A Guide to Basic Plastic Modeling Tools

If you want to create great plastic models, there is no better way to start than by gathering the tools that you will need. This allows you to prepare well in advance of the first time you start putting the model together. The amount of tools needed depends on just how far you want to take your hobby, your skill level and your finances as many projects can be done without expensive odds and ends. Some of these materials can be found easily like boxes and rubberbands. Other tools may take years to acquire. Warning! Certain tools should not be given to children; hobby knives are “razor” knives and can inflict serious injury!

Tools necessary for the beginner:

1.) A hobby knife

2.) Assorted rubber bands: Great for holding odd shaped parts while glue dries.

3.) Fine grit sand paper: The metal variety is better in my opinion.

4.) One six- inch ceramic tile: Very useful to glue on, any spills can easily be scraped off with a hobby knife when dry.

5.) Various small boxes: Make a loop in masking tape, sticky side out to hold parts for painting.

6.) Masking tape

7.) Tweezers: For grasping truly small objects

8.) Small plastic bowl: Great for water when applying water type decals.

9.) Toothpicks: both round and flat to apply glue in small areas.

10.) Small side cutting pliers: Used to cut parts from plastic parts trees.

11.) Paint brushes: sizes from 00 up to a medium fine

12.) Paper towels

13.) Clothespins: Also handy for holding objects for gluing or painting.

These items are relatively cheap or free in some cases, and can be picked up over time as needed. I’m always on the lookout for small boxes or plastic bottles that will work in different applications. By small I mean small enough to fit under a model car body and smaller.

Hobby knives come in a variety of sizes and you can expand on your collection later. The smaller Aluminum one with the changeable blade will do most every thing you need it to do for now.

A note on sandpaper: The thin metal variety works well with plastic and can be cleaned without destroying it, just lightly wipe it on a heavy rag and it will last much longer. Also the thinner varieties fold smaller, which allows you to sand in tight areas as well.

When sanding plastic, finer is usually better. As coarse-grained paper will scratch the plastic and cause more sanding to need done.

The side cutters are used to cut parts off the plastic “trees.” Anyone who has ever tried to cut them with a knife or bend them off knows the awful results they end up with. The six-inch size is perfect for nearly all your plastic modeling needs.

Masking tape comes in an assortment of sizes luckily for us. One roll in a one-inch width will work wonders for now, various other widths will no doubt prove handy as well in time.

Assorted rubber bands are always needed to hold small items like engines while gluing, thinner ones work well here, as they tend to break before exerting too much pressure on the item you are working with.

Clothespins of the wooden variety are one of the cheapest clamping devices out there, and they can be trimmed to smaller dimensions when necessary. Being wood its possible to add width or length to achieve any needed size.

Model paint comes in nearly every imaginable shade, is available in small bottles for brushing and spray cans for larger areas. It is also available in water based or the more prominent oil based paint, thinner will be needed for oil paint to clean brushes, fingers and spills.