Start or Restart Your Modeling

8/3/2019 Start or Restart Your Modeling

1/616 FineScale Modeler May 2007

Start or restart

your modeling!By Mark Hembree Photos by Jim ForbesHeres all you need to begin building

A Jones buit this 1/48 scae Hasegawa A6M5 Zero straight from the box.True, A is an experienced and skifu modeer readers may remember himfrom FSMs Workbench Reviews but he buit this kit with no modificationsand not much more than the toos you see on the opposite page.

Maybe youve never built aplastic scale model before.Or, maybe you built modelswhen you were a kid but

gave them up for more important things(sports, dating, whatever). Perhaps youwere a more serious modeler than that but

you havent built a model in years.In any event, you wouldnt be reading

this unless you were thinking of gettingback into building models. If youve beenaway from the hobby, youll quickly seehow kits, tools, and the supplies to buildthem are better than ever. And if youre

just starting out, youll have it easier thanbeginners have ever had it before. In eithercase, youll have plenty of company thevast majority of our readers rate them-selves as beginners or intermediate model-ers. So lets jump in, goof up a couple ofkits, and start building!

Cover Story


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By the time youve decided you wantto build a model, you probably know whatyoud like to build. But before you playPebble Beach, take a trip to the drivingrange and whack a bucket of balls to prac-tice your swing. If theres an easy kit ofwhat you want, great but if youve a yento build an 18th-century sailing ship withteak decking and all the rigging, or some-thing similarly complicated, considerstarting with something easier. Many kitsare labeled by degree of difficulty or levelof modeling skill.

The glue for youFor beginners, styrene cement in a tube isprobably the easiest way to bond plasticparts. Just a little dab will do: Pick up atiny drop of glue on the tip of a toothpickand apply it to the mating surfaces of theparts youre joining. The more quickly youuse the glue after its out of the tube, thebetter. Otherwise it gets stringy, and thosestrings can mar your model. (Returningmodelers no doubt remember this well.)

One of the first steps toward cleanerconstruction is to use liquid styrene

1: Lets Get starteD

Basic finishing suppies are easy to come by. A sma starter set of paints is ess than $10 and hasmany of the basic coors you need. If you choose enames, you need thinner for ceaning brushes. Anytime you paint, you need masking tape; the brand shown here is Scotchmark Paper Tape, which isow-tack and piabe. Of course, you need more sandpaper and sanding sticks. Cothespins hod partsfor painting or camp them whie gue dries. Use toothpicks to appy gue, putty, even tiny bits of paint.The fat-baded tweezers are for decas; the tips are rounded to avoid tearing deicate deca fim.

Bsc s spps

Whiteglue $2 Superglue(1oz) $7 Superglueaccelerator(2oz) $ 6 Supergluedebonder(1oz) $4 Sandingsticks $12 Spruecutter $11 Budgetbrushes $3 Hobbyknife $3 Tweezers $5 Assortedsandpaper $5 Modelcement $2 Fillerputty $7 Paintset $9

Maskingtape $4 Thinner $3 Scissors $7 Decaltweezers $4 Toothpicks $1 Clothespins $ 1 Rubberbands $ 1 Spraypaint $5 Respiratormask $15 TOTAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $117

Its not hard to get going on your first mode (or your first mode in years). Here, a coat hanger servesas a stand for a 1/25 scae AMT/Ert 1949 Mercury prepped with a coat of white spray-can primerand ready for painting. Cockwise from the car: white gue for cear parts; super gue acceerator, supergue, and (very important) super gue debonder; cippers for removing parts from the sprue withoutdamaging them; sanding sticks for smoothing parts; sma and arger paintbrush; hobby knife; variousgrades of sandpaper; tweezers for grasping tiny parts; a tube of gue; and putty to fi seams.

cement. It takes a little more manual skill:You hold the parts together, wet a brushwith cement, and touch the joint with thebrush. Capillary action draws the cementout of the brush and into the joint, bond-ing the two pieces no strings, no glue

oozing out from a joint. Sounds easy, butthe tricky part is holding two pieces andone brush with two hands.

Super glue joins dissimilar materialssuch as plastic, rubber, resin, and steel.Super glue accelerator will set the bond


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its not the tools, its the skillof the modeler. Well, OK, its the tools,

too.As your modeling skill increases, so

will your desire to improve your results.Better tools can provide answers to mod-eling challenges. For example, after a fewdrips, runs, and errors, you understand itshard to be precise with a spray can. Theanswer? An airbrush. Or perhaps yourehaving a hard time with hand-painteddetails. The answer? Better masking tech-niques or better masking tape or maybean airbrush.

