Kit building

Officially, tinning is the process of coating certain metals with a thin sheet of tin to prevent rust, in soldering, however, the term is commonly understood to mean coating a soldering iron's tip, a surface to be soldered or the end of some wires...

An 'eggbeater' is a type of hand drill so-called because its appearance resembles an egg whisk.Officially known as a wheel brace, these types of drill are favoured by carpenters and modellers alike due to their ability to create neat and...

A  mitre box is a metal framework designed to hold an item of building material in place while you saw through it at an exact angle thanks to the box's integral saw-guiding slots.These tools are of particular interest to scratch-builders who...

Desktop model aircraft are ornamental models usually constructed to 1:72 scale, made from diecast and often take pride of place on a travel agent's desk. They come as ready-made models and are usually pigeonholed as gimmicks or office accessories,...

Understanding the names that manufacturers give specific collections within their range can be a little bewildering if you have not previously had the pleasure.Eduard's 'ProfiPACK' kits are a range of plastic model kits that are described by...

Clip-on spectacle mags are individual magnifying lenses for people who wear glasses but still struggle to see close up while modelling. The device looks very similar to a single lens of a pair of swimming goggles and simply clips onto the frame of...

Once you have chosen a model to keep you occupied for a weekend or two, you will need to buy some paint to finish it off, but how much should you buy?The answer to this question of course will depend on the size of your model, but for the...

From the perspective of someone choosing a model aircraft for the first time, there can sometimes be some confusion surrounding the flying and non-flying types of model available. This could result in a prised model being happily lobbed out of an...

The vast majority of model plane kits do not come with pilots and these will need to be sourced separately.They are available from specialist suppliers so you shouldn't have any trouble obtaining one, but if you are not experienced in building...

When building a model railway layout, or any diorama for that matter, you will most likely want to place at least a few buildings on it. Whether it be a simple station or an all singing and all dancing village, buildings are a big part of a...

When constructing a kit, lengths of wire are often included for use as railings on buildings such as signal boxes and cranes etc. But is this the best material for the job?Well, for most modellers, the wire does the job just fine, and the metallic...

The Metcalfe Castle System (as it has become known) is a range of individual cardboard kits that combine to create a castle, its walls, a gatehouse and watchtowers.The kits are produced in both N gauge and OO gauge and allow modellers to add...