So I’m a bit new to this model-building thing. I’ve built a couple as a kid with my dad but my interest in the hobby has really picked up recently and I want to start my first solo project. The problem is that I really don’t have a clue where to start. I don’t really know anybody who shares this interest so I found this place.
So can any of you guys recommend a model to build that would be appropriate for a beginner like me?
My primary interest is aircraft, specifically WWII military planes (I’m a B-17 fanboy) and modern-day jetliners, but I’m really open to almost anything else aviation-related, or also if you know of a cool car model or something. Again, I’m pretty open.
Now when I say “beginner,” I really mean beginner. I’ve never built anything or really worked with my hands at all so keep that in mind in your answer. So also, what sorts of tools should I get my hands on?
Welcome Caleb, welcome to the exciting and fascinating world of modeling. I would recommend starting with a 1/48 or 1/72 scale aircraft,( you said you like planes), this will give you an idea of how big,( or small), the finished product will be. My personal comfort zone is 1/48th. There are a wide variety of inexpensive kits available ie. Revell, Monogram, Airfix, that have reasonable detail without being overwhelming to a beginner.
As for tools well here is where things start to get expensive, you will need a good X-acto knife( #11 blade), a small pair of flush cut " nippers", a selection of sanding films( Testors or Miro Mark), and finally glue. Many people use a thin liquid cement like Tenex 7R or ambroid Pro Weld. Make sure the one you choose is for styrene, some glues will not bond plastic or will be to “hot” and leave you with a puddle of goo.
Now the hard part, PATIENCE. Not sure of your ultimate goal as a modeler, which isn’t really important at this moment, patience pays off. Read the instructions, look closely at the assembly, dry fit, then SPARINGLY apply glue.
Once you have become comfortable with the build, then you move on to finish, don’t rush it, that can be REAL expensive.
So all that to say welcome, ASK questions, and above all ENJOY where this hobby can take you. Don’t be a stranger.
I just got back into it myself several months ago. This forum is a great place to start. I haven’t done any planes but quite a few cars. The best one so far is the Revell Corvette C7R that just came out a couple of months ago. All of the parts fit together perfectly and it’s a great looking car that is pretty easy to put together. The only problem I had was, I didn’t look at the box and the directions didn’t say to paint the bottom of the car gloss black. After I put several decals on the bottom, I noticed on the box, it was supposed to be black. I’d recommend I decent airbrush. Make sure to get a gravity feed, internal mix dual action one. Believe me after trying two single action, siphon feed brushes, the dual action is much easier to use. Also, there are hundreds of great youtube videos out ther. I’ve lost a lot of sleep the last few months staying up watching them. Good luck and enjoy.
Welcome bud…you and I are in the same boat…working on my first two models.One of them is a Italerie 1:72 scale UH-60 Desert Hawk…comes with paint,glue and a paintbrush…specially gift packed for the newbie.That specific range has quite a few planes to choose from.
Depending on what scale interests you most, I would say something in either 1/72 or 1/48. Dexterity wise, the 1/48 will be easier to work with. Take a look at what is on the shelf if you have a local model shop or a Hobby Lobby. If you go the HL, print out their weekly 40% off coupon, will save you a few bucks.
Welcome aboard. As for a starting kit, with fantastic fit that basically falls together out of the box try 1/48 Tamiya P-51 or the P-47. They have great details and both fit together like a glove.
Welcome! First off, if you have a hobby store nearby, they can be quite helpful. For a first kit, since you like WWII planes, a single engine fighter with a non-complicated color scheme would make sense (like the P-40). You should be able to find one that does not cost too much. Multi-engine fighters and bombers increase the difficulty of getting the kit done.
Second, this is a hobby that can get quite expensive, and I am not sure of how much you have to spend. The absolute minimum for tools were mentioned above. You absolutely need a #11 X-acto knife, the most used tool of the trade. You also need sanding sticks or films of various grits. Glue is obvious. Hobby tweezers are very helpful. You will also want some kind of putty for filling seams.
You may have some of these tools from when you did kits with your dad.
Read the forum when you get a chance. There is a lot of good information here. Ask questions. The forum members here are really great people, and like to help.
Well you said you like the 17. I would seriously look into the must build kit for any beginner. I think all of us have built the 1/48 Revell/Monogram B-17 at some point. It’s an old kit with raised panel lines, fair detail and interior with a decent fit (the join seams are workable). The nice thing about it is it is big and easy, will introduce you into gap filling and it’s a big enough easel to learn some painting and maybe a little weathering and you can find it for a nice price (you may have to shop a little to get the best price).
My [2cnts]
If you wanted ships I would suggest the Revell Arizona for the same reasons.
ModelCrazy mentioned the Monogram/Revell B17. It looks pretty good but I’ve been picking up some mixed signals about it. From what I hear, the Revell and Monogram B17s are basically the same kit but there are a couple things about them that are different. Most posts I’ve read online seem to favor the Revell one slightly more. Does anyone here have anything to say about that?
