Modeling?

[ZombieRothbard]

Are any of you guys into building models? I am thinking about taking up the hobby and am looking for advice.

[Casta Nal]

Are any of you guys into building models? I am thinking about taking up the hobby and am looking for advice.

As in Warhammer 40Kish not at all but I wish I could have mini toy robot army.

[Tagmatium]

As in actual model making?

Scale models, like Airfix?

[Charlotte Ryberg]

Are any of you guys into building models? I am thinking about taking up the hobby and am looking for advice.

Would CGI modelling count? Because I am into that area a lot.

[Reploid Productions]

What types of models? Stuff like WH40k figures or resin figures are an entirely different beast than plastic snap-together kits. Are you looking at characters? Aircraft? Miniatures? Gundam?

In any area of model building though, I recommend starting with and practicing on extremely inexpensive kits: you get out of the kit what you put into it, and it's better to hone your skills on readily available, inexpensive kits than on expensive or harder to find kits. Also, the cheaper kits tend to be less complicated, also good for a model builder who's just starting out.

[ZombieRothbard]

What types of models? Stuff like WH40k figures or resin figures are an entirely different beast than plastic snap-together kits. Are you looking at characters? Aircraft? Miniatures? Gundam?

In any area of model building though, I recommend starting with and practicing on extremely inexpensive kits: you get out of the kit what you put into it, and it's better to hone your skills on readily available, inexpensive kits than on expensive or harder to find kits. Also, the cheaper kits tend to be less complicated, also good for a model builder who's just starting out.

I used to play Warhammer 40k when I was a kid, but they are really expensive and I am no longer interested in wargames. I am really interested in the 1/72 scale figures and tanks. I can't decide though what I want to do. What I would most like to model is the napoleonic era, and the battle for Stalingrad on the Russian front.

Oh, and I am also really interested in modeling WWI aircraft.

[Reploid Productions]

So a combination of military miniatures and most likely plastic snap kits (which probably require some glue on the more advanced kits.)

Well, to start with there, you'll probably want to get a good hobby knife, modelling glue (Tamiya makes a really thin model glue that I adore- tricky to use because it's so watery, but no blobby mess; capillary action is often sufficient to get the glue into place down a seam,) and files of varying grit types from rough to fine. (Hobby shops often sell these, but honestly you can probably save several bucks just getting cheapo dime store nail files and using those, trimming them to shape as necessary.) Amusingly enough, if you're looking to weather a kit, a wood-burning tool works great for adding bullet effects and scorch marks in armor... I don't recommend trying that though until you're comfortable with the basic assembly and painting side of things though.

Painting is where you can expect to sink the bulk of your time/money. Depending on the level of detail you have the patience for, you need brushes (various tip sizes, including some really itty bitty tiny ones if you want to be really detailed about painting,) paints both bottled and in spray cans (fond of Tamiya over Testors, personally), mixing bottles, primer... and if you want to be really fancy, an airbrush kit and compressor can set you back about $100 easy.

You'll also most likely want a clean work space where you can leave small pieces out on the work surface safely for long periods of time; generally putting paint on a kit is an ongoing process of paint one color, let it dry for a bit, paint a second coat, let it dry; switch to a new color and repeat! So someplace like the dining room table... not such a good place for it.

[Mad hatters in jeans]

i remember gluing and painting 40k models, i always got aching back and hands from holding such tiny figures. I think i was mostly high from the glue-stage as well, maybe even the paint too.
good times until 40k was only affordable if you had about £100 spare every month.
I was interesting in trying out some 40k at gamesworkshops but sadly the locals were more cliquey than it was possible to bear.

[Reploid Productions]

I think i was mostly high from the glue-stage as well, maybe even the paint too.

Which reminds me... you want a well-ventilated work area! Probably should have mentioned that in my last post!

[Eslovakia]

I recommend Revell modelling kits, my personal favourite

[Mad hatters in jeans]

I think i was mostly high from the glue-stage as well, maybe even the paint too.

