AA : Accurate Armour (Manufacturer)
AB : AirBrush
Acft : Aircraft
Acrylic/Acryl : In modelling terms, usually used in reference to paints based on acrylic resins and using water and/or alcohol as the primary reducer (thinner) as opposed to "enamels" which use an oil-based reducer.
(I say "In modelling terms" above because in the "real world" there exist such things as acrylic enamels and acrylic lacquers, which are not to be confused with the above.)
AM : Accurate Miniatures (Manufacturer)
AM : After Market
AMPS : Armor Modelling and Preservation Society
AMS : Advanced Modeller's Syndrome
ARC : Aircraft Resource Center (Aircraft Modelling site/forum)
BMF : Bare Metal Foil (Product/Manufacturer)
CA : CyanoAcrylate = Super Glue
CA : Corsair Armada (manufacturer)
Denatured Alcohol : Ethyl Alcohol (Ethanol) to which small amounts of other chemicals have been added to render it undrinkable. Sometimes used as thinner and/or a cleaning agent for acrylic model paints. In some regions, this is known as Methylated Spirits (at one time, an amount of Methyl Alcohol was used as an additive to render it undrinkable.)
DML : Dragon Models Ltd - AKA Dragon (Manufacturer)
Drybrushing : A painting technique used to emphasise or highlight moulded detail. The brush should only be carrying a minute amount of paint, hence the term "drybrush".
Quick description: Dip the tip of your brush in the required colour and wipe off almost all of it on a rag or scrap paper until a pass of your brush deposits only the slightest trace of colour. When applied to your model part, it should only deposit a trace of paint on the raised detail of your part, leaving the rest of it in the original colour.
There are many guides and descriptions of this process to be found online
DS: Dragon Styrene - A proprietary blend of styrene/vinyl used by Dragon Models Limited to mould one-piece flexible tracks for armoured vehicles.
Enamel/s : A generic term used to describe model paints which use an oil-based thinner/reducer. (Again, in the "real world" there are such things as water-based enamels eg. some household paints are referred to as such)
FS : Federal Standard - Frequently used in reference to Federal Standard 595B in regard to standardised US paint colors
Future : A clear acrylic floor coating product manufactured by S.C. Johnson, often used by modellers as a substitute for expensive "hobby brand" clear coats. For more information (and product name variations in different countries), refer to The Complete Future by Matt Swann. EDIT: As of late 2007, in the US, this product is now known as Pledge (with Future Shine).
GB : Group Build
GMM : Gold Medal Models (manufacturer)
HB : Hobby Boss (Manufacturer)
HF : HobbyFan (Manufacturer)
HLJ : Hobby Link Japan (Online Retailer)
HS : HyperScale (Modelling site/Forum)
Indy/Indies : Individually moulded track links. this includes Dragon's Magic Tracks
Injection Moulding : A moulding process in which molten plastic is forced into a hollow mould to form a part (or multiple parts).
IP : Instrument Panel
IPA : Isopropyl Alcohol. Often used as thinner for acrylic model paints. Sometimes abbreviated as "ISO" (not to be confused with International standards Organisation)
IPMS : International Plastic Modellers Society
ISW : Iron Shipwright (manufacturer)
JR : Jordi Rubio (Manufacturer)
LHS : Local Hobby Shop
Link and Length tracks : Tracks moulded in partiial runs (sections of multiple track links) with a number of individual links provided to go around drive sprockets and idlers.
Magic Tracks : A proprietary trademark of Dragon Models Limited, used to describe individually moulded track shoes for armoured vehicles.
MK : Model Kasten (Manufacturer)
ML : Missing Lynx (Armor site/forum)
MM : (Testors) Model Master (Paint)
NMF : Natural Metal Finish, also "No Metal Foil" - Painted metallic finish
NNS : Navy Newsstand or Navy News Service
OD : Olive Drab
Office : Cockpit
OHS : Online Hobby Shop
OOB : Out Of (the) Box
OOP : Out Of Production
OVM : On-Vehicle Material - Tools and equipment seen on vehicles
PacFront : Pacific Front Hobbies (OHS)
Pastels : "Soft" pastels. Artists drawing chalks which come in a mutitude of colours. These are often ground into powder and applied to a model for weathering. Not to be confused with "oil" pastels which resemble soft crayons. This type cannot be used for this purpose and has limited applications for modelling.
