Is this a good start for trying to get into the hobby?

[butterdogg08]

I did a whole bunch of research and ended up with all this in my cart, but I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything so I won't have to go back and order something else. The tool set includes side cutters, tweezers, screwdrivers, a knife, as well as a file. I'll probably end up painting it so I added masking tape as well, and I heard many people say that Elmers glue is good to use for clear parts, and I have a whole bottle already. 

[stitchdup]

it looks like a good starting point. I'd maybe try another glue to begin. a set of clamps is always handy as you'll often find you need a third hand

[butterdogg08]

21 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

it looks like a good starting point. I'd maybe try another glue to begin. a set of clamps is always handy as you'll often find you need a third hand

Thanks. What glue would you recommend? 

[stitchdup]

20 minutes ago, butterdogg08 said:

Thanks. What glue would you recommend? 

i like the blue revell contacta or humbrol poly cement in the bottles with needles. the humbrol is probably my first choice as its slower flowing than the revell, but they both work well. 

[Fat Brian]

I would add some super glue and something like Mod Podge or Elmers glue for the windows.

[Can-Con]

You probably don't need the scriber but I'd recommend getting an extra pack of #11 knife blades. Some assorted rubber bands would also be helpful if you need to hold parts together like engine 1/2s or airplane fuselage 1/2s while the glue sets.

When you start painting, get a set of GOOD brushes of various sizes. Remember, the right size tool for the job.

But remember,, the most important tool you can have is patients. 😉

[Big Messer]

1 hour ago, Can-Con said:

You probably don't need the scriber but I'd recommend getting an extra pack of #11 knife blades. Some assorted rubber bands would also be helpful if you need to hold parts together like engine 1/2s or airplane fuselage 1/2s while the glue sets.

When you start painting, get a set of GOOD brushes of various sizes. Remember, the right size tool for the job.

But remember,, the most important tool you can have is patients. 😉

Patience. And the willingness to figure when things don't go as intended. And the perseverance to learn from your mistakes and redo what went wrong.

[Ace-Garageguy]

12 hours ago, Big Messer said:

Patience...when things don't go as intended...and the perseverance to learn from your mistakes and redo what went wrong.

Words of wisdom. 

You will bugger something up, guaranteed, and you don't get better by stomping on a model or throwing it against the wall...though there are indeed adults who will still do it anyway.

Edited 17 hours ago by Ace-Garageguy
punctiliousness

[meechum68]

Patience, and be willing to learn from your mistakes for the next kit.  Welcome to the hobby, and the folks above me suggested a few things to add to your model kit that are great.  

Also, asking questions is a huge assett as well. 

Can't wait to see your Mustang's progress as you venture into building! 

 

[DJMar]

Am I seeing $50 for the Revell '71 Mustang? Ouch.

Anyway, I'm not a big believer in a whole bunch of model-specific stuff like masking tape, tools, etc., especially when starting out. I think you can build a pretty decent model with a minimum of equipment and a small cash outlay, so what follows is just my opinion. 

First, add some putty/filler to your list! You'll need it to fill seams, and smooth over imperfections. Tamiya has a basic putty that works well and is inexpensive and readily available.

Any liquid solvent glue meant for styrene will be fine. You'll discover what works best for you after you get a few models under your belt. As for the hobby knife, any handle that will take your standard X-Acto #11 blade is good. 

I would ditch those sanding sponge things at $6 a pop, and pick up a handful of foam backed emery boards from the local drugstore (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) or order them from Amazon. Yes, the double sided kind that are used for manicures. They're way cheaper, last forever and are just as effective. You can find them in coarse, medium and fine grits for less than a buck each. While you're in the store, pick up some inexpensive tweezers. Amazon often has packs of tweezers in different configurations for $4-$6.

Speaking of sandpaper, single sheets of 220, 320 400 and 600 can be found at any hardware store. When you need to move into the 800+ grit range for sandpaper, stop by your local autobody shop and pick up individual sheets of 1000, 1200, 1500 & 2000 grit wet paper. It's way more sandpaper for your dollar. One full sheet of each grit will last a long time, and can be cut into multiple smaller squares for different jobs. And yes, get some sandpaper sheets to go with the emery boards, because curved surfaces need sanding too.

Since I'm not a fan of Tamiya masking tape, I would take that off the list and just find some FrogTape or decent 3M painter's tape at Ace, Home Depot, Lowe's, wherever. You can cut it into different widths as you need. Once again, it costs less overall and one roll of 2" wide tape will last you months, if not years.

