This article was supposed to come out yesterday 7th March 2026. In an effort to try and keep things on schedule, I've taken the executive decision to split the article in two. With the second part coming out whenever it is ready. I hope you can understand.
Do you have what you need?
We've all been there: staring at a brand new kit, wondering if we actually have the right gear to put it together. Whether you are brand new to the hobby, or just simply looking to level up, here is a breakdown of what you actually need... and what can wait. From the absolute basics that every modeler needs to get started, to tools used by advanced builders to take their craft to a new level. I will also go into some extra supplies you might want to consider if you want to add a little extra touch to your model.
As such, I will be dividing this article into several sections.
- Essential tools (the bare minimum you need to get started)
- Basic tools (tools and supplies that every modeler will need if they decide to take the hobby seriously)
- Nice to have (these are tools that, whilst not essential, they can make your workflow more streamlined)
- Advanced tools (here I will be covering tools used by advanced modelers to refine their builds)
- Extras (here I will list some supplies a lot of the more experienced builders use to add extra detail to their models)
Of course, I won't be able to cover absolutely everything, as many modelers, often improvise and use certain tools and products meant for something entirely different. So most of what you'll find here are tools, supplies and products commonly used within the hobby without mentioning specific brands, except in areas where I feel it would be helpful. Overall it should be up to the individual builder to decide what is best for them based on availability and personal preference.
If you're just starting out, don't feel pressured to buy everything on day one. Most of us didn't, and many of us still don't.
Essential tools
Before diving into this chapter, I have to admit that when I first started out I didn't have most of the tools I will list here. So for the most part I had to improvise with what I found lying around the house. For instance, I would twist parts off the sprues instead of cutting them off. Eventually I would use some scissors but neither of these are ideal.
Also for my first 10 or so models I used a polychloroprene based adhesive (WARNING: THIS GLUE IS EXTREMELY TOXIC AND FLAMABLE. AVOID AT ALL COST). to glue my models . A highly toxic, and addictive solvent based, stringy, rubbery glue, that would turn an awful brown color when dry, mostly used to glue shoes and some textiles. And it would get everywhere. But it was what 9-10 year-old me had to work with. And my grandparents didn't seem the least concerned about me using this glue. 😅 I guess that explains some of the reasons I ended up as I did. 😂
My other option was PVA or carpenter's glue. Whilst perfect for woodworking and paper, it's not strong enough to hold plastic together. So I never used it.
I also used whatever sanding paper I could find in the house. These were typically very coarse somewhere between 80 and 180 grit. Not ideal for sanding delicate plastic parts, it will leave deep gouges that no amount of paint will hide. But again this is what I had. So this is what I used.
So, what are the most essential tools to get started? What do you need to build your very first model?
At the most basic level, you'll need a way to remove parts from the sprue, and you'll need a way to glue them all together. Another useful basic tool is sanding paper. These tools will allow you to build the kit straight out of the box. No painting, we'll cover that in the next section.
Cutting:
First, you'll need a way to separate the parts you need from the sprues. For this you'll need a tool to cut the sprue-gates and free your part/s. There are several things you could use. You could simply twist or break-away the parts. You could use scissors, toenail clippers, box cutting knife. Let's dive into each one of these.
1. Twist or break-away the part.
The cheapest option available, as you'll only need your hands to do it.
This method, is the least ideal, as it has a very high chance to damage the part/s. Especially the very delicate ones. But even larger more robust parts can easily be damaged or even broken using this method. Personally I would strongly advise against doing this.
2. Scissors.
A slightly better option, and something that you almost certainly have lying around the house.
Whilst, miles better than just twisting the parts off. It's still not the best. Many scissors have very thick blades. This comes with a high risk of once again damaging small fragile parts. More over, some kit manufacturers, only use very small sprue-gates. Even those that don't always do this, will still have very small sprue-gates. Some are so small that you'd never be able to fit in a pair of scissors.
If you must use scissors, small embroidery scissors are your best bet, but even then, you're living on the edge. Pun absolutely intended.
One place where scissors shine, though, is cutting decal sheets. And because nine out of ten times the arrangement of the decals on the sheet makes no sense. You will find yourself having to cut out parts to get to that one decal you need for whatever step you're on.
PRO TIP:
Unless you have a very small decal sheet with a handful of decals, I'd advise against dunking the entire sheet into water. The longer the decals are soaking, the softer they become which increases the chances to damage the decals. Just something to keep in mind.
3. Toenail clippers.
Another item I think every single one of us has somewhere in the house.
There are two main types of toenail clippers. There's what I call a regular clipper. These are the ones that look like oversized fingernail clippers. And there's the plier style (the type I use). Both of these will work fine, Just keep in mind that they have curved blades which could cause problems if you're not careful. The regular type clippers can be really useful especially if you have fairly long sprue gates. But will struggle if the gates are particularly thick, which could happen.
