New Here

[Neil Woolway]

Hi everyone

I am new here and new to modelling the last time i did one i was about 8 years old so basically no nothing about this. To cut along story short i was given a 1:24 kit Audi R8 and want to start building it. I have no tools not clue what to do (apart from build it), no idea abot painting do you guys brushes etc.

AS you can i am totally green can any u guys help me out and do me like an idots guide, where to start etc. it would be much appreicated as i can see myself getting really in to this.

Thanks.

[george 53]

Welcome Neil, Hey we were ALL newbies ONCE! So now it's your turn, but you got US ta help ya! First off, DON'T BRUSH paint your cars body! The hobbies come a LONG way, an you can spray a REALLY nice paint job without too much training. Just don't try to make it look like some of these paint jobs right away! These guys have gotten it down to an ART!

Just read the instructions, and go slow, take your time. It'll come out nice if you just remember that it's a relaxing hobby,and there's no hurry to get it done. Ask questions, caz these guys are THE BEST!, and IF they can't answer a question, then there ISN'T one! Join in an enjoy the site, cas EVERONE here is always willing to help a fellow modeler out!

[Harry P.]

You're going to get a lot of different answers, because your question is pretty open.

As far as paint, for a beginner the easiest way to go is to use a spray can to paint the body. Go to a hobby shop and pick up a can of Testors or Tamiya spray paint. You'll see them all displayed on racks... just pick a color you like. You might also want to get a matching can of primer, and if you want to get fancy, a matching can of clear gloss for your final coat (on top of the color coats). You can also use spray paint to spray the larger parts of the model, like the chassis, interior bucket, seats, etc. Personally I use a brush for painting most of the smaller parts.

I'd stay away from Testors Enamel, and go with lacquer ar acrylics. They tend to go on smoother and dry faster than enamels, so they're a little easier for a beginner to get good results with. Follow the instructions on the can and you should be fine.

Another paint alternative is to use "real car" paint, like DupliColor, available at any auto parts store or online. Just make sure you use a compatible primer. And don't mix and match brands and/or types of primer, color and clear, stay within the same brand and type of paint for all three... at least in the beginning, because sometimes mixing and matching paints can lead to disaster if you don't know what you're doing.

And finally, but very important: DO NOT expect perfect results right away. You may get a spectacular finish on your first try, but the odds are you won't. That's because painting is probably the single most difficult part of building a model, and to do it well requires a little trial and error and a lot of practice. Don't get discouraged if your results aren''t perfect... the more times you do it, the better you'll get.

And besides, you can always improve any paint finish by polishing it, either with automotive polishing products or a polishing kit made for models (available at most hobby shops or online).

Just ask about anything you need to know... there are a lot of talented and knowledgeable builders who hang out here, and they'll be more than happy to answer your questions.

[george 53]

See Neil? THAT'S how easy it is! And Harry ain't no slouch, he KNOWS what he's talkin about cause he's our magazines Artist! You could do ALOT worse by NOT listening to him! But, Like he said, you'll probly get ALOT of different answers cas everyone does it a little different! But now you got an idea of how to start!

[Scott H.]

First off, welcome to the site! My next suggestion is to look at the last part of my signature and burn it to memory. It's the handiest piece of advice you will ever get!

Now I'll submit a couple of questions for you to think about:

1. Are there any hobby shops in your area?

2. Have you set up a dedicated work area?

3. Is your work area in an open, ventilated area?

Here's why I'm posing those questions...

1. Hobby shops are one of the better places to get supplies from once you start getting deeper into building models.

They are also a good place to find out if there is a modeling club, group, or organization in your area. If there is one, I highly suggest getting in contact with them and going to one of their meetings. Having local friends in the hobby is a good thing when you run into a mental block on what to do or just want to hang out and talk. You can usually get hands on information and helpful hints from the meetings and newsletters too.

2. A dedicated work area saves you from constantly packing and unpacking your model and supplies and possibly losing or breaking parts in the process.

If you have to use a temporary area for building, I highly suggest getting a plastic tote large enough to hold both the model you are working on and your supplies. A good plastic drop cloth of some sort will keep from having to clean up paint and glue from the kitchen table (and the resulting visit to the dog house when the significant other finds out about it too ).

3. The better the air flow in your work area the better! Paint and glue fumes can get to you quicker than you think!

Right now I suggest getting the following as far as your tools go:

A Sprue Cutter (Used for cutting off the parts from the sprue - DON'T JUST TWIST THE PARTS OFF!!! It usually causes the parts to have damage to the area where it was attached that will need fixing later when you twist them off. A Hobby store is the best to find this one).

Finger Nail Sanding Sticks (Used for sanding down the parts where they were attached from the sprues. Get different grits if you can find them - check the beauty section of Wal Mart or a similar store as they're cheaper there than a Hobby Store).

A GOOD Hobby Knife that has replaceable blades (The cheaper ones can be a literal pain when they bend, break, or slip and you cut something you don't want to!! This can be found in the Craft Section of Wal Mart, the Drafting Section of an Office Supply Store, or a Hobby Store).