Other household bits can be repurposed for model building. For example, a pack of Dollar Store clothespins are actually a bunch of handy clamps. Rubber bands are good for holding things together while the glue dries, too. A cheap carton of wooden skewers (or some leftover takeout chopsticks) will give you plenty of quick and easy painting stands for smaller pieces. Skewers can also be cut down and used as stir sticks for mixing paint or epoxy. 

As already mentioned, don't be afraid to ask questions. Many of us have been building for decades. Take advantage of that experience; at the very least it might save you some headaches.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Tweezers!!

And a good lighted magnifier.

some other things I’d consider that I can’t do without:

A pin vice with small bits.

A small scissors.

A small file set.

A set of dental tools.

Q-tips. (Including some of the small conical shaped swabs such as Tamiya carries)

If you plan on doing any cutting, some sort of razor saw, and seriously think about a variable speed Dremel type tool with reamer bits.

I don’t think I could do much of anything anymore without most of these items.

 

 

Steve

 

 

[R. Thorne]

Tooth picks.

[butterdogg08]

2 hours ago, DJMar said:

Am I seeing $50 for the Revell '71 Mustang? Ouch.

Anyway, I'm not a big believer in a whole bunch of model-specific stuff like masking tape, tools, etc., especially when starting out. I think you can build a pretty decent model with a minimum of equipment and a small cash outlay, so what follows is just my opinion. 

First, add some putty/filler to your list! You'll need it to fill seams, and smooth over imperfections. Tamiya has a basic putty that works well and is inexpensive and readily available.

Any liquid solvent glue meant for styrene will be fine. You'll discover what works best for you after you get a few models under your belt. As for the hobby knife, any handle that will take your standard X-Acto #11 blade is good. 

I would ditch those sanding sponge things at $6 a pop, and pick up a handful of foam backed emery boards from the local drugstore (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) or order them from Amazon. Yes, the double sided kind that are used for manicures. They're way cheaper, last forever and are just as effective. You can find them in coarse, medium and fine grits for less than a buck each. While you're in the store, pick up some inexpensive tweezers. Amazon often has packs of tweezers in different configurations for $4-$6.

Speaking of sandpaper, single sheets of 220, 320 400 and 600 can be found at any hardware store. When you need to move into the 800+ grit range for sandpaper, stop by your local autobody shop and pick up individual sheets of 1000, 1200, 1500 & 2000 grit wet paper. It's way more sandpaper for your dollar. One full sheet of each grit will last a long time, and can be cut into multiple smaller squares for different jobs. And yes, get some sandpaper sheets to go with the emery boards, because curved surfaces need sanding too.

Since I'm not a fan of Tamiya masking tape, I would take that off the list and just find some FrogTape or decent 3M painter's tape at Ace, Home Depot, Lowe's, wherever. You can cut it into different widths as you need. Once again, it costs less overall and one roll of 2" wide tape will last you months, if not years.

Other household bits can be repurposed for model building. For example, a pack of Dollar Store clothespins are actually a bunch of handy clamps. Rubber bands are good for holding things together while the glue dries, too. A cheap carton of wooden skewers (or some leftover takeout chopsticks) will give you plenty of quick and easy painting stands for smaller pieces. Skewers can also be cut down and used as stir sticks for mixing paint or epoxy. 

As already mentioned, don't be afraid to ask questions. Many of us have been building for decades. Take advantage of that experience; at the very least it might save you some headaches.

Thanks. This is a load of stuff, really helpful, I added some putty, and I looked around and you were right, I saved a lot of money by cutting off the sponges and the tape.

I just had one question about paint, in the description of the kit it has a bunch of codes, but how would I know if I should get acrylic or spray paints? I work in a Canadian Tire so I could pick up a primer from there if it works, but I'm not sure if the paints there would work on plastic. Would you able to give me any guidance? Thank you. 

[Bugatti Fan]

The model maker aimed tools and sundries market in many cases is often just a stack overpriced items that can be bought elsewhere at a fraction of the price.

Previous posters have already outlined many good alternatives to model maker aimed products so I won't be repeating any of it here.. There are special model making tools that are of course worth their weight in gold as far a model making goes. But with a bit of lateral thinking in many instances there are alternatives to be had that are just as good and a lot less expensive.

[STU111]

8 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Words of wisdom. 

You will bugger something up, guaranteed, and you don't get better by stomping on a model or throwing it against the wall...though there are indeed adults who will stull do it anyway.

