notch bare-metal finish.
Lettering can be painted on (a spe- He used SnJ Spray Metal brand paint, but a main ingredient was preparation:
cial category of masking) or applied Surfaces must be virtually glass-smooth for metallic paints and coatings.
using decals or dry transfers.
Dry transfers offer an advantage The best advice is to choose a metal- in which we view models indoors, I add
over decals in that they have no clear lic paint or finishing system, follow substantial quantities of white to all the
carrier film that must be hidden. the manufacturer's instructions to the colors I use to paint models. This means
They also have a huge disadvantage: letter, and practice with the coating adding anywhere from 5 to 25 percent
Dry transfers cannot be prodded and materials before you apply them to a white: 5 percent for light colors like tan
nudged into precise position like model that will be your pride and joy. and yellow, 25 percent for deep greens
decals. Once rubbed down, they're in and blacks.
position to stay, and the only way to Modifying base colors and prepar-
Nearly any type of weathering can be
adjust the fit is to remove them and ing models for weathering
used on styrene once a base coat of paint
try again. We talked briefly about scale effect has been applied, but any model that
Decals remain by far the most pop- in Chapter 8. To simulate the effects you set out to weather should have a
ular lettering and marking medium. of fading and to help make up for the cured, stable finish. This means a coat
(Some modelers even apply dry vast disparity between the sunlight of clear flat finish
transfers to clear decal stock, so they outdoors and the comparative gloom Text continues on page 72
can slide them into position!) The
sidebar that begins on page 70
explains how to apply them.

Applying metallic finishes

Most models can be airbrushed
without first applying a primer coat.
One big exception is any model that
will have a bare metallic finish. Me-
tallic paints often don't cover well,
especially over dark-colored styrene,
and you'll need to apply either a
white or light gray primer before the
color coat.
Metallic finishes in general are
fussy, because they will show up
even microscopic flaws in the surface
of the model. For that reason models
that portray bare-metal subjects need
to be almost mirror-smooth, and Pastel chalks provide an easy and subtle means of adding dirt and rust to a model's
application of the finishing system surface. The left half of this HO (1/87 scale) hopper car shows the chalk powder as
can be nerve-wracking. applied; the right side has been treated with Testor Dullcote spray.
Styrene Modeling 69
70 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 71
to protect the paint and markings.
This flat finish can be applied by an
aerosol can or airbrush, and should
be allowed to dry hard — at least
overnight — before you apply weath-
ering.
The clear flat coating also adds a
microscopic rough finish to the car —
artists call it a "tooth" — which gives
our weathering media a good surface
to stick to.

Pastel chalk treatments

This is the easiest weathering tech-
nique to learn, the most forgiving,
and without a doubt the most subtle. This extreme close-up of an O (1/48 scale) boxcar door shows how dry-brushing
The main ingredient — in fact, almost works its magic. The detail on the left has been highlighted by dry-brushing with
the only ingredient — is an inexpen- Antique White. The untreated section to the right shows how it looked before.
sive starter set of artist's pastels. Your
first box should last roughly forever. much chalk (which is almost impossi- fixative spray (especially for photos).
Grind the chalks to a fine powder, ble), brush it off, still going up and This final coating may be susceptible
either with a big file or a swatch of down. As you handle the model, try to fingerprints, though.
coarse sandpaper. Earth-colored pas- not to get fingerprints in the dust Once you've got a couple of chalk
tels are basically ground-up colored coating. weathering jobs under your belt you
dirt with a binder to make them into Out-of-scale fingerprints are the can start experimenting with differ-
sticks, so we can use them to repre- reason for what we do next. When ent colors. The easiest to use are earth
sent all kinds of dirt and dust, includ- you have the chalk powder pushed tones, but shades of brown and red
ing smoke and exhaust stains. around where you want it, fix it in oxide are excellent for simulating rust
Brush the chalk powder onto the place with a clear flat spray. peeking through failing paint.
model with a soft brush. Apply lots, The clear spray will make most of
then brush most of the powder away. the chalk color disappear! What's left Painting with a dry brush!
Work over a sheet of paper so you can may well be exactly what you were Dry-brushing techniques highlight
reclaim the extra powder. after, and you'll want to put the texture and detail, making them more
Keep your brush strokes going up model aside. But if you want more visible. For dry-brushing I prefer
and down, like gravity. You can use color, simply apply more chalk to acrylic paints. They're water-soluble,
different colors, but always keep a gradually build up the effect you like. so the paint won't damage the sur-
real-world effect in mind, and always Few clear fixative sprays dry face below it, no matter how hard
make one color predominate. absolutely flat, so after completing you scrub. Second, most acrylics are
If you think you've applied too the chalk weathering treatment you relatively thick, which is best for dry-
may want to add a light overall dust- brushing.
ing of chalk, without following with a I use a moderately stiff flat water-

