Photo-etched parts offer exceptional detail but can be difficult to shape due to their stiffness. Annealing, the process of heating PE parts, softens the metal and reduces spring-back, making complex bends and curves easier to achieve. It is particularly useful for seat belts, tool clamps, railings, fenders, and other delicate details. With simple tools such as a lighter, candle, or hobby torch, modelers can improve both ease of assembly and overall realism in their finished projects.
Eureka XXL has become one of the world's most respected manufacturers of aftermarket accessories for scale modelers. Best known for their highly realistic towing cables, metal wire ropes, stowage sets, resin accessories, upgrade packages, and diorama details, Eureka XXL helps modelers elevate ordinary kits into museum-quality replicas. Their products are available across multiple scales and are engineered specifically for popular armor kits from manufacturers such as Tamiya, AFV Club, Takom, Academy, Italeri, and MiniArt.
For American armor and military modelers looking beyond the mainstream manufacturers, Riich Models offers a refreshing combination of historical accuracy, advanced engineering, and subjects rarely covered elsewhere. Since launching under its own brand in 2011, Riich Models has established a reputation for highly detailed military vehicles, artillery pieces, figures, accessories, and naval subjects in scales ranging from 1/35 to 1/200. Their kits are particularly well known for exceptional surface detail, photo-etched parts, full interior options, and an emphasis on historically significant but often overlooked vehicles.
Eureka XXL is a leading manufacturer of premium aftermarket accessories for military scale modelers, renowned for its exceptional attention to detail and commitment to realism. Specializing in armor modeling accessories, the company offers an extensive range of products including realistic towing cables, 1/35 scale ammunition sets, stowage accessories, upgrade components, diorama items, resin bases, and fine metal wire products. Founded by a passionate modeler, Eureka XXL has built its reputation by creating products that solve real modeling challenges while helping hobbyists achieve museum-quality results. Its highly detailed 1/35 scale ammunition and ordnance sets are perfect for enhancing armored vehicles, supply depots, artillery positions, and battlefield dioramas, adding authentic finishing touches that bring miniature scenes to life. Whether you're building a World War II tank, a modern AFV, or a competition-level diorama, Eureka XXL accessories deliver the accuracy, quality, and realism that discerning modelers demand.
Filling gaps on scale model figures requires a careful approach because figures have organic shapes, curves, and fine surface details that can be easily damaged or flattened. The goal is to make seams and repairs completely invisible while preserving anatomy, clothing folds, and texture.
Different fillers work best for different situations:
Epoxy putties like Green Stuff or Milliput are ideal for sculpting muscles, cloth folds, and larger repairs.
CA glue with talc or baking soda works well for small, crisp seams.
Acrylic putties and sprue goo are useful for shallow gaps and plastic figures.
Before filling, parts should be properly cleaned, aligned, and fully glued to minimize the amount of filler needed.
Gap filling methods depend on the size of the seam:
Small gaps can be filled with thin CA glue or acrylic putty and lightly sanded.
Medium gaps benefit from epoxy putty or CA glue mixtures that can be smoothed and blended.
Large gaps or missing details often require sculpting with epoxy putty to recreate anatomy, armor, or cloth textures.
Blending the repair is the most important step. Modelers use wet sculpting, feathering, and texture techniques to match the surrounding surface and avoid visible repairs. Sanding should be done carefully, especially on faces, hands, and clothing folds where detail can easily be lost.
After repairs are complete, a coat of primer helps reveal flaws such as remaining seams, texture mismatches, fingerprints, or over-sanding. Multiple fill-and-prime cycles are normal, even for experienced modelers.
Key mistakes to avoid include:
Using too much filler
Over-sanding organic shapes
Failing to smooth epoxy putty before curing
Poor part alignment before filling
Forgetting to recreate surface texture
With patience and proper blending, filled seams on figures can become completely invisible, resulting in a cleaner and more professional-looking model.
A gloss coat is a critical step before applying decals because it creates a smooth surface that helps decals adhere properly and prevents common problems like silvering. Although matte and satin paints appear smooth, they contain microscopic texture that traps air beneath decals, causing a cloudy or frosty appearance.
By applying a gloss coat first, decals can sit flat against the surface, improving adhesion and helping them blend into the paintwork for a more realistic, painted-on look. Gloss surfaces also allow decal setting and softening solutions—such as Micro Set, Micro Sol, and AMMO products—to work more effectively by flowing evenly across the surface and helping decals conform to panel lines, rivets, curves, and other details.
