Return to Modelling

[Reg Gibson]

Admins please move it not allowed

 

After 30 years absence and with more time on my hands I have decided to return to modelling.

 

Clearly things have moved on significantly in many aspects. Things like photo etched parts and water based paints weren't available and all you had was a sticky, badly rolled up tube of cement and Humbrol enamels (and a faint whiff of thinners everywhere).

It appears that there are many new tools available, many more easily affordable airbrushes etc.

 

I know I am being lazy and I am sure that, trawling through the web and excellent sites like this, I'll find the answers but can you give me a flavour of what you would consider to be the best development in the last couple of decades that have helped you and I should get ordering?

 

My eyesight is clearly worse and I've some strong reading glasses that will help, but what about lighting?

I've tried to find the best place to post this request for help but I think I would have to post it several times in several sections of the site.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

PS the first model I am attempting is the Tamiya 1/24th Lancaster A nice, large scale.

 

 

[Sparkie]

Hi Reg

 

I had the same problems as you when i started again about 2 years ago.

 

 30 years ago (well more like 35 but who's counting)  reference material and advice was hard to come by, but now there is the exact opposite and trying to wade through this soup of advice has led me to some very odd purchases that I wonder what I was thinking , I think the difference between now and then is that Im now not saving pocket money to buy things from Beatties on a Saturday, I have the internet and a credit card 🤑

 

So, my advice is  that for every specialised product from Mig, Tamiya or AK there are similar 'quality' products that look and sound the same but generally half the price (clever putty springs to mind), and a multitude of cheap copies that may or may not work either. So get a feel for the reviews you can trust, and the helpful advice you pick up along the way. But if you are not confident grinding down a stick of chalk to make pigments, just buy it in a jar from Mig or whoever- its your choice and your money

 

I'm nowhere near up to the level I feel I could give you advice on what to buy , but i will suggest what I find have been the most useful of my purchases that I use all the time. These seem to have numerous cheap lookalike copies around as well, especially the tweezers, but the Pixnor ones are great for the price and the tips are miles ahead of the 'cheap' ones which were actually not that much cheaper,. and i love the interchangeable lenses on the magnifier and the extras light is especially useful when crawling around on the floor looking for that part that just shot across the room

 

Fancii LED Illuminated Hands Free Head Magnifier Visor - 1X to 3.5X Zoom with 5 Detachable Lenses - Head Mounted Lighted Magnifying Glasses for Reading, Jewellery Loupe, Watch and Electronic Repair

Learn more: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AL2YAQ6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_m0ybGb65N8F3P

 

and

 

PIXNOR Precision Tweezers Set - 10 PCS ESD Tweezer Set, Anti-Static Stainless Steel Tweezers Kit Curved Tweezers for Craft, Jewelry, Electronics, Laboratory Work

Learn more: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BBFZ14W/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_FYybGb6ACBGB4

 

That's my twopennys worth for all the good it may do you 😄 

 

Mark

[Cerberus]

55 minutes ago, Reg Gibson said:

what you would consider to be the best development in the last couple of decades

 

 

 The best development of the last 20 years has been with the kits themselves rather than all the peripheral stuff that goes into model making, such as tools and paint, a lot more people are using water based paints, but also a lot of people still use enamel based paints, best advice is to just buy stuff as and when you need it for each model that you decide to buy and build, that way you will quickly build up a tool kit of useful tools that you really need, as opposed to falling into the trap of buying stuff that you end up never using.

Edited January 18, 2021 by Cerberus
missed words

[Reg Gibson]

17 minutes ago, Sparkie said:

<snip>

Fancii LED Illuminated Hands Free Head Magnifier Visor - 1X to 3.5X Zoom with 5 Detachable Lenses - Head Mounted Lighted Magnifying Glasses for Reading, Jewellery Loupe, Watch and Electronic Repair

Learn more: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AL2YAQ6/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_m0ybGb65N8F3P

 

and

 

PIXNOR Precision Tweezers Set - 10 PCS ESD Tweezer Set, Anti-Static Stainless Steel Tweezers Kit Curved Tweezers for Craft, Jewelry, Electronics, Laboratory Work

Learn more: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BBFZ14W/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_FYybGb6ACBGB4

 

That's my twopennys worth for all the good it may do you 😄 

 

Mark

 

Mark that's EXACTLY what I was looking for and the two items that I had already identified as potentially useful.

 

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a model/train/dolls house shop has opened opposite my house.

I'll be using Amazon but there is an opportunity too for me to support a local business.

 

Fab responses, thanks

[ckw]

22 minutes ago, Sparkie said:

Fancii LED Illuminated Hands Free Head Magnifier Visor - 1X to 3.5X Zoom with 5 Detachable Lenses

Yes, these are very useful but I think its only fair to point out that I am now on my 2nd pair, and once again, one of the arms has broken (patched it up with some epoxy). Lenses and usability are great, but the plastic used to make the frames seems a bit suspect.

 

I use mine pretty much daily, and each pair has lasted just over a year. At the price, I'm really fairly content to treat these as a consumable item.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Timbo88]

A model shop has opened opposite your house? How rare is it for a model shop to open anywhere these days?!

I live within very easy access of Hannants warehouse. Thankfully for my wallet they are not currently allowing visitors at the moment due to COVID.

[Mike]

1 hour ago, Reg Gibson said:

Admins please move it not allowed

  aboard Reg.  Please familiarise yourself with the layout of the forum to avoid putting threads in the wrong place, as there are only 3 Mods, and we don't have time to be moving stuff about all the time.

 

With regard to the questions, I can heartily recommend the original and best Optivisor by Donegan.  Not cheap, but glass lenses, and mine's over 10 years old now and still scratch-free.  I had to replace a lens once because I dropped the damn thing, but that's my fault.

 

You also need good task lighting and I went with the Luminos A35600, which also isn't cheap, but it's the dog's knees and the cat's danglies.  Daylight light is great for colour fidelity, and traditional yellow "warm white" bulbs don't give that.  They're truly horrible when you get used to the daylight type.

 

You'll pick up loads of tools and tips as you go on, and I think you meant 1:48 Lanc?  It's an old kit, but it's still a good one.  Whatever you do, don't get obsessed with aftermarket... it'll slow you down now end until you get paralysed by it.  Ask me how I know

[Reg Gibson]

7 minutes ago, Mike said:

<snip>

 

You'll pick up loads of tools and tips as you go on, and I think you meant 1:48 Lanc?  It's an old kit, but it's still a good one.  Whatever you do, don't get obsessed with aftermarket... it'll slow you down now end until you get paralysed by it.  Ask me how I know

 

🙄 of course! Silly me. If there was a 1/24 kit I think I'd wouldn't be worried about tools, I'd be more concerned about building an extension!

 

[TonyOD]

2 hours ago, Reg Gibson said:

My eyesight is clearly worse and I've some strong reading glasses that will help, but what about lighting?

 

 

Welcome back! I took ten years out and like yourself my eyesight has deteriorated significantly in that time (hey, I was 52 yesterday, whaddayagonnado). I wear one of those magnifying visors and soup it up with my reading glasses if need be... and I often top it off with a very powerful Petzl headtorch, the one I use for nocturnal adventures in the hills. It makes a great deal of difference.

[Reg Gibson]

Well, I've realised that my eyesight is much worse than I thought but the new glasses with the light recommended above are excellent.

 

My first attempts highlight the limit of my skills and eyesight but I've got to say I'm really enjoying this.

 

The kit available nowadays and the advice from forums like this is beyond what I imagined.

 

I'm going to set up a thread to record my progress and leave pictures etc