Glossary
Below
is a list of words with definitions that are relevant to the modelling
and wargaming hobbies. If you think a word should be included in
the glossary, let me know what it is!
Current
number of entries: 318
A
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A
Abaft
Towards
a ships stern.
Abeam
At
right angles to a ships length.
Abrade
To
wear down or rub away by friction; erode.
Abrasive
Paper
See
Choosing
basic modelling tools.
Abrasive
Wheel
A hard abrasive wheel used for grinding, sanding,
etc.
ABS
A
plastic polymer (acrylonitrate butadiene styrene) commonly used
to make model kits.
Accelerator
A chemical agent used to speed up the drying
time for super glue.
Acetate
A
generic term referring to a sheet of transparent plastic.
Ackermann
Steering
The
basis of Ackermann's Steering is that the inner wheel turns about
a smaller radius than the outer wheel.
Acrylic
A
water-based paint that contains acrylic resin and comes in a variety
of gloss levels.
Aerosol
A
pressurised container that can deliver a solvent, propellant and
paint mix for a professional finish, or provide power to enable
airbrushing of paint.
Adhesive
See Choosing
basic modelling tools.
Aft
At,
in, toward, or close to the stern of a vessel or the rear of an
aircraft or spacecraft.
After-Market
A
product not included with a kit by the manufacturer but sold afterwards
for use with the kit, generally by another supplier. Common after-market
products include decals, photo-etched items and cast components.
AFV
Abbreviation:
Armoured Fighting Vehicle.
Air
Hose
A
length of tubing used to connect an airbrush to a can of propellant
or a compressor.
Airbrush
An
atomizer using compressed air to spray a liquid, such as paint,
onto a surface. See Choosing
paint and painting tools.
Airfoil
The
cross-section of a wing.
Align
To
arrange in a line or centre so as to be parallel.
Allowance
An
allowed difference in dimension of closely mating machine parts.
Alloy
A
metal made from a combination of other metals or non-metals to produce
certain desirable quantities.
Aluminium
Aluminium
is the basis for a number of alloys.
Angles
The
inclination of one line to another. One complete revolution equals
360°.
Anime
Japanese
word for animation. Used in English to mean animation produced in
Japan and/or the style of animation common in Japan.
Application
Means
of applying paint to certain substrates. Brush and airbrush are
the common modelmaking methods.
Apron
A
cloth, leather or plastic garment that is tied about the waist and
worn to protect clothing.
Architectural
Moulding
A
scale representation of structural or decorative items such as tubes,
beams, girders, pillars, staircases, coving, dado rails, ceiling
roses and skirting board. Commonly produced in plastic, wood or
plaster.
Armature
The
framework used to support a piece when sculpting.
Army
List
Some
wargame rules systems require players to keep a written record of
their forces.
Atomisation
A
process where paint is broken into finely divided droplets and then
applied onto a surface. This applies to the process of airbrushing,
where paint is forced through the airbrush nozzle under pressure.
ATV
Abbreviation:
All Terrain Vehicle.
Authentic
Colour
Paint
matched to original BS, FS, railway, naval and army colours.
Axis
The
line, real or imaginary, passing through the center of an object
about which it could rotate; a point of reference.
B
Ballast
Weight
used for balancing a model, particularly nautical vessels and aircraft.
Balsa
A
soft wood, very light in weight, and used in the construction of
motorised model airplanes and gliders.
Band
Saw
A
power saw. Its blade is a continuous, narrow, steel band with teeth
on one edge. The blade passes over two large pulley wheels.
Base
Many
miniature gaming rules systems require models to be mounted on a
specific base or a flat surface.
Bench
Lathe
A
small lathe mounted on a bench or table.
Black
Lining
To
paint a dark colour in the recesses of a model to create a dramatic
or comic book appearance.
Blend
To
combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable
from one another.
Blind
Hole
A
hole made in a workpiece that does not pass through it.
Blister
Pack
Card
packaging with a vac formed clear plastic bubble. Commonly used
as packaging for miniatures, tools and accessories.
Blooming
When
the colour of a dried paint film looks hazy. Blooming is caused
by moisture trapped in paint film and is often caused by ambient
conditions. Blooming is commonly seen with decorative paints, where
the surface the paint has been applied to is not fully dry, or where
exterior paint has been applied in damp conditions.
Blowhole
A
casting defect caused by trapped steam or gas.
Blueprint
Construction
plans, containing great detail about the subject.
BNIB
Abbreviation:
Brand New In Box.
Bow
The
front section of a ship or boat.
Bow
Thruster
A
small propeller mounted sideways in the bow of a vessel to aid maneuverability.
Box-scale
Model
kits made in 'fit-the-box' size. See
What
exactly is a scale model?.
Brass
Brass
is an alloy of copper and zinc, but often other elements such as
aluminium, iron, manganese, tin and lead are added.
Brush
See Choosing
paint and painting tools.
Brushstroke
The mark left by a loaded (filled) brush on
a surface. Brushstrokes can be distinguished by their direction,
thickness, texture, and quality.
BS
Standard
British
Standard colours.