A simple light dry-brush application of off-white over an air- Most dry-brushing employs a light color over a darker base.
brushed slate-gray roof brings out the excellent detail in this Not so here. Joe Morgan painted this 1/35 scale German
HO (1/87 scale) injection-molded signal tower kit. Model and reconnaissance vehicle in winter camouflage, then dry-
photo by Dave Frary. brushed with a dark color to bring out edges and rivet detail.

72 Styrene Modeling
color brush. For years my favorite
was a Grumbacher style 626-B, No. 4.
However, the last time I went to buy
one of them the sticker shock sent me
over to a China-bristle bright that
costs about 75 cents.
The best color for dry-brushing is
off white, which usually comes in a
bottle labeled something like Antique
White or Constitutional Parchment.
Dip only the tips of the brush hairs
into the paint, then work most of the
paint out of the brush by stroking it
across a rag, a paper towel, or the
back of your hand. When all but the
last few bits of paint have been A dark stain — this one is Payne's Grey tube oil color diluted with mineral spirits —
removed (it's now a dry brush, does a great job of bringing out recessed detail and panel lines. Note the difference
right?), stroke the brush lightly over between the left (unstained) and right halves of this styrene crate.
the surface of the model.
If the brush is too dry no color will Master or Humbrol, thinned with oil paints for the hobby enamels.)
stick to the model; if it's too wet the mineral spirits (paint thinner). This
The proportions of paint and thinner
paint will streak. But if you've combination has a very low surface
are not critical, just use lots of thinner.
tension and makes the wash flow bet-
removed just the right amount of Start with 20 parts to 1 part paint, then
ter than water-based colors, but
color on the paper towel, paint will
won't attack paint like lacquer thin- add more paint as you become
adhere only to the raised details,
ner. (You can substitute artist's tube comfortable with the technique. Use
accentuating them. That's what we dark washes on most
want.
Use vertical strokes, touching the
brush to the model only on the down
strokes. This will leave paint on the
top edges of the raised detail. The
paint makes the detail, which was
there all along, appear.
A good way to think of light, over-
all dry-brushing is that you are
adding sunlight to the model.
Heavier applications of paint are
good for spills or failed paint. Dry-
brushing with reds and browns is
especially effective for adding rust
spots and streaks.
Advanced dry-brushing is often
done using progressively lighter
shades of the model's base color. Very
subtle effects are possible with this
technique.