PE : Photo Etch
Pigments : Finely ground coloured powders which can be applied to models for weathering. These can be applied in a multitude of ways, eg. dry, to simulate dust effects, wet to simulate mud/spatters or mixed with other media for heavier mud.
PMMS : Perth Military Modelling Site (Armor Modelling site)
Postshading : A weathering technique where the main base colour is applied and then a darker color is lightly applied to the areas to be highlighted - eg around panel edges, "shadowed" areas, crevices.
Preshading : A weathering technique where areas to be highlighted (eg. panel lines, edges, crevices) are sprayed with a darker color before the main color is applied. The main color is applied in thin layers, allowing the darker underlying color to show through where the highlighting is required.
RAL : Reichsausschuss für Lieferbedingungen - (Committee of the German Reich for Terms and Conditions of Sale) German standards organisation. Often used in relation to German paint codes
RLM : Reichsluftfahrtministerium - Reich Air Ministry. Often used in relation to Luftwaffe paint codes
RM : Revell-Monogram (Manufacturer)
RoG : Revell of Germany (Manufacturer)
Rubber Band tracks : Sometimes disparaging term used to describe tracks moulded in one continuous loop of flexible material, (usually vinyl). This is also used to describe flexible tracks moulded in a single straight length of which the ends must be joined by heating/melting or by glueing.
SBS : Step by Step.
Sprue : Sometimes referred to as a "tree" or "rack", this is the framework, predominantly in injection moulded kits, to which a kit's parts are attached. The sprue is the plastic left over from the moulding process from the channels through which the molten plastic flows to the mould cavities to form the actual kit parts.
Sprue Gate : The point where a part is attached to a sprue (also the point from which molten plastic flows from the sprue channel into a mould cavity to form a part).
SMO : Squadron Mail Order (OHS)
Stretched Sprue : Sometimes you need a thin rod of plastic which may be too thin to be provided in the kit as a moulded part. eg. Antennas, wiring, piping, railings. This can often be obtained by "stretching" a piece of sprue over a heat source, eg. a small candle. More information can be found here
SWMBO : She Who Must Be Obeyed (see Rumpole of the Bailey)
TMW : Toms Modelworks (manufacturer)
USNHC : US Navy Historical Center
Vacform/Vacforming : A moulding process where a sheet of plastic is heated until soft and then drawn over a "negative" mould by means of a vacuum (or negative air pressure) from underneath the mould.
Wash : A wash is a weathering technique consisting of an application of a thinned, usually darker color, which when applied, settles into crevices and around moulded details to emphasise depth and/or shadowing around those parts.
There are a number of wash techniques which are commonly used, For example:
- An Overall wash is, as the description implies, applied to the entire model so that the wash color settles into and around moulded details and flat or open surfaces to which the wash is applied are slightly tinted in the wash color.
- A Pin (short for pinpoint) wash is where the wash color is applied in small quantities (usually using a fine-point brush) only to those areas which are to be highlighted eg. around bolt heads, hinges etc.
- A sludge wash is an acrylic/water based wash mix to which a small amount of dishwashing detergent is added (to lessen the adhesive properties of the paint mix) and is applied freely over the details to be highlighted (eg. aircraft panel lines) When dry, the excess is removed with a damp paper towel (or similar) so that only the wash in the recessed areas remains. (Note that when using this method, the surface to which the wash is applied should be gloss finished to prevent the wash mix from leaching into the base paint color)
These are just very brief descriptions of three basic wash methods. To fully explain each of the examples above would take many pages. More information can be found using the forum's search function.
WEM : White Ensign Models (manufacturer)
White Glue : Generic term for PVA woodworking glue
WIP : Work In Progress
Xacto : Brand name of a manufacturer of hobby knives and blades. Though it is a specific brand name, Xacto is often used as a general term for a hobby knife.
Updated: Tue, 27 July 2010