Model Building Essentials part 2

My first list was the 10 thing's that every model maker should definitely have on their workbench.




This second list will be 10 different items which will help bring your model building to the next level.


Pin vise and micro drill set: As you get better at building models, you will eventually need to make holes to add details. weather its something as simple as modifying a wheel rim to add a valve stem or drilling holes in the fuselage of a plane to add hose detail to landing gear. Make sure you get a comfortable one as some of the smaller ones can cramp your hand after extended use ( 8 holes for spark plugs in the side of an engine)

Jewelers files: A decent set of small jewelers files can shave huge amounts of time on your modeling sessions. the different shaped files help get into places it would be near impossible to get sandpaper into. The round, or rat tail, is great for smoothing out holes without them losing shape while the triangle, square, and flat all have their place as well.

Quality lighting: You will be amazed at how much easier it is to work on models when you do not have to strain your eyes to see them. Light positioning will play a role in your ability to work as well. i use a four foot fluorescent led with a 'daylight' led in it. make sure whatever light source you use is mounted where the shadows will not be a problem. nothing worse than moving your head closer to your work to focus on something small and having your head cast a shadow so its harder to see.

Sprue cutters: I am going to say from the onset....buy two. Sprue cutters make your life easier. they are made for cutting the parts off the injection molded sprue's in such a way as to minimize the need for cleaning up the parts later. I say buy two because ...its inevitable..you would be working on something and need to trim just a bit off that small metal wire or that brass rod and you grab the sprue cutters. after all they are made for cutting , right? ...once you make that mistake and inspect the blades on the sprue cutter, you will likely find them to be damaged from cutting material thats not plastic. far easier to have two pair and mark one for use with metal with a piece of tape on the handle or something. That way you always have one that is 'just for plastic' and will always work for you.

Razor saw and miter box: This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. think of a long flat razor blade with teeth cut into the blade and a reinforced spine. The razor saw comes in handy for cutting anything from styrene to brass rod and even wood. When doing car modifications like top chops or channeling, the miter box is indispensable. The miter box helps keep all the cuts square to minimize cleanup. I have noticed that there are two different types of blades, one is flat and one is slightly wavy. i prefer the flat type for the work we do. it is easier to keep on track and makes the thinnest cuts.

Airbrush/Air source: ( can of worms moment ) i am going to get a lot of hate for this one but its a personal view. if you want to elevate your model building to the next level, you have to realize the airbrush is superior in every way to standard spray cans or brush painting. Until you can show me someone that can pull off realistic pre shading, fading of colors, or shadowing/highlighting  with a brush or spray can, my opinion wont change.

Spray booth: It used to be that spray booths were very expensive which made them a luxury few could afford in the model communities. so people went into making their own versions. some better than others, from a simple cardboard box on its side to catch over spray ( no fume extraction ) to someone converting a TV cabinet and adding kitchen extraction fan and light setup to it. You should have a spray booth ( with fume extraction ). even if you only use spray cans occasionally in your model area, you are breathing those fumes. even worse, everyone on the house is also breathing them. I currently use mainly acrylic paints, which are water based, but on the occasion where there is a color i need ( for example, a metalizer or say a lacquer candy color ) i am glad i have my booth. No odor in the house, all exhaust leaves the house via an exhaust tube that vents out a window and it has led lights built into the unit to help while painting. The cost of booths has come down quite a bit in the years. My current one ran me about $90ish and does all i need. There are die hard painters who will say ' you need the best 4,000,000 cfm fan and whatnot. Be realistic, you are not looking for something that the exhaust coming from it will blow over small saplings in the back yard, you just want something to remove the fumes and chemicals that come with spraying some paints.

A food dehydrator: This one, for me, was a game changer way back in the day. I found my first one at a thrift store about 10 years ago and figured i would find a use for it. since then i have used it with each and every fit i have built. The unit i currently have has a temp control on it that i keep set between 105f and 110f. Think of the dehydrator as a drying booth for your paint and bodywork. I have had spray can enamel ( was testing lol ) be dry enough to wetsand and rub out in as little as 24 hours compared to the normal 3 days to a week if it were to air dry. i have also had the dehydrator save a few paint jobs for me. When it was on the edge of being too humid to paint , and i did it anyhow, and the humidity started to blush the paint. a couple hours in the dehydrator removed all traces of it.

A dremel tool: the one i currently have is cordless and convenient, but the corded versions work as well. i use my dremel for everything from sanding with the sanding drum attachment ( removes most of the material for me when i am opening grills on vehicles) all the way to using it to cut through areas with the cutting wheels when i am doing top chops or sectioning. Just yesterday i used it to trim a piece of kit glass so it fit better. ( try to trim that any other way without it cracking and splintering)

Patience: This is another i am going to get some flack for because it is not something physical. If you want to improve your model building skill's, you must be patient. Nobody becomes an expert over night. It takes time and effort to build your skill set and improve. With each build, push yourself just that little bit more, scratch build one item ( even if one came in the kit ) the more you realize everything is built out of different shapes just put together to form 'parts' , the more skills you acquire. Stop trying to knock out a build a week...whats the hurry? kits are expensive, why not get your moneys worth out of them and learn to improve as you go?


Now i am sure on here i will have people telling me i missed some items between this post and the last one. feel free to drop me a line using the form below or even hit me up on facebook. I will amend where i feel necessary to help point the newer builders in the right direction.


thanks for reading

cya soon