Stains and washes

If dry-brushing is the way to bring
out raised texture and detail by light-
ening and highlighting it, stains and
washes are ways to do the same thing
to recessed detail by darkening and
visually deepening grooves and
shadows. Geoffrey Stippes and Paul Scoles worked together to scratchbuild this S (1/64 scale)
You can use any kind of paint for railroad car ferry from styrene. Subtle use of paint and India-ink washes and pastel
stains and washes, but my favorites weathering gives the model a well-maintained yet weather-beaten look. The fancy let-
are flat enamels such as Testor Model tering is custom-made dry transfers. Photo by Paul Scoles.
Styrene Modeling 73
models, especially light-colored mod- model is built. You may then weather
els. Flat black and brown enamels with thin washes similar to staining
make good washes, as do Payne's wood. Paint on a base color slightly
Grey and Burnt Umber oil colors. lighter than the final color desired
Apply the wash liberally, allowing it using an oil or lacquer paint. The
to run into and settle in cracks and color can range from yellow-tan to
around raised details. If the wash gray-brown. After the base color had
alters the overall color of the model dried thoroughly, highlight the sur-
too much for your liking, wipe the face with lighter grays and browns.
surface with a clean rag, or brush the Use only a very small amount of
excess color away with a clean brush paint and dry-brush the surface light-
moistened with thinner. iy-
Once you've applied the wash to all After the highlighting has dried,
surfaces, start wiping it off open apply thin washes model paint using
areas with the brush. Keep stroking, black and brown. The washes will
bearing gravity in mind, until the flow into the cracks and accentuate
surface of the model begins to dry the wood grain. Another good wash
and streak. Then put it aside to dry. is a solution of black and brown
The dark wash will settle in recess- leather dye diluted with 50 to 100
es and around raised detail such as parts denatured alcohol. Brian Ellerby simulated peeling paint on
rivets, further accentuating them. this S (1/64 scale) shed by first painting
(Weathered models always look more Advanced airbrushing techniques the model with a weathered-wood base
detailed than their clean counter- When we use an airbrush for weath- coat. He dabbed thinned rubber cement
parts!) Mix heavier washes and stains ering and camouflage application, we on spots where the base color was to be
to simulate spills and heavy accumu- begin to employ the tool for the tasks exposed, sprayed finish color over the
lations of dirt and grime. for which it was designed — fine-line model, then immediately removed the
If you like the initial weathering spraying and feathering painted rubber cement blobs with masking tape.
treatment on the model, try repeating edges.
it. Simply go through the basic steps Fine line spraying is easy, but airbrush tip will fill up with paint
of wash, followed by pastels, fol- requires that you practice to develop and clog frequently.
lowed by a light dry-brushing all a feel for the tool. Many airbrush Subtlety is what airbrush weather-
over again. The net effect will be to instructions include exercises to teach ing is all about. Because of that, it's
build the illusion of depth. the skill. better to err on the side of too little
Start with a few sheets of clean instead of allowing yourself to over-
Underpainting white cardboard or styrene and a do it. Always use more than one color
To simulate failing paint and well-thinned color you don't plan to to avoid a homogenized look.
washed-away dirt and grime, we use for anything else. Adjust the air- One of the final frontiers in realistic
paint the model one color, add a sec- brush to a low paint volume and painting is to vary the gloss of parts
ond color, then use thinner or abra- practice spraying fine lines with the of the model rather than the color.
sive to selectively strip the second airbrush held varying distances from One example is applying a dead-flat
color away. the surface. dull finish on the hot and dirty parts
Here, a stable finish is especially Get close — as close as 1" — and of a steam locomotive, but a semi-
important; the underlying coat must experiment to see just how little paint gloss finish on the tender behind it.
be cured thoroughly so removing the you can apply. Then tilt the brush rel- Another is to alter the gloss on indi-
second color will not affect it. The ative to the surface to vary the spray vidual panels of a natural-metal air-
brush that you use to remove the top pattern from a circle of paint to an craft to call attention to the fact that
coat of paint should only be damp- ellipse. Note how the tilt can make they are different metals or alloys.
ened with thinner. the spray tail off into a feathered pat-
To simulate weathered painted tern. Feathering edges is a strong Practice, practice, practice!
wood, apply a weathered wood color suite of the airbrush, and this is par- While none of the finishing tech-
as base coat. After the base coat dries ticularly helpful for painting camou- niques described in this chapter is
completely, paint on the finish color flage patterns. difficult, they all require practice. The
and use a fiberglass eraser to rub off The airbrush is especially good for best way to master them is to practice
the finish color, exposing the weath- applying dust and exhaust effects, on an old model, unassembled model
ered tones. because the airbrush blows the paint parts, or even old kit boxes. Once you
For modeling weathered, on in a manner similar to the way real become comfortable with the tech-
unpainted wood, apply a wood-grain object becomes dirty. Always thin nique go to work on a project that's
texture on the styrene before the paint the a little extra, otherwise the "for keeps."
74 Styrene Modeling
This out-of-the-box HO (1/87 scale) locomotive was weathered with light applications of rust, earth,
and grime colors. The most interesting effect is the vertical streaking achieved by airbrushing
through a simple cut-paper mask
Styrene Modeling 75
T
HERE IS NO SUCH THING
as a truly typical styrene
scratchbuilding project. Build-
ing models from scratch is something
you learn slowly by doing, rather
than by sitting down and taking les-
sons.
For that reason, our final chapter
consists of a couple of sidebars on
advanced modeling techniques and
several scratchbuilding case studies.
By watching as experienced modelers
tackle the challenges inherent in
wildly different subjects, you can
gain insight to be applied to your David Merriman scratchbuilt this 29˝-long Star Trek Enterprise almost entirely from
own projects. vacuum-formed styrene sheet. The lighted hangar bay was completed and painted
With one significant exception, before being integrated with the rest of the model.
these projects employ styrene to rep-
resent metal surfaces, which is one of
styrene’s strong suites. Just as impor-
tant, though, is a principle mentioned
in the very first chapter of this book:
Don’t hesitate to combine styrene
with other materials when it will
make for a better model.
One example of this principle in
action is delicate (and therefore, easi-
ly damaged) assemblies. Hand grabs
and railings figure prominently in the
projects in this chapter, and you’ll
find that the modeler often substi-
tutes brass or other metal wire for
styrene where the parts will be vul- This detailed HO (1/87 scale) model
nerable. of the huge Barrett Bridge on the
Happy modeling – with styrene! Yosemite Valley Railroad is the
work of Jack Burgess. The 44˝-long
model was scratchbuilt almost
entirely of Evergreen styrene sheet.
Chapter 10