The plier type, is a bit more versatile, given that they work pretty much the same as sprue cutters (I'll cover those in the next section). But they tend to have fairly thick blades. However they do taper off towards the tip. With careful handling, you should be able to tackle even some of the shortest sprue gates. And because of how they work, you should have no trouble cutting even the thickest sprue gate. I sometimes use them to cut bits of sprue, when I need some stretched sprue for wiring and such.
So, whilst either will work. I'd go fore the plier type. Simply because they are easier to manipulate and work just like regular nippers, making the transition seamless.
4. Nippers. (Sprue cutters)
Today it is considered the workhorse of every modeler's workbench. Although you can get away with cheaper alternatives, see above. Most modelers will try to acquire a pair before getting started. I will cover these more extensively later in this article. And eventually will write a dedicated tutorial. So keep an eye out for that.
5. Box cutters.
Yet another item I'm pretty sure most of us have somewhere in the house.
These can be useful in two ways. They can help you cut off parts attached to very small gates. Although, I'd suggest exercising extreme caution when doing so. As this could damage the part if you're not careful. They can also help clean up parts and remove any excess sprue and even flash.
WARNING: Whenever using sharp tools, I strongly advise you use extreme caution as you can easily hurt yourself.
Sanding:
Once you've freed your parts from their sprues, you might need to clean them. Whilst you can cut away any excess sprue with a box cutter, see above. You will often need to do a bit of fine-tuning. Sanding also allows you to remove excess plastic in case parts don't fit together properly.
1. Sandpaper.
Whilst there are more specialized sanding solutions aimed at modelers, they can often be relatively expensive. To start off you can use regular sandpaper. Although it might not be an item most of us have around the house. Regular sandpaper is fairly cheap and you can get more for your buck.
Talking from experience, I know that it's nice to have a wide range of sizes, lengths, shapes, widths, and grits of sanding products. At the beginning you can get away with only having two maybe three different grits.
The advantage of having regular sandpaper is you can cut them to the exact shape and size you need for a given task.
In case you don't have any sandpaper around your homes, the grits I'd recommend getting are 200, 400, and 800 grit. These are generally enough to accomplish most tasks.
Personally, I only had 200 grit sandpaper around the house and that's all I used. But having finer grits will definitely help.
Gluing:
With your parts off the sprues and sanded, you will want to glue them together. Once again, there are many specialized glues that you can use. But at the beginning you van use superglue. Although a word of caution; superglue can be messier if you are not careful, try t wipe off any excess as you go. But it can get the job done.
With enough care, you can assemble a full kit with nothing but superglue. I would however use extreme caution with transparent parts. For these, only use the bare minimum amount of glue and only apply it to the contact areas. Otherwise the fumes released, could attach to the clear parts and fog them up which is a pain to deal with especially at the beginning.
If you are concerned about clear parts fogging up, you can use PVA, or carpenter's glue. Whilst not as strong, it will protect your transparencies.
PRO TIP:
Before gluing parts together, make sure to test fit them to see if they fit properly. If they don't you might need to do some more sanding. Do this as many ties as you see necessary before applying even a dot of glue to your model.
Decal application:
Decals are water-based transfers. All you need is a bit of warm water to soak your decals in for a few seconds. Then leave the decals to the side for a minute or so before you can apply them to your model.
Whether or not you want to apply decals to your model comes down to the individual. I've seen many builds that only had the kit assembled with no splash of color, not even that of decals. But if you do decide you'd at least want to have markings and stencils on your first few models, this is enough to get you started.
Conclusion of essentials
These tools and supplies will be more than enough to see you through your first few builds. Yes, you're not going to be able to paint, or do any of the more advanced steps like the pros. But at this stage, I'd focus on getting a few kits under your belt, get a feel for the hobby and more importantly, figure out if it's even something you are interested in.
Basic tools
- and supplies -
For the most part of my scale modeling "career" this is where I stood. And I was none the wiser for it. A lot of modelers typically stay in this area. And that's perfectly fine 😄. How far you want to take your scale modeling hobby should come down to the individual level and what everyone feels comfortable with. You can even stay at the essentials level if that's what you want. Don't let anyone tell you that you are doing it wrong. As long as you yourself are happy with your result, that's all that matters 😉.
But if you do want to take your hobby to the next level, this is a good place to start.
In this chapter we will briefly revisit some of the points from the last chapter. I feel that at this point you probably still shouldn't invest in more specialized tools and supplies, although, I will expand on some of them and give some options for those who want that. And I will also introduce a few new things.
In this chapter we'll be looking at more cutting, more sanding, more gluing. But we'll also look at manipulating small parts as well as giving your models a lick of paint.
Cutting:
At this stage, you can generally still get away with the items discussed in the previous chapter. And honestly, I wouldn't really bother with anything more advanced. But that's me, if you do want something more than I already talked about, you will find them in the next chapter.
