The Fine Art Of Model Building From Plastic Kit Form
Created | Updated Sep 21, 2005
Hello to all you interested people. Here is a guide to give you step by step instructions on how to build a model kit.
(N.B This is for general model kits, not wargames).
The first step is to go to a model shop (e.g. Beatties or anywhere else) and get your supplies.
You will need:
A model kit. Many companies make kits, but for a first time person something simple is recommended. For very young people, skill 1 models. These are snap together and require no paint. The skill is on the side of the box. For older people, (8 upwards) skill 2 is recommended, which requires glue and paint. They are fairly easy and they go all the way up to skill 5 or 6, which one person once said 'insane and contains submicroscopic pieces that you can snort'.
Scales:
Models come in different scales. You can have 1/72nd models which means that the model is 72 times smaller than the original e.g. a tank. 1/35 scale are larger and more detailed. There are many different sizes of model. It is best to start small. There are also lots of models to choose from.
Supplies:
Now you have the model, you need supplies. First you will need a craft knife or a pair of sprue cutters. Sprue cutters are better as small pieces tend to shatter when cut with a knife. If you prefer, use a Stanley knife to cut the sprue around the model and then take all the bits of sprue off.
Then you will need model glue called Poly liquid or cement. Cement is a lot better than liquid as it has a thicker consistency and is better for gluing and is less messy. It normally comes in a tube or bottle. You can get bottles with a needle applicator which is very handy as well. Highly recommended.
You will then need paint and brushes. Acrylic paint is best, as it is water based and can be cleaned off fingers and brushes with hot, soapy water. Enamel paint (for the more daring) requires white spirit cleaning fluid. Both paints DO NOT come out of clothes. With brushes, to start you will need a large surface brush. Then get a fine detail brush. The brushes come in numbers to show how big they are. 1 upwards are large surface. 0, 00, 000, 5/0 and 10/0 are fine detail. Start with about 00. A word about the paint. Get the same make as the model i.e. Revell model requires Revell paint. This is a must, because the paints are numbered to correspond with the model. The corresponding paint numbers are on the side of the box i.e. Revell 'anthracite grey' is number 9. The number of the colour is at the front of the rack and on the lid of the pot. It is always best though, to mix certain colours as paints are often not cheap e.g. mix red with yellow to get orange. You could also get a cheap version as a substitute if you can find them and can also substitute shades for a colour that is similar.
You need to find a cutting mat, a small off cut of wood or a ceramic tile. Anything similar will do.
Building:
Now on to the building! Younger people (10 and under) will need adult supervision. Open your box. Inside, there should be plastic sprues with the pieces on them, instructions for building and painting, a transfer sheet and maybe some information on the model. READ THE SAFETY INSTUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING! And all the other information. In there are all the symbols you will encounter during construction.
Open the instructions and start with section one. The pieces are numbered, e.g. a3, b7 etc. The letter tells you what sprue it is on and the number tells you the piece that you need. Cut off the pieces with the cutters or knife and shave off the little nobbles on the pieces using a file or emery board. If using a knife, place the sprue on the cutting surface and press the blade downwards on the join. If you can, twist the piece off the sprue.
Put a bit of glue onto your cutting surface and using a cocktail stick, apply the glue sparingly, onto the edge of the piece that will be glued.
If the piece is to be glued, it is normally in a white circle or there is a symbol that looks like a tube of glue.
Repeat these 2 steps until the model is finished. Now to paint the model.
In the back of the book, there are the painting instructions. Each shade on the picture represents a colour, which is on the key. The colours are sometimes a letter, which corresponds to the table at the front of the instructions. Using the large brush, paint the large areas as shown on the diagram. Wait for the large area to dry then move onto the next large area if any and so on. Clean out your brush in a pot (hot water for acrylics and white spirit for enamels) after each colour used and replace the lid. Then move on to the small areas and use the fine detail brush for those. When the painting is complete and dry, you can start applying transfers.
Transfers:
First make sure that the area is clean of dirt and grease. Get your transfer sheet. Each transfer is numbered. If you look back through the instructions, there will be numbers corresponding to the transfers. The transfer numbers will be in another type of symbol or shape. It will tell you at the front of the instructions. To apply a transfer, cut it out carefully with scissors, making sure you don't cut through any other transfer. Place the transfer in warm hot water for about 30 seconds, using tweezers. Slide the transfer onto a knife, then onto a model, using a cocktail stick (not the one used for glue). It is easiest to use a craft knife for applying transfers. Then, get a clean brush, dip it in water, wipe off any excess and brush it over the transfer, taking care not to pick up the transfer with the brush. Do this for all the transfers and leave to dry.
Well done. You have completed the model. As you get more confident, go up a skill and maybe try specialised equipment like an airbrush. This is a great way to spend time and have fun.