Several sizes of quality hobby paint brushes (The cheaper ones tend to leave hairs in the paint when you least expect it or need the details to be perfect. The smaller the size of the brush, the easier it will be to paint the small details on engines and interiors).

That should get you started, but you'll more than likely find other tools that you will be wanting and / or needing as your skills progress.

My last honest suggestion is to remember that GOOGLE is your friend! Just do a search for the name of the car with Pictures after it and usually it'll have places where you can see a view of the area you are working on for reference. It might take a little bit of looking around to find what you're needing, but 9 times out of 10 there is one out there somewhere.

I hope this helps answer your question some,

-Scott H.

[Foxer]

Welcome to the madhouse. You got some good starting advice above, so I though I'd give ya a take on how I start a kit. First, open the box and savor the parts, oogle and caress them ... well.. nevermind.. I like this part way too much.

I start by trimming parts and sanding the mold lines off using the tools Scott mentioned above. Smoothing out the molding lines and the stubs from where they were attached to the sprue will go a long way in giving you a good looking build. It also gets you familiar with the kit pieces before you start gluing. This is a good time to also check the fit on the parts. Some sandpaper around 400 grit is also useful for this.

There are many types of glue used by everyone here, but a liquid styrene glue and some gap filling super glue are the basic ones. I'm partial to Testor's Liquid Cement (black bottle with nice fine application tube build in), Ambroid Pro Weld Plastic Welder (very thin plastic glue, actually just a plastic solvent that runs into joints as they are held together), and Zap-A-Gap CA+ gap filling formula (I have had a 1oz bottle of this for 3 years and it has not clogged or dried up!) Just us the smallest amount of glue you can to stick it all together. Most of these glues don't need much to weld plastic.

Above all, have fun and enjoy the building.

[FujimiLover]

You got lucky that you've got a model that is easy to replace in case you goof up on your first try. It's really hard on the nerves when you've got a very rare kit that you want to build and can't find replacement parts for it.

Patients, patients, patients, patients, patients can't be expressed enough. If you want the best results you can possibly get on your first try, you've got to be patient with the kit. It won't be a one day build. Glue takes time to dry, and paint takes longer. The tag-line under my posts read's, "Quality Takes Time". I post that there more for me to remind my self that if I want something perfect, I've gotta take my time at it. I'm learning more and more with each kit I build.

If you make a mistake with painting the body, there are plenty of threads here that talk about stripping the paint back to bare plastic for a fresh restart. Be careful, a lot of paint-strippers will DESTROY the plastic! So please read our threads on what will safely remove the paint without harming the plastic.

Brush-painting is only good for small suspension parts, exhaust pipes, and other such detail's. I brush-paint the interior's when I do two-tones, or super details.

Basic painting should be done with spray-can's. When you have the money, and want to explore, air-brushing is the way to go. You can get much better results with air-brushing. I my self have yet to airbrush, but want to get into it.

Please read our threads before diving into your project. And please post pic's of whatever you do. Even if you screw up on something, one of us can help you fix it! Enjoy!

[Neil Woolway]

Hi guys

Thanks for all your welcomes and advice its nice to know i am not on my own in this. I am tyring to find a decent model shop around where i live but its proving quite difficult so i may have to use the internet to buy my tools etc. Can you guys recommend a good online store where i can get some basic tools etc, remembering i am for England.

Thanks again guys

[Harry P.]

The easiest way to find online vendors is to do a google search. I found this place in about 30 seconds, and there are dozens and dozens more:

www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk

Plus, you don't have to limit yourself to UK only sites. Most any online retailer will ship worldwide.

By the way... we didn't know you were from England until you told us so...

[FujimiLover]

I have recently visited England and I love it. However, the only good hobby shops that I know of carry mostly die-cast collectibles. I've rarely seen plastic-model kit's available anywhere. Hamleys Toy Store used to be a cool place back in the early to mid 90's but last year when my family and I went there, I wanted to go back and check theme out but they severally disappointed me. They turned into more of a kiddies toy store than the way cool hobby shop it used to be. There are some very good hobby shops if your into collecting die-cast models. I've forgotten the name of theme, but again, no plastic kit's. Again, not knowing where in England you are, I don't know what's around you. The places I was talking about was in London.

Your best bet is on-line stores, and of coarse the evil E-bay.

Edited July 4, 2009 by FujimiLover

[Neil Woolway]

I have recently visited England and I love it. However, the only good hobby shops that I know of carry mostly die-cast collectibles. I've rarely seen plastic-model kit's available anywhere. Hamleys Toy Store used to be a cool place back in the early to mid 90's but last year when my family and I went there, I wanted to go back and check theme out but they severally disappointed me. They turned into more of a kiddies toy store than the way cool hobby shop it used to be. There are some very good hobby shops if your into collecting die-cast models. I've forgotten the name of theme, but again, no plastic kit's. Again, not knowing where in England you are, I don't know what's around you. The places I was talking about was in London.

Your best bet is on-line stores, and of coarse the evil E-bay.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to England Fuji, i am actually for Devon which is about a 3-4hr drive from London so quite far. But to someone from the states it would'nt seem that far i guess.