For the most part however, you can still do a good job with nothing but a toenail clipper and a box cutter. Just be aware that box cutter blades are bendier than hobby knife blades. Try to apply as little pressure as possible, and constantly replace dull blades.
Sanding:
Again, for the most part, you can get away with what we already discussed. Personally, at this stage, I did start looking into expanding my sandpaper collection. I started buying a few additional grits and started looking at other solutions. A good place to look is nail care products, they carry an assortment of sanding sticks (nailfiles) of varying grits which can be very useful. As a bonus these products are far cheaper than similar products aimed specifically at scale modelers.
Many professional modelers still use these kinds of products and there is no shame in that. They do just as good a job as the "professional" option. And often at a fraction of the price.
Gluing:
Whilst superglue is perfect, and in fact I'd keep some around, it does come in handy especially when gluing small parts. One way to step up your game is plastic cement. My go to option is Revell Contacta, this glue comes with a needle applicator perfect for when you need precision. The difference between this and regular superglue is that something like Revell Contacta, melts the plastic and fuses it together creating a much stronger bond. Moreover, if you buy a starter set kit, you will get a bottle or tube of glue.
I would still err on the side of caution when using plastic cement to attach clear parts. If anything, it's even more aggressive than superglue. But with enough care you can avoid fogging. And using a glue that comes with a needle applicator will help you put glue only where you need it.
Decal application:
At this stage, I'd still stick to just warm water. We'll get into decal specific products later on, however.
Handling small parts:
Whether you've built a couple of sets, or are just about to get started on your first one, you might come across some small parts which are difficult to handle with your fingers. Whilst still possible to do so with just your hands, eventually you will get frustrated handling near microscopic parts by hand. To aid you, use a pair of tweezers. There are many types of tweezers, each with it's own pros and cons. There's straight tweezers, curved tweezers, wide tweezers, self locking tweezers, precision tweezers, round tweezers, and combinations of these. And there might be other types of tweezers I'm not even aware of 😆. So let's go through some of these.
1. Straight tweezers.
These are the most basic type of tweezers. You can use these in most situations. Whilst there are different types of tips for these tweezers, At this stage, the most useful would be either a regular pair, or a precision pair. Precision tweezers have very sharp and thin tips, making them incredibly useful when working on smaller scales or in tighter spaces.
2. Curved tweezers.
Another useful pair of tweezers are the curved ones. These allow you to get into really tight spaces. These too come with different types of tips, however, the most useful, I find, are the precision variety thanks to the thin tip. Whether, you need to attach a small part inside the cockpit of an aircraft after it's been assembled and sealed inside the fuselage, have to glue a small gun emplacement on a ship model after you've completed the rigging, or need to approach an area from a weird angle, curved tweezers will help you get into those extremely tight spaces.
3. Self locking tweezers.
These are some of the best tools to have when you need to hold parts in a certain position for extended periods. Whether you are painting or assembling, having self locking tweezers is one of those things you won't know how useful they are until you try them.
As mentioned, there are many other types of tweezers, but for the time being, these are the ones I recommend the most. I will get through some of the other types later on in this article.
Painting:
There's nothing wrong with leaving your models in bare plastic. If that's the finish you are aiming for, by all means, go for it. But if you do want to paint your models, you have to start somewhere.
1. Paints.
There are three different types of paints typically used in scale modeling, these are lacquer based paints, enamel paints and acrylics which themselves come in water based or alcohol based varieties.
- Lacquer based paints tend to give the best results, especially with an airbrush, but are by far the least recommended unless you have a dedicated painting booth with excellent ventilation. Without an extractor and good ventilation, I'd stay well clear of these paints because they are quite toxic. Whilst a beautiful finish is something we all want to one day want to achieve, your health is not worth it.
- Enamel based paints are the less dangerous cousins of the lacquer based ones. Whilst not as toxic, good ventilation is still highly recommended here. The finish given by enamels is generally really good, especially when used with self-leveling thinners. Although that can also be said about lacquers and acrylics. One thing to note is that enamels take the longest time to fully cure, often requiring a day or so before you can move on. With the other two taking significantly less time. With some acrylics being fully cured in as little as 15 minutes.
- Acrylics are the safest paints to use. Whilst good ventilation is still recommended. They are not as dangerous as lacquers or enamels. Especially water based acrylics. The finish given by acrylics is good. The only real downside being thinning. Lacquers and enamels are not too fussy about the thinners used, as long as you use thinners meant for those types of paints. The formulas used by different manufacturers is similar enough that it won't make much of a difference. Acrylics however are far more temperamental. Formulas and binding agents can vary wildly from one manufacturer to another. As such, you are almost always safer buying thinners for the specific brand of acrylics you are using. This is even more important with water based acrylics. Personally, I always stick to brand specific thinners for peace of mind regardless of the type of paint I use.
