To begin building any structure, first review the directions, any diagrams, and the parts of the kit. Visualize how the pieces will go together and how you wish to paint them. Consider ways you might individualize your building. All major pieces must be prepared before gluing and painting. Determine how sides will be glued together.
Most structures butt an edge of one piece to the back of an adjoining wall.
Since edges are usually slightly beveled to facilitate removal from the manufacturing molds, they must be sanded square. The back sides of the walls should also be sanded on a flat surface to clean up window openings and assure a good fit, without gaps at the corners or window panes. Casting tabs at the wall bottoms, and small pieces molded together on sprues, may be cut with small nippers or an x-acto knife. The sandpaper technique is used to smooth the wall bottoms. Very small pieces may be left on the sprues until they are painted and touched up.