Plastic Model Airplane – Help

I built my first plastic model airplane with my father at the tender age of six.  I shared my hobby with my own son when he was still in kindergarten.  Now at fifty six years old, I still put together the occasional model.

Whether you are a beginner or an old coot like me who has been building model planes for fifty years now, I hope you can enjoy the following tips.

1) Choose a good model airplane building station.

There is no reason you can’t use an existing desk, a fold out table or even the kitchen table.

Just make sure your building station is comfortable.

Remember that you will be using glue and paint.  No matter how careful you are, you will end up with both glue and paint on your working surface.  Be sure to prepare that surface with a removable lining for easy clean up and protection of your chosen work surface.

2) Always wash everything before you start.

Wash all of the model parts in warm soapy water.  You won’t regret taking this step.  Glue and paint will stick much better to a clean surface.

3) Read the directions!

Honestly.  Most builders just jump right in.

Those who take the time to read the instructions first are always happier with the result.

I recommend using a pen to mark any important warnings in the instructions.

4) Allow glue to dry overnight.

This is important for the very best paint job.  It might be tempting to skip this step.

I don’t recommend that.  Instead, glue everything together and then let it dry overnight.

5) Use putty to fill in the gaps.

Putty should also be allowed to dry overnight.

6) Wash your model again before painting.

Once again you will want to wash your now assembled model in warm soapy water.

This will remove the natural oils from your skin that are on the plastic from the assembly process.  Removing those skin oils will result in a much better paint job.

7) Always paint the interior first.

Don’t start with the outside or you will end up getting interior colors on the outside.  Touch-ups are very difficult to hide.

If you start from the interior, you will always end up with the very best paint job.

Enjoy your new model.

This is the pay off.  Since you were very careful and patient, you now have a model that will last for years and you can be proud to display.

Enjoy it.  This your your reward. Don’t spend all of your time building new models.  Take time to admire and show off your existing models.

I hope these tips help you build the very best plastic model airplanes that you can be proud to display for years to come.