Editing Guide to Assembling Models (section)

== Preparing Parts ==
Due to the importance of removing Sprue, Flash, and Mould Lines, very few (if any) models should be painted while still on their sprues. 

=== Removing Sprue ===
Most plastic kit models made today (and many from yesteryear) come on flat '''Sprues'''.  Sprue is a term for any large chunks of material which are attached to the model when you first get it, but which are not intended to be a part of the model.

Plastic sprues are roughly flat plastic scaffolds, which contain many model parts suspended within them.  Sprues primarily exist due to how moulding plastic models works, but also help in shipping model kits safely to shops.  They are an old invention, and have been serving modeling communities of all stripes well for over half a century.  Metal and resin models also have sprues, though they look different.  Metal sprues are generally small, flat tabs of metal which jut off of the model, but are not always connected to each other.  Metal sprue will generally all share one or two geometric planes.  Resin sprue generally looks like a large wedge-shaped block.  It may have some words raised or embossed onto it, either the manufacturing name of the model or the name of the manufacturer.

Removing parts from the sprue they came in is a simple task, most of the time.  For plastic sprue, use a pair of generic hobby clippers to snip the connections between the bulk of the sprue and the model.  While this may seem simple, there are two complications: damaging your model's surface, and excessively detailed parts.  The first issue is created by taking your clippers, bringing the flat edge right up to the model, and clipping off the sprue right where it connects to the model.  This may create pits in the surface of your model, which you will not be able to file away (without further harming surrounding details on the model's surface).  To avoid damaging the model's surface, clip the sprue off such that a small bit of sprue remains on the model (only 1mm or less).  You should use a hobby file to carefully sand down the small bump of sprue until it is contiguous with the rest of the model's surface details.  This can also be done by whittling away the sprue with a hobby knife.

=== Removing Flash ===
While this artifact of the [[casting]] process is less common nowadays, it's still valuable to know how to clean it off your models.  '''Flash''' is the result of the material used to make a model oozing into the space between the two halves of its mould during casting.  It looks like a paper-thin membrane that juts out of the model.  Flash often merges with mould lines, since flash is modeling material breaching its way through the seam in the two mould halves.  Speaking of mould lines...

=== Removing Mould Lines ===
'''Mould Lines''' are small, thin, raised lines which run across the surface of a model.  They can be clearly identified by looking for a continuous running line which does not match up with other model details.  They occur when the two halves of the mould aren't perfectly aligned before casting.  Mold lines are to be removed via scraping with a hobby knife, sandpaper, or files.  All three are viable options, and your choice of tool come down to preference.  What your desired result should be is anything you do not want on the final model not being present, as the painting process will make mould lines very visible, ruining otherwise perfect work.

=== Cleaning ===