I bought a Basic tool kits from Amazon. Additionally I have alot of free time, so I could build one model a day. So far each HG took me around 4 ~ 6 hours to finish. The MG took me around almost 8 hours.
Edit: wordings
I'm also new to the hobby and to be honest you don't need much to get into the hobby. For tools something like this (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_Y8XGCW9KB89BE6GWRXGX) had all of the tools I found myself using my first build. At the most basic level have a hobby knife, nippers, and tweezers.
Tamiya makes good cars and military models, and Revell seems to have pretty good cars, but that's about all I've bought do far so can't really say anything else on other brands.
For painting I use tamiya acrylics thinned with isopropyl alcohol but you can use anything that's available to you like Testors enamels or Model master. Just make sure you have some quality brushes and thinner. Painting is almost always necessary unless you buy a prepainted kit. You could get away with not painting anything on a Tamiya kit as the plastics are usually molded in the same color you'll be painting it anyways (at least with the ones I've seen), but there will be noticable mold marks. The Revell models I have are all molded in white plastic, so you'll have to paint those.
Oh yeah, I also get most of my stuff from Amazon and local hobby stores, including the models themselves.
Hope that helps, go to the "New to the Hobby" thread at the top for a more detailed approach to how to get started.
I'm pretty new with Gunpla and I'm planning on getting some more kits soon, and I was wondering if this little bundle of tools would be a good investment.
I don't have any of these tools and I don't have much money to spend on them. This is the first time I've seen this pop up on Amazon, so I figured I should ask here before I did anything else.
That's what I bought and am still using. Really, all you need are plastic clippers and a hobby knife, the rest is gravy.
Yes, join the party. Even if something get mess up or broken, I just glue it back. I use Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue, and I got this tool kit from amazon for $10 lol https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CuiqFbYK6WBWZ. The only thing it’s missing is a tiny little scissors (the kind that looks like they are for nails)! Good luck, can’t wait to see your work.
If you're getting this for someone else, one of the starter kits like this will do fine to dip their toes in here. If they stick with it, there are many better versions of tools to get. These aren't fancy or anything, but it has all the basics to build their first kit.
As a beginner you could pick up something like this, it has your flush cutters for cutting parts off sprues, an xacto knife for trimming, a file for smoothing, tweezers for holding small parts. You could hit up a craft store for some kinda cutting mat.
Paint wise, I'd recommend Tamiya or Vallejo acrylics, they dry fast and are pretty forgiving for beginners, if you paint something and hate it you can get acrylic off pretty easily. I'd suggest Tamiya or Testors spray cans for the body.
As for the kit itself, #1 it needs to be something you're interested in for sure. Tamiya make the best kits hands down, so if you could find a Tamiya kit that interests you that'd be ideal. Newer Revell kits are really nice as well, I have pretty much no experience with Aoshima or Fujimi kits but they're more budget oriented Japanese kits. If you're into old American cars, you're looking more at AMT and MPC, which are very hit or miss IMO. Salvinos Jr does NASCAR kits, and Atlantis does the really old Revell US cars.
There's no real tips or tricks aside from have fun, if you're not having fun, don't do it. Take your time, patience helps a lot, but you're going to mess stuff up, not every kit is gonna turn out perfect.
I would not use that nipper.
My first few high grades I did back in the early aughts…I did them without nippers. Just twisted the pieces off by hand. I don’t recommend this, but I did it…
My personal recommendation is to get a kit like this:
Keadic 9Pcs Gundam Model Tools Kit Hobby Building Tools Craft Set for Basic Model Building, Repairing and Fixing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AHTXQEYX9XBBQA487S32?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It’s all low quality tools, but if this is ÿøûr first gunpla (I recommend a high grade for ÿøûr first gunpla) it will be a better experience, and ÿøû get a couple files and an exacto knife. The tweezers are of questionable utility with gunpla (tho general utility is great). The metal file is completely fucking useless. The plastic case is great, cause now ÿøû have a place to put tools ÿøû get in the future. My current kit was built out of one of these.
I ordered this kit
Keadic 9Pcs Gundam Model Tools... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B071LB1T5D?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Also definitely was a little adjustment - needed to be more delicate with the assembly and lighting was crucial for me (my eyes aren’t great).
Admittedly I unfortunately broke a couple of pieces (the small ship and two of the handles on the back piece).
If I were to do it again (which I may?) I would definitely be more patient and not as forceful.
I think that comes from Lego builds where the pieces are much more durable.
Hope that helps!