Either way, that B17 looks good but it seems a bit… big. I think I’ll aim for that to be a second or third project and pick something simpler to do first so I can use all my screw-ups on that one. Wildcatfan247 mentioned the Revell C7R as a good beginner kit. I checked it out and I like that it doesn’t have too many parts and seems pretty straight forward build. Most YouTube reviews say it can be finished in an afternoon so that seems like a good first run. I also like that you have to paint it yourself. Again, I’d like to get some practice with the airbrush on a model that it didn’t take too long to build so that if I screw up the loss won’t be as devastating.
So I’m a student on summer break so my budget isn’t exactly a mountain made out of silver. I can probably dedicate about $50-$75 a month to this. And yeah I can procure all those kits, plus the dual-action airbrush someone mentioned above. Anything else that would be useful to me?
The basic tools were pretty much mentioned. As far as glues, styrene glues weld the plastic together but take time to dry. Not great for clear parts. Cyanoacrylate glue (CA) or super glue bond the join and dry quickly, but be careful of gluing your fingers DO NOT use it on clear parts. PVA or white glue does not have the holding power for major parts but works well for clear parts since it dries clear and does not off gas which causes fogging.
I am fairly new to this myself. I built models as a kid, but hadn’t touched one in nearly 20 years when I got back into it about a year ago.
As a kid the only models I had access to were old Revell/Monogram and Lindberg kits, which were tooled in the 1960s. The fit was generally awful, and they always ended up looking like toys rather than scale models. Thankfully, I received a late education in better model options from my LHS.
Here are a few kits that I have built recently, with a focus on good fit:
Tamiya P-51, Tamiya BF-109, Tamiya Wildcat. All of these are ridiculously easy to build, look great, and should not require anything other than sanding the seams. These are “no putty” models. 9/10 in terms of fit.
Revell 1/48 Stearman, excellent fit and easy to build (for a biplane). 8/10.
Airfix 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant, another no putty model although a little more complicated. 9/10.
Older Tamiya Kits: Rafe floatplane, Zero, Raiden, Brewster Buffalo. These were tooled in the 1970s and are good, but not great. Still miles ahead of the old Monogram stuff (IMO). You can get them for around $15, and they are easy to build and look good. 7/10.
You’re getting samples of all the info available on these Forums. It’s all good. Main thing is to take your time, relax, and enjoy the hobby. The only person you have to please is yourself. I’ve been doing that for 70 of my 76 years and still having fun.
Thanks again guys. So basically for my first model I’ve chosen the Revell C7R Corvette for reasons I’ve explained above. If I get the hang of it quickly then from there I’ll move on to the Monogram B17 and maybe the Tamiya BF109.
I’m pretty solid on the tools I need but the one thing I’m still unsure about is paint. Is there any specific sort of paint I should look for? And how exactly does an airbrush work? Is it possible to even use an actual brush for things like this?
Thanks again guys. At first I was nervous that I’d annoy you with how painfully rookie-ish I am but you guys have been so helpful and have really made this a lot easier for me.
An air brush runs off of an air supply, be it compressor or tank. You will want to put a regulator and one of the red toss away filters on it to trap water. Read Don’s airbrush tips (found in the air brush section way down below). That will explain a lot and answer a lot of questions as to how they operate, as well as rewiews of several kinds. If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, use the 40% off coupon to save boo-coo bucks on one. The regulator with a guage and the filter will run you under $10 bucks at a Harbor Freight store.
If you get into the CA (super glues) there are generally 3 types…thick medium and thin. The thicker they are generally the more working time you have with them.
One tool you might want to make is to take a few sizes of sewing needles and cut off half or so of the eye. Take a small section of 1/4 inch wood dowel and drill a small hole in one end, stick the pointy end of your cut down needle in said hole til tight, or glue in with some CA. Works well for applying glues and such, way less messy and keeps it away from the fingers, mostly. If you get any of the CA’a, get a bottle of the de-bonder at the same time, will save problems later when the inevitable happens and the part is in the wrong place or you turn into 4 finger John…if you drill down in the threads in the tools page there are some pics of what I just described.
Paints basically break down into enamels and acrylics. Enamels take an enamel reducer to thin, and you can use laquer thinner for clean up (keep the laquer thinner away from the plastic though, will tend to soften and melt it in a hurry. Acrylics are a water based paint, but try to stick with the makers thinners. I find with Model Master acrylics I reduce 100-150% for air brushing through my NEO with MM thinner. Tamiya acryoics about the same with their thinner. Brush use is generally straight from the bottle. Air brushing in thin coats does not hide details as seams and rivets like the thicker coats you get with a brush. Enamels also tend to have an odor issue that some people object to, and you want GOOD ventilation when spraying them. Acrylics tend not to have the odor problem.
The nearest Hobby Lobby is quite a drive away from me I’m afraid. So if I buy an airbrush from, say, Amazon, will I need to buy a whole air tank and regulator separately?