Using a gloss coat significantly reduces wrinkles, raised edges, and trapped air while improving the overall finish quality. After decals are applied and treated with decal solutions, modelers often seal them with another clear coat before applying the final finish, whether matte, satin, or gloss.
Typical workflow:
Paint the model
Apply gloss coat
Apply decals
Use setting/softening solutions
Seal decals
Apply final finish coat
This process is one of the most important techniques for achieving professional-looking decals on scale models.
Decal setting solutions are special hobby liquids that help decals stick smoothly to scale models and blend into the surface, so they look painted on instead of like stickers. They improve adhesion, reduce bubbles and “silvering,” and help decals conform to panel lines, rivets, curves, and other surface details.
There are two main types:
Setting solutions (such as AMMO Ultra Decal-Set) are applied before or during decal placement. They improve adhesion, reduce surface tension, and help the decal settle smoothly.
Softening solutions (such as AMMO Ultra Decal-Fix) are applied after the decal is positioned. They soften the decal film, so it conforms tightly to textured or curved surfaces.
A typical process is:
Apply a setting solution to a gloss-coated surface
Position the decal
Remove excess water
Apply a softening solution over the decal
Let it dry untouched
Softening solutions may temporarily wrinkle the decal, which is normal—the decal smooths out as it dries.
These products help prevent common decal issues like wrinkles, raised edges, poor adhesion, and silvering, giving models a more realistic finish. For best results, use decals over a gloss coat, handle softened decals carefully, and seal everything with a final clear coat.
Master Box is widely celebrated in the scale modeling world for its ability to bring stories to life through dynamic, narrative-driven figure kits. In this AFV Hobby Hub feature, the focus is on ten standout 1/35 scale kits that every modeler should consider adding to their collection—whether for enhancing vehicles, building dioramas, or simply exploring creative storytelling.
The list highlights a mix of historical and modern subjects. Contemporary modelers will appreciate unique offerings like the Buggy Mongoose Ukrainian Evacuation Version and Ukrainian Infantry – Kursk Region, which reflect present-day conflicts and add a fresh perspective to modeling projects. Meanwhile, Vietnam War sets such as Shootout! and Dog Patrol deliver high-energy combat scenes filled with movement and personality.
World War II enthusiasts are well represented, with kits like Hot Summer 1941 – German Infantry, Soviet Infantry in Action, and “Let’s Stop Them Here!” – German Military Men, 1945 capturing key Eastern Front moments. Other entries, including Italian Military Men WWII and the British Commandos at Dieppe 1942, provide diversity and lesser-modeled subjects that expand historical coverage.
One standout addition is the Watchtower set, which goes beyond figures to include a full structure—ideal for building atmospheric occupation or rear-area dioramas.
Overall, the article emphasizes why Master Box stands out: their kits combine realistic poses, diverse subjects, and strong storytelling potential. These qualities allow modelers to build immersive scenes, enhance armored vehicle displays, and push their creativity further.
Final takeaway: Master Box kits aren’t just accessories—they’re storytelling tools. With the right set, a simple model can become a vivid moment in history.
Silvering is the decal equivalent of heartbreak: everything looked perfect… until that frosty, cloudy haze appeared underneath. The good news is that silvering is fixable in most cases, and you don’t have to strip or replace the decal.
Here’s a clear, step by step guide to fixing silvering, plus multiple methods depending on how stubborn the problem is.
Sprue Goo is a highly effective, budget-friendly modeling solution popular among AFV hobbyists for bonding and filling plastic parts. Made by dissolving leftover plastic sprue in liquid cement, it creates a thick, workable substance that chemically melts into the model surface, resulting in seamless joins and durable repairs. Unlike traditional putties or fillers, Sprue Goo uses the same material as the kit itself, ensuring perfect compatibility and a uniform finish when sanded or shaped.
This versatile mixture can be tailored to different consistencies depending on the task—ranging from a thin adhesive for reinforcing joints to a thicker paste for filling gaps, sink marks, or recreating cast textures and weld beads. Because it bonds at a molecular level with styrene plastic, it eliminates issues like cracking or separation over time.
AFV Hobby Hub recommends Sprue Goo as an essential addition to any modeler’s toolkit, particularly for those seeking professional-quality results using simple, reusable materials. With proper preparation and storage, a single batch can last through multiple projects, making it both practical and economical.