I use a set of clippers to make it easier to remove the parts from the runners and hobby tweezers to apply stickers, but you don’t necessarily need them. If you really wanted to, you could force out pieces by hand and put stickers on without any tools, but they make the process a lot easier and I recommend using them. Some people also file down the parts, you can use a regular nail file for that. You can find sets of tools for around $10 on amazon, this is the set I use
I'm also quite new to this hobby, but I think you should at least have a side cutting pliers (to cut the part from the runner) and a tweezer (to apply stickers), some people also refer to have a paint pen (usually gundam marker) to apply paint on model (specially for mechanical details), and some other tools (like cutting blade) to make the model kit look better and cleaner.
I believe there are some tools kit which is a good starting point.
Just a note on the Hobby Lobby brand masking tape. So Hob Blob has stopped carrying a lot of brand name items and are putting out their own knock offs. They used to carry Tamiya brand tape and thin cement which are fantastic for model building. That orange color HB tape is trash. I didn’t want to wait on ebay so I bought some and immediately regretted using it. I have taken back several sub par items distributed by HB. I suggest looking for cheaper and better supplies elsewhere. They sell you a cheap kit snd make it up by selling overpriced accessories. There are alternatives. simple tool kit
For tools probably model kit nippers, some files, sandpaper, and probably want a hobby knife. You could also get a basic amazon tool set which contains most of those items.
Nippers will make it much easier. I used to use wire cutters like you have pictured and the switch to nippers was amazing.
As for kits if you like real grades I would recommend the any of the 00 kits and I’ve heard great things about the Nu and Sazabi. But almost all kits are great just whatever design you like best.
You did a great job with your crossbone! If you need any more help feel free to ask! Also there is plenty of info on the reddit guide.
Getting back into the hobby, I'd recommend a kit off amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_4?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1550287251&sr=1-4&keywords=model+kit
this has served me well
I ordered this kit a couple months ago as a starter kit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LB1T5D
Should I be looking at a better cutter? Or is this one fine and it's just my technique that needs work? If it's my technique can you recommend a youtube video or anything that would help me improve?
Something like this is good to start with. If you like the hobby, you can always get better, more expensive tools from there: https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1541540564&sr=8-20&keywords=hobby+tool+set
Love the scheme, you seem very gifted with painting, how did you get that orange?
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you should try to do something about those mold lines though. I recently bought this kit which really helped me with it as well as for other modeling stuff ( i am not affiliated with them)
A pin vise and a range of bit sizes is always nice. Lots of kits require you to drill holes in pieces, and not having a pin vise is an issue.
I personally have 6 or 7 tweezers, ranging from flat head to needlepoint to 90*. Probably don't need that many, but having both straight and curved are a good option.
Nail sanding sticks from the beauty section of most stores is good. A set of files is also nice for hard to reach areas and curved pieces.
This is potentially a good starter set. It lacks a pin vise though, although you can easily find one on Amazon as well. I recommend a 0.3 - 1.5 mm range of bits if possible. I also don't know your budget, so this could be too expensive.
Kill Team is a good starting point especially if you get one of the teams you can do with one box like harlequins and Grey knights. One thing to get is a hobby kit with clippers and hobby knife for sure and most likely a cutting mat then you can use plastic glue or super glue to put the models together. For painting you can probably start with citadel and they have a Citadel Paint app that details how to get certain looks on the app stores plus there is Warhammer TV for tutorials and many many more tutorials out there Miniac for one is a great one for beginners. Besides at the store check out Amazon for things since with traffic it might be easier but the store manager would be a great resource of information.
And people are generally very friendly and would welcome someone new and teach them the game and ropes.
Also, on Facebook check out the Independent Characters community and the podcast they live in the Bay area and they mention quite a few other locations where they play and most likely could welcome you to a game or someone in the community would offer help as well.
I jumped back in after a 42 year hiatus. I too was in your shoes. I felt like I was drinking from a fire-hose of information. Here is my recommendation, after quite a bit of research and starting my first build.
Get the following items:
Basic Tools for $11.00
Cement for $4.50
Panzer II, Ausf. F/G for $15.50
Total Build Cost: $31.00
You are off and running for the cost of half a tank of gas (in the states)!
From there you need to add primer and paint. I do not think you are going to beat that price. The tools are are 90% of what you need for almost any build.
You might ask, "why the Tamiya Panzer II?" Glad you asked. It's a kit that has been around since I was a kid (I am 54). It's solid, and Tamiya are renowned for being decent kits that hit the sweet-spot between quality and detail.
The above items will get you the build. From there its primer and paint. You can rattle can on this and still to a decent job. I would suggest You Tube for guys have tutorials. Again this Panzer II is a one-color paint job. But there are also options for a fancy two-color scheme if you are so inclined. See here Pz II Instructions.
