Advice for a Newbie Customizer

Heya, everyone. I'm a newcomer to TF customizing, as well as a total clueless case, and I was wondering if any of you had any tips, tricks, or general advice for a greenhorn like myself? I have a couple of planned jobs, nothing too major to start with (Cybertron Unicron -> Classics Bludgeon; Cybertron Sideways -> Timelines Pathfinder; a little detail work on Bandit Lockdown), but I'll gladly accept any info shared.