A point about safety when painting, especially with an airbrush. Regardless of the type of paint you use. Always, always wear a respirator. Even if you have a solid paint booth, with a powerful extractor and perfect ventilation, a respirator is still essential. Some modelers might tell you that a simple face mask is sufficient, I want to make sure everyone stays as safe as possible. Look for respirators with dual filtering systems. These trap both particles as well as fumes and odors.
Brushes:
You might see veteran modelers using a wide range of type and sized brushes. To start off you only need two or three. A flat wide brush for overall coverage. The size should be dictated by the scale and size of your model. Something like a size 6 flat brush might be perfect for a 1/72 scale WWII bomber or perhaps even a 1/48 scale fighter jet. You'd not have a lot of fun painting the hull of a 1/200 or even 1/350 scale ship. So when deciding on the size of your first general use brush keep in mind the subject you are about to paint.
Next you will need a brush for smaller parts. Again, this should be dictated by the size and scale of your model. For 1/72 scale and 1/48 scale aircraft a size 2 flat brush should be enough. For larger scales, you'd obviously need larger brushes if you don't plan to spend the next month or so, painting a single model 😋.
Lastly you will need a small brush for all the small details. A size 000 or 00 round brush is what you should aim for. For the first few models, I would steer well clear of the really small brushes used in miniature painting. Whilst they do have a place in scale modeling, they are more difficult to use for beginners as they hold very little paint which can dry before you even reach the area you mean to paint if you don't move quickly enough. For your first few painted models you should focus on building a feel for painting and develop your skills. Using really small brushes will only lead to frustration at this point.
PRO TIP:
Stay away from hard bristled brushes as these can leave brush-marks even with leveling thinners. Hard bristled brushes are more useful for weathering, which I will cover in the later chapters of this article.
PRO TIP:
Make sure to always clean your brushes thoroughly to ensure the longevity of your brushes. Personally I use, airbrush cleaning solutions for this task, but you can also use the recommended thinner for your paint of choice. Later, we will look into paint brush specific care products.
Conclusion of the basics
As you can see, even at the basic level, you don't really need all that much to successfully complete a model. Most of the supplies we discussed in the essentials chapter are more than adequate at this point, with just a handful of extras added in. A further point I want to make about painting is to not stress over getting that perfect award winning, museum worthy finish. At this point you most likely only built 5-10 models. Focus on refining your techniques. Whether it's sanding, gluing or painting you need to give yourself space to grow. Scale modeling can be a very demanding hobby. But it does reward patience and perseverance. Sooner or later, you will start to improve. And trust me, there's nothing more satisfying than nailing that one build you've been putting off because you wanted to wait until you've gathered the knowledge necessary to do it justice. From there, each subsequent build will be better than the last.
Nice-to-have tools
Now we are getting down to the nitty gritty underbelly of the hobby. Whilst some of the stuff I will cover in this chapter will seem like they should be in the essentials or at least basics chapters. I will point out alternatives, as well as caveats with using these alternatives. The reason I've left these so late in the article, is because I feel like these kind of fall somewhere in between this chapter and the previous ones. With that in mind, let's get stuck in.
A quick note here: by this point the hobby will start to get expensive, there's no avoiding it. If you want to really start and aim for those fantastic finishes your favorite modelers put out. You will need to invest.
Cutting:
At this point, you might actually want to look into investing into a good pair of nippers. Also called sprue cutters, side cutters and perhaps a few more names I'm not aware of 😅. Although, I will refer to them as nippers throughout the rest of this article.
1. Nippers.
There are two types of nippers: double bladed - both halves of the nippers have cutting edges. And single bladed - only one half of the tool has a cutting edge whilst the other has a flat surface. I would like to tell you what the practical difference between the two is, not having used either, I still use nail-clippers, I don't have the authority to tell you what makes them different. Once I do, I will come back to this section and update the article with any new knowledge I can gather.
One thing I can say, just by simply looking at them is that they are a lot better for separating parts from your sprues. Unlike my clippers which have fairly thick and curved blades, nippers have straight blades and are far thinner, making it easy to cut even the shortest sprue-gates. One thing I didn't mention earlier is that you should try to cut parts off slightly away from the part itself to avoid stress-marks on the part and instead have it on the gate. You can always sand the excess away, and this will prevent the white stress-marks produced as a result of the pressure you need to apply when cutting.
Although cheap nippers might sound very tempting. They are often made from lower grade materials leading to the blades dulling after a handful of kits. And dull blades cause a lot more damage to your precious small parts. I would insist you save up for a more expensive pair of nippers. These are often made from higher grade carbon-steel which will last you for years. And since this is a tool that you will use often, having a reliable pair is far better than penny pinching and buying a cheap pair. You will actually end up spending a lot more on cheap nippers which you'll need to replace every few months over a good quality ones which could last you upwards of 5 years if maintained properly.
2. Hobby knife.
Also called scalpels or precision knives, these are a staple of any modelers toolkit. Highly versatile, hobby knives can be used to remove flash, cut away small details you might not need or want to replace. You can also use them to scrape away any seamlines left behind from the molding process. You can cut masking tape to very precise dimensions, you can create canopy masks, to re-scribing panel lines, and much, much more.
