Big Shoota
Introduction
Or Better yet, how did I get here? (warning – long article) I started my modeling hobby around 1978 when I first saw the US Airfix model called the Starcruiser 1 at Dayton’s while shopping with my mom. I got it for Christmas that year and was so excited I couldn’t hardly wait to put it together. The thrill of building what was on the box was awesome! Although it was a snap-together kit with stickers for graphics, it was really cool in the mind of a 10 year old. I’ve been doing it ever since. I’ve built hundreds of models in nearly every category: Cars, planes, trains, science fiction, military, diorama, etc. and I have most of the instructions for those kits as a sort of history of what I’ve done and where I’ve been. I won’t reminisce too much about that here. Suffice to say I was good enough to have won a few first and second places in local modeling competitions through the years and even had my local Army recruiters office commission me to build/paint a few of the newest fighting vehicles (M1 Abrams and M2 Bradleys and a few aircraft) for their display cases. I’veu0026hellip;
Equipment and Supplies
Any good house starts with a good foundation, and a good set of tools. Not everyone can afford to go out and buy all the tools one needs so their cache of tools and resources have to be built up over time. My hobby room’s been 30+ years in making. I’ve come up with two lists of Tools and Supplies. One is for someone who is just getting into the hobby, the absolute basics one needs to put together a model and paint it. The second list is a longer (of course), more comprehensive listing that any well stocked hobby bench/cabinet should have. Later, in the Tools section I’ll spend a short time covering what to look for when choosing these tools and supplies. My First Model List Newspapers (to cover workspace) Hobby Knife Glue (Either superglue or plastic cement) Toothpicks Dixie Cups Acrylic Paints Small Paint Brush Shoebox or other small container to keep everything in A Place to Work Good Lighting Well Stocked Hobby Area ASSEMBLY Dedicated workbench Cutting mat Hobby Knives – various handles and blades Jewelers Saw Pin Vice and bits Tweezers – Flat edged and pointed Dremel (or any rotary saw) with bits Dish Soapu0026hellip;
The Work Area
Of course you’ll need a place to do this crazy thing. Your own situations will dictate how much room you can devote to your hobby. A kitchen table will work, an old table in a separate room with a goose-neck lamp is better, a dedicated hobby room is the best. I luckily have dedicated hobby room in our home. The best thing you can do with any work area is to work smart by keeping the things you need organized and close at hand. If you need to hijack the kitchen table and can’t leave your workspace set up all the time I would suggest two small tackle boxes as they’re really cheap. One with the tools and supplies for assembly and another strictly for painting. This way you’re not fumbling around your pliers or fishing through needle files to get to your brushes. Decent lighting is another consideration. The more light the better. I use three lights in my cabinet. One from above and two color corrected daylight bulbs in gooseneck lamps from either side. This helps with unwanted shadows when you’re trying to see what your doing. I know not everyone is going to be able to accomplishu0026hellip;
Tools u0026#8211; Construction
Cutting u0026#038; Drilling
KNIVES There are hobby knives and there are X-Acto’s. In this hobby, X-Acto is king. Unless you can’t get a hold of one or you really have to pinch that penny really tight, there’s no reason one shouldn’t have a good old regular X-Acto handle. They can be had for as little as $3, they’re comfortable and durable – buy a couple if you can afford it. There are really fancy-handled ones with rubberized grips and cool colors but they’re not necessary to do the job. Get’em only if you want to pay the price. The only blade you’ll really need is the #11. This is the most common blade. Buy lots of these too for as sharp as they are they loose their edge very quickly while cutting/trimming metal and plastic. I purchase them in bulk 100 at a time. They may be a bit pricey up front but are cheaper in the long run. Other #’s and shapes can be had and are very handy for things like shaving and chiseling but only invest if you think you’ll need that. SAWS [caption id=u0022attachment_585u0022 align=u0022alignrightu0022 width=u0022250u0022 caption=u0022Razor Sawsu0022][/caption] There are two types of saws that can be au0026hellip;
Holding u0026#038; Clamping
[caption id=u0022attachment_655u0022 align=u0022alignrightu0022 width=u0022250u0022 caption=u0022Assorted Pliersu0022][/caption] PLIERS Mini pliers are great for a lot of things. Snapping very thick plasticard, holding and twisting metal parts and wires, destroying old models to loot for parts. Well, that last one was pretty ork specific but it’s worth mentioning. I picked up a set of 6 rubber-handled pliers of different shapes for probably less than $10. There was a bent-nose, straight, rounded, square end, a sidecutter and a nipper. These should be all the pliers you need to make models. Yes, some of them are technically “cutters” but they came as a nice set so that’s how I presented them – and the photo looks pretty too! CLAMPS This same type of bargain bin is where I found very small clamps of very cheap make that didn’t have the Super He-Man grip most clamps do. Too much pressure can damage whatever your working on. These are perfect for larger works like vehicles or buildings for terrain projects. [caption id=u0022attachment_659u0022 align=u0022alignrightu0022 width=u0022250u0022 caption=u0022Forcepsu0022][/caption] FORCEPS Forceps, or locking pliers are another great tool to have. I use these to hold the model I’m working on instead of pin vices or scratch made model holders. Getu0026hellip;
Glues u0026#038; Adhesives
A general note and warning about glues and adhesives. Because of the nature of some glues (poly-cements, epoxy, superglues), you should always use caution and read the manufacturers instructions prior to using them. Always use adequate ventilation as some can create noxious fumes as they cure. Never use most glues with, near, under or around flames – superglues, poly-cement, and some epoxies are very, very, very flammable!There, my butt is covered in case something bad happens. Plastic Cement. [caption id=u0022attachment_689u0022 align=u0022alignrightu0022 width=u0022125u0022 caption=u0022Liquid Polystyrene Cementu0022][/caption] [caption id=u0022attachment_688u0022 align=u0022alignrightu0022 width=u0022125u0022 caption=u0022Testors Modeling Cementu0022][/caption] This is your run of the mill plastic modeling glue. This glue works by literally welding the plastic together by chemical reaction. This is best used on the plastic (polystyrene) models. Be care how much you use though, too much can turn your plastic into ooze (this can a good thing as we’ll explore in the advanced section). Sometimes called poly cement or polystyrene cement, it comes in two general flavors (don’t eat it!!!) Thin and thick. Testors sells the thicker version in a blue or orange tube. This is probably the kind that most people will recognize from their childhood fling with model kits. This is whatu0026hellip;
Preparation
Preparation u0026#8211; Metals
The first step in putting together a metal model is to wash it. Yep, wash it. You know how you spray a muffin pan with PAM before you bake’em so they pop right out of the pan nice and easy? Metal manufacturers do the same thing only unlike the tasty butter flavored spray, you don’t want this spray left on your model because your paint will have a devil of a time sticking to it. This spray is called a release agent and typically oil based. Like any oily, things don’t like to stick to it, that’s why we have to wash it off. I use regular dishwashing detergent in warm water. Use something that has detergents in it as this is what helps release the oil from the surface. The water doesn’t need to be too hot as thinner sections of certain models can actually bend or deform under very hot water. I simply soak them for a minute or two, swish’em around a bit, rinse them under warm water and towel dry. That’s it. That’s the first trick to keeping your paint on the model. The second trick is primer, which we’ll cover later. START CHOPPIN’ Removing theu0026hellip;
Tag:
Super Heavy
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March 3, 2011
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