Its how you finishA single-action airbrush enables you tomix your own colors and apply themmuch more precisely than you can with abrush or a spray can. Modelers who saythey spray camouflage schemes freehandare probably using an airbrush (or lying).An airbrush lets you apply thinner coats ofpaint, preserving surface detail andimproving scale appearance. Masking isless of a chore because you have far lessoverspray than you would with a spraycan. Additionally, the thinner paint driesmore quickly. If you had to choose one

tool to elevate your game, it would be anairbrush.Other keys to achieving finer finishes

include better brushes and masking mate-rials, a polishing kit, decal setting solu-tions, and weathering supplies. The lattercan be as simple as powdered chalk pastelsor an entire weathering system such asRustall. And for car modelers (or for any-one modeling chrome or bright metal sur-faces), self-adhesive chrome foil provides arealistic finish; its thin enough that youcan burnish it down to conform to curvedsurfaces and raised details.

almost immediately. However, dont usesuper glue without a bottle of debonderliterally within arms reach!

Ready, set, shop!Much of what you need to build modelscan be found around the home scissors,toothpicks, white glue, rubber bands,clothespins, sandpaper, etc. Other suppliescan be easily found in the hobby section ofa craft, discount, or department store.

For specialized tools and materials, cutto the chase scene go to your local hobby

shop. For instance, while a departmentstores hobby section may have one or twotypes of model cement, a well-stockedhobby shop will have several differenttypes of cements and glues, files and sand-ing sticks, plus an assortment of model-sized clamps and vises to hold parts after

theyre glued. One piece of advice: Make alist before you go. Once youre in a hobbyshop, its easy to get carried away!

Weve provided a checklist for youhere. But you still have a few choices tomake, notably in the area of paints. Kitinstructions usually suggest specific colorsfor major parts, but many other choicesare up to you. You can buy starter setscontaining eight or nine bottles, or per-haps a deluxe set of 24. Start small if youlike. Later on, youll have a better idea ofexactly what you need.

Most paint sets are labeled accordingto the type of models for which theyreintended, e.g. military aircraft (lots of flatgrays and olive drab) or automotive(more bright glosses); its up to you. Manyof the sets include two or three inexpen-sive brushes, and a few of the bigger ones

may even throw in a set of fine-gradesanding films. You can get sets of enamelor acrylic paints; I like acrylic paintbecause it cleans up with soap and water.

You can use a brush and bottled paintsfor painting small details or even wholemodels (see Brush-painting a war-wearyCorsair in the January 2007 FSM). Butlarger areas are easier to cover smoothly

with spray-can paints.Along with painting comes masking.

The beige masking tape youre about tosteal from the kitchen drawer may not bethe best for the job. A hobby shop willhave specialized tape thats a little lesstacky and, thus, leaves less residue (andmore of the paint) behind when you peelit off. Also effective, and perhaps a littleless pricey, 3M Painters Tape is low-tack,flexible, and costs about $4 for a 34"-wide,60-yard roll.

Where will you build?Basic modeling doesnt require majorhome renovation. (Lets take it one hobbyat a time.) Lots of people use a TV trayfor a workbench. In areas where spillingpaint or glue would be an interior-deco-rating disaster, put down a drop cloth toprevent permanent stains. Your workspaceshould be well lit; a dedicated lamp is agood idea. Also, you want good ventila-tion. A small fan can help keep glue fumesout from under your nose. If youre spraypainting, you need even more ventilation.Remember: If you can smell it, youre

breathing it.It would be nice to have an expansive

countertop with shelves for supplies, but atackle box or parts organizer can serve thesame purpose of keeping your stuffstraight until the next time you sit downto build.

You can get a great finish with spray-can paints. Be sure to incude a good dua-cartridge respirator onthe same shopping ist and be sure to wear it whenever you spray paint.


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1 Single-actionairbrushkit $55 2 Airbrushthinner $5 3 Lacquerthinner $5 4 Brushes $15 5 Chromefoil $5 6 Fillerputty $6 7 Superglue(1oz) $7 8 Supergluedebonder(1oz) $4 9 Superglueaccelerator(2oz) $6 10 Smallscissors $7 11 Modelwax $3

Building skillsAs your standard of finishing rises, youllbe getting a clearer look at the things youcould have built better. The first thingsyoull notice in a good paint job are theplaces where you could have done a betterjob of filling and smoothing seams ormanufacturing imperfections such as moldlines, sinkholes, or ejector-pin marks.Some people prefer filler putty, which is

easy to smooth into the surrounding area.Others prefer filling with super glue,which flows more freely into depressionsand is tough as nails although that par-ticular property also makes it tougher tosmooth when it is hardened. Try both,experiment, and make mistakes. Its thebest way to learn what works. When youfind yourself getting excited about the par-ticular shape or feel of a file or scribingtool, youre on your way!

As you branch out to more advancedtechniques, you may find that you want toadd details or even correct errors in the kit.