For any task that requires absolute precision I would advise you use a fresh blade as this will give you the control you need. A slightly duller blade can be used for more general tasks that don't require finesse. However, if your blade starts to really dull, it is time to replace it. And always make sure to cut away from you, not towards you. Stay safe.
WARNING: These things are wickedly sharp and do not distinguish between plastic or flesh. They will happily cut through both with extreme impunity. Always use extreme caution when using sharp tools and make sure to store them properly when not in use. A sharp tool left haphazardly on your workbench is an accident waiting to happen. If you are a younger modeler, always ask for assistance and or supervision from an adult whenever you need to use such tools.
Sanding:
This is the point you should start looking into hobby grade sanding sticks, and sanding blocks. Although, you can still use products aimed at nail-care, they are always welcome in any modeler's toolkit. But since the grit is usually not mentioned on these it would do you good to also get some purpose made products for this reason.
You should also start building a collection of different grits. A 600 or 800 grit sanding stick will give you a passable final result. Having 2000 or even 3000 grits at your disposal will help you achieve that perfectly smooth finish you never could before.
80 - 200 Grit is perfect for removing any excess material, just be careful when using them around fine details like rivets and panel lines as one swipe can completely erase these.
400 - 800 Grit can be used for more general purpose sanding, as well as to smooth out any scratches left behind by the coarser grits.
1000 - 4000 Grit are for bringing back the smooth surface required for a spotless coat of paint.
Buffing pads. These take your model to a whole new level. Useful both before painting for a truly smooth surface. But they can also be used after you finish painting and varnishing your models. Especially if you are attempting a bare metal finish, or showroom level paintwork for your passenger aircraft and civilian cars.
Polishing compounds are great at repairing scratched or damaged clear parts. They can also help further elevate the finish on that Ferrari F40 build you've been sweating over for the past two months 😉.
Gluing:
Earlier in this article I mentioned superglue and PVA glue as good starting points. I then introduced you to plastic cement. Don't get me wrong, these are all still very good to have around. There are other types of glues modelers use on a daily basis.
Let's start with what we've already been through in the previous chapters and build from there.
Superglue, cyanoacrylate or CA glue . This is still very useful for attaching problematic small parts, that simply don't want to cooperate. And as we'll see in the next chapter it's absolutely necessary for multimedia kits.
PRO TIP:
You might only be aware of the regular superglue you find in your local supermarket. But there are other types as well. There are quick drying ones. As the name suggests this glue dries really quick, so you will need to move fast when using it. Slow drying superglue. This does the exact opposite. It dries really slowly, with some varieties taking upwards of 10 minutes, perfect for tasks where you might need a lot of adjusting. There's also an accelerant available which is useful for when you need to quickly attach a part in place. Often this is the safer option over quick drying CA glue.
PVA or carpenters glue. It can be used for temporarily attaching parts together to check for fitment issues or aid in sanding and cleaning certain areas where you want to ensure a certain shape. It can also be used for temporarily attach canopies to use as masks and protect your meticulously painted F-14 cockpit interior. We'll look at a more permanent solution in just a bit.
Plastic cement, poly cement, modeling cement. This is a purpose made product. As mentioned earlier, this works by melting the plastic and literally welding it together. Perfect for any application where you need a strong bond.
Extra thin cement. This is essentially a highly diluted version of regular plastic cement. Its extremely useful for gluing together fuselage halves, wing halves, hull halves. This glue works through capillary action where the tiny gaps and pores in the plastic will "suck" up the glue allowing it to get into the smallest cracks and crevices. One thing to note is that because this is a lot thinner than regular plastic glue, it also dries a lot faster. In most cases, it is better to first hold together the parts that need gluing, apply your cement, then leave good old physics do it's magic.
Clear cement. This is typically a viscous often milky looking glue meant to be used to attach clear parts to the rest of your model. This glue is designed specifically to become perfectly clear when fully dried. As it doesn't "attack" the plastic like regular modeling glue, it also doesn't release any fumes that would fog up that perfectly clear canopy part from your expensive Eduard kit, or the windshield of your prized Skyline from Tamiya.
Painting:
I'm going to focus on brushes here. Whilst I did mention some paint brushes to get you started. The rabbit-hole goes a lot deeper. Let's go through some of the most common ones you are likely to find on a workbench, then take a look at some more specialized ones that you might want to consider.
General use paint brushes:
There are three major varieties here. Flat brushes, wide rounded brushes and round pointed brushes.
1. Flat brushes.
They come in a variety of sizes from quite small useful for detail work to really large, perfect for painting large areas such as scenic bases, vignettes and large dioramas.