Scratchbuilding
Projects and
Techniques
Al Kalbfleisch built most of this Union Pacific coaling tower from bass-
wood, but made the supporting structure and staircases from styrene.
He turned to brass wire, however, to fabricate the delicate handrails on
the HO (1/87 scale) model. The inset photo shows how he used clear
styrene to make gusset plates with embossed rivet detail.
76 Styrene Modeling
 A B

STYRENE SCRIBING In B, a square of .020˝ styrene has acrylic, or some other tough plastic.
TECHNIQUES been tacked to a plywood backing piece
with a round hole. After heating over a Fixing mistakes
by David Merriman hot plate, the plastic was pushed onto To fix slips or tool marks I remove the
the sub’s nose, and the circular cutout template and smear automotive filler
Often a model requires creation of spe- assured a tight, faithful impression of the putty over the entire scribed portion of
cial tools. Here, an SSBN 640-class mis- bow contour. the model. Quickly, the scriber is run
sile submarine (its hull and sail are fiber- The locations of the square torpedo freehand with light pressure through all
glass; the superstructure is vacuum- tube shutter doors were laid out on the the engraved lines to chase out the still-
formed styrene sheet) is being scribed now-cone-shaped template, and the wet putty.
using a special template. square holes opened with drills and files, What putty remains on the model will
Scribed grooves in the surface of the checking the dimensions frequently. have filled the imperfections. When dry,
styrene superstructure represent the 16 Mounted on the bow, C, the scribing the puttied area is wet sanded with 400-
identical missile hatches on this model. template is ready for use. The scribing grit paper, and the scriber is used again
Photo A shows me using a simple plas- tool is dragged with light pressure over to chase out sanding dust in the
tic scribing template as I engrave a hatch the surface of the model, controlled by engraved lines. The area is given a light
line. The template has additional open- the edges of the cutout. Succeeding spray coat of primer and inspected. Putty
ings for scribing line lockers, reversible passes are made with increasing pres- is reapplied to remaining flaws and the
cleats, and main ballast tank vents. sure until the engraved line is of the process repeated.
desired depth, D. Here’s another custom heat-formed
Curved scribing templates Round jeweler’s files make excellent scribing template taped atop the sail of a
Forming scribing templates for com- blanks for forming scribing tools. I shape submarine model, E. From left to right:
pound curves like the bow section of this the tool to a point, then, holding the point 400-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, file, jewel-
submarine can be done by using the at a right angle against a sharpening ers file, X-acto knife, pencil, and scriber
model as a plug to shape heated plastic. stone, slightly grind off the tip, producing (a sharpened file point mounted in a pin
It works here because the fiberglass hull a microscopic flat. vise). Most of these tools were used to
can withstand the heat — I would not Make the scriber from high carbon open and shape the scribing template
attempt this if the hull were styrene! steel if the job entails working fiberglass, cutouts.

