Glossary

A model (or component) constructed “from scratch,” not from a kit.

Generally, using a pointed tool to carve a line (such as a panel line) into the model’s surface.

Sonderkraftfahrzeug, “special purpose vehicle”; SdKfz numbers were assigned to all purpose-built German military vehicles, but other terms took precedence for tanks, self-propelled guns, and other heavier vehicles, with SdKfz more likely to describe armored cars, halftracks, and other vehicles.

Molded styrene parts that cool incorrectly can be marred by sink marks, depressions in the surface.

Injection molds that use more than the traditional two-part top and bottom steel molds. In a slide mold, additional mold pieces can be placed into the sides of the main mold halves, allowing for undercuts and even hollow parts impossible with two-part molds.

“Silvery” areas that appear around or under incorrectly applied or defective decals.

Self-propelled gun

A booth with an exhaust fan to remove harmful vapors emitted by paint, adhesives, and other noxious materials and supplies.

A technique in which a tank or other type of tracked vehicle is mounted to a rough-terrain diorama base with a screw, washer, and nut through the hull's bottom, pulling the vehicle down tightly against the rough objects under the tracks like rocks, boulders, and debris. This causes the suspension arms to bend upwards and impart a realistic sprung-suspension look to the vehicle.

The  plastic “tree” that parts are attached to inside a kit. These were formed by channels that fed molten plastic into the mold and the part cavities.