2. Wide round brushes.
Used primarily for stippling and to create certain textures, mostly for diorama work. But can also be used to achieve certain textures on your models, like dirt and mud build-up. Highly rusted and corroded metal. Creating moss build-up on abandoned vehicles or old structures. As well as creating modulation underneath your paintjob to give you effects such as sun-bleaching or salt-water deposits.
3. Round pointed brushes.
These are the go-to for fine detail work. These too come in a wide range of sizes. From fairly large ones, to ones that barely have a handful of bristles for those intricate details like sun glints on your 1/32 scale soldier's eye. Hats off to you if you're that sort of crazy 😉. My respect for you sir or madame 😎.
Specialized paint brushes:
These are brushes created for very specific tasks meant to achieve certain effects. Mostly used for weathering and washes.
1. Script liner brushes.
A variation of round pointed brushes, these have much longer bristles and typically come in smaller sizes. In modeling they are primarily used to paint long, perfect, thin lines.
2. Flat serrated brushes.
These have serrations along the working edge of the brush, of varying widths. They are not used for painting per se. Rather they are used for creating streaking effects. The principle is simple. You first add tiny dots of varying colors to your model or diorama, then you dunk your serrated brush into thinners, wipe off excess, then lightly drag across the surface to create streaks. Sometimes they are referred to as streaking brushes. (No, not the kind of streaking you did in your sophomore year in uni). Don't try to hide it, Kevin. I know what you did 😆)
3. Flat pointed brushes.
These are flat brushes but with the bristles cut at an angle. They can be used for fine detail work just like pointed round brushes. But their primary purpose is to create more controlled streaking effects (Don't laugh, Kevin) in very localized areas. Or to blend colors to achieve a more unified and cohesive finish.
4. Weathering brushes.
They come with thicker, harder bristles, meant for large more general weathering tasks.
5. Dry brushes.
These often come in wide round or flat varieties, usually with short soft bristles. They are meant for highlighting raised areas through the use of the dry-brushing technique. Or to apply pigments and powders to your models.
6. Shading brushes.
Essentially dry brushes with slightly longer bristles, often with a a rounded edge. They are used for applying shades and filters to your models.
There are many more types of brushes, but for the most part these should keep you covered for the vast majority of your work.
Airbrushes:
It's not an essential tool, and many modelers go by without one. But it's one of those nice-to-have tools that once tried, is hard to go back from.
They can be either single action - pull back on the trigger and start spraying. Or double action - push down on the trigger to start pushing air through, then pull back to start spraying. By far the most useful is the latter one.
They also come in three feed methods.
Siphon-fed: These work much like paint guns with a jar screwed underneath the brush. They typically come with large jars meant for painting large areas quickly. For scale modeling however they can be very unwieldy, with the jar often preventing you from getting in close to your subject. A very important necessity for tight thin line work.
Side-fed: These have the cup either screwed on or molded into the body of the airbrush. They can afford a better view of your model in certain cases, but I find them uncomfortable to use for extended periods. The side mounted cup adds weight to one side placing more pressure on your hand whilst balancing the brush.
Gravity-fed: They have a top mounted cup, which makes it a lot better to use for extended painting sessions. Whilst they might block your view especially with larger cups. I tend to work around this drawback by looking at what I'm doing from the side.
Airbrushes also come with a variety of nozzle and needle sizes. From extremely small 0.15 mm nozzles, to quite large 1mm nozzles. Note that not all airbrushes can accommodate every size of nozzles and needles. When deciding on an airbrush do some research to ensure that it will suit your needs.
When looking at your first airbrush you should take into account your budget. But try to stay away from the dirt cheap ones. Like with any tool, the cheaper they are, the lower the quality of the materials used for it's construction. You don't need to spend a small fortune for a top of the line precision instrument, for now at least. But you also don't want to buy something that will give up on you after just one or two uses. I've been there, you don't need to be too.
There are pretty decent quality, budget options from manufacturers such as Fengda or Ghaaleri. These offer good quality airbrushes that are perfect for learning. Not so expensive that you will break the bank in case you damage it from mishandling. But also not so cheap that you'd fill up the local landfill within a year. No, they will not give you the same type of finish a premium airbrush gives you. You'd be fooling yourself for thinking that. But they will neither give you a messy finish more cheaper un-branded options will offer.
With your airbrush, you will also need a compressor. There are many kinds of compressors. Some better than others. And some more suited for certain tasks than others.
The simplest type of compressor comes in a small plastic box, sometimes with 2 or three preset pressure settings. Unless you plan on starting a manicure salon or a bakery, I would advise against these.
If space is an issue, there are some compressors of this type aimed at modelers. These are recognizable by the fact that they offer more than just 3 pressure settings, with more premium models also offering a manual override to dial in the exact pressure you need.
Since these types of compressors don't come with air-tanks you will get a pulsating flow as the small piston constantly needs to work to pump air in order to meet your demands.
A slightly better option is a tankless compressor. These come with a regulator allowing you to finetune the pressure you need for a certain task. But since they don't come with an air tank, they also have the same shortcomings as the ones mentioned above. Luckily, most of these compressors allow you to add a tank at a later date.