Buff
To
achieve a smooth finish of high luster by polishing with a cloth
or fabric wheel to which a compound has been added.
Burr
a)
The sharp edge left on metal after cutting or punching.
b) A rotary cutting tool designed to be attached to a drill.
C
Caliper
A
measuring instrument used to measure the distance between two points
or the inside or outside dimensions of an object.
Camber
Used
to define vertical alignment of wheels.
Campaign
A
wargaming term used to describe a series of linked battles.
CE
Mark
Conformite
Europeene (French). Symbol used to indicate that a product conforms
to the relevant European health, safety and environmental quality
standards. The mark is often found on product packaging.
Cellulose
Thinners
A
blend of solvents that are very good for removing paint from certain
surfaces.
Centres
The
centre of rotation of an object.
Chine
The
line where the side and bottom of a v-bottomed boat meet.
Circle
Cutter
A
tool for cutting circles in sheet plastic. Designed like a pair
of mathematical compasses with a blade on one arm and a needle point
on the other.
Clamp
Any
of various devices used to join, grip, support, or compress parts.
Clay
Gun
An
extruding tool made from die-cast steel. Interchangeable discs provide
a simple way to make textural details such as leaves, rope, bricks
and tubes from modelling putty or polymer clay.
Clean-up
The
final, often routine tasks that complete a project.
Clippers
See
Choosing
basic modelling tools.
Close
Combat
Wargaming
term used to describe fighting at close range.
Colorant
Concentrated
colour (dyes or pigments) that can be added to paints to make specific
colours.
Colour
Matching
Adjusting
paint composition so that it conforms to an agreed standard.
Colour
Rendering
How
a particular colour looks in specific lighting conditions. Different
types of light render colour differently. For example, natural sunlight
contains more blue light, whereas artificial lights contain more
orange. Thus blues will appear more intense in daylight than artificial
light. See also metamerism.
Colour
Wash
Watering
down paint to reduce its opacity and give a 'washed' appearance.
Colour
Wheel
A circular diagram in which primary and usually
intermediate colours are arranged sequentially so that related colours
are next to each other and complementary colors are opposite.
Command
Control
A
way of controlling trains by sending electronic messages through
the rails.
Compass
See
Circle Cutter.
Component
One
part of an unassembled model kit.
Compressor
See
Choosing
paint and painting tools.
Conversion
To
change the appearance of a standard model by adding or removing
elements, manipulating components or by altering pose.
Conversion
of Units
Conversion
factors from Imperial to Metric to Imperial for length, area, volume
or mass.
Coverage
The
spreading rate of a paint or coating, usually expressed in metres
squared per litre.
Crackle
A
paint effect where a surface is covered with a network of fine cracks
similar to crazing.
Craft
Knife
See
Choosing
basic modelling tools.
Crazing
Dried
paint that has developed lines resembling crazy paving. Causes include
incomplete drying of the paint film below when recoating, where
the solvent in the topcoat re-dissolves the first coat, or by an
aggressive solvent in the topcoat attacking the first coat. If using
different types of paint in successive coats you should always do
a test area on some excess plastic or cardboard first.
Cross-section
A
view of the interior of an object as it is sliced along a plane.
Curbside
Term
used to describe an automotive kit that does not include engine
detail.
Curing
Allowing
a paint to fully dry. Curing is the chemical reaction with atmospheric
oxygen that dries solvent-based paints. It is also responsible for
skins appearing in paint cans, caused by the can not being fully
airtight when closed.
Cutting
Mat
See
Choosing
basic modelling tools.
Cyanoacrylate
More
commonly known as 'Super Glue'.
D
Daylight
Simulation Bulb
A
bulb that mimics natural light.
Dead
Centre
The
exact centre of an object.
Decal
Fixative
A
water-based solution for softening decals and securing them into
position.
Decals
Transfers
bearing markings that were applied to the original of what the model's
based on. Decals finish a model off and give it distinctive markings.
They are commonly produced in gloss or matt finishes.
Deck
The
flat surface topping a ship's hull. Also describes the 'levels'
of a ships' hull.
Die
a)
A metal block containing small conical holes through which plastic,
metal, or other ductile material is extruded or drawn.
b) A device used
for cutting out, forming, or stamping material.
Diecast
A
part formed by forcing molten metal into a die.
Diorama
A
scale model scene made up from models set in a realistic background.
Display
Case
A
display case gives the finishing touch to a model and keeps it clean
and free from dust.
Dope
A
type of lacquer used to protect, waterproof, and tighten the cloth
surfaces of airplane wings.
Draught
The
amount of water required to float a vessel.
Drill
Bits
Normally
made of hardened or high speed steel with two cutting edges on the
conical end with two helical flutes that act to move material away
from the cutting edges.
Drybrush
A
technique used to simulate wear and tear on a model. A brush that's
almost free of paint is run across an edge or raised area to give
a weathered or worn look. Drybrushing can ruin a brush quickly,
so it can be advisable to use an older brush.
Dry
Fitting
The
assembling of a model without glue to check that parts fit together.
Dry fitting can prevent time-consuming and costly mistakes later
in the build process.
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