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Check a Dry Fit

Do these prepared parts meet cleanly before glue?

What you’re testing

Set up the comparison

Bring two prepared parts together without adhesive. Look for a gap and check whether their edges line up.

Beforewhere is the gap?
Check againdid alignment change?
Check the gap and edges before and after one setup change. No glue is shown.

What you need

  • Two prepared parts with known mating edges
  • A square and pencil
  • Adult-set light clamp if useful

What to do

  1. Place the parts together without glue. Point to the mating edges.
  2. Look for a gap and compare the top-edge alignment.
  3. With an adult, change one setup detail or light clamp position.
  4. Check again. Record whether the gap or alignment changed.

What should you look for?

Does a gentle adult-set clamp change the gap or shift the pieces?

How could this help your build?

You can find a fit problem while it is still easy to adjust the setup.