The best option are compressors that come with an air tank. They do not suffer from pulse spraying giving you better finishes. Tanks will also store compressed air, allowing you to work even when the compressor kicks in to refill the tank. If the unit is built at a reasonable standard, you will be safe to work even when the motor turns on.
Air compressors also come in oil and oilless varieties. Oil compressors tend to run smoother, but are harder to maintain and also run a higher risk of moisture buildup. Oilless compressors are easier to maintain but tend to be less robust than their oil based cousins.
Regardless of the type of compressor, I suggest you also invest in a couple of moisture traps. Some compressors come with one installed already. But I would also suggest getting an inline trap to install between the hose and your airbrush.
As with airbrushes, compressors can range from dirt cheap to prohibitively expensive. Once again, the strategy is to neither break the bank nor to go for something that will need replacing after just a few uses. And once again, brands like Fengda and Ghaaleri have you covered here. They won't wow you with their quality, but they are robust and will get the job done to an adequate level.
Putty and gap fillers:
One drawback of working with plastic scale kits is they don't always fit perfectly. Sometimes there are pretty large gaps between the parts. This is even more evident in older kits. To deal with these gaps, modelers use a variety of fillers to deal with these gaps. Sometimes interchangeably, other times using a very specific product or type of product for a certain type of task.
These gaps can appear for many reasons: mold wear, imperfect alignment, or simply because some kits were designed decades ago with looser tolerances.
Putty:
There are several types of putty; acrylic putty, one part putty/plastic putty and two part epoxy putty.
1. Acrylic plastic putty.
It typically comes in a bottle in liquid form. The advantage is that they dry slowly, giving you a lot of time to work it into the areas that require it. Another strong point of this is since it sands and textures similarly to the surrounding plastic, it will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the model model. The downside to this is that it's not suitable for really large gaps.
2. One part putty.
This usually comes in a tube. It dries much faster than plastic putty, but can be reactivated with a bit of water giving you ample time to coax it into gaps and shape it. One part putty is perfect for filling in larger gaps. Some varieties can be reactivated with a bit of warm water or thinner depending on the formula, you don't have to feel under pressure when working with this stuff.
3. Two part epoxy putty.
They come in one of two forms. Two sticks which you need to knead together to mix them. Or in dual barreled syringes which you need to squeeze out and then mix with a cocktail stick or the handle of a paintbrush. Most modelers swear by these. They are perfect to fill in very large gaps, some modelers even use this, particularly the stick variety to create sandbags, tarps, sleeping bags and other details. The biggest downside is that they have a very short window to work with. Usually around 5 minutes. So if you need to fill in a very large area, it's better to work with small batches.
PRO TIP:
When working with two part epoxy, particularly the one that comes in stick form, make sure to dip your hands in water before kneading it to prevent the putty from sticking to your hands. With the syringe types, is better not to mix with a tool not your hands.
4. Modeling clay.
Just like one part putty, some types of modeling clay (air-dried) can give you ample time to work with as it also can be reactivated with some warm water. It's really good to fill in large gaps, and just like two part epoxy, it is often used to create extra details especially by armor modelers. Just be aware that it doesn't adhere to plastic as well as the other products mentioned. But with a bit of careful planning it can be done.
Modeling and sculpting tools:
There is no short supply of tools used to shape and sculpt clay. Better yet, some of them can be very useful to apply filler onto your models, smooth it out and even do some light sculpting and reshaping. If you are into sculpting with modeling clay, you might already have a nice collection of tools to aid you in your gap filling quest. If not, all you really need is drop by your local stationery store and look in the school supplies section. You'll often find fairly cheap sets that contain everything you need to get you started. If you want something more fancy, you should be able to find professional grade tools at your local art supplies store. But trust me, the ones found at stationery stores are more than enough.
Bonus filling tip:
If you have a nearly empty pot of extra thin cement you can use it to make your own filler. Simply cut up a length of sprue into tiny pieces and throw some in, the glue will dissolve the plastic. Leave it for a day or so, occasionally going back to give it a bit of a stir. Then add a few more sprue fragments. Rinse and repeat, until you get a gooey consistency. Success, you now made your very own cheap filler, modelers affectionately call sprue goo.
This works fantastically well. Since it's made with the very same styrene your models are made from it bonds chemically to the model eliminating hull or fuselage seams extremely effectively.
PRO TIP:
Avoid doing this with the underside of the tail section of Bf. 109s. These did actually have a visible seam there in real life. More often than not you will actually have to make it more visible than it already is.
Tools for restoring details:
This section deals with a lot of very sharp and potentially dangerous tools.
Adults: Take the necessary extra precautions and stay safe.
Children: Seek supervision from your parents or guardians.
Very young children: Ask your parents or guardians to handle this step for you.
Extra terrestrials:
1) How in the universe did you find this blog?
