Here's something that I believe ALL modelers will respond to.
When you are planning that "Prize Winner" or just building to satisfy yourselves and seeing how far you can go to get that "Realistic" appearance to moveable panels. These can be on any Model of any type you build or think of.
Why do we do this? Well, I think it's to see how far our skills have advanced and for a sense of satisfaction as well. Think about this, You've built a real thought out and detailed model. And one of the things that makes it stand out is the Real " Scale" look to open panel edges!
Whether they be on Aircraft, Ships and Boats, Cars, Armor or even Sci-Fi and Figures it makes the model stand out, And our patience too. I was looking at a figure in a gallery and just said "WOW" the builder had gotten the Coat edges so thin it looked more like Tissue rather than Resin! Now that's realism!
I never thought much about it until I served in the Navy then in the Merchant Marine. Rails and Lifelines weren't thick except fancier Liferails on Liners and Cruise Ships! Why! The only reason they are there is to keep crew from going overboard. Don't have to be fancy, Just functional! On a liner they have to add to the Idea of Safety as well as Form.
The first time I thinned the wonderful "Walls" that served as rails on a Revell ship, I remember thinking how much better it looked! Then using Clear, Slightly dulled sheet with engraved lines on it, Filled with paint as thin as ink. Yeah! You could still see through it!
Now, I wouldn't think of doing a Ship without P.E.. Car doors look great with an overlay of Soda Can aluminum showing on the Door ,Hood, and Trunk edges. ( Think Edges on aircraft panels and Tank openings too.) Now you can be a little thicker on Armor. But not Box stock thick unless it's a small panel in the heavily armored area of say a "Brumbar"
Now you want to remember "Softskins didn't have much until the later years like just Before and during the Middle Eastern Conflicts. You know. I can't name them all, My interest waned in the names after Fallujah!
Models can be a way of expressing yourself or your "Artistic" leaning. Never give up on that. Ever! I was thinking once about how neat it would be to build a "MOBE -Master" This is a truck( or was) that was specially built for taking Mobile Homes from the factory to dealer then from Dealer to site. I chose A.M.T.s Ford LN 5000 linehauler. I shortened the chassis. Then Built that ubiquitus box on the back that carried spare tires for the Mobile Home and the set-Up Blocks and packages of Cedar Wedges!
That box is also Home to many tools from Plumbing and Electrical to hitting with hard heavy hammers and everything in between. I even carried a chain saw in my real Chevrolet truck built that way. Now for those tool box doors. I made them of .020 plastic sheet, overlaid with.010 outer sheathing. Why! I wanted to include scale locks and latches( All Plastic mind you) and I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. First time I ever won a ribbon in my life for a 1/25 scale vehicle. Yes, the bundles of cedar wedges and 4x4 beams were real wood too!
Now, Prizes aside, The satisfaction of pulling off that level of realism tickled the c$^& out of me! Then I did it occassionally on other things. Not on a regular basis. Why? I didn't want to get so into that kind of detail as a hobbyist that it was more a chore than a pleasure. I will say when I did the same on commissions I loved the looks on Legal and other Commercial as well as Private clients when their jaws just dropped and no words were said. What a Rush their expressions were!
Do you know why some folks don't even try to build models or even Dollhouses? They think we are some kind of magicians! Tis true! They don't actually see it as a Hobby Craft but as a rare art form. So eat it up every time you open the glue. Another Jaw dropping job, EVEN, just out of the Box!