Sprue Gate is a publication about building plastic scale models, written for adults in the UK who are starting the hobby or coming back to it after years, and for experienced builders who want a straight answer to a practical question. It covers aircraft, armour, ships, cars, figures and science fiction kits, and it concentrates on the things that decide how a model turns out: glue, filler, primer, paint, decals and weathering.
This website is an independent editorial publication and is not operated by IPMS (UK).
What it covers
The core of the site is a set of guides that follow a kit from the box to the shelf. The beginner’s guide is the starting point, with separate pages on the first toolkit, glue, scales, filling and priming, brush painting, airbrushing, decals and weathering. A second group of pages deals with subjects, so that someone building a ship or a figure can read about the particular problems of that area.
Alongside the guides sits a section on the show circuit. The show guide profiles recurring shows around the country, and separate pages explain how model competitions work and what Scale ModelWorld at Telford is like to visit. The club finder maps local modelling clubs, and two working tools complete the picture: a paint conversion chart that lines up equivalent colours across brands, and a scale calculator that turns real sizes into model sizes and back again.
How the pages are written
Every page is written and checked by an editorial team, and the writing follows a few fixed habits. Instructions name the tool, the paint or the technique instead of hinting at it. Advice is given as advice, with the reason attached, so that a reader can judge whether it fits their own bench. Brand names appear where they are accurate and useful.
The pages avoid first-hand claims that cannot be checked. A guide may explain how a technique works or what commonly goes wrong, but it does not invent test results, statistics or quotations.
Shows, clubs and other facts
Facts about shows and clubs are the part most likely to age, so they are checked against the organisers’ own pages: the venue, the usual month, the type of organiser and what the event is known for. Where a date moves from year to year, the guide gives the usual pattern and points to the organiser for the current edition.
Images
The images on the site are AI-generated in a photographic style and carry an “AI” mark, so a reader can tell at a glance that they do not show real models, shows or people.
Corrections
Hobby facts change: kits are reissued, paint ranges are renamed, clubs move venue and shows change hall. When an error is identified, the page is corrected at the source instead of patched with a note. The organiser’s or manufacturer’s own page always takes precedence over any guide. Corrections and questions can be sent to [email protected]; the privacy notice explains how the site handles data.
The next practical step is the beginner’s guide, which leads into every other section.