ANY TIPS!!! ANY YOU WANT TO SHARE!!! POST THEM HERE!!! This information can help new modelers and jumpstart a hobby.  Nothing makes someone want to stay in modeling than a AWESOME model created from tips that make a model easy and/or realistic.  THERE ARE NO STUPID TIPS!!! (just stupid people).  ANY TIP CAN BE GREAT FROM A "DO" TO A "DO NOT".   I AM HOPING TO MAKE A GIANT LIST OF TIPS THAT WILL BE POSTED ONTO A SITE FOR MODELERS OF ALL LEVELS ONLY IF I GET ENOUGH!!!  HELP MAKE THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF REPLIES ARMYAIRFORCES.COM HAS EVER HAD!!!  (please really, I need help)

Ben Simpson, over and out.

For the first post, I figured out that silver makes a genuine "worn metal look".  For best results, paint over surrounding silver to create a "scratched into the paint not above effect".  Also, for plane floors, paint one coat of wood and then another coat of black (or any prefered color).  Then scuff the black off with sandpaper to expose the wood below.  This is a useful technique for scuffs on the cockpit floor and such.  Hope this is helpful!

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Ben Simpson, over and out.

Ben:

First and foremost tip. Always make sure the wings and the horizontal stabilizers are level and parallel with one another. In other words, if you look directly at the nose of the model and slowly move your head down, the horizontal stabs should look to go behind the wings at exactly the same point. If the wings do not have the same L & R dihedral or anhedral, one of the horizontal stabilizers will seem to go behind one wing before the other.

The plane should look to sit square so the the wings are the same distance from the ground on both sides.

Nothing spoils a model faster than having crooked, uneven wings.

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

Most out-of-the-box kits builds lack the look of weight to the finished build because the tires are perfectly round. I gives a sort of 'tippy-toed' look to the aircraft. While some kits have after-market tires you can buy that are slightly flattened and bulged out on the bottom, most do not. You can rectify the problem by heating an old pallet knife over a candle and GENTLY and slowly placing the tire on the blade and pushing down to soften the plastic and flatten the bottom of the tire. It also bulges slightly.

Practice, practice, practice. Too little flattening is preferable to too much. You don't want a flat tire look. Look at photos of the aircraft you are modeling on its landing gear to get the effect you want. Be careful with planes such as the Spitfire, BF-109, FW-190. The gear was not vertical and the wheels had a lot of negative camber (tilting inward at the top). They also flew from grass fields, so the flattening and bulge will not be as pronounced.

Simple, but quite effective for improving the "look" of your finished model.

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

When you buy a can of nuts, save the foil seal on top under the plastic lid. Cut it to make straps, seat-belts, etc..... easy to bend over seats, cushions, and holds its shape.  Also makes great crumpled metal if you ever do any sort of model with " damage "

SHAEF1944 American Veterans Museum

Thanks to all of you, but is their anything else?  Anything will help from details, to attachment procedures, to brands, to painting tips.  It's not a waste of time.  Post something.

Ben Simpson, over and out.

Study the instructions before you begin building.  Don't be afraid to assemble out of sequence if it will help stop a piece from being broken or if the instructions are faulty or poorly written (and some are--you'd be surprised).  One way to figure this out is to study the instructions and test build before glueing. 
 
Don't rush assembly.  Take your time. 
 
Use white glue to assemble clear pieces.  The glue can be washed off if you screw up. 
 
TonyM. 

Hyperscale is also a good source for tips.

http://hyperscale.com/

Ken

Ken Alexander
Son of 1st Lt. Clair B. Alexander Jr.
Pilot, B-24s: 10/12/1944 - 04/24/1945
15th AF, 49th Wing, 461st BG, 764th BS
Torretta Airfield, Cerignola, Italy

if you're out of practice or just beginning...scrounge up a couple of cheap kits off ebay (or whatever) and use them to hone your skills BEFORE tackling that masterpiece you're planning.  i've gotten lots of older monogram/revell kits off ebay for $5 or less. (garage/yard sales are good for this too)   i've even used CAR (gasp!) kits to practice on (since i had some) and found that if you can do a nice job with glossy paint and clearcoat...that dull and flat aircraft finishes are really not that hard.  shiny silver (the natural aluminum look) is a bit different, but still well within the abilities of anyone who has a clean & dry place to paint.  so, it really doesnt matter WHAT you work on so much as PRACTICE ! 
plastic putty (like bondo) is your friend, and even very small gaps can be simply hit with a small drop of glue and shaved with a good hobby knife when dry.    1st thing to do...before you glue the 1st part together is take the same good hobby knife and remove all the obvious casting flash from the edges of the parts while they are still on the sprue, thereby reducing the opportunities for slicing your fingers while trying to hold small parts and cut at the same time...this is especially helpful on small parts that are difficult to hold on to, and saves you from spending 20 minutes looking under the couch, chairs, table, bed, etc...trying to find the little bitty part you dropped when you cut your finger. 
have fun