Which reminds me... you want a well-ventilated work area! Probably should have mentioned that in my last post!

i think the 3 or so years of exposure to glue and paint (approx 1 day per week) is what fucked me up, damn i should have known that. i was a glue addict and didn't even realise it

[Grays Harbor]

I recommend Revell modelling kits, my personal favourite

Revell makes some good kits. Not too expensive, decent molding, fairly accurate as a general rule. Just don't start with a Fiat CR42 (or any biplane for that matter. That upper wing can be tricky.). I've been building model airplanes off and on since the mid 60's, and a goodly number of them have been Revell. Other decent mid-range kits are Heller, Frog, Matchbox (out of business sadly, but most are still available on ebay and other places.) and Italerei.

[Katganistan]

So a combination of military miniatures and most likely plastic snap kits (which probably require some glue on the more advanced kits.)

Well, to start with there, you'll probably want to get a good hobby knife, modelling glue (Tamiya makes a really thin model glue that I adore- tricky to use because it's so watery, but no blobby mess; capillary action is often sufficient to get the glue into place down a seam,) and files of varying grit types from rough to fine. (Hobby shops often sell these, but honestly you can probably save several bucks just getting cheapo dime store nail files and using those, trimming them to shape as necessary.) Amusingly enough, if you're looking to weather a kit, a wood-burning tool works great for adding bullet effects and scorch marks in armor... I don't recommend trying that though until you're comfortable with the basic assembly and painting side of things though.

Painting is where you can expect to sink the bulk of your time/money. Depending on the level of detail you have the patience for, you need brushes (various tip sizes, including some really itty bitty tiny ones if you want to be really detailed about painting,) paints both bottled and in spray cans (fond of Tamiya over Testors, personally), mixing bottles, primer... and if you want to be really fancy, an airbrush kit and compressor can set you back about $100 easy.

You'll also most likely want a clean work space where you can leave small pieces out on the work surface safely for long periods of time; generally putting paint on a kit is an ongoing process of paint one color, let it dry for a bit, paint a second coat, let it dry; switch to a new color and repeat! So someplace like the dining room table... not such a good place for it.

I'd add to Reppy's list ZipKick, which makes superglues dry instantly... careful, though, the reaction produces some heat and you don't want to spill this + superglue on you.

Get yourself some emory boards or one of those four sided acrylic nails sanding blocks -- two rough grits, a medium and a superfine for sanding away flash or smoothing putty (used to fill seams and holes that glue hasn't taken care of).

Toothpicks can be useful for putting a drop of glue where you need JUST a drop.

A drafting pen actually makes a kickass glue delivery system -- dip it into the bottle of plastic model glue, touch the tip of it to the seam of the two parts you're holding together -- and capillary action does the rest.

[The Merchant Republics]

I've been a model, does that count?

[The lepearchauns]

It comes with my major, but yes. Being in architecture we have to be able to model our designs both physically and 3D on the computer...It also generally relates to buildings

[Radictistan]

Everything I touch turns to dust, so no.

[ZombieRothbard]

So a combination of military miniatures and most likely plastic snap kits (which probably require some glue on the more advanced kits.)

Well, to start with there, you'll probably want to get a good hobby knife, modelling glue (Tamiya makes a really thin model glue that I adore- tricky to use because it's so watery, but no blobby mess; capillary action is often sufficient to get the glue into place down a seam,) and files of varying grit types from rough to fine. (Hobby shops often sell these, but honestly you can probably save several bucks just getting cheapo dime store nail files and using those, trimming them to shape as necessary.) Amusingly enough, if you're looking to weather a kit, a wood-burning tool works great for adding bullet effects and scorch marks in armor... I don't recommend trying that though until you're comfortable with the basic assembly and painting side of things though.

Painting is where you can expect to sink the bulk of your time/money. Depending on the level of detail you have the patience for, you need brushes (various tip sizes, including some really itty bitty tiny ones if you want to be really detailed about painting,) paints both bottled and in spray cans (fond of Tamiya over Testors, personally), mixing bottles, primer... and if you want to be really fancy, an airbrush kit and compressor can set you back about $100 easy.

I had
You'll also most likely want a clean work space where you can leave small pieces out on the work surface safely for long periods of time; generally putting paint on a kit is an ongoing process of paint one color, let it dry for a bit, paint a second coat, let it dry; switch to a new color and repeat! So someplace like the dining room table... not such a good place for it.