If you think this kit is cheesy or low quality just search the WWW for some examples of what guys can do with it. Panzer II, example
Painting the figures is going to cost you a lot, due to paint. I would save them for later.
If you want to spend a little more on the tank here are few I considered after tons of research.
Panzer II, Ausf. A/B/C for $29.00. I thought about listing this one above instead of the Panzer II, Ausf. F/G. But I went with F/G version due to the lower cost.
T-34/76 mod 43 for $26.00 The workhorse of the Soviet Union. Another one color paint job.
Panzer IV, Ausf D for $25.00. I built this when I was twelve years old. It looked pretty good back then (at least in my memory). Again, the one color paintjob. I WILL go back and build this again.
I built some airplanes when I was younger too, but decided to pick a tank. Airplanes are required to have long, clean, aerodynamic lines and a model has to have a more "pristine" look. Tanks are tanks-rough, beat-up, grime and dirt covered. You are going to make mistakes and AFV allow you to just cover them up with dirt.
FWIW, I went with the T-34. And so far I am having a blast. YMMV.
Hope this helps and have fun and I would be curious to see your progress.
Note: I am not endorsing any retailer in this post, I was just linking for convenience.
The Blood Angel Start Collecting box's minis are all viable in the current iteration of the game. If you can find the box, then everything is playable. The models usually don't go unsupported in new editions; the rules concerning the models just get updated. Make sure to check sites like eBay. Usually you can get things cheaper there or on Amazon than you can directly from the GW store.
If you're interested in playing Blood Ravens, not Blood Angels, then just keep in mind that the former are covered under the regular Space Marines Codex, and you could buy the Start Collecting: Space Marines box, instead.
In terms of starting out, you'll need some hobby tools and plastic glue (if your minis are plastic) and/or superglue for everything else. I bought this pack from amazon for 10 bucks, and I've been pretty satisfied with it so far.
You'll also need the Blood Angels Codex, which will have all the information about what your units can do. You can find the core rules here which should be everything you need to know about actually playing the game. There's more information in the Chapter Approved core rulebook about higher order playing (making tournament-legal lists, for instance).
And this is 100% the right place to ask. I'm also a newer player (only have a couple games under my belt, as it's difficult getting my playgroup together because we're all pretty busy) but this subreddit has been very helpful and supportive to me learning how to play, building models, etc. I hope this was helpful!
Yeah you need a sprue cutter.
I bought this kit off Amazon and it's served me well: https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D
Tamiya makes a really great kit. the kit should cost less than 50 bucks online or at a local hobby shop/
to build this would would want a starter tool set, https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Modeling+Tools+for+Plastic+Models&qid=1664824214&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI2LjA1IiwicXNhIjoiNS44OSIsInFzcCI6IjUuNjEifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-2 this has files, cutters, a knife all the stuff you will need to build a nice model.
The last two thins are model glue. Tamiya Extra thin cement is really the best. Its in a green jar.
If he will want to paint the model, this one is nice since it just one color, a spray can or a pot of olive green/olive drab paint would do the trick.
You could do all of this for under 100 bucks.
This is a fine set - not too expensive and has all the stuff to get going
Dang a necron birthday? You are now one of my favorite people. I love orks and necrons so you kinda got me a bit jealous haha. For the sprue cutters I just bought a $10 pack that comes with tweezers, files, blades, and sprue c that have worked wonderfully for me. I got mine off of amazon. I'll leave the link below
Tell your husband we said happy birthday!
I use these, they contain everything you'll need and more
Great price point too, since all of these separately would end up being more expensive
Cool. I found a 9 tool gunpla kit on Amazon for 10 bucks https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LB1T5D/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=AUGKL3EVR9OAM&psc=1. Will that be sufficient for basic modding?
For tools, Amazon has a tool set for about $10 USD (https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/) that covers nippers, knife, tweezers, files and sanding sticks which should be more than plenty for a beginner.
A basic double bladed kind. Kind of like the pair in this little set.
The tools that come with a kit are usually pretty junky. You can sometimes get decent paints, but the brushes are the worst of the worst.
In contrast, for pretty cheap, most of the sets of tools only on Amazon marketed as a "Gundam starter set" or something similar have good enough quality tools for a beginner.
Here are some examples:
If you bought one of these sets, you'd be ready to build most modern plastic kits with just some good brushes and paints.
Once you get going, you'll get a sense of which tools you want to improve and whether you want to invest in airbrushing, etc.
Luckily, it doesn't require major techniques mostly paint techniques. Tools that are required are sand paper or Flier and hobby cutting pliers. For paint brushes I would use whatever you can get you hands on, but definitely gonna need a dry brush for the worn look. I used Citadel paints, their's many other choices Vallejo, Formula P3 and Army Painters.
