Curbside
A curbside kit is usually an automotive kit that does not include complete engine detail. Basically a simplified kit since the manufacture did not want to add the detail since they thought the builder wouldn't want it or they wanted to save on production costs.

Diorama
A small scene made up with several models and often to reproduce a historical moment. Mostly used by military modellers but occasionally used by other modellers as well.

Drybrushing
When modellers refer to 'drybrushing', they mean to lightly apply paint to the raised detail on a part. Drybrushing is intended to accentuate the surface details of the model. Dryrushing can be done with any colour, but is typically done with the same colour, but lightened a bit by mixing in some white or grey.

Ejector pin marks
These are small round depressions usually found on the back of plastics parts. They are caused by a pin in the injection moulding machine that is used to push the hot plastic sprues out of the mould.

Flash
Thin pieces of plastic protruding from a mould line of poor fitting moulds when the plastic was injected into the mould

Multimedia Kit
A kit that contains parts made of various materials not commonly associated with an injection plastic kit. For example, a multimedia kit might contain die-cast metal, resin and photo etched parts. This is because each material is better suited for a specific part.

Out of Production (OOP)
A kit that is out of production and can be very difficult to find. Maybe only through a kit collector.

Out of the box (OOTB)
A kit that was built with no aftermarket accessories added to it.

Photo etched parts (PE)
These are parts that are chemically etched into a thin piece of brass or stainless steel. Mostly used by the more skilled models to add extra fine detail to a model or to correct inaccurate details provide in the kit.

Eduard is a manufacturer of photo etched sets and they have a "How To" page that is very helpful.

Plastic Kit
These kits are usually 100% styrene plastic. There may be the odd metal, vinyl or rubber part, but are still consider plastic kits.

Re-issued Kit
A kit that was out of production but the manufacturer decided to produce more. Most of the larger plastic model companies will usually re-issue kits sooner or later. Except in cases where there have been licensing disagreements or it was a 'Limited Release'.

Rivet Counter
A modeller that is obsessed with their model being exactly like the 1:1 subject. Problem is, when you scale down something compromises have to be made and some people think otherwise.

Scale
This is the ratio of the model as compared with the life size object. If a model is 1/25 scale, every inch on the model represents 25 inches on the real object. The scale used for a model depends on the subject being modelled.

Scratch build
To make parts needed from raw materials.

Sprues
The 'trees' that hold the kit parts.

Wash
When modellers refer to applying a 'wash', they mean applying a heavily thinned paint. Usually around ten parts thinner and one part paint (10:1). The wash is intended make the paint collect in recesses in the parts and help highlight details.

 

Contact Coaster http://home.interlog.com/~khartlen +/glossary/glossary.htm Last revised on: August 27, 2003 Copyright © 1998-2003, Kenneth W. Hartlen. All rights reserved.

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