Getting back into model making

[dipwing]

Hi Phers,
Looking at getting into model making again (specifically cars or helicopters) after a long 30 year rest. Had to get a job, buy a house, have kids etc.

I have the following questions and would greatly appreciate your answers and advice:

1. What would be a good basic set (knives, brushes, base paints etc) to start with?
2. Is an airbrush really needed?
3. Are the £10 Airfix starter kits any good?
4. What would be a good scale to start with?
5. I live in Clacton-on-sea, Essex so where is the best place to buy kits from?
6. Are the older Airfix/Tamiya kits found on Ebay any good?

I’m not looking for a 5 minute start to finish kit so don’t mind something with a fair amount of detail that I can get stuck into.

I’ve been looking at the Revell 1:24 scale VW beetle, Camper van or Le Man Corvette for around £20.00 to start with.

All advice greatly received.
Cheers
dipwing

[Red Firecracker]

A few good threads to browse;

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=8&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=3&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=8&a...

Most important thing though is to enjoy it.

[Eric Mc]

dipwing said:

Hi Phers,
Looking at getting into model making again (specifically cars or helicopters) after a long 30 year rest. Had to get a job, buy a house, have kids etc.

I have the following questions and would greatly appreciate your answers and advice:

1. What would be a good basic set (knives, brushes, base paints etc) to start with? SEE THREADS LISTED ABOVE

2. Is an airbrush really needed? NO _ BUT YOU'LL WANT ONE SOONER OR LATER

3. Are the £10 Airfix starter kits any good? I WOULDN'T BOTHER. SOME OF THE KITS - ESPECIALLY THE NEW ONES FROM 2006 ONWARDS, ARE QUITE NICE - BUT THE PAINTS SUPPLIED ARE PANTS

4. What would be a good scale to start with? HOW'S YOUR EYESIGHT I STILL PREFER 1/72 FOR MY AEROPLANES - BUT I USE A HEAD MAGNIFIER THESE DAYS.

5. I live in Clacton-on-sea, Essex so where is the best place to buy kits from? MODEL SHOPS ARE GETTING RARER AND RARER. THE INTERNET IS WHERE IT'S AT THESE DAYS, OR MODEL SHOWS.

6. Are the older Airfix/Tamiya kits found on Ebay any good? OLD TAMIYA ARE GENERALLY OK. OLD AIRFIX? - MUCH MORE VARIABLE. SOME OLD AIRFIX KITS ARE NICE - SOME ARE ABSOLUTE SHOCKERS. YOU NEED TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE BUYING - LIKE ASKING HERE

I’m not looking for a 5 minute start to finish kit so don’t mind something with a fair amount of detail that I can get stuck into. DON'T BUY AN OLD AIRFIX THEN. NEW AIRFIX - PROBABLY OK. AGAIN, ASK HERE.

I’ve been looking at the Revell 1:24 scale VW beetle, Camper van or Le Man Corvette for around £20.00 to start with.

All advice greatly received.
Cheers
dipwing

There are other kit manufacturers out there that you might want to consider beyond Airfix, Revell and Tamiya. There's also Hasegawa, Zvezda, Italeri etc.

Why don't you pop into WH Smiths and pick up a couple of current scale model magazines. You'll get a feel for what is out there at the moment and the varying quality of the kits. Model forums such as Britmodeller are quite good for finding things out - although the debates can get a bit too intense for my liking.

Personally, I quite enjoy building older kits (toolings dating back before the 1980s) but I am pretty clued up on what to expect from these old kits. I recently built the old 1974 era Airfix Spitfire Vb (which I've built now on at least three separate occasions) so know exactly the quality of what is in the box.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 8th August 14:40

[dipwing]

Cheers guys.
I'll take a look around and post some pics of my first model for critique!

[johnS2000]

I got back into scale modelling a couple of years back .

I'm always on the lookout for tools and paint , it's never ending .

I'm currently working on :

1/24 Airfix Spitfire mkvb.

1/24 Airfix spitfire mk1a.

1/24 Airfix Hurricane

1/24 Airfix Mustang.

1/24 Airfix Sea Harrier.

1/24 Tamiya S2000.

1/32 Revell Red Arrows Hawk.

1/32 Revell Mig 29.

1/350 Airfix HMS Illustrious .

And the latest addition :

1/72 Revell Pirate ship being converted into the Black Pearl.

[Zad]

I would go with the Revell VW Camper. Something like that won't be as prone to (self) criticism as a Spitfire etc, and the size of it will make it easier to handle. In theory you can do whatever you want with a kit, but I think something like a camper is a bit more fun and gives you free range to try out techniques.

Nip down to Halfords and get a rattle can of their acrylic primer, it goes on very nicely (obviously mix well, use thin coats) and many "grey beards" seem to swear by it. While you are there, get some fine wet and dry.

I got a cheap Chinese hobby knife set from TK Maxx, only cost a few quid but it has metal handles and metal collets to hold the blade. You wouldn't do surgery with it, but the blades are fine for modelling.

[jpringle819]

If it is this camper http://www.revell.de/en/products/model-building/ca... I wouldn't try it as my first model. There is no body shell just panels and you need to paint inside and out on the same panel. I would go for any Tamiya car to start with.

[Zad]

If you mean the T3 Camper, there is a PDF of the instructions here:

http://recurs.hisinsa.com/web/manuales/revell/0734... (16MB)

I think having the instructions online in PDF format is an excellent idea, I wish Airfix did it for all their kits. It has certainly sold me various kits - and to be fair put me off others.

[Eric Mc]

As I finish each kit, I am scanning in the instructions. It means I can dump the paper but keep the data for future reference - or to help anyone who might need a set of instructions in the future.

[perdu]

Eric Mc said:

As I finish each kit, I am scanning in the instructions. It means I can dump the paper but keep the data for future reference - or to help anyone who might need a set of instructions in the future.

I wish you'd scanned your decal sheet before you started on it Eric, we could have used the original to print you the broken part(s)

Eric's idea about scanning instructions is rather a good 'un

I think I'll copy that one Eric

[Eric Mc]

I don't have a colour printer so couldn't have replicated the pale green code letters.

[Marshdweller]

Admittedly, it's a little while since I went to Clacton, but there's a decent model shop there, Clacton Art Craft and Model shop. It's got a better range of kits than most Hobbycrafts etc. and all the paints you'll need. Any other tools you might need to go online for though.

[dipwing]

Marshdweller said:

Admittedly, it's a little while since I went to Clacton, but there's a decent model shop there, Clacton Art Craft and Model shop. It's got a better range of kits than most Hobbycrafts etc. and all the paints you'll need. Any other tools you might need to go online for though.

My wifes just got back from there this morning.
My son came back with the Airfix Aston Martin and my daughter brought back a mustang.

I got nothing other than a price list. Charming!!

[Eric Mc]

Mustang - Ford or North American?

[dipwing]

Eric Mc said:

Mustang - Ford or North American?

Ford

[dipwing]

Here we go then....

Popped into Clacton Art, Crafts and Models on Friday and picked up this..



As expected the paint and brushes are not the best so returned on Saturday for some more paints and then popped into Wilko for some wet and dry paper and files.

Started the engine Friday night and still working on it. Needs a bit of tidying up around the spark leads as they wouldn’t quite reach the desired location.



I’ve borrowed my sons magnifying glass and am finding it a challenge painting with it. Practice makes perfect I guess!

[dr_gn]

You could cut the plastic plug leads off at the plug caps, drill them with a micro drill and insert real wire, it would look much better and would probably be easier to assemble.

Lead wire is available in different thicknesses, and has very little 'spring' so it's easy to route into any shape you want.