This a good hobby tool set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_AEPWDEEFK2AT55GGH8QD
NCR Veteran Ranger Kit https://www.ebay.com/itm/133703067724
The Body used for the custom was GI Joe Rise of Cobra Paris pursuit Snake Eyes and the chest piece was from a GI Joe RoC Charbroil. Whenever you're ready I can go in detail on how made the custom.
To start, you can just use cheap spray paint until you see if you like it. This channel has lots of videos, and he always uses rustoleum and gets reasonable results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pWrb1amyQU
For a cheap kit, if you're in the US, hobby lobby has 40% off cars a lot of the time, so you can get them under 20$
Then you just want something like this to cut the parts from the "sprue" and file down any rough parts: https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hobby+kit&qid=1610678772&sr=8-1
After that, you'll need some glue. You can get by with super glue to try out, but tamiya's glue doesn't leave big globs, and is recommended.
oh my lord no do not use normal pliers. The hobby pliers are actually sharp, not blunt like normal pliers, so they cut through the plastic rather than bending anything. You'll probably also need a hobby knife to clean down any mold lines (the line of plastic that runs down your model, feel free to search if you don't know what they are) or sprue bits left on the mini. I've been using this kit for almost three years now without having to replace anything in it.
With regards to the bit you broke off, if you still have it you could always reattach it with some plastic glue if it's not too mangled. Otherwise, just file down the area where it broke off until it's smooth.
Tips for assembling 40k minis here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARn9_xR87A8
Amazon. There are kits that are sold with side cutters, files, nail polishers. Just about anything you could need for a build. https://www.amazon.com/Findfly-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527227248&sr=8-1&keywords=gunpla+tool+kit
Some things that I would recommend having to start out: Warhammer 40k rule book, Codex for your army, D6 dice(other dice would be useful too as wound/victory point trackers). The Citadel Colour app is a good (free) app to get for deciding what paint to get to paint your army. It also has some good tutorials on how to paint miniatures (which you can also find on youtube). As for assembling your minis, if you search on Amazon you'll find everything you need, just search for miniature assembly kits https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3H7CRDBPOZZJ3&keywords=miniature+assembly+kit&qid=1567860206&s=gateway&sprefix=miniature+asse%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-3 < I use this one. You'll also need plastic glue for all your plastic needs and super glue for Resin-cast miniatures. A good glue for plastic would be Testors non-toxic plastic cement. For Resin super glue Loctite is usually a good brand. For brushes, cheaper brushes you can buy in bulk for like 5$ or something are fine to use. Just do some googling for the sizes you'd need. For Priming your models (which you have to do to get the paint to stick to them) do some googling, you can go with spray paint or you can hand paint (I hand paint or use an airbrush using Vallejo primer). It's also worth mentioning that with both paints and miniatures, you can get a good percent of them from third party retailers, either at your local gaming store that carries them, or online (I recommend MiniatureMarket.com or Gamenerdz.com ) for a reduced price.
I'm interpreting this is as a C&C request. If that's not the case then I apologize
Hope this helps and welcome to the hobby.
Yeah, to some extent the hobby is expensive to start. But a lot of the initial cost is as you say for tools and paints etc which will last you a long time so they’re more a bit initial outlay but not an ongoing cost. And when you also consider the time spent assembling, painting and playing then it’s actually pretty cheap comparatively.
I’m still surprised at the cost though. Maybe it’s because I’m in the UK so the price looks high, but I’m sure if you wanted to keep the cost down and just bough the absolute bare minimum then you could shop around to bring it down.
For example:
Box of Boyz from GW - $36
Paint from GW is $4.55 a pot. 7 colours and 2 washes comes to $47.45
A couple of army painter brushes from Amazon here - $13
A cheap set of basic tools from amazon here -$10
That’s everything you need for like $106.
This is the basic starter set for 40k: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-AU/Warhammer-40000-Recruit-EN-2020
Add a tool kit like this one from Amazon and some plastic glue and you have everything you need to build and play 40k.
Obviously that doesn't cover painting the minis, but that's not totally necessary as a newbie just wanting to try out the tabletop game and there are loads of good painting guides online from Warhammer TV, Sonic Sledgehammer Studio, Midwinter Minis and many others when you're ready to start painting.
How much are you looking to spend? Buying overseas is always an option, but you're usually waiting for your stuff and shipping can be a little pricey. (Also some restrictions like can't send blades or liquids.) In my personal opinion on the two sets is that the cheaper one gives you more for less, but probably less quality. Also found a slightly cheaper set here. This one is the same price and has more stuff. Here I will just link the store on amazon.