Hey thanks everybody
Without demystifying the entire process too much, it really just comes down to good magnification and some digital calipers. I bought a pair of $3 reading glasses from a local discount store which have a 3.5x magnification. It took a little while to get used to them, then I found another pair which were even better at 4.5x. My everyday eyesight is kind of rubbish, but this was like having bionic vision. The boost it gave to my work was very satisfying. Last year I discovered an ebay seller who had ones with 6x magnification... I think I'm addicted!
Here's some more progress on the wings. I went over the upper wing again and polished down some of the more prominent ribs to try and get them looking more uniform. Still putting off that radiator, but I cant ignore it forever.
The lower wings got the same treatment too.
Getting there. Lots of subtle cleanup needed yet. Particularly on the fuselage