C D E

Styrene Modeling 77
VACUUM-FORMING SIMPLE
PARTS AND CANOPIES

by Pat Hawkey

One of styrene’s greatest assets is its pliability. This is espe-

cially true when heated. Heat-softened styrene can be pulled
over shapes or sucked into cavities to reproduce almost any
shape, including complex curves.
Back in the early ‘60s Mattel introduced the Vac-U-Form
machine. Sold as a toy, it provided youngsters with a hand- B
operated vacuum pump, heating element, styrene sheets, and
molds to make their own plastic toys. Like most hobbyists, I
found mine at a church rummage sale long after the animal
was extinct and paid about 50 cents for it. Thousands of them
were made, and they still surface on the yard-sale circuit.

than obtaining good parts, I forgot to secure the masters to the

vacuum platform with a dab of white glue to keep them from
A shifting.)
The reverse side of the cooled sheet has the two masters
firmly entrapped in the styrene, D. I roughly cut the doors free
Landing gear doors with scissors, then trimmed off the remaining excess with a
I made master forms for a pair of “fast-pack” landing gear new No.11 blade, E. It’s easy to slip the point of your blade
doors for a 1/48 scale DC-3 from 2-part epoxy putty, A. This between the new part and the master and trim by just riding
material cures to a granite-like consistency, impervious to the that line.
heat of the plastic that will be drawn over it. A few swipes with an emery board or a sanding stick to fin-
The master on the right is upside down, showing a .030˝ ish the cleanup, and I have a good pair of doors, F. Photo G
spacer that will keep the master slightly elevated. This ensures shows where they ended up.
a sharp bottom edge where the heated plastic will be sucked
into the gap between the master and the vacuum platform. Vac-forming replacement canopies
To make the duplicates, I loaded my trusty old Mattel Vac-U- Like many model plane builders, I wanted a Mattel machine
Form machine, B, with a 3˝ x 3-5/8˝ sheet of .020˝ plastic. The to make replacement canopies. I believed that getting my
heating element has done its job and the plastic is shiny, sag- hands on a Vac-U-Form would simply and quickly turn model-
ging, and ready to go. ing night into day. Not quite. Here’s what I’ve learned about
The thickness of the plastic you start with will not be the thick- making canopies through trial and error — and lots of wasted
ness of your finished part. As the heated sheet is stretched clear plastic.
over the master it thins over the high spots. A good rule of
thumb is to decide ahead of time how thick and rigid you want 1. Clear styrene does not work.
your finished part to be and select styrene .010˝ thicker. Instead of softening and sagging when it’s heated, clear
The clamp assembly is quickly flipped over to the vacuum styrene shrinks and pulls itself out of the holding clamp.
platform, the suction handle is given a couple good pumps, Acetate and Butyrate sheet work, but I’ve had bubbles form in
and if you don’t have any air leaks, here’s what you get, C. (A both as they heat up. Don’t know why — something about
close look will reveal the door on the right is flat while the door moisture absorption, I suspect. There’s also Polycarbonate
on the left is on edge. Being more focused on taking pictures and Vivak you can experiment with. All these materials are soft

78 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 79
80 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 81
82 Styrene Modeling
 allowed for a small switching yard and
provided an opportunity to build a large
bucket crane to service it.

Styrene Modeling 83

,
84 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 85
86 Styrene Modeling
Styrene Modeling 87
Most of the products mentioned in this
book are available at well-stocked hobby
shops; many others can be found at art,
SOURCES Grandt Line Products NorthWest Short Line
1040-B Shary Court Box 423
Concord, CA 94518 Seattle, WA 98111-0423
(925)-671-0143 (206)-932-1087
craft, and hardware stores. The contact
information below is for companies with Micro-Mark (modeling tools)
especially useful or occasionally hard-to- 340-2795 Snyder Ave. Berkeley
find items. Heights, NJ 07922 (800)-225- Scale Shipyard, Warship
1066 Hulls Unlimited
5866 Orange Ave., Unit 3
MV Products (headlight lenses) Long Beach, CA 90805-4146
Creations Unlimited Hobby Products Available from Wm. K. Walthers (562)-428-5027
(Flex-I-File, Touch-N-Flow applicator) P.O. Box 3039
4318PlainfieldAve. NE Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Wl 53201-3039
Ml 49525 (616)-363-1242 (414)-527-0770
Waldron Model Products
North Coast Hobbies (spray booth) (punch and die sets)
P.O. Box 31 P.O. Box 431 Merlin,
McKees Rocks, PA 15136-0031 OR 97532 (541)-
(412)-331-9970 474-3226