2) Greetings from Planet Earth.
3) All the same rules apply.
We're not taking any chances, your health is just as important. All joking aside, these are indeed very dangerous tools if handled improperly so be extra cautious when using them.
If you work with plastic models for long enough, you will inevitably run into issues with some details. Whether it's due to molding defects, a poorly researched model on the manufacturer's part, or simply needing to sand in an area where even with the utmost care you will remove panel lines, rivet detail and other fine surface detail.
You will eventually come to a point where you will want to deal with them. At the beginning you might not have cared. Or even wanted to deal with them and that's perfectly fine. In fact you might not be bothered by this even after your hundredth build, and that's perfectly valid.
However, for those who are getting annoyed with missing, filled in or sanded panel lines, inaccurate or missing rivet detail and more. There are tools marketed exactly for this purpose. And some that are marketed for completely different jobs but can be repurposed to fit your surface detail needs.
1. Scribing tools.
These are essentially hobby knives with very short and oddly shaped blades. The most common is the hooked scriber. This makes it perfect for restoring sanded or filled in panel lines or create panel lines where none exist but should. Don't be fooled by the diminutive size of their blades, these are every bit as sharp and wicked as your hobby knife. Always handle with great care.
Speaking of hobby knives, they can also be used to re-scribe panel lines. But scribing tools are better because the angle of the blade or grind is a bit wider than that of a hobby knife, and the hooked tip makes it easier to score scale accurate lines.
2. Riveting tools
For restoring or even adding more rivets, you will need a riveting tool. They have small serrated discs that will gouge tiny holes into the plastic. There are discs with different serrations meant for different scales, and some fancier riveting tools offer the possibility to add two or even three disks to emulate some heavily riveted areas.
3. Tailor's needle.
For most cases, riveting tools are perfectly fine for the job. But they have a flaw. They tend to use a standardized distance for rivets for a given scale. But they don't always give you the accuracy you sometimes need. Not all aircraft, ships, or armor have the same rivet spacing. To that end, you can use a tailor's needle to create the exact spacing you need. Just be aware that this is a much slower process than running a pointy wheel across your surfaces. It is also stupidly sharp, so be mindful when handling this tool.
4. Hypodermic needle.
Need to recreate a fuel cap or a circular access panel? Easy, take a hypodermic needle, carefully saw off the tip, and lightly press against the area you need the detail. Voila, you now have a brand new fuel cap or access panel. These things are designed to get under your skin, literally, so be very careful when sawing them down. Shoutout to Plasmo models for this one.
5. Pin vise/Pin vice
Whatever your preferred spelling. You sometimes will need to drill some holes. Coupled with a set of precision drill bits, you will be equipped to tackle all your hole drilling needs. With older kits, you most likely would have to fill in holes. But with modern tooling drilling is a must for installing external stores, weapons and radio antennas. Pin vices can also be used to widen or remove material from the interior of gun barrels, missile exhausts, turret guns, etc... to give them a more realistic feel. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, handle drill bits with care. Especially the really small ones as they can break easily. Also make sure to dispose of broken bits responsibly.
6. Razor saws.
Whether you need to re-scribe really long panel lines, or want to remove access panels to expose some intricate interior areas. A razor saw is the tool for you. They come in several different shapes and sizes. The most common and recognizable being the double edged ones. They literally look like oversized, serrated razor blades. Another very common shape is a long, thin, single edged blade, often with a shallow taper. These allow you to get into tight spaces. And yes, care should be taken when working with these too.
PRO TIP:
When scribing long panel lines, be it with your hobby knife, a scribing tool, or a razor saw. You can use masking tape to ensure you keep the line straight. You can also use flexible masking tape to follow the contours of complex shapes. Electrical tape is a better, cheaper alternative. Or you can get a panel line template. They are made of thin, springy metal allowing them to conform to most shapes, but not all.
PRO TIP:
Using a panel line template with a tailor's needle allows you to re-scribe oval shaped panel lines. Very useful in certain situations.
Conclusion: Nice-to-have tools
As useful as these tools may sound, you can certainly have a successful build even without them. In some situations you can even improvise to achieve some of these tasks. For instance, you could use a heated needle in place of a pin vice to open up holes with enough care. There are many other tools that can be improvised, but I'll leave that to your own creativity to figure out.
Final notes
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are definitely more tools I could have mentioned here, and I might eventually come back to address those as well. In time, I will also write guides and tutorials on how and when to use these tools. I will link to them as they become available.
In part II, I will tackle advanced tools and extras. It will be just as, if not even longer than this piece. As such it will take a while before it will be published. It was supposed to be one long article, but even writing this first part took far longer than expected which unfortunately pushed things a bit off schedule. So you'll need to be patient until part II is out.
I really hope you find this article useful. If you can learn and take away a small piece of new information, I will call it a win. Leave all your thoughts and comments down below. With that I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy modeling, everyone. Cheers!
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