little-cars Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 Hi, I'm looking to but together a package for new modellers so they can get everything they need to get start building plastick kits. Looking to cover basic tools, glues, fillers, decal setting and paints etc... A lot of us have returned to the hobby, so have been throught this learning curve so will have ideas. I've put together a list of items that I think are needed, but am looking for input before I finalise the package. Thanks, Paul little-cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 Glue, Craft knife, Snips, couple of sanding boards, cutting mat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 For a starter set, a good knife, flat ended tweezers, some wet'n'dry, couple of sanding sticks and some Blutack would be all you need - throw in an A5 cutting mat and you've got a good start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 Plus: Paint brushes - one small round, one medium round, one large round, one medium or large flat, and all the best they can afford. Something to open tins of paint with - I use the round end of a nail file. Actually it's my most useful tool of all; it's a lever, a stirrer, an aid to placing decals, you name it ... Needle files - one half-round, one flat, one rat-tail. If you're going into sanding sticks you might as well get these as well, for confined spaces. If it has to be one or the other, needle files offer more flexibility. Or, instead of snips, you could try nail clippers, since they come with a handy file attached. CA as well as polystyrene cement - 'cause you never know! An old toothbrush or similar - handy for sweeping away swarf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 Ditto the above but a Swann Morton Scalpel handle and blades rather than a craft knife. Also a cheap paintbrush to apply liquid cement with as apart from Tamiya glues all the rest have either no brush or a far too big one. Some pointy forceps too. And the address of their nearest IPMS, MAFVA or whatever model club. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman2 Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 And this http://www.britmodeller.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tripehound Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 All I'd add would be a metal ruler and possibly a daylight light bulb (or lamp if you have the cash) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 OK, Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have a think about the contents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm looking just for the tools to get people started in plastic modelling, not more advanced stuff like airbrushing and reisin PE handling sets, that would put the price of the kit up to much, so this is what I have at the moment. Swann morton no3 handle and pack of no10, 11 & 15 blades. Side cutters, Pointed AA tweesers, Flat ended locking tweesers, a pin vice, set of micro drills. Swiss cut files, 140mm set of five, four of five sanding sticks. A4 cutting mat, masking tape, Tamiya 10mm. Poly cement, thin/medium Super Glue, Gator Grip Glue. Squadron white & Vallejo filler. Brushes, 5/0, 3/0, 0, 2 Vallejo model air starter set, 16 colours covers the basics. A few other bits, pipettes, paint pallets, clips. Other general household bits, cotton buds, cocktail sticks, blu tack, maybe included. Basic get you started guide, book or DVD. Guide to the set and what each item is used for. Links to generic web resources & mail addresses of clubs. Pointers items like pigments and washes. Any feedback gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Not sure what the brush designations are, but I use flat brushes quite a lot: a 'medium' sized one would be good for a starter kit. I think they seem better for large areas and also dry brushing. Another inexpensive thing I use all the time when painting is a small ceramic palette, for mixing paint. I also use it for dropping superglue into when it needs to be applied with a pin. It can easily be cleaned with paint stripper when it gets really messy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thx6667 Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 I'd be mindful not to overload the set and then make it too pricey - if you're aiming this at beginners or people returning to the hobby, IMO you need just the basic tools and at the right price, makes a good impression and they can always add to their toolkit at a later date. Me personally, I'd leave out stuff like filler, glues, tape etc..and just have the basics and maybe add a few items on top - i.e: Good quality knife and blades Cutters Sanding sticks (coarse, medium, fine) Tweezers Chuck and some drills Cutting mat It all really depends on what market you are aiming for and what price point you are selling at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 Not sure what the brush designations are, but I use flat brushes quite a lot: a 'medium' sized one would be good for a starter kit. I think they seem better for large areas and also dry brushing.Another inexpensive thing I use all the time when painting is a small ceramic palette, for mixing paint. I also use it for dropping superglue into when it needs to be applied with a pin. It can easily be cleaned with paint stripper when it gets really messy. Flat brush is in then. For CA, I use a small paint pallet with ali. foil pushed into the recess, so it can be discarded easily after use. Thanks, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Flat brush is in then.For CA, I use a small paint pallet with ali. foil pushed into the recess, so it can be discarded easily after use. Thanks, Paul Good tip. I tend to make a total mess of these things with