Several people have requested that I share some helpful info I discovered while building the Space Shuttle. I will also give a few pointers on painting. The first problem I encountered was during electrical testing. Read the steps several times until you know exactly what needs to be done because it has to be done in a timely manner. I found this video to be helpful as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX8dFdD2X30 I watched it several times. One thing I noticed in the video is that she turns the switch off after step 4…which it does not state to do so in the instructions. I am pretty sure I did do that on my final attempt. Not 100% sure…because there were a LOT of failed attempts. General tips…Sanding and waxing! I sand in between every tooth then run the sandpaper around the edges. I also just rub the paper across the top and bottom of each gear to remove any burrs that may have formed from sanding the teeth. WAX, same procedure as sanding. I also sanded and waxed the plastic gears. Pay attention to ANY red exclamation points. Make sure you look at the pictures carefully and compare them to the work you have just completed. When testing for gear movement on page 10, I moved mine back and forth many times, added a bit more wax and did it again. This is the most important thing to make it run smoothly. When it came to installing the window tint on pages 17 and 23, I glued them in place, because they kept coming on while I tried to proceed further. When adding parts to your robotic arm (page 17), be sure to support the arm from the bottom when pressing down. When building main rocket, it is very important to make sure that the ‘vertabrae’ of your shuttle (page 36) are fully seated. In general, just follow the directions and you will succeed. As for painting tips, I always do 95% of my painting while parts are still in the board. It is much easier to paint details on a flat surface than to do it “artist’s” style vertically. Look the the directions and find as many pieces as you can so that you are able to knock out quite a few in the beginning. I also found it helpful to look at the 4 sides of pictures I had downloaded from another post. Don’t worry that you are painting over details. They will still show up because they are ‘engraved’ into the wood. Mine did even after two coats of silver. For other projects, I like to use stain for SOME wooden features. If doing so, you can still paint directly over the stain when dry. If using markers, be sure to test on a scrap sample. Some (many) will bleed on raw word, but work fine over a painted area. If you have extremely small details, I have often painted with a toothpick and one time used a needle. Fine art pens are sometimes not small enough. I rarely use those as the colors never match my acrylic paints that I use. Apple Barrel acrylics in a bottle. If you’ve read this far, just know that I am wishing you the best on this and all building journeys.
This is an incredibly in depth post, with so much useful information. Thanks for sharing this @Nita_Davis ! I am positive this will be reffered too a lot in the future! I will certainly be coming back to it when i eventually get to the space shuttle one day!
Thanks @Nectarines It’s a bit long, but these are some of the things that I felt important to share. I’m sure that others may have some other tips to offer as well. Maybe @Jerry_Boswijk and @Harley ? Everyone faces different struggles along the way. I just hope these suggestions can help a few along the way.
Its not too long, and its all really valuable information not just a heap of words so long works! It gave me confidence that i could build one and i dont even have the kit here so i can imagine it will be a great confidence booster for others who are actually building them! LOL
I think you tackeld most of them. But if there are questions I’m available
I began using silicone grease rather than the wax that come with the kits; it just doesn’t work on gears.
I just finished watching this short video on sanding and waxing - giving me some other ways to go about it. Here’s the link: https://youtu.be/SQCc43TJDQ4?si=AQGJlAWZri3jifui
Good luck and happy building. @Nita_Davis , @Jerry_Boswijk , @Nectarines , @Robotime
Oh MIke ( @Harley), it worked fine on mine…and all of the others. You should know by now that I will never stop using my wax. Me and Earnest (@haunna) have come to the point of agreeing to disagree…LOL! 
I did watch the video…and it’s funny that he states to only put the wax where it calls for wax…then proceeds to just glob it on everywhere.
Thanks for the tip! I would be interested in trying both with one model and seeing what ran best. I wonder if Robotime have done those test already 
Haha @Nita_Davis have you tried to greese and not liked it?
Not grease, but Vaseline. It’s a greasy mess that I DON’T like to deal with. Wax it is…for me.
I think for sensory reasons i would probably agree with you i might still give it a try sometime though!
Thanks for the helpful tips!
@miniaturist You’re very welcome
Thanks for sharing these tips, i will read it again when i’m going to start with the space shuttle. 
Thanks @Nita_Davis for sharing. It is very useful. It looks very difficult so and tips is very helpful.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing all these details! The extra tips on sanding, waxing, and especially the painting process are super helpful. Also, really appreciate the note about the switch during electrical testing, that’s the kind of thing that can save a lot of frustration to begginers. This info is gold for anyone starting the Space Shuttle!
I also use talcum powder in stead of wax. It is easier to get in the gears and not as greasy as the wax stick.
You’re very welcome @Tricia12 . If you choose to do this one, I hope that some of these tips are of use to you.
You will master this one @Liset .
The testing was actually the most frustrating part of the build…LOL! @Wenbare I was afraid of having to just sit and wait on a part…