A Starter Into Modeling - My Models

Building models can be a great father son bonding experience. My first ever model was built with my dad and we built one each. It was a great way to spend an afternoon together and a great way to keep your kids away from all those electronic devices (which I never had as a kid). Even though my first ever model was a very basic one I still have it to this day. It is good to start basic and have someone there to assist you when you need it. I started with a basic plane which is one of my smallest models and it got me into the hobby. I have excelled from there getting better and better with each model. I have built everything from planes, motorbikes, cars, boats and helicopters, some bigger then others and some more expensive. There are plenty of models to choose from and one for every person, wether you like cars, motorbikes or military vehicles you will find the one for you. I just like building any model and have no specific type. I have built lots of cars and some of them are classic cars, from TV shows or just good looking cars. I have cars from TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard and Smokey and the Bandit, and vehicles from movies Batman and Star Wars. These are some that take longer to build as I like to get them looking like they did in the shows.     This Ford F250 is a great example of a simple car and some small paint work. The front Ford logo required a steady hand, small paintbrush and a good magnifier. It was one of the hardest parts to paint but as you can see I got it looking almost perfect.      One of my biggest models was not the hardest or my favorite, but it was still fun to build. The most expensive models I have built would be about $1000 and is one of my best yet. It is an Aston Martin DB5 from James Bonds Goldfinger, it's one of those models that you get week by week from the newsagent. It was great to build something that i've only seen in movies and has plenty of gadgets attached. Just to name a few of the models I have built are a Fort F150 ute, Toyota Supra 1992, Batmobile, HMS Titanic, Millennium Falcon (from Star Wars), F18 hornet, Harley Davidson, just to name a few.                      I don't think I will ever stop building models until I run out of room.

A Starter Into Modeling - My Tools.

My preferred tools that I keep in my tool box are a pair of long and short straight tweezers, a short and long angled tweezers, a reverse tweezers for holding decals, and a flat head pair for moving decals into place.

 
I have 5 different paint brushes all of different sizes, if you want to do small detail you will need a very small brush. The better the quality of the brushes means less bristles left on your work. They may cost more but it means a better quality finish on your model and longer lasting brushes. I also have a 35mm wide paint brush to brush down your work station when your done, this ensures a clean workstation and less likely to get splinters if you just wipe it down with your hand.

 
Any hobby shop should have some contact cement (plastic cement), any brand is good and a clear part cement is a good option to get clear windows. Normal plastic glue can make the clear parts become opaque. Clear parts cement will last 2-5 times longer then normal contact cement as it's used less on most models or not at all on some.

 
A quality sharp knife is good to have (adult supervision is advised) and a basic Stanley knife is a must. I have a different knife for separate applications, one for cutting and trimming parts and one for trimming decals (keeps it sharper for longer).

 
A file is a handy tool to have if you want your pieces to be the exact shape. I have just a few so I can select the right one for the job. I got a set of 6 which wasn't that expensive but has come in handy a few times.

 
The tool that some people overlook is a ruler, they are handy when cutting decals of the sheet. They are also handy when you get more advanced to measure how long to cut the piece. If you decide to make a scale model without any instructions a scale ruler can become handy, helping to keep the scale the same throughout your model.

 
Quick clamps that can be used with one hand can be useful for holding parts together while the glue dries. I have found them handy when letting the glue dry properly, I can set the pieces aside and move on to something knowing that the pieces are held together. It ensures the glue dries properly and doesn't make you rush your model, it also allows you to do something while you wait for the glue to dry.

 
Some good quality mini side cutters are a must, it makes it easier to get the pieces off the sheets but won't break the bank. As you can see I have 2 different cutters that allow me to do a precise cut and trim of the pieces. I also have a set of mini pliers but these arn't necessary, just something I have acquired from building some more advanced models (DDR Fokker Red Baron, Aston Martin DB5 from Goldeneye).

 
Some old technology can still be useful today, like using a mini finger drill to drill small holes in some parts or remove paint from small holes. I find that most cordless drill are either to fast/powerful or just to big for the job. These small hand drills are perfect for plastic or soft wood (balsa wood).

 
I have found over time that trying to hold a magnifying glass, a part and paint it at the same time can be very hard for even the best of modelers. I have tried a magnifying glass with a stand, which can be good but once I found one that I put around my head it was a lot easier. You can then hold the piece and paint brush wherever you find comfortable and always have it magnified. Mine also have a light in each side so I can shine some extra light on the piece if I cast a shadow on it.

