Reference · A–Z

The builder’s glossary

The whole hobby vocabulary, defined the way a friend at the club table would explain it — with the one nuance insiders actually nitpick.

Kits & Grades

Sprue: The plastic frame a kit’s parts ship attached to.
Runner: One lettered channel of the sprue — “part C-14” lives on runner C.
Gate: The thin neck connecting a part to the runner — where you cut.
Snap-Fit: Kits that assemble with friction pegs — no glue required.
Polycap: The soft rubbery sleeve inside a joint that grips the peg.
Inner Frame: The articulated skeleton under a higher-grade kit’s armor.
Grade: A kit’s engineering tier — from entry snap-fits to flagship builds.
Scale Notation: 1/144, 1/100, 1/60 — the fraction between model and machine.

Nub: The stub of gate left on a part after the first cut.
Nub Mark: The scar a nub leaves behind — the thing sanding erases.
Stress Whitening: The pale bloom where plastic was pinched or bent — a bad cut’s signature.
Nipper: The side-cutting pliers that free parts from the runner.
Flush Cut: The close second cut that takes the nub level with the surface.
Two-Stage Cutting: Cut proud of the part, then flush-cut the stub — two snips, zero stress marks.

Panel Line: The recessed groove molded into a surface to suggest separate panels.
Panel Line Accent Color: Thin enamel wash that wicks along recessed lines by capillary action.
Decal: A printed marking film applied to a build — numbers, warnings, insignia.
Waterslide Decal: Soak, slide, settle — the thinnest, most professional marking type.
Dry Transfer: Rub-on markings with no carrier film at all.
Setting Solution: The liquids that soften a waterslide so it hugs surface detail.
Silvering: The frosted air layer under a decal — and how to prevent it.

Pin Wash: A targeted wash placed only into recesses, not over the whole surface.

Dry Brushing: Wiping a nearly-paintless brush across edges to catch raised detail.
Edge Highlighting: Painting a fine bright line along raised edges to simulate light.
Wet Palette: Sponge + parchment membrane that keeps acrylics workable for days.
Kolinsky Sable: The premium natural brush hair that holds a needle point.

Zenithal Priming: Black base, white sprayed from above — a built-in lighting map.
Primer (Surfacer): The grip-and-fill undercoat every painted build starts with.
Thinning Ratio: Paint-to-thinner mix — “skim milk” is the airbrush target.
Speed / Contrast Paint: One-coat paints that shade and color in a single pass.
Lacquer / Acrylic / Enamel: The three paint families — durability, smell, and safety trade-offs.

Top Coat: The clear protective seal sprayed over a finished build.
Flat / Matte Coat: The non-shiny topcoat that makes plastic stop looking like a toy.

Dual-Action: Trigger down for air, back for paint — two-axis control.
Gravity Feed: Paint cup on top — feeds by gravity, sprays at lower pressure.
Siphon Feed: Bottle under the body — big capacity, higher pressure needed.
Nozzle Size: The spray aperture in millimeters — 0.3 mm is the do-everything default.
Tip Dry: Paint drying on the needle tip mid-session — the spatter culprit.