INDEX calipers, 8,9,21 dividers, 19,20 double-stick

canopies, vac-forming replacement, 78- tape, 80 dovetail saw, 34 drills,
79 drilling, 9,51,53-55,87 drill,
capillary action, 11,17,81 homemade, 87 dry transfers, 69
ABS, for fixture, 42,43 car ferry, 73 dry-brushing, 72-73 dry-fitting,
accelerator (super glue), 29,31 Case Study, 1/35 scale Bison, 40-43 27 duplicate parts, 15, 16
acetate, 78 Case Study, USS Kidd, 48-50
acrylic plastic, 4 Case Study: El Portal station, 83
acrylic matte medium, 11 Case Study: Littleton Power Co., 82-83
acrylic paints, 58 Case Study: Sub. test vehicle, 80-81 ejector-pin marks, filling, 29,31
Acrylite, 4 Case Study: USS Cowpens, 86-87 Ellerby, Brian, 2,3,19,37 emery
Adkins, Bill, 37 Case Study: Cisco bridge, 84-85 boards, 8 enamel paints, 59
airbrush, 57 cements for styrene, 9 exhaust booth, 64
airbrush cleaning, 65,66,67 chalks, pastel, 69,72
airbrush, choosing, 61 Chopper, NWSL, 13, 16,80
airbrushing hot paints, 66 Cisco bridge, 68,84-85
airbrushing, advanced, 74 clamping plates, 19 fiberglass eraser, weathering with, 75
aligning parts, 14 cleaning model, 57,58 files, 8,37,38
aligning pins, 28 clear parts, 26,32 filler putty, 29,32,77
Armitage, Alan, 2,5 coaling tower, 76 fillers, choosing, 31
armored car detailing, 54 colors, mixing or modifying, 58,69 Filling with styrene, 30,39
Assembling Angelo's, 22 compressors, 62-63 fixture, alignment, 42,43
assembly fixtures, 39,81 (see also jigs) contact cement, water-soluble, 11 flash, 29
assembly procedures, 17,39 conversions, 33 Flexi-File, 31
coping saw, 35, 37 Frary, Dave, 72
B copy machine, 21,33 fuselage, split, avoiding, 28
crazing, 11,59 Future floor finish, 71
Barrett bridge, 76
Cross-scale kitbashing, 37
beeswax, 53
bench vise, 9 Csaba armored car, 4
bending tool, 80 Curren, Art, 33
cut-paper streak masks, 75 gap-filling super glue, 11,30
birds, styrene, 85 gaps, filling with super glue, 31
Bison Conversion, 40-43 cutting parts oversize, 14
cutting strip stock, 16 gluing painted styrene, 11 Goop,
body putty, 29 adhesive, 86 gussets, 14,76
bonding techniques, 9,26
bracing, 15,22,39 n
brick material, Holgate & Reynolds, 24
bricks, styrene, 13 de-spruing tweezers, 45,51
hacksaw, 8,35
brushes, brush care, 60,62 Decals, applying, 69, 70-71
hair conditioner, 60,62
brush painting, 60 dental pick, 9
Hawkey, Pat,
Burgess, Jack, 14,18,22,64,76,83 detail chisel, Micro-Mark, 44
27,28,30,39,46,47,52,53,55,78
butyrate, 78 detail, removing molded, 44
detail, salvaging, 38,44
detailing with paint, 55
Detailing Armored car, 54
calculator, 19,20 digital caliper, 19

