iModeler How-to

Tips and solutions to improve your modelling techniques.

How to make a metal plate out of cardboard

I've been asked, many times over, how I achieved the steel plate loads, I did for a build, many years ago. It's not the most updated fancy method, that everyone seems to be doing today, but it works and give pretty much the same results. [...]

Test Trail Water Effects Using Toilet Paper

Test Trail Water Effects Using Toilet Paper: Now, I am no way an expert, so what you see here is purely amateurish. Compared to some of the water effects I've seen by amazing artist, this cannot be compared. So go easy on me and perhaps [...]

Review: Assembling and Using a Model Jig

For over 20 years I’ve been lusting after a jig to hold my model airplanes in place so I can work on them without gumming up everything with fingerprints, glue splotches, errant paint and breakage. I was just too cheap to buy one. I [...]

Video: Building the Tamiya F-14A Scale Model Aircraft in 1/48 Scale PART 1 Building the Cockpit

Video: How to Make A Realistic Explosion Diorama in 1/700 Scale

Video: Rubber Dam Material for Scale Modeling

This video shows a few ways that I use dental rubber dam material as a paint mask for scale models.

Video: Rivet Detail With Fine Wire

This video explains how to create rivet detail with fine wire pins. (link)

Video: Aircraft Carrier 4th Catapult Section in 1:72 3D Printed Scale Model

Masking with Kapton Tape

I received a lot of questions and comments on how and why I use kapton tape for masking on the models I build. I wrote up an small article on my site (link) both how and why and placed it in the Tips and Tricks section, at (link)

Sunlight Photography : N1K2-J Shiden Kai -1/32

With Spring finally here, I decided to do some outdoor photography. I rigged up a two-sided light tent on my deck. In shooting this model previously, a lot of the pre-shading mottling effect was lost in indoor lighting. In some ways, [...]