I've wanted to do a guide for model building for a long time. Keep in mind that everyone who gets into the hobby builds their own way, and develops their own techniques. I have tried various things that I liked, and a few that I did not like. Your capabilities will evolve over time as you work with different tools and paints. Let this guide steer you in the right direction, and I hope I made a positive contribution to those looking to get into plastic model building.
-Rob
Introduction: Kits
Model kits first came out in the mid 20th century as mass produced kits. These kits were small in number, had limited details, and were released under the name of "garage kit". This is why you still may hear that term today. For centuries, people collected objects around them and began assembling models of other things, from toy cars to trench art. Before commissioning the US Navy, the forefathers wanted a model ship to look at. Frequently, sailors would construct models of their vessels to kill time.
Types of Plastics
There are two main types of plastics a model builder concerns themselves with. You can work with both types of plastics, but more often than not you will be working with some kind of styrene plastic. If you read on a glue bottle "for styrene plastics", this is what they mean. Another type of plastic is called resin, which can be more difficult to work with. If you are new to model building, I recommend not starting with resin. I don't even touch the stuff. One of these days!
Basic toolsThere are a couple of basic tools we use as model builders. If you walk into a hobbystore with this list, they can likely find all of them for you:
1) Sprue Cutters/Nippers
2) Tweezers
3) File
4) Model Cement
I use these tools every time I build a model kit. Sprue cutters remove the parts of a model from the tree of plastic you see in every kit. Never twist off the parts- that is one of the golden rules of model building. Tweezers help to position parts, hold onto parts, and some have a spatula at the end which can apply putty. A file is an essential tool for getting rid of gates (stubs of plastic that remain after you cut a part off of the tree) or seam lines. They are handy to have. If you don't want a metal file, you can use a coarse buffing stick that women use to sand their nails. Model cement is also necessary, and because there are so many different types of cement, it warrants its own subsection.
Model Cement
Model cement is the glue that holds a part together. Certain glues are handier in certain situations, and I usually keep them all lying around. As you build models, you will know what is needed for the job.
- Gel/Tube cement
- Plastic Weld
- Brush Applicator Cement
- Super Glue
If you know very little about the hobby, you probably have the preconceived notion that you need to use the tube glue. Not quite- and not in every case. Tube glue is good for mating (joining) large surfaces to each other. Since you don't want the glue to spill out onto visible pieces (this is called marring), be careful when using this glue. It is good for beginners, behaves well, and has a fast drying time. Plastic weld is a intermediate to advanced glue that works by welding two plastic parts together with a thinner solvent. Always remember that thinner melts plastic. This glue is handy for joining two parts together and removing seam line. You have to sand the excess glue away of course, but that is an intermediate topic, and not appropriate for a beginner's guide to modeling. The brush applicator cement is what you want in most cases. Although now a days, I like to use super glue. Super glue comes in many brands, but it is all generally the same thing. It has the added bonus of sticking quick, but the set time is a ridiculously short window (maybe 30 seconds max). Sometimes, superglue won't do the job, and you have to try something else. Also remember that glue will not adhere to plastic if there is paint in the way.
What's an easy way to get started?The easiest way to get started is to not go out and buy an expensive kit. Instead, purchase smaller, less expensive kits and give your building techniques a go. Plastic snap together kits are ideal because they involve no necessary painting, and little to no glue. Gundams are a great starter, especially their 1/144 kits. We should also go over what scale is.
Scale
A scale model is a representation of a larger thing. If I take Tamiya's 1/35 Panzer for example, 1/35 means that if you put 35 Panzer models side by side with each other, you would have the accurate length of a real panther tank. Every dimension of the original tank has been divided by 35, and put into plastic form. The larger the number in the denominator, the smaller something generally is, although not necessarily. Scales are roughly consistent for the sake of convenience, both in the manufacturing process and for the builder. If you want to be my father and buy a 1/900 scale ship for me because you think it will be huge, think again. 1/350 is generally larger than 1/900 in most cases, especially when it comes to ships.
Leave any questions in the comments section.
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