Starting Up Tips?

Can anyone post a guide to what you'd need to start modelling, IE Paint types, models, tools, books, etc. if possible? And a guide of "How to?"
Thanks,

Tomba

 

Pick out what you want to build.Buy the appropriate paint colors.
An X-acto knife is a must along with two or three different size brushes.
Don't forget the glue.As far as reference material,there is no shortage.A good hobby shop will have plenty of books.There are numerous on-line sources as well.

 

To start, all your really need is a Stanley knife (or similar), and glue. If you want to paint the model, choose between enamels or acrylic paints (acrylic paints are easier to use, and you can clean your brush in water, but enamels have a better range of colours). Oh, and yes, get 3 brush sizes, one fairly fine, one (relatively) large, about a 1 or a 2, and an in-between one!

Oh, and have fun, don't cut your hand / the table / somebody else's hand, and share pictures of your models with us!

 

Just a small comment on the paint. Acrylics are great if you're going to use an airbrush, but I would strongly recommend enamels otherwise as most acrylics doesn't work too well with brushes.

 

I suggest getting some masking or clear tape as well. Also a piece of wood or cardboard about 16 inches by 16 inches as a work platform.

Figure out what you want to try first (tank, plane, or ship) and get a kit that's not very complicated. Many kits have skill levels to go by.

 

there are so many thing to get and you will need, but first the simple ones
brushes? no way :roll:
i'm sticking with the airbrush, is very neat!!!! :smok:
but is ok for a begginer, choose the correct gule, filers,sand paper ( from 80 to 400 )
ah!!! a GOOD SOURCE OF LIGHT!!!!! a must for everybody , also a good place to be your special place,
books, references and drawings of the models you like

 

Ty for the tips!

Tomba

 

I find that having several fine files are very useful.

 

Things I've found useful are Matt varnish, when you've finished painting and applied decals a light spray of matt varnish hides the edges of the decals and means that you can dust your models quite simply by holding them under a running cold water tap. (Ask Ricky what happens if you try that with an unvarnished model! )

I'd agree with the selection of files, you don't have to spend a huge amount on these and fairly reasonable sets are available from most DIY stores.

Sticking plasters are a must, like most of us you will cut yourself and blood plays havoc with even the best painted camo scheme!

Otherwise a good tip is to be patient, most of us have tales of ballsing up perfectly good models by rushing a stage before the paint or glue from a previous stage is dry, some have tales of tempers getting the better of them and attacking models in a rage (Worryingly the models don't always come off worse! :lol: ).

One last one from me, alcohol and models are not a good mix. What may seem like a good idea when under-the-influence may not seem like such a good idea shortly afterwards (I once cremated a lead figure, I'd bought it second-hand, submerged it in paint stripper and, disappointed with the lack of results from 24 hours in paint stripper decided in my drunken wisdom to try using a lighter on it... It quickly became a molten puddle! ).

 

Ricky, what happens to an unvarnished model under the running tap?

Seriously though, what is this "dusting" technique, that involves a varnished model & a running tap; I've never heard of such a thing. If it was April 1st I would think that you were pulling my leg.

 

Excellent! Ty very much. Might have a look at some model kits soon. Now, who wants to give me the money to buy it? :lol:

Tomba

 

get a job!!!! :-?
and get a life!!!! :roll:

 

on the glue subjetc:
IMO liquid glue, extra thin by tamiya is the best!!!!!
but you can also get the testor brand and the tenax-7r

 

Well anyone whose well meaning parents have dusted their models for you will tell you what a nightmare it is (i.e. coming home from school and finding the bridge of the Tirpitz is now on upside down!), a long winded solution is dusting with a soft brush, but if you have more than a few models this is very time consuming. If you want it done quickly, varnish, submerge in water or hold under a running cold tap and the dust will be gone.

Fail to varnish, and so will your decals!

(Do I really have to state the hopefully obvious and say make sure the varnish is dry first?!? :-? )

Gloss varnish generally looks awful, unless you are deliberately after a shiny effect, and either mask off any areas of clear plastic (Such as canopies) or varnish before these have been glued in place.

Your other alternative is to try to persuade your better half/parents that the dust is infact ultra-realistic weathering (Unlikely to work), or just accept that your carefully assembled models will be slowly reduced to their component parts again after a couple of years of heavy handed dusting, but console yourself with the "Fun" you can have reassembling them - just think of them as a bit like a jigsaw puzzle! :lol:

 

Hehehe Me262, I have both. It was worth a try though, ROFL!

Tomba

 

Toast'

Now I'm even more confused. If you varnish the dusty model, let the varnish dry, and wash it under tap, all the dust will be trapped under varnish & will not come off. Hadn't thought of the watery effect on un-varnished decals though :lol:

Also with the gloss, matt, matt varnishe procedure, I am still bewildewred; why use gloss at all, why not just one coat of matt?

 

Ah, now I see the source of the confusion! :lol:

No David, the idea is you paint the model, apply decals then either mask off the clear areas or before you attach them and BEFORE ANY DUST HAS SETTLED spray the model with matt varnish. Then when the model gets dusty you can simply hold it under water and the dust will wash away and your decals and model will be safe.

You DO NOT varnish the dust onto the model!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

I decided once to clean the dust off some of my models, and filled a basin with hot soapy water. I cleaned off all the dust... and all of the transfers.

I also once decided to re-paint the nose air intake of my F-86 Sabre, as I had originally done it by hand, but had since discovered the marvels of masking tape. So, I masked off the nose, painted it and waited for it to dry. I then pulled off the masking tape and noticed that the nose art decal had stuck to it.

Oh, with transfers, I find that painting your model in gloss varnish first will (usually) eliminate the 'silvering' effect you sometimes get. Then, of course, you paint the whole lot in matt varnish. If you only apply varnish to certain areas, the varnished bits will be a different shade to the unvarnished bits. Trust me on this...

 

Will the matt varnish on it's own, not get rid of the silvering effect?

 

oh no.
Again, trust me on that.

Silvering happens when a transfer settles on a matt (or uneven) surface, and what you basically see is the 'glue' dried on the decal, instead of bonding decal to surface. A gloss surface is nice & smooth.
If you paint varnish over the decal, it tends to highlight the silvering. Again, trust me...

Or you could buy the various brews & potions that 'settle' a transfer onto the model. They seem to work very well, making the decal match exactly to contours of the surface underneith.