paint, Araldite, Cyano etc, and then periodically blast the whole lot with Nitromors and a scraper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 I'd be mindful not to overload the set and then make it too pricey - if you're aiming this at beginners or people returning to the hobby, IMO you need just the basic tools and at the right price, makes a good impression and they can always add to their toolkit at a later date.Me personally, I'd leave out stuff like filler, glues, tape etc..and just have the basics and maybe add a few items on top - i.e: Good quality knife and blades Cutters Sanding sticks (coarse, medium, fine) Tweezers Chuck and some drills Cutting mat It all really depends on what market you are aiming for and what price point you are selling at. I'm trying to keep things down to the basics, but it's fairly difficult. The list I gave is the pallet of tools I am using as a base. These days there are less of the traditional model shops around, so I am assuming that people have no supplier in their area to give advice or sell them glue, filler, paint etc... I'll probably loose the CA glue, but keep a poly cement and a pva or clear resin for clear and adding details. That's also the reason for supplying a starter paint set and several paint brushes. The standard Vallejo model air set has enough to get most people started, it's not cheap, but they'll end up having to buy paints anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 (edited) I'm trying to keep things down to the basics, but it's fairly difficult. The list I gave is the pallet of tools I am using as a base.These days there are less of the traditional model shops around, so I am assuming that people have no supplier in their area to give advice or sell them glue, filler, paint etc... I'll probably loose the CA glue, but keep a poly cement and a pva or clear resin for clear and adding details. That's also the reason for supplying a starter paint set and several paint brushes. The standard Vallejo model air set has enough to get most people started, it's not cheap, but they'll end up having to buy paints anyway. Is Model Air the best option for beginners without an airbrush? I find it's thin (obviously) and does dry incredibly quickly when on my aforementioned palette. Just an observation... Edited May 24, 2010 by dr_gn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 It works well for a lot of people with a brush, I've not found it to thin, if anything thicker that a lot of paints..... what do others think ??? I can change it for a model color set if people think it's easier.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Tango Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 It depends on the colour, some I've found ok but some are very thin and you some times need 2 or even 3 coats to cover well with a brush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 It works well for a lot of people with a brush, I've not found it to thin, if anything thicker that a lot of paints..... what do others think ???I can change it for a model color set if people think it's easier.. I suppose I should add that I've never actually brush painted a large area with Vallejo Air (camo patterns etc), but on small touch-up jobs it dried so quickly that I imagine getting a smooth finish without brush marks *might* be a problem. I'll leave it to others for a definitive answer. Somthing else you might consider for your starter kit is MicroSol. These days I can't imagine applying decals without it, although it does take some practice. Also, perhaps some advice on how to avoid decal silvering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 I suppose I should add that I've never actually brush painted a large area with Vallejo Air (camo patterns etc), but on small touch-up jobs it dried so quickly that I imagine getting a smooth finish without brush marks *might* be a problem. I'll leave it to others for a definitive answer.Somthing else you might consider for your starter kit is MicroSol. These days I can't imagine applying decals without it, although it does take some practice. Also, perhaps some advice on how to avoid decal silvering? Sol & set, had forgotten them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Tango Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Sol & set, had forgotten them! Or as you do Vallejo Paul, you could use their Decal Medium and Decal Fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted May 26, 2010 Author Share Posted May 26, 2010 After looking at all the options this is what I have in the modelling starter kit ; Swann Morton no3 handle swann blades 11 & 15 pack of five of each. Swann 'used' blade safe. Standard quality side cutters AA Tweesers Micro drill set, 0.3 to 1.6mm Pin vice for micro drills Swiss files 140mm pack of ten A4 sized cutting mat Tamiya 10mm masking tape Bottle of poly cement Gator grip glue Squadron white filler Good quality paint brushes, very fine 3/0, standard 0, large 2, flat 4 Vallejo model air basic paint set, enough to get you going : Micro Sol & Set (or Vallejo not sure which yet) Pipettes, paint pallets, clips. Info on tool usage, pointers to modelling DVD's, books, websites & organisations. The price looks to be about £85 plus P&P (15% off normal prices) Anything I've missed ??? Is there to much in there ??? And most importantly would the price put new modellers off ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okdoky Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Hi Folks I was asked by one of my work colleagues if I could give his son a few hints on starter kits and scales as he is looking to get into model building. As we only have a couple of small hobby shops selling limited number of model kits I