 
If you don't want to ruin your work surface or dull your knife quickly you might like to get a cutting mat. I use an A3 cutting mat but an A4 one will suffice if you already have one. They come in handy when cutting your decals so you don't destroy your work surface or blunt your knife to quickly.

 
I found these types of containers work best for your paints as they keep them upright and sorted when you need them. It also helps you know what colours your don't have for the model you are working on and need to get. Don't go out and get every colour available as you would need to win the loto to afford it. I have collected this amount of colours over many years and models. (Yes, you counted right I have 72 different colours, not including some spares) each carefully sorted and labeled in order.

 
I keep all my tools in a large toolbox neatly organised ready to be used at any time. I need to have my tools in the exact spot so I know exactly where they are when I need them. If I acquire any more tools I might need to get another toolbox or a larger one. I might soon have to get a toolbox on wheels as this one already weighs a ton.

 

A starter into modeling - Picking the right model/storing paints

With the basic tools you can create everything from the classic Shelby Cobra to the USS Constitution ship complete with rigging. As you progress in experience you can select more difficult models, there's a model for every experience. You can start with a snap fit that requires no glue and eventually progress to a level 3+ which have more pieces and more intricate detail. It's best to start basic with an easy model and practice makes perfect. Buying all the correct colours for every model every time can add up, but if you want it to look the best it's best to have the correct colours. The paints can last for years if stored correctly out of direct sunlight. 

Having completed over 20 models I have a large range of colours and therefor don't need to buy all the required colours for each model. Over the years of building models I have acquired a large collection of paints and tools. Some of the more used colours (ie. matt black, gloss black and silver) you can buy spares so you never run out mid model, stopping your progress mid way. 

 With most acrylic paints you will only need water to clean your brush which keeps it in better condition then using kero or any other harsh chemicals.To achieve the best lines with your paint you can get some very thin pinstriping masking tape 6mm wide, found at any good car accessories shop (Supercheap, Autobarn, Repco). The thinner the masking tape the easier it is to curve it and get a better edge to paint on. 

 The shops I would recommend would be Metro Hobbies in Station st Box Hill, Hearns Hobbies in Flinders st Melbourne and Hobbyman in McCrae st Dandenong. These shops all have experienced staff with good knowledge who are there to help you select your first model.

A starter into modeling

To produce the best most precise models you will need the best equipment and a steady hand. The most basic of all equipment needed is a hobby knife, tweezers, model glue and paint and brushes.

This is just the basic tools needed to build the perfect model, more tools and equipment are recommended to assist in perfecting your model collection. Some of the tools that I use are a set of tweezers (flat, pointy, reverse, angled and long), metal file (both rough and fine), mini side cutters, small platform holder with alligator clips, jeweler head band magnifier, paint brush (varying sizes from ultra skinny to medium), quick grip clamps (both g clamp and pincher), plus more.

I prefer to use only the best tools, but that doesn't mean that you need to spend a lot. I use the Red Sable paint brushes as I find that they give the best results. I have a range of brushes ranging from 000 to 01 depending on the size of the area to be painted. My choice of mini cable cutter is the Trojan brand which is not the most expensive, it's just a brand that I find works well. Any tweezers work, but a good angled one is very handy to have, and a reverse set for holding the decals. To ensure your pieces are smooth a metal file is a handy tool to have, you can have just one but i prefer to have a rough file and a not so rough file. A good quality hobby knife is a must to ensure a good cut of each piece (adult supervision is recommended when using a knife). I use the Trojan brand hobby knife that has replaceable blades, it's not expensive but I find it to be good quality. Any hobby glue made for plastic is ok as most will do a suitable job. I like to use the Tamiya or Aqueos Hobby brand of paints as they are usually the ones that are recommended by the models and they have the most colours.

A stand with alligator clips is a good idea to hold pieces while painting and to allow them to dry. It saves getting paint on your hands and hold the pieces steady for an accurate paint job.

With a good quality paint brush you will get a good quality paint job with less bristles coming of and sticking to your parts. With a good quality paint job your model will look its best, and be accurate to what the real thing looks like.

I have created over 20 models and have been getting better every time. It doesn't happen over night but keep persisting and you will become a great modeler.