88 Styrene Modeling
heat-forming, 46,50,77,78 O solvent applicators and cementing, 11
holding fixture, 80 Hole, Doug solvent stains, 16
and Jackie, 68,84 hot paints, 66 oil colors, for stains, 73 spray booth, North Coast Hobbies, 63
openings, cutting, 16,38 spray cans, 62
I openings, plugging, 38 spraying pressures, 65
OptiVisor, 45 ore cars, sprue cutter, 9
injection molding, 5 Interior detailing kitbashed, 37 sprue, stretching, 46
with strip stock, 53 inventory, styrene
steel plating, 48
strip, 17 isothermic-curing body putty, P Steinbrunn, Robert, 4,34,45,47,48,55,69
32
stiffeners, 39
paint dilution, 65
J Stippes, Geoffrey, 14,18,19,35,73
Painting after assembly, 64
straightedge, 7
painting, 25,32,57,86
jeweler's saw, 8,35 paints for styrene, 58-59 strainers, paint, 63,65
jigs, 15,39,84 pastel chalks, 69,72 Stretching plastic, 46
joint bead, 28 peeling paint, rubber-cement technique structural shapes, 80
joints, strengthening, 29 74 Styrene assembly tips, 14
joints, styrene-to-styrene, 11 photoetched metal parts, 47,51,52 subassemblies, 27,39,51
Piccirillo, Tom, 12 super glue, 10,11,29,48
K pin vise, 9,53
Plexiglas, 4 T
Kalbfleisch, Al, 76,82,86,87 polycarbonate, 78
Kitbashing, 33 kits, working polystyrene, 5 templates, 22 templates,
with, 27 Kloek, James, 4,36 portable air tank, 63 scribing, 77 tenon saw, 34
knives, modeling, 6 power-station boilers, 13 toolmaker's blocks, 21 tooth,
punch-and-die set, Waldron, 49 for weathering, 72 Touch-N-
L
Flow applicator, 80 True
R Sander, NWSL, 37,38 tube
lacquer paints, 59
laminating brass to styrene, 83 cement, 11 tweezers, 7
razor blades, 6 tweezers, de-spruing, 45,51
layout, 18
lettering, 69 razor saws, 8
lighting, interior, 82 reamers, 55 U
Love, Dennis, 5 regulators, compressed air, 63
Low-speed drill, making, 87 Reinforcing kit joints and seams, 28 ultraviolet (UV) light, 5
Replica Scale Models, 5
underpainting, 74
M Repositioning aircraft control surfaces,
underwing stores, mounting, 52
55
USS Cowpens, 86-87
machinist's square, 8, 18 resin details, 51
USS Hornet, 4
magnifier, 45 respirator mask, 64
Riveter, NWSL, 85 USS Kidd, 48-50
markings, 69 USS Saratoga conversion, 36
masking, 68 rivet detail, 41,76
masking tape, for protecting parts, 35 Robbins, Bob, 5,13
roofs, removable, 25 V
masking tape, to retain parts, 47
Masonite, 7 Ruby's Rooms, 75
Mattel Vac-U-Form, 50,78 Vac-U-Form, Mattel, 50,78
measuring tools, 18 S vacuum-forming, 50,78,87
Merriman, David, 32,33,76,77,80 ventilation, 10,64 Vivak, 78
metallic finishes, 69 safety, 10,64
methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK), 9 salvaging detail, 38,44 W
mixing colors, 58 sanding blocks and sticks, 7,8,37
mockups, 18,24,33 sanding, 31,37 Wallace, Bill, 37
Modeling around children, 11 saws, 34,35,37 warped parts, 31
moisture traps, compressed air, 63 scale color, concept, 58 wash, alcohol and leather dye, 74
Morgan, Joe, 4,33,40,54,72 scale conversion chart, 21 washes, 73
Mounting underwing stores, 52 scale rule, 7,18 washing model, 57,58
Scaling up and down, 20-21 weathered painted wood, 74
N Scoles, Paul, 73, Front cover weathering, 68,75
score-and-snap technique, 12 wet-or-dry sandpaper, 31
NEB&W structures, 24 Scratchbuilding boxes, 18 wetting agents, 59
needle tool, for decals, 70 scratchbuilding, 4,76 What is styrene?, 5
needlepoint applicator, 10, 11 Scratchbuilding projects, 76 white-metal details, 51
Nehrich, John, 24 Scribing techniques, 17,50,77 window and door castings, 26
nibbler, 22 scribing templates and tools, 8,16,77 wire parts, cementing, 11
NorthWest Short Line Chopper, 13 Sensipress, NWSL, 85 wood grain, simulating, 83
NorthWest Short Line True Sander, setting agents, decal, 70 Working with decals, 70-71
37,38 sheet and strip, working with, 12
snap method for structures, 24
SNJ Spray Metal, 69
T

he overwhelming majority of today's commercial model

kits are molded from styrene plastic. Styrene is also the top
choice of modelers around the world who modify kits or
build scale models from scratch.

This book is the first comprehensive manual on modeling

with this highly versatile material. First, you'll find hun-
dreds of tips and techniques on how to assemble and
improve plastic kits. Plus, Styrene Modeling includes
detailed, how-to-do-it modeling advice from more than a
dozen accomplished craftsmen who have built every con-
ceivable type of styrene replica. It's a handbook no model-
er should be without.

$14.95 U.S. Item No. 14