campbec/fledermaus - thanks for the compliments about my site. I appreciate it.

The first thing I do is pull out the plans and instructions and read everything. Then I mentally start assembling the model using only the plans/instructions. Usually some things don't make sense so I study those things a bit more.

I sand all the sheets in the kit before removing any parts just because I like my work to look finished even if it's never seen again.

Then I remove all the parts from the sheets and put them back in the box. They fit that way.

I have a 5-gallon bucket (you can get them from restaurants for free) that I put all the leftover wood in just in case I need some scrap during the project or forgot to remove a part. Don't throw anything away until the plane is finished.

A lot of times there are large sections of the leftover sheet that can be saved so I'll strip those off with a razor knife and add it to my stock. No sense in tossing out perfectly good wood.

Basically my best suggestion to you is to take your time and enjoy the project. Don't worry about how long it takes. It's not a race and you should try to enjoy building for its own sake. Every part is there for a reason and it's worth taking the time to make sure it's right rather than trying to rush to the next thing.