Sub assembly required.

Last night I focused on sub assemblies that finish off the holes on the upper hull. Then I started with the assemblies that make up the sidewalls of the ship. Some of these attach to the kit via screws while others use conventional glue. I will definately primer and base coat these parts prior to attaching them to guarantee sufficient coating/coverage. However, I'm not sure if I want to detail and weather them separately. In any case, here they are. To date I have completed over 300 parts.
It seems odd that I haven't posted some sort of step-by -step how-to. I think I was so anxious to make progress on the kit that I forgot to share how I'm going about things. Here we go:

First, I locate the parts needed and remove them from the tree using the Xuron sprue snips. Be careful no to trim off any bits the part is supposed to have.

Next, I use my X-acto knife to trim any excess sprue that might remain on the part. It's important to be careful here and not gouge the part. I sand the resulting area to make sure the surface is smooth.

I carefully brush on plastic weld anywhere it will contact the joining part. Try not to get it close to edges where it may seep out and be visible when cured. Use micro brushes to apply the glue to smaller parts. You have to work quickly before it evaporates. Join the parts and apply some pressure for 10-15 seconds allowing the styrene to bond.

There you have it. A I personally like to prep a good 10 parts at a time prior to gluing. The prep work takes more time, and once I've got the glue out I like to do as many parts as possible before closing the cap (to avoid unwanted spill accidents).