Chief among finishing suppies for the intermedi-ate modeer is an airbrush. The Testors airbrushshown here comes with a can of propeant for anair suppy. The next step up woud be buying an

air compressor or pressurized tank, aong with athe fittings to adapt to the airbrush.

i fsh spps

12 Polishingkit $18 13 Paints(enamel,1/2oz) $3 14 Paints(acrylic,oz) $3 15 Decalsettingsolution(1oz) $2 16 Artistswatercolorpalette $2 17 Eyedropper $1 18 Narrowmaskingtape $3 19 Liquidmasking $2 20 Two-partepoxy $5 21 Weatheringset $15

TOTAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $172

For example, a pin vise will help you accu-rately drill a locating hole to correct or addparts, wiring, or what have you. Usingthree-view scale drawings and accuratedimensions of the real thing, you canmeasure the accuracy of a model with ascale ruler. If you decide to tear into afuselage or ship hull to correct it, youllfind a razor saw and a motor tool willcome in handy for major modifications.

The saw and motor tool will also be

useful for working on resin, whether its awhole kit or included in the growingnumber of multimedia kits comprisingplastic, resin, vacuum-formed, and pho-toetched-metal parts. If youre messingaround with photoetched metal or otherminute details, then fine tweezers, a smallneedle-nose pliers, and perhaps a hemo-stat (a locking surgical clamp) will helpyou handle tiny, fragile parts. By thenyoull be looking for other tools, too.


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At the highest levels of mod-eling, certain tools cease to be optional theyre a must. And they can be expensive.

Again, the airbrush leads the way tothe next modeling level. Yes, you can get a

good finish with a spray can, and an evenbetter finish with a single-action airbrush.But a double-action airbrush, whichallows you to adjust the air/paint mix inmidstroke, is essential to achieve thewhole gamut of finishes, from solid colorsto subtly graduated shades and swirls.

An airbrush also is essential for spray-ing custom lacquers. These are fairly hotpaints that may require special surfacepreparation to keep them from eatingyour model alive but the results can bespectacular. If youre going to be sprayinglacquers, or just plain spraying a lot, you

should invest in a vented spray booth. Thiscan cost several hundred dollars, but its aworthy investment to protect your health.You could even use it to dispel fumes fromother household tasks, such as refinishing

furniture (just trying to help out with thespouse).Another refinement is to replace a

hobby knife with a scalpel, which issharper and more exact. Also in the inter-est of accuracy, a caliper provides precisemeasurements. Scratchbuilders who usemetal wouldnt be without a sheet-metalbender and a soldering iron. For thin sheetmetal or plastic, a punch-and-die set canbe used to make holes (or discs) of consis-tent size.

For the sort of miniscule details thatmake most of us look at a model and

shake our heads in wonder, a magnifyinglamp or headset helps you see what yourebuilding. Along the same lines, a color-balanced work light provides better lightby which to accurately judge colors.

Youll know whats rightIts exciting to see something and imagineits potential whether it s box art on a kityou covet or the tools you know will makeyour next model a masterpiece. Scalemodeling is a hobby, and its supposed tobe fun so if you want something, bygolly, go out and get it! On the otherhand, if you wait until your skills developto the point at which the lack of a tool isholding you back, youll probably feel bet-ter about spending the money. Then goout and get it! FSM

For the intermediate buider, a few handy gadgetscan make a the difference. Many are mereyimprovements on basic toos: For exampe, youcan use a third hand and a variety of campsinstead of cothespins (perhaps), or a pin vise tobody put hoes where no hoes were before. Thebow sander is great for working on compound-curved surfaces without fattening them. A scriberrestores, repairs, or carifies pane ines.

1 Spruecutter $11 2 Pinvise $10 3 Drillbitset $14 4 Clamps(5)$4 5 Scriber $12 6 Razorsaw $8

7 Pliers $3

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8 Rechargeablemotortool $35 9 Third-handstand $13 10 Bowsander $22 11 Hemostat $7 12 Detailfiles $6 13 Steelstraightedge $7

TOTAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $152


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Its fun to foo with tip-top toos, buttheyre not mandatory. As As Zeroattests, buiding a good kit straightfrom the box sti makes a good mode.

avc s spps

1 Double-actionairbrush $100 2 Magnifierlamp $40 3 Sheetmetalbender $90 4 Scalpel $ 1 5 5 Multi-speedmotortool $80

6 Dialcaliper $35 7 Solderingiron $10 8 Rifflerfileset $15 9 Customlacquer(2oz) $6 10 Headsetmagnifier $25 11 Punch-and-dieset $40 12 Color-balancedworklight $65

Not shown: Spraybooth $450 Miniaturelathe $550

TOTAl . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,521

Advanced modeers have some serious, speciaized toos. You can run into some big bucks buying some of this stuff but if resuts are paramount, some-times nothing ese wi do. Once you get to this eve, there may be no cure for your condition!

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Start or Restart Your Modeling