Assembling Kits
As with all fibreboard and
cardboard kits, there are a
few precautions that are wise
to take:
Removing Pieces from Sprues
Take care when pushing the
pieces out of their sheet.
Press firmly and evenly.
Cardboard and fibreboard are
made of layers and it’s easy to
leave a layer behind on the
sprue if uneven force is used.
This is especially true for
complicated shapes.
It’s a Dirty Business
Lasers cut through sheet
material with a focussed
beam. This relies on the optics
of the machine being nice and
clean. As luck would have it,
our preferred material - MDF -
throws up piles of sawdust
when cut. (Expensive, clean
acrylic sheet, anyone?) So the
laser machine needs constant
cleaning. Excessive dirt will
have an adverse effect on the
cut. However clean the machine is kept, though,
there’s always a chance of a tough spot. And
fibreboard (MDF) is a natural product, which doesn’t
help. (Expensive acrylic sheet, anyone?) All this means
is that it’s always better to push pieces out of their
sprues from the back of the sheet. Because if the
laser has lost any power or the material is more solid
then the bottom layers of board may need to be
broken. An even push from the back of the board
should produce a clean break. The back of the board
is the side with the thinner cut lines.
Cardboard Pieces
Caution should be taken when pressing out pieces
from cardboard sheet. Where possible, flex the sheet
first. It can be practical to cut out and isolate small
pieces by making a rough cut around them first.
Don’t Lose the Small Guys
Some small pieces can look remarkably similar; don’t
get confused by mixing all the pieces up. Keeping
unassembled pieces on a tray or in a container can
help keep everything organised.
Don’t Rush In
It’s always best to try a dry run first before gluing
permanently. If a mistake is made, MDF can be
remarkably forgiving. However, if a mistake is
impossible to salvage, Supreme Littleness can be
contacted and it may be possible to replace damaged
pieces for the price of postage.
Paint before Gluing
Before gluing, determine accessibility. In some cases,
it will be impossible or extremely hard to paint the
interior, for example, of a model after the kit has
been assembled. So, paint and decorate pieces that
would otherwise be inaccessible before assembly.
ABOVE Supreme Littleness Designs’ table display of a Dark
Age reoccupied Roman Fort at Cramond, Edinburgh, that
won Best in Show at Claymore 2016. The boats, buildings,
carts and ladders were all made from laser-cut MDF.
______________________________________________
Gluing Pieces
White wood glue should be used to glue fibreboard
and cardboard pieces together. If the model is to be
painted, it is best to avoid using ‘waterproof’ PVA.
Strong and ‘tacky’ PVAs are recommended. Glue
should be spread thinly and evenly on BOTH sides to
be bonded. Visible excess glue should be removed
before it has had time to dry. Old brushes, pins and
cocktail sticks are all useful tools in the gluing
process.
Slap on the Texture?
The look of some MDF and card models will be greatly
enhanced with some sort of textured paste spread
over them. There are many examples of models with
added texture on this site. A simple tile grout from a
DIY shop is recommended. Tile grout is a sandy
cement that adds a gritty look to the flat surface of
MDF. Artists’ acrylic medium or modelling paste is
perhaps more expensive but much easier to paste on
fibreboard. The wax and resin binders of the MDF can
resist a dry grout. Adding water or PVA can help but
can also make the texture smoother than desired.
Acrylic medium is available in many grades of
grittiness and is as simple to paste on as acrylic paint
as it is just paint without pigment.
Non-textured Texture?
Small assembled kits that might be overwhelmed by
sandy textured paste can be enhanced with a thin
spread of non-textured acrylic medium. This is
especially useful spread over the sometimes unsightly
corner joints. The walls of the 10mm saltbox house
model (left) was textured with a smooth acrylic
paste applied with a wooden cocktail stick.
Accentuating the horizontal strokes, allowed
some nice highlights for the paint to pick up.
TOP TIP
The strength of the
completed
fibreboard model
will be improved
by applying a thin
spread of tacky or
strong white-glue
to both surfaces to
be glued.
Supreme Littleness Designs
FaceBook Page
Assembling Texturing Painting
Michael’s PROJECTS BLOG