I'd add to Reppy's list ZipKick, which makes superglues dry instantly... careful, though, the reaction produces some heat and you don't want to spill this + superglue on you.

Get yourself some emory boards or one of those four sided acrylic nails sanding blocks -- two rough grits, a medium and a superfine for sanding away flash or smoothing putty (used to fill seams and holes that glue hasn't taken care of).

Toothpicks can be useful for putting a drop of glue where you need JUST a drop.

A drafting pen actually makes a kickass glue delivery system -- dip it into the bottle of plastic model glue, touch the tip of it to the seam of the two parts you're holding together -- and capillary action does the rest.

I had a friend that used zipkick and he used to glue his fingers to models all the time, granted this is when we were playing warhammer 40k when we were 14 years old

[ZombieRothbard]

I've been a model, does that count?

Yeah baby

[Osoaribbean]

Reppy and Kat covered it pretty well.

The only thing I would add is get/make some wooden wedge blocks, small of course, especially if you plan to build car/truck/motorcycle models at any point. They work great for making sure the tire assemblies dry true in the vertical rather than canting inward at the tops.

But they can be used anytime you want a part to dry with little or no downward pressure on it.

[Fellrike]

I've built models for most of my life, tanks, vehicles and figures in 1/35 scale, and aircraft in 1/48. I don't do 1/72 scale because it doesn't offer a very good value for the money (many kits in this scale are surprisingly expensive) and the small scale makes detailing difficult. I can't imagine trying to paint figures in 1/72 scale.
Planes and helicopters are more colorful (some of them) but tanks are easier to build. I tend to build aircraft for a while, then I switch to vehicles when I start to get bored.
I just built my first biplane, it's a 1/48 Antonov An-2 Colt by Valom, and it wasn't easy, even though it was the biggest bipe ever built (try the Bilek kit if you want to build a Colt, it's supposedly a lot easier). For the rigging, I used superthin "music wire" from Ace Hardware, painted black, measured and cut into correct lengths. When you build aircraft, never use enamel paint for the canopy frames. If you screw it up, you won't be able to remove the paint without ruining the canopy. Instead, use acrylic paint. The Apple Barrel brand is inexpensive, and can be found at Wal Mart, Michaels, etc, in white, gray, black, etc,. but for military colors, you'll have to buy the costlier Tamiya or Model Master acrylics. Just slop your paint over the entire canopy and let it dry; later, you can take a toothpick and carefully scrape away the paint, leaving the frame painted. It's easy.
Have you ever considered printing your own decals? I draw mine with Paint (actually I just import most of them, it's pretty easy) and print them at Alphagraphics because I like to build planes in the service of small and obscure air forces. A good site with drawings of planes in their various schemes and markings is Wings Palette, it's an invaluable resource for modelers.
http://wp.scn.ru/
Good luck with your models. If I can help, send me a PM any time.

[NERVUN]

I used to build a lot of ship/Star Trek models. When I get some space that can be made somewhat kid free I have a list of things I want to build.

[North Calaveras]

im planning on doing some warhammer 40k Chaos Traitor Guardsmen

[Soviet Haaregrad]

I used to build model aircraft in 1/72 pretty obsessively. I've got around 80 built and another 20 or so either unstarted or partially started and in storage. I've got some tanks in that scale too.

No toy soldiers, I collect lego soldiers though. I've also started modding Hot Wheels cars and customizing them.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

I recommend Revell modelling kits, my personal favourite

Revell makes some good kits. Not too expensive, decent molding, fairly accurate as a general rule. Just don't start with a Fiat CR42 (or any biplane for that matter. That upper wing can be tricky.). I've been building model airplanes off and on since the mid 60's, and a goodly number of them have been Revell. Other decent mid-range kits are Heller, Frog, Matchbox (out of business sadly, but most are still available on ebay and other places.) and Italerei.

Don't forget Airfix or Trumpeter.

[Gottfriedland]

Oh boy, 2011! In case anyone still does tank/plane modelling, I'd be happy to chat!