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MY MODELS USUALLY INCLUDE DETAILED INSTRUCTION DIAGRAMS...BUT SOMETIMES INSTRUCTIONS AREN'T ENOUGH!
SOMETIMES, IT HELPS TO SEE THE REAL THING AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ASSEMBLY PROCEDURE.
TO HELP, I HAVE COMPILED SOME PHOTOSETS OF TEST AND PROTOTYPE BUILDS.
SOME THINGS MAY DIFFER WITH CERTAIN MODELS, BUT THESE WALKTHROUGHS SHOULD ASSIST WITH YOUR BUILDS.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DOWNLOAD THE PHOTO SETS, BUT DO NOT SHARE THEM ON ANY OTHER WEBSITE.

pms side image links

WELL, FIRST YOU NEED TO PRINT YOUR MODEL PAGES (IF YOU HAVE A DIGITAL MODEL)
PAY ATTENTION TO ANY PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED IN THE KIT AND ON INDIVIDUAL PAGES.

CARDSTOCKS ARE USED MOST OFTEN, HOWEVER SMALLER PARTS CAN BE PRINTED ON LIGHTER WEIGHT
PAPERS. AND SOME BUILDERS LIKE TO USE GLOSSY PHOTO PAPERS FOR SOME ELEMENTS OF THEIR BUILDS.

YOU CAN PRINT YOUR MODELS AT HOME, USING YOUR PC PRINTER
OR YOU CAN TAKE THE PDF FILES TO YOUR LOCAL PRINT SHOP.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIGHER QUALITY PRINT SETTINGS TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR MODELS!

AS YOU GAIN EXPERIENCE, YOU WILL DEFINITELY EXPAND YOUR COLLECTION OF TOOLS TO SUIT DIFFERENT
TYPES OF MODELS AND BUILDING TECHNIQUES THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER.

BUT TO START OFF, YOU MIGHT REQUIRE SOME OF THESE BASIC TOOLS:

A CUTTING MAT...TO PROTECT YOUR WORK SURFACE AND SAVE ON KNIFE BLADES!
THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS SIZES AND TYPES AT CRAFT AND ART SUPPLY STORES.

SCISSORS...TO SEPARATE AND CUT OUT PARTS. LARGE AND SMALL,
YOU MIGHT CONSIDER AN ASSORTMENT OF SCISSORS TO SUIT DIFFERENT CUTTING NEEDS.

A HOBBY OR CRAFT KNIFE...FOR MORE CONTROLLED AND PRECISE CUTS.
EXTRA BLADES ARE ALSO NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALWAYS MAKING THE BEST CUTS.

GLUE...A PAPER GLUE TO SUIT THE PAPER/CARD YOU ARE USING.
THE VARIETY OF GLUES AT CRAFT AND ART STORES WILL SUIT EVERYONE'S TASTES.
MOST MODELERS HAVE AN ASSORTMENT OF GLUES FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS.

TWEEZERS FOR HOLDING AND HANDLING SMALL PARTS.

STRAIGHT EDGES AND RULES...MAINLY FOR CUTTING STRAIGHT EDGES BUT ALSO FOR MEASURING.
MAKE SURE TO USE METAL OR SIMILAR FOR YOUR CUTTING EDGES!

PAINTS, PENS AND COLOURING PENCILS ARE ALL USED TO COLOUR THE CUT EDGES
OF PAPER PARTS, AS WELL AS MAKING SMALL TOUCHUPS AND REPAIRS TO PRINTED PARTS.

SPRAY GLUES FOR GLUING LARGER SHEETS AND LAMINATES.
SPRAY FIXATIVES AND CLEAR COATS FOR PROTECTING PRINTED PAGES AND SEALING INKS.

LIKE WITH ANY SKILL OR TALENT, PRACTICE AND MAKING MISTAKES ARE THE BEST WAY TO LEARN AND
GET BETTER AT WHATEVER YOU ARE TRYING TO DO. DON'T BE DISCOURAGED BY OTHER MODELLERS
WHO HAVE LEARNED THEIR CRAFT OVER MANY YEARS. EXPERIENCE TAKES TIME..

WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE YOU CAN MASTER SOME OF THE BASIC TECHNIQUES OF PAPER MODELING.

TRY BUILDING A BASIC "SCALE CUBE" MODEL (AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON MY "EXTRAS" PAGE)
ALSO TRY ROLLING TUBES OF VARIOUS SIZES AND GLUING THEM.

HERE ARE A FEW MODELING TIPS THAT MIGHT MAY SOME OF YOUR BUILDS GO A LITTLE SMOOTHER;

TRY TO PRINT ALL YOUR MODEL PAGES AT THE SAME TIME, ON THE SAME CARD/PAPER AND USING THE
SAME PRINTER (AND SETTINGS)...THIS ENSURES ALL YOUR PARTS WILL MATCH IN COLOUR AND QUALITY.

EXAMINE YOUR PRINTED PAGES CAREFULLY BEFORE CUTTING OUT PARTS AND PAY ATTENTION TO ANY SPECIAL
INSTRUCTIONS PRINTED ON THE PAGES. ALSO GET FAMILIAR WITH THE PART NUMBERS AND LOCATIONS.

PRESCORING YOUR FOLD LINES BEFORE YOU CUT OUT PARTS IS A LOT EASIER.
USE A FINE, BLUNT TOOL AND A STRAIGHT EDGE (WHEREVER POSSIBLE) TO CREATE EASY TO FOLD LINES.
ALWAYS BE CAREFUL NOT TO SCORE TOO DEEPLY AND CUT THE PAPER FIBRES.

IF YOU CUT OUT MANY PARTS AT ONCE, WHY NOT NUMBER THEM ON THEIR REVERSE SIDES
FOR EASY REFERENCE...BUT MAKE SURE TO USE LIGHT PRESSURE WITH A HARD PENCIL.

ALWAYS DRY (TEST) FIT ALL PARTS BEFORE GLUING THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THE PARTS FIT CORRECTLY
AND TO MAKE SURE YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ASSEMBLY. THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN TRIM PARTS IF NEEDED.

MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING! GOOD LIGHTING AND MAGNIFYING LENSES COME IN HANDY!