Yep, true. I once had a hissy fit and hulk smashed a model that had gone wrong. Felt good for about 10 seconds, then I felt like a complete goose as I’d wasted my time and money and, more importantly, I may have been able to rectify the problem if I’d just put it aside and revisited it the next day.

[Dave G.]

57 minutes ago, STU111 said:

Yep, true. I once had a hissy fit and hulk smashed a model that had gone wrong. Felt good for about 10 seconds, then I felt like a complete goose as I’d wasted my time and money and, more importantly, I may have been able to rectify the problem if I’d just put it aside and revisited it the next day.

I've learned after 60 years of modelling, somewhere along the way, to sleep on it before tossing the baby out with the bath water. Sometimes sleep on it for several nights. 

[johnyrotten]

Paint is your personal choice,  those are the recommendations from the manufacturer to create the box art. Acrylics are mostly water clean up, enamels/laquers need a thinner/solvent. All have various odor, from bad to not, to put it loosely. Tamiya, Vallejo, revell, AK all make nice paints. Craft Acrylics are good for washes and dry brushing. 

Edited 19 hours ago by johnyrotten

[Bucky]

I suggest a good pair of sprue cutters. They really help in separating parts from the sprue, especially the tiny parts. 

[Mike 1017]

IMO a Snap Kit would be a cheaper option

[Big Messer]

11 hours ago, DJMar said:

First, add some putty/filler to your list! You'll need it to fill seams, and smooth over imperfections. Tamiya has a basic putty that works well and is inexpensive and readily available.

Any liquid solvent glue meant for styrene will be fine. You'll discover what works best for you after you get a few models under your belt. As for the hobby knife, any handle that will take your standard X-Acto #11 blade is good. 

I would ditch those sanding sponge things at $6 a pop, and pick up a handful of foam backed emery boards from the local drugstore (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) or order them from Amazon. Yes, the double sided kind that are used for manicures. They're way cheaper, last forever and are just as effective. You can find them in coarse, medium and fine grits for less than a buck each. While you're in the store, pick up some inexpensive tweezers. Amazon often has packs of tweezers in different configurations for $4-$6.

Speaking of sandpaper, single sheets of 220, 320 400 and 600 can be found at any hardware store. When you need to move into the 800+ grit range for sandpaper, stop by your local autobody shop and pick up individual sheets of 1000, 1200, 1500 & 2000 grit wet paper. It's way more sandpaper for your dollar. One full sheet of each grit will last a long time, and can be cut into multiple smaller squares for different jobs. And yes, get some sandpaper sheets to go with the emery boards, because curved surfaces need sanding too.

Since I'm not a fan of Tamiya masking tape, I would take that off the list and just find some FrogTape or decent 3M painter's tape at Ace, Home Depot, Lowe's, wherever. You can cut it into different widths as you need. Once again, it costs less overall and one roll of 2" wide tape will last you months, if not years.

Other household bits can be repurposed for model building. For example, a pack of Dollar Store clothespins are actually a bunch of handy clamps. Rubber bands are good for holding things together while the glue dries, too. A cheap carton of wooden skewers (or some leftover takeout chopsticks) will give you plenty of quick and easy painting stands for smaller pieces. Skewers can also be cut down and used as stir sticks for mixing paint or epoxy. 

As already mentioned, don't be afraid to ask questions. Many of us have been building for decades. Take advantage of that experience; at the very least it might save you some headaches.

I use Body shop glazing and spot putty from the auto parts store. Works on metal and plastic and is a lot cheaper.

I get sanding sponges from the dollar store.

If getting masking tape from the home improvement box store buy the light purple one. Has glue that releases easier than the blue one. NEVER the yellow one!.

[Big Messer]

6 hours ago, STU111 said:

Yep, true. I once had a hissy fit and hulk smashed a model that had gone wrong. Felt good for about 10 seconds, then I felt like a complete goose as I’d wasted my time and money and, more importantly, I may have been able to rectify the problem if I’d just put it aside and revisited it the next day.

There is/was a diorama of a modeler throwing a car against the wall but don't remember where I saw it...

[Ulf]

Welcome to a great hobby. First and foremost, my standard advice is that if you haven't built anything before or haven't done so in many years, build one or two cars without painting them. That experience will be a great help to you. One thing I really like about building kits is that you decide the level yourself, and even more so, it's optional if you want to make it a material sport.

A hobby knife that can't roll is a good buy. Some have a square on the handle so that it can't roll (over the edge of the table with the blade down into your foot...🩸).

