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!

A B C D | E F G H | I J K L | M N O P | Q R S T | U V W X Y Z

U

Undercoat
A first coat of paint applied before applying the finishing colour, or topcoat. The undercoat is usually coarser than the topcoat, to give good adhesion to the substrate below and the paint being applied over the top. It also brings a model back to a single colour, which can be useful if parts have been moulded separately and are slightly different in colour.

V

Vac Formed
See Choosing a kit to suit your modelling ability.

Varnish
A product that seals paint or other substrates for protection, giving either a matt, satin or gloss finish.

Ventilation
Adequate air movement, needed particularly when using solvent-based products and aerosols in confined areas. As well as having suitable ventilation you should take regular breaks to avoid over-exposure to solvent fumes.

Vinyl
See Choosing a kit to suit your modelling ability.

Viscosity
An expression of how thick or free-flowing a paint is. Higher viscosity means thicker, lower viscosity means more free-flowing. More viscous paints will generally cover better as they don't spread as far.

W

Wake
The ripple that a vessel creates as it moves through water.

Wash
See Colour Wash.

Waterline
A line reached by the water along the hull of a boat; the shape of the waterline and the handling characteristics of the boat change as the load changes.

Weathering
The process of simulating wear and tear on a model. Pastel chalks and colour washes are favourite mediums.

Wet and Dry
A common type of abrasive paper - generally black in colour - that comes in a range of grades from coarse down to very fine for precision sanding. Used wet it can be very effective.

Wet Blending
Where two different coloured paints are blended together with a wet brush in order to create a seemless gradient.

Wheelbase
The distance between a plane that intersects the radius of the front wheels and that of the rear wheels.

Whirler
A horizontal wheel or turntable used to rotate workpieces.

White Metal
Used to describe low melting point metal. It is used to describe any metal except copper and gold. See Choosing a kit to suit your modelling ability.

White Spirit
A commonly used solvent in enamel paints.

Wing Area
The total surface area of an aircraft wing.

Wing Chord
The distance from the front of a wing to the rear.

Wing Tip
The very outer end of a wing.

Wing Span
The length of a wing as measured from wing tip to wing tip.

X

X
In aeronautics, X is the designation given to an experimental aircraft of the US government. For example, the rocketplane that first broke the sound barrier was the X-1. It is also a prefix to experimental types of US military aircraft, for instance, the XB-70.

XXX
An identifier for sexually explicit material. Some model manufacturers cater to adult interests and packaging should indicate x-rated content.

Y

Yellowing
Most commonly associated with white and solvent-based paint, this inherent effect occurs with age and is due to the presence of alkyd resins, a key component. The paint film goes yellow over time, caused by a chemical reaction within the alkyd. UV light from sun rays will slow the reaction down, but not stop it. Using a varnish can reduce this problem but not necessarily prevent it completely.

Z

Zimmerit
Zimmerit was an anti-magnetic mine coating produced for German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was created by the German company Chemische Werke Zimmer AG.

Zinc
A hard white metal with a bluish tinge. Zinc base alloys are used extensively for diecasting.

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