New to modelling...
Discussion
Inspired partly by James May's excellent programme on toys before Christmas I have decided to try my hand at some plastic, airfix-style, planes. I have vague recollections of building some airfix kits when I was a little kid, but back then it was mostly a case of throwing them together in the quickest possible time, painting them in whatever colour scheme took my fancy at the time, and hanging them from my bedroom ceiling. This was normally followed a few weeks later by setting them alight for dramatic effect! 
Now I've grown up (a little), I think I'll be going for a slightly more considered approach. I'm planning on paying a visit to my local model shop tomorrow to have a nose about and get a kit or two and some of the basic gear required to build my first model in 20 years+. I quite fancy doing a Lancaster, but I think it would be wise to cut my teeth on something a little simpler first before tackling the Lanc, so I thought about maybe doing a Spitfire and a Hurricane first; that way I end up with my very own Battle of Britain Memorial Flight!
So, to get to the point of the post, I'm after any advice anyone can offer me on,
a) what materials/tools/paraphernalia I should be looking to acquire before setting out on this exciting new venture?
b) any tips anyone can offer a beginner, maybe in the form of some simple do's and don'ts?
Thanks Folks!
Now I've grown up (a little), I think I'll be going for a slightly more considered approach. I'm planning on paying a visit to my local model shop tomorrow to have a nose about and get a kit or two and some of the basic gear required to build my first model in 20 years+. I quite fancy doing a Lancaster, but I think it would be wise to cut my teeth on something a little simpler first before tackling the Lanc, so I thought about maybe doing a Spitfire and a Hurricane first; that way I end up with my very own Battle of Britain Memorial Flight!
So, to get to the point of the post, I'm after any advice anyone can offer me on,
a) what materials/tools/paraphernalia I should be looking to acquire before setting out on this exciting new venture?
b) any tips anyone can offer a beginner, maybe in the form of some simple do's and don'ts?
Thanks Folks!
Airfix actually do a Battle of Britain memorial flight kit with Spitfire, Hurricane and Lanc, it wasn't even that expensive from memory. You can work your way up and the colour schemes will all use similar colours so you'll save on paint 
Here you go, £12, bargain
www.airfixcollector.co.uk/plastic_model_kits_detail.php?products_id=39389
Here you go, £12, bargain
www.airfixcollector.co.uk/plastic_model_kits_detail.php?products_id=39389
In terms of tools you can keep it simple, a sharp hobby knife, many people use scalpels which are excellent, but the plastic handled knives sold by model shops will do. If you have a pair of side cutters at home these are excellent but don’t sweat it for now.
Some form sandpaper or file, as you progress you may pick up a variety of files but to begin with the soft nail files (that have a rough and smooth side) you can get in chemists will do fine.
Glue – again many choices but to start I would suggest the liquid glues with a brush or fine needle style applicator.
When removing parts from the sprue don’t worry about removing all the sprue on the first cut, especially with smaller delicate parts, if needs be cut a section of sprue off as well, then make a cleaner cut afterwards. Beware the carpet monster, it will find and consume all parts dropped in order of importance!
Clean each part up with your file\sandpaper, there will be small amount of flash around most parts, even if it is not perceptible.
Assemble and paint hard to reach parts first, but do not try and glue painted services, remove any paint from gluing surfaces first, and touch up the paint if necessary later.
Give a good amount of time for glue to cure and paint to dry before moving on, ie don’t rush!
Most of all enjoy it, either building painting or researching your subject, the important thing is to get something out of it, oh and welcome to the club!
>> Edited by gopher on Friday 6th January 14:23
Some form sandpaper or file, as you progress you may pick up a variety of files but to begin with the soft nail files (that have a rough and smooth side) you can get in chemists will do fine.
Glue – again many choices but to start I would suggest the liquid glues with a brush or fine needle style applicator.
When removing parts from the sprue don’t worry about removing all the sprue on the first cut, especially with smaller delicate parts, if needs be cut a section of sprue off as well, then make a cleaner cut afterwards. Beware the carpet monster, it will find and consume all parts dropped in order of importance!
Clean each part up with your file\sandpaper, there will be small amount of flash around most parts, even if it is not perceptible.
Assemble and paint hard to reach parts first, but do not try and glue painted services, remove any paint from gluing surfaces first, and touch up the paint if necessary later.
Give a good amount of time for glue to cure and paint to dry before moving on, ie don’t rush!
Most of all enjoy it, either building painting or researching your subject, the important thing is to get something out of it, oh and welcome to the club!
>> Edited by gopher on Friday 6th January 14:23
I'm getting back into this as well having built a fair few kits when I was younger, and I've got a couple of kits that I'm hoping to build when I get a bit of spare time.
I always used to struggle with painting though - does anyone have any tips for getting a good finish (i.e., no brush marks or gloopy drips
)
Also, is it worth using an airbrush? I've got a Badger 200 set which I used for painting a 1/10 scale RC car - would this be OK for 1/72 scale aircraft?
I always used to struggle with painting though - does anyone have any tips for getting a good finish (i.e., no brush marks or gloopy drips
) Also, is it worth using an airbrush? I've got a Badger 200 set which I used for painting a 1/10 scale RC car - would this be OK for 1/72 scale aircraft?
ehasler said:
I always used to struggle with painting though - does anyone have any tips for getting a good finish (i.e., no brush marks or gloopy drips
?
Yes, If you 'sparingly'paint on the coats, no ness than three coats needed for most surfaces, afterwards, buy a cheap as chips airbrush and can of compressed air. Buy a tin of Ronseal MATT Polyurethane clear varnish from, say, B&Q and thin it down by about 25% using white spirit. Then, carefully spray the finished paintwork with the varnish - this gives a perfect 'eggshell finish', plus it 'unifies' the whole 'sheen' of the model, and deadens any slight glue marks. I use this method for out prototype models worth quite a bit of money, and I also use it when building my stepson's Airfix models!
Patience,bags of patience....i keep things like those small silver individual apple pie trays for mixing paints and glues,a coffee jars is good for puting white spirit in for brush cleaning and when its not being used handy with the lid on for avoiding spillage.
If i brush paint i dont shake the tin instead i use an old match to lift the hue out and then work it with a brush before applying...it doesnt thin out so much that way.
If i brush paint i dont shake the tin instead i use an old match to lift the hue out and then work it with a brush before applying...it doesnt thin out so much that way.
Airbrushes can be used for any scale model. A Badger 250 should be fine on 1/72 scale. Having said that, I'm only just getting to grips with my airbrush. Masking the model is half the battle - and ensuring the paint is the right consistency for spraying.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 6th January 17:35
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 6th January 17:35
Eric Mc said:
ensuring the paint is the right consistency for spraying.
Agreed, I find the paint is best when of a milky consistancy, with humbrol enamals I tend to work on 2 parts paint to 1 part thinners. When I'm unsure I just add thinners in small amounts until the right consistancy is found. For this I find the baby feeding syringes (marked in 10ml units) from the chemist invaluable, and at around 30-50p each cheap! (it's funny when they ask you what they are for and you say "mixing paint"
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