When you have many models, you can build dioramas. These are scenes, that are made using models e.g. a war scene.
(N.B This is for general model kits, not wargames).
The first step is to go to a model shop (e.g. Beatties or anywhere else) and get your supplies.
You will need:
A model kit. Many companies make kits, but for a first time person something simple is recommended. For very young people, skill 1 models. These are snap together and require no paint. The skill is on the side of the box. For older people, (8 upwards) skill 2 is recommended, which requires glue and paint. They are fairly easy and they go all the way up to skill 5 or 6, which one person once said 'insane and contains submicroscopic pieces that you can snort'.
Scales:
Models come in different scales. You can have 1/72nd models which means that the model is 72 times smaller than the original e.g. a tank. 1/35 scale are larger and more detailed. There are many different sizes of model. It is best to start small. There are also lots of models to choose from.
Supplies:
Now you have the model, you need supplies. First you will need a craft knife or a pair of sprue cutters. Sprue cutters are better as small pieces tend to shatter when cut with a knife. If you prefer, use a Stanley knife to cut the sprue around the model and then take all the bits of sprue off.
Then you will need model glue called Poly liquid or cement. Cement is a lot better than liquid as it has a thicker consistency and is better for gluing and is less messy. It normally comes in a tube or bottle. You can get bottles with a needle applicator which is very handy as well. Highly recommended.
You will then need paint and brushes. Acrylic paint is best, as it is water based and can be cleaned off fingers and brushes with hot, soapy water. Enamel paint (for the more daring) requires white spirit cleaning fluid. Both paints DO NOT come out of clothes. With brushes, to start you will need a large surface brush. Then get a fine detail brush. The brushes come in numbers to show how big they are. 1 upwards are large surface. 0, 00, 000, 5/0 and 10/0 are fine detail. Start with about 00. A word about the paint. Get the same make as the model i.e. Revell model requires Revell paint. This is a must, because the paints are numbered to correspond with the model. The corresponding paint numbers are on the side of the box i.e. Revell 'anthracite grey' is number 9. The number of the colour is at the front of the rack and on the lid of the pot. It is always best though, to mix certain colours as paints are often not cheap e.g. mix red with yellow to get orange. You could also get a cheap version as a substitute if you can find them and can also substitute shades for a colour that is similar.
You need to find a cutting mat, a small off cut of wood or a ceramic tile. Anything similar will do.
Building:
Now on to the building! Younger people (10 and under) will need adult supervision. Open your box. Inside, there should be plastic sprues with the pieces on them, instructions for building and painting, a transfer sheet and maybe some information on the model. READ THE SAFETY INSTUCTIONS BEFORE STARTING! And all the other information. In there are all the symbols you will encounter during construction.
Open the instructions and start with section one. The pieces are numbered, e.g. a3, b7 etc. The letter tells you what sprue it is on and the number tells you the piece that you need. Cut off the pieces with the cutters or knife and shave off the little nobbles on the pieces using a file or emery board. If using a knife, place the sprue on the cutting surface and press the blade downwards on the join. If you can, twist the piece off the sprue.
Put a bit of glue onto your cutting surface and using a cocktail stick, apply the glue sparingly, onto the edge of the piece that will be glued.
If the piece is to be glued, it is normally in a white circle or there is a symbol that looks like a tube of glue.
Repeat these 2 steps until the model is finished. Now to paint the model.
In the back of the book, there are the painting instructions. Each shade on the picture represents a colour, which is on the key. The colours are sometimes a letter, which corresponds to the table at the front of the instructions. Using the large brush, paint the large areas as shown on the diagram. Wait for the large area to dry then move onto the next large area if any and so on. Clean out your brush in a pot (hot water for acrylics and white spirit for enamels) after each colour used and replace the lid. Then move on to the small areas and use the fine detail brush for those. When the painting is complete and dry, you can start applying transfers.
Transfers:
First make sure that the area is clean of dirt and grease. Get your transfer sheet. Each transfer is numbered. If you look back through the instructions, there will be numbers corresponding to the transfers. The transfer numbers will be in another type of symbol or shape. It will tell you at the front of the instructions. To apply a transfer, cut it out carefully with scissors, making sure you don't cut through any other transfer. Place the transfer in warm hot water for about 30 seconds, using tweezers. Slide the transfer onto a knife, then onto a model, using a cocktail stick (not the one used for glue). It is easiest to use a craft knife for applying transfers. Then, get a clean brush, dip it in water, wipe off any excess and brush it over the transfer, taking care not to pick up the transfer with the brush. Do this for all the transfers and leave to dry.
Well done. You have completed the model. As you get more confident, go up a skill and maybe try specialised equipment like an airbrush. This is a great way to spend time and have fun.
When you have many models, you can build dioramas. These are scenes, that are made using models e.g. a war scene.
