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What tools do i need?


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Hello everyone!

I'm very new to this hobbie and im curious to what products some of you guys use to put together these amazing pieces of work! For instance what paint you use? Or what would i need to put together one of these rigs? paint, tools, primer etc...

It would be greatly appreciated because i have a 1968 dodge hemi that i want to put together as a practice piece before i get on to my 1980 international transtar 2 with reefer...

So if you could let me know what products you guys use i would greatly appreciate it!!!

Thanks again!

Tommy

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A xacto knife,probably the first thing.Small diagonal cutters(wire cutters) for cutting parts off trees.Sand paper,600 and up the higher the number the finner,1200 to get primer ready for paint.Go to the make up section of your favorite store and get some sanding sticks for doing finger nails.Elastic bands,clothes pins(for clamping parts),and tooth picks(for dabbing glue) are great things most people can find around the house.A good steel ruler is handy.A steel clothes hanger can be bent into a holder for painting bodies.A pin vise(a small hand held drill with tiny bits), small miter box and razor saw are nice when and if you want to modify or scratch build parts.All the stuff I mentioned are inexpensive

Kevin

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I use super glue for glue and nothing else, a excto knife, some small drill bits, paints I use are Krylon, Color Place, and random paints at times and also Testors spray paints that isn't enemel. For body filler I use real car bondo. So you see, besides the model car paint and excto knife I stay away from the model stuff like model glues and model putty or try to best as I can. LOL

Edited by m0parman
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Thank you guys SO much for all these responces!!! I have found some of these items online but i think im going to go to my local hobby store to make sure im getting the right stuff!!! What kinds of paint do you guys use? Spray paint, paint jars and a brush? Also the brands of paint would help alot too. Thanks so much!!!

Tommy

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I use super glue for glue and nothing else,

Why??,I use testors red all the time for building the sub assemblies,it welds the styrene together.It is strong.I will use super glue for some things,but you have to watch because it fogs up chrome,some one said its because it reacts to your skin oil that's on the part your gluing?Epoxy is a good alternative.Also good ol' white glue for windows and lights,it doesn't fog the clear,and works well for mock ups,there is other stuff for clear,but white glue you can get anywhere,and a bottle will last a long time

Now for paints,you can't beat the stuff that's made for models.I have used krylon,duplicolor,and a lot of other off brands, both enamel and lacquer,all from the can.I don't have an air brush.I like lacquer because its thinner,a lot of times I get paint too thick with enamel(I'm no pro),but needs more work to get a great shine (lots of buffing).When painting with stuff that is not for the hobby always use primer,I like duplicolor.Actually it is a good idea to always use primer because you can see the imperfections and mold lines on the parts better,so you can get rid of them before the final paint.

Kevin

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When it comes to gluing in windows, I follow Kevin's advice; I use Elmer's school glue to start. I let that set for awhile. That way it holds the window in place, and if the window gets bumped, the glue can be washed off with water without any damage. Once that's set then I move on to the permanent glue. Windows can give a beginner, and sometimes, us oldtimers fits.

When it comes to spraypainting, I use old spray cans to hold the bodies. I just place a circle of masking tape on the top to hold the body to the can.

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lots of stuff from around the house to augment the $$$ spent for tools lacking substitutes.

wooden toothpicks and clip clothespins come to mind. if santa brings you a new shirt, keep the pins. fingernail clippers trim sprue and i prefer them on curved parts because of the radius cutting edges. cotton swabs for decaling. margarine tubs, ice cube trays, never discard a pill or spice bottle. or piece of cardboard. wax paper is good for squirting putty or mixing two part anything (i use JB Weld a lot).

buy better quality tools less frequently than dumping a bunch of money on tools which look great in the catalog, but perform a task which you could do in steps with basic tools (it's not a race - just a race car!).

single edge razor blades are handy, about 1/4 the price of hobby blades, and extend the life of those blades if you use them for general cutting chores. dulled hobby blades (most guys have at least 2 knives, "new" blade & slightly dull blade)can be used for spreading adhesives and putties rather than buy a dedicated tool.

good to pick up a couple of saw blades of different tooth configurations and a handle. three needle files will get you started (flat, round, triangle) but a six piece set is usually less than 20$.

it goes on, but let the need dictate the tool.

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Tommy,

Be carefull with knives!! For me the most important tools and equipment are: cutting mat, razor saw, needle files and small drill bits. I do have 3 Xacto knives, one with a chisel type blade (used the most to chop parts of on the cutting mat), one with a conventional blade and one with a saw blade. These are still the same blades I first bought when I got back into modelling 6 years ago. That gives you an indication of how much I use them.

Hope this helps.

Dave

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Tommy,

Be carefull with knives!! For me the most important tools and equipment are: cutting mat, razor saw, needle files and small drill bits. I do have 3 Xacto knives, one with a chisel type blade (used the most to chop parts of on the cutting mat), one with a conventional blade and one with a saw blade. These are still the same blades I first bought when I got back into modelling 6 years ago. That gives you an indication of how much I use them.

Hope this helps.

Dave

hey dave! thanks for the response! But whats the drill bits for?

Tommy

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Tommy,

The drill bits are for drilling holes. Once you start fitting parts together from the kits you will realise that a good selection of small drill bits are very useful. Also for drilling holes to add details to your builds such as air lines and for scratch building.

Check the link below which shows the fully working walking beam suspension on an Autocar I built recently. All done with basic hand tools.

http://public.fotki.com/oldalbion/autocar-a64b-with-5/autocara64binprogre-19.html

Dave

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