Archives: How-To Articles

A scale model is a three-dimensional representation of a physical object. The model scale is most often expressed as a simple fraction: 1/24 scale means the model is 1/24 the size of the full-size subject. In other words, in 1/24 scale you would need 24 Chevy models parked bumper to bumper to equal the length…

By now you probably have a good idea of what you would like to build. Of course, that’s up to you. But here’s some advice: Keep the first one easy. Many kits are labeled with “skill level” or degree of difficulty indicated on the box. Or, you can read FineScale Modeler magazine Workbench Reviews, which…

In the last installment, we showed you some of the basic tools you need to build a model. This time, we’ll talk about how to use those tools — and show you a few more, too — as we walk through seven major steps of a build and show you some of the fundamentals of…

Solid, clean construction makes a scale model accurate. Finishing, in everything from paint to decals, is what makes that model come alive.

Associate Editor Aaron Skinner shows you how to use post-shading to add interest to your scale models.

In this how-to video, Aaron Skinner shows you how to scribe panel lines on your plastic scale models.

You can use super glue as filler on your scale models. In this video, Associate Editor Aaron Skinner shows you the best ways to apply super glue to gaps and shape it before it hardens.

In this instructional video, Editor Matthew Usher shows you how to remove scuffs and scratches from your model’s clear parts.

Associate Editor Aaron Skinner shows you how to attach photoetched-metal parts to your plastic model.

Associate Editor Aaron Skinner demonstrates the basics of bending photoetched-metal parts, including lifting rings, a mantlet cover, and an ammo box from his Tamiya 1/35 scale IS-3 Stalin.