recommended Airfix kits as the basic beginers kits to cut his teeth on. I know they have a few at 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 so really his choice is down to his dad and him as to what takes his fancy. I was also thinking about this topic when I was chatting to him and thought, as I have a good few duplicate tools I would make up a very basic starter set for his son. A pair of small scissors A couple of craft knives A file A pair of double ended scribes A few emery boards A sanding block Sand paper Four spring clamps Toothpics A tooth pick with a crocodile clip on the end Tweezers A hack saw blade A pencil and rubber Four paint brushes And a coffee jar for water based paints One of the paint tube squeezers so he can make corrugated tin or squeeze paint tubes I then thought about a portable work station to save their dining table from the usual fate I used a square of MDF board and closed cell packing foam (not the polystyrene type) from a flat screen TV packaging. The foam is held on with black cable ties fed through holes drilled in the MDF and simply pierced through the packing foam and drawn tight. One piece of foam had a notch just the right size that grips a 100g glass Nescafe coffee jar real tight for holding water or white spirits. The foam is easily pierced with sharp tools and holds loads of them very safely with pointy ends protected. I have a couple of work points in my shed with my tools all placed in the same kind of foam. I had an old hand held magnifying glass that had a broken handle and decided to drill a hole and feed a length of aluminium tube through it. The tube is pierced into the foam at a suitable angle and is steady as a rock. If needed to be packed away, the tube can be fed horizontally through the foam with the magnifier supported on the foam. The large low slab of foam above will easily take a 1/35 vehicle or 1/72 fighter held in place on cocktail sticks with crocodile clips added to the end to allow hand painting. The side blocks with high and low levels will allow smaller parts super glued to cocktail sticks or whole 1/35 or 1/24 figures with fuse wire drilled into the soles of their boots to be stabbed into the foam during assembly, painting or drying. The foam recovers well and holes can be re-used. Multiple cocktail sticks with crock clips can easily hold a large model in place in the same way. To give you an idea of the space available, the van is 1/32 and the figure is 1/24. What do you reckon as a starter set? Nige Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 After looking at all the options this is what I have in the modelling starter kit ;Swann Morton no3 handle swann blades 11 & 15 pack of five of each. Swann 'used' blade safe. Standard quality side cutters AA Tweesers Micro drill set, 0.3 to 1.6mm Pin vice for micro drills Swiss files 140mm pack of ten A4 sized cutting mat Tamiya 10mm masking tape Bottle of poly cement Gator grip glue Squadron white filler Good quality paint brushes, very fine 3/0, standard 0, large 2, flat 4 Vallejo model air basic paint set, enough to get you going : Micro Sol & Set (or Vallejo not sure which yet) Pipettes, paint pallets, clips. Info on tool usage, pointers to modelling DVD's, books, websites & organisations. The price looks to be about £85 plus P&P (15% off normal prices) Anything I've missed ??? Is there to much in there ??? And most importantly would the price put new modellers off ??? Paul, Regarding your starter toolkit - the price of £85 is way too high in my opinion. I understand where the price comes from (and that I suggested some of the things!) , but I'd imagine if someone's just bought their first kit for say £5, then another £85 on tools would be too much. Also, if they'd successfully built a couple of models previously, then it stands to reason that they would already have a few tools and some paint. FWIW I'd be thinking of maybe a "starter" and "advanced" toolkit, with the "starter" having the bare minimum of items and a price of less than £20, then give the option of the "advanced" version for an extra £65, or the two combined for the £85, or even some intermediate price points and contents. Just my opinion! Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Paul,Regarding your starter toolkit - the price of £85 is way too high in my opinion. I understand where the price comes from (and that I suggested some of the things!) , but I'd imagine if someone's just bought their first kit for say £5, then another £85 on tools would be too much. Also, if they'd successfully built a couple of models previously, then it stands to reason that they would already have a few tools and some paint. FWIW I'd be thinking of maybe a "starter" and "advanced" toolkit, with the "starter" having the bare minimum of items and a price of less than £20, then give the option of the "advanced" version for an extra £65, or the two combined for the £85, or even some intermediate price points and contents. Just my opinion! Cheers, I've been through all these thoughts. If they've just bought their first £5 kit then they I had assuned that they will have have bought one of the basic humbrol tools kits either the basic £10 one or their larger £36 one. But checking the Humbrol web site these are both 'no longer available'. This kit is aimed at returnees, not first time modellers and is be made up of products I already sell, so I can modify the kit contents depending on demand. If the basic kits are no longer availalble, then I'll cost up a more basic one as well. Thanks, Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 What about Berner clamps and masking tape? MH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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