Advice for complete novice

[Davemate71]

Hi everyone,

Just a bit of advice, really. I am completely new to everything related to models but have decided to give it a go as I really need another hobby. Sneezing pandas really does not appeal to me much. I recently bought an Airfix starter kit and panicked a little when I opened the box. I decided to do some more research and have been watching the excellent video content from ISM.

I basically would like to know how much above and beyond the starter kit I should go in order to get a real idea of completing a build. 2 brushes, paints and a tube of glue does not seem to be really much to get the juices going. Is there anything else I could get or is the starter kit sufficient.

Probably sounds like I am rambling but I have just finished night shifts.

Any help would be gratefully received as I really have no idea where to start.

Thanks

Dave

[Paul]

Ditch the tube of glue and get one either like mr hobby cement or revell in the blue bottle with the metal nozzle, myself i find glues with a small brush like the mr hobby better, but each to their own

You may be better getting slightly better quality brushes,i know humbrol do some ok sets now, it all depends which brushes you got with the kit

Filler will be needed the likes of deluxe materials perfect plastic putty or vallejo putty will do the job fine

Some sanders will be needed to sand any joins, where you have removed parts from the sprue and remove any filler, our Ultimate ones are ideal for this and you can buy a starter pack either direct from ourselves at http://www.umpretail.com or the like sod emodels etc.

A good craft knife will prove useful as too would some side cutters for removing parts from the sprue.

Lastly a decal softener and setting solution would be good, the likes of micro sol and micro set are perfect for the job

[Omi]

That just about covers it,
I would add peace and quiet, and more shifts at work when you get totally addicted and start building up the stash (kits).
Have fun.

[Davemate71]

Thank you very much for the advice. Most of the kit you have described is not foreign to me, thanks to your excellent video seriesthat I am pploughing through at the moment. Not entirely sure about the more work shifts but I know what you mean. Sounds like it is better to get a very good result from the get go.

I shall do some shopping and hopefully get some results soon and let you see the fruits (rotten or fresh) of my labour.

Edit: Shopping done, so now just wait for the goodies to turn up.

[Paul]

Thank you very much for the advice. Most of the kit you have described is not foreign to me, thanks to your excellent video seriesthat I am pploughing through at the moment. Not entirely sure about the more work shifts but I know what you mean. Sounds like it is better to get a very good result from the get go.

I shall do some shopping and hopefully get some results soon and let you see the fruits (rotten or fresh) of my labour.

Edit: Shopping done, so now just wait for the goodies to turn up.

Nice one dave

[Scalemodelmedic]

Get a good knife, a pair of half decent wire cutters and a few nice sanding sticks or files - the improvement on your model will be much bigger than the sum of those parts!

Good prep goes a long way!

[ModelStudent]

Hi everyone,

Just a bit of advice, really. I am completely new to everything related to models but have decided to give it a go as I really need another hobby. Sneezing pandas really does not appeal to me much. I recently bought an Airfix starter kit and panicked a little when I opened the box. I decided to do some more research and have been watching the excellent video content from ISM.

I basically would like to know how much above and beyond the starter kit I should go in order to get a real idea of completing a build. 2 brushes, paints and a tube of glue does not seem to be really much to get the juices going. Is there anything else I could get or is the starter kit sufficient.

Probably sounds like I am rambling but I have just finished night shifts.

Any help would be gratefully received as I really have no idea where to start.

Thanks

Dave

I will relay what I was told. First buy a kit that's not too complicated and cheap, so if you screw it up, you won't have spent that much money or time on it. The first one I bought was Revell's BF109-G10 1:48 scale for about $12 on amazon.

Second thing was to buy tools when you need them. I started out with a file that my wife used for her nails, a pair of scissors I used for coupons, and my Swiss Army Knife. Moreover, I bought a few cheap brushes online of varied sizes, and brands.

Thirdly, the glue. This is something that most novices and professionals don't talk about very often and when they do they just express it as an afterthought: glues have dangerous chemicals and aromas. People said the Tamiya Extra Thin Cement bonded really well, so I bought it. Using it sure it bonded things well together, but the health effects are not worth the purchase. I ditched the stuff and almost ditched the hobby, but found the Testors non-toxic cement worked a lot better. The dry cough and night after hangover feeling from the Tamiya glue was forgotten as the Testors stuff smells just like oranges.

The best advice I can give that no one gave me is to enjoy building them and not think you have to make your models look like the professionals. There is a definite uniformity to how some of the pros do theirs. Nothing is creative or fun about being predictable, so try something new and don't be afraid to break tradition.

[Davemate71]

So for a measly £25.00 plus ten quid for the build (although I might try something easier, not sure) I have the makings of the hobby. I guess it is a little to lose should I really not like it, but I feel the amount of satisfaction when completed is worth the effort.

I shall keep you guys informed of the successes and, no doubt, failures on my first project. I think the Hawk might not be the best start. Who knows?

Dave

[ModelStudent]

So for a measly £25.00 plus ten quid for the build (although I might try something easier, not sure) I have the makings of the hobby. I guess it is a little to lose should I really not like it, but I feel the amount of satisfaction when completed is worth the effort.

I shall keep you guys informed of the successes and, no doubt, failures on my first project. I think the Hawk might not be the best start. Who knows?

Dave

Either way, try to have fun and be proud of your work. Anyway, learning is both highly satisfying and feels laborious, but in the end it's nice to look at the parts that look like a pile of plastic and put together into a finished project. One thing that should be said about scale modeling is it does develop better hand eye coordination and also on a bigger degree, patience. Patience with the model and yourself.

[Davemate71]

And even at the age of 42, patience is something I need at the moment. I will seize the moment...........

[Paips]

Dive in with both feet Dave and don't hesitate to ask here, as I have found its a positive place and youll get all the help and encouragement you need. Good Luck