[DJMar]

10 hours ago, butterdogg08 said:

Thanks. This is a load of stuff, really helpful, I added some putty, and I looked around and you were right, I saved a lot of money by cutting off the sponges and the tape.

I just had one question about paint, in the description of the kit it has a bunch of codes, but how would I know if I should get acrylic or spray paints? I work in a Canadian Tire so I could pick up a primer from there if it works, but I'm not sure if the paints there would work on plastic. Would you able to give me any guidance? Thank you. 

Paint is a whole different discussion. It's easy to get lost in the sauce when talking about it. You'll see a bunch of different opinions on the subject, especially about what's best to use, what never to use, what I use that's better than what you use, what the autobody guy uses, etc.. I'll offer the following, with the caveat, again, that this is just my opinion:

1) Primer. You can go with hobby specific paint for primer (Tamiya Fine, Mr Hobby, Humbrol, etc.) as it has a finer grain and lays down smoother, in thinner coats. It's going to produce a better base for your color with less work. You can also use auto primer like Duplicolor, but it requires some extra prep & finishing steps. Not the end of the world, but something to think about.

2) Color. Contrary to my stance on tools and tape, I highly recommend sticking with model specific paint for this, especially when you're just starting out. I'm not sure Tamiya sprays (TS line) are available in Canada anymore, but Testors, Humbrol, Mr Color, and the rest all make aerosol cans of quality paint that make it easy to spray your model.

If you can get your hands on Tamiya sprays, then my suggestion is to use them. They are a synthetic lacquer, so they're easy to apply, spray out nicely and dry quickly. If not Tamiya TS sprays, then I suggest Testors Extreme Lacquer for many of the same reasons. My third choice for a first time rattlecan job would be good old Testors enamels. They are a bit harder to apply smoothly and take much longer to dry, but folks have been spraying enamels since the dawn of the modeling era and somehow we've all survived.

Can you spray your kit with the big cans of Rustoleum, Krylon, Duplicolor, yadda yadda? Yes, and I'm sure there are many fine modelers out there that have used these paints with much success. Would I recommend it for someone new to kit building? Absolutely not.

 

1 hour ago, Big Messer said:

I use Body shop glazing and spot putty from the auto parts store. Works on metal and plastic and is a lot cheaper.

I've used Bondo Glazing and Spot putty for decades, and I'm comfortable with it. If you've been building for a while, then sure, it's a solid choice.

However, I wouldn't suggest it to first time users for a few reasons. First, the solvent often separates, leaving you with thin putty slurry on top and a much thicker, goopy mess on the bottom of the tube. Two, if not mixed properly and given enough time to fully dry, it will cause problems in your finished paint jobs. 

The reason I suggested the Tamiya Basic putty for a new modeler is that it doesn't have any of those issues. It doesn't separate, it has a uniform consistency, goes on smoothly and dries very quickly. It's not meant for larger areas (say, skim coating bodywork on a top chop), but it's great for glue seams, pinholes and other molding imperfections. In other words, 99% of what you're going to run into on a box stock build. It's also not that costly, roughly $5-$7 USD a tube, and that tube will last the average builder a good while.

Again, just my 2 copper.

 

7 minutes ago, Ulf said:

A hobby knife that can't roll is a good buy. Some have a square on the handle so that it can't roll (over the edge of the table with the blade down into your foot...🩸).

Excellent point. Uh, no pun intended. I've had an X-Acto Gripster with the soft handle and the no-roll collar forever, and it's my favorite knife.

 

[Big Messer]

27 minutes ago, DJMar said:

However, I wouldn't suggest it to first time users for a few reasons. First, the solvent often separates, leaving you with thin putty slurry on top and a much thicker, goopy mess on the bottom of the tube. Two, if not mixed properly and given enough time to fully dry, it will cause problems in your finished paint jobs. 

I use the one part that comes in a tube. Never had a problem with the solvent separating.

[DJMar]

43 minutes ago, Big Messer said:

I use the one part that comes in a tube. Never had a problem with the solvent separating.

Yeah, it's a one part putty that is pretty solvent heavy, and the solvent does sit on top of the tube. The last few tubes I bought required quite a bit of mixing. Sort of like that peanut butter you have to stir, there's always glop at the bottom. 

I'm not saying it doesn't work (I've used it for40+ years), or that it doesn't work for you, but I think it's not the best choice for a beginner, which is the point. IME, Tamiya Basic is way more forgiving all the way around. YMMV.