Complete Beginner

[bauschjk]

hey guys,

I am a complete beginner and I am in need of some help. I have been trying to find tips/tricks and step by steps, but I am still kind of lost.

I just bought my first model and I was hoping I could get some answers to a few questions!

1. I just opened the box and I have cleaned all my part trees. Do I each part now, while it is on the tree? Or should I cut the pieces off the trees and then paint them all, or what do I do?

2. Do I paint all the pieces before I glue them together?

3. Could someone point me in the direction of a great step-by-step guide for a beginner? I really hate doing stuff wrong!

Thanks so much for your help.

[JamesW]

I usually assemble the engine and paint it as a whole (the parts that are going to be one color that is). The rest just depends on how you want to paint it. Everyone has their own ways, and in time you will find your way of doing it.

[diymirage]

i personally dont paint parts on the tree because when i take them off of the tree it would leave little marks that need to be touched up

if i paint the seperate parts one by one or as a whole depends on what it is

if i build an engine to look like a factory engine i have no problem putting it togehter and then painting it

but if i want it to look like a race engine i paint the parts seperate so i dont have to try not to get paint on the block when im painting the heads and vice versa

the body parts i generally tape together on the inside and then paint them as a whole, this way i get a uniform coat on all of it

most of this stuff though is a matter of trying different ways and sticking with what works best for you

[disabled modeler]

Hi John.....The best advise I have ever been given is to treat every part as if it were a model its self and to take your time building. As you gain experience your models will look better as time gos by. And remember...The only dumb questions are the ones that are not asked. Listen to the advise of the guys on here give you and they will be happy to help. Feel free to ask anything.....

[MrObsessive]

Welcome! You don't say which kit you got, but I would always recommend to beginners that they start with something simple. It doesn't necessarily have to be a snap kit, but something that won't have you screaming at the kit after a short while.

Here's a thread I started a while back..............It's a pretty long read, but it gives the basics for new ones (and some old ones ) just like yourself. I haven't forsaken the model as it's not done in the thread (only small things to do yet), but the big stuff like painting and BMF'ing is what I get into with detail.

Just click here if you're interested in viewing it.

Pay no attention to the highlighted words....................I lost the thread as I had the computer crash awhile back and didn't have it originally bookmarked.

Don't hesitate to ask questions.............this time of day I can answer questions if you have them-------but I work third shift and don't have much time to answer in the evening. I may be on the board, but in between trying to eat dinner and such I have a small window of time.

Hope it helps!

[Nick Notarangelo]

First off WELCOME TO THE HOBBY

When I first started off myself with painting I always did everything on the trees till I got pretty good in my ability to paint free hand and was able to trust my skills then, ANd if you got your kit from a local hobby shop see if there is a group you can join and pick thier heads for with tips and tricks also.

somethings to remember.

1 work in a good and well ventelated place when you paint or glue,if you can have a work area that no one will mess with the better.

2 don't sweat the first few kits cause those will be your learning curve to perfect your skills.

3 Have fun first! if you stress your self out cause it don't looklike the box your not haven fun,we all started some where and made more of our share of mistakes,laugh it off and try again cause you will learn from them.

good luck

[bauschjk]

thanks so much for the responses guys! I will try to post some pics to get some feedback/tips as I go.

[charlie8575]

Generally speaking, I find I like to prime small parts on the trees, and in some instances, paint the parts on the trees to help keep them in place. If I need to do a little touch-up, that's done later.

Large assemblies in one color, like engines or some interiors, depending on how parts are molded, are assembled and then primed/painted as a unit. One tip I found for assembling engines so they look nice is use a heavy bead of liquid cement on the block halves and then squeeze them together TIGHTLY. You'll get a little bit of ooze, and that's exactly what you need. When everything dries (about two hours,) you can gently sand the bead with fine sandpaper, and the block looks like it was molded in one piece.

Welcome aboard. This is a fun hobby and you'll enjoy it.

Charlie Larkin