In reply to kazoospec :
Very, very nice!
In reply to kazoospec :
Very, very nice!
I built kits a lot growing up in the late 80s until I got into RC cars, and then RC ended when i got real cars. Lately I've been thinking about getting back into it. I've got a kit of my 05 Mustang stashed that i bought when the car was new.
Biggest barrier is total lack of supplies. So if you were buying enough to get started (paint, glue, everything) where would you start? Is Testors enamel still the hot ticket? What glue are you using? Help me spend my money but no more than necessary.
A basic set of supplies shouldn't be too expensive. To get started, you can just rattle can the primary color on your car. Typically, assembling a car model, you'll need red, yellow, white, black, flat black, silver and steel. Almost anything else can be "mixed" with a toothpick on some wax paper. For example, if the plans call for something like "graphite", you can mix that with black and steel. You will need at least one good hobby knife. I also recommend a "sprue cutter", which allows you to trim parts off from the "tree" without damage. As for glues, you can get 90% of your work done with this: 
It pretty much works like a charm as long as the surfaces you are bonding are clean and free of paint.
You may also want some superglue gel because sometimes attaching a painted part to a painted part is unavoidable. You will also need the ability to clean up flashing on parts surfaces and, occasionally, to smooth out joints that don't perfectly match up. The best basic tool for this is a multi-grit sanding stick. You'll also need a few brushes of various widths. As for cleanup/thinner, I recommend a good old fashioned bottle of Zippo. It's way cheaper than buying "thinner", and works just as well. Just to keep your brushes from getting "build up", I also keep a small amount of lacquer thinner handy and clean my brushes with it every three or four uses. There's other stuff you can get to make things easier and improve the quality of your builds if you decide you want to keep at it.
If I had to guess, I'd say you could get enough supplies to build a nice kit for $50, give or take. The good part is if you take care of your supplies, they will last you through multiple builds, so the per build price continues to drop the longer you build. Unfortunately, kit prices are up significantly in the past few years. Like anything else, the cheap route there is to buy out someone who's getting out of the hobby.
Good info. Sounds like the basics are still the same as the were 35 years ago.
I've had good results with the Tamiya acrylic paints. Water cleanup is so much easier... 
Mind you, I have built quite a lot, including contest winners, for 60 years+. I use every brand of paint, and all types of glue, but to start out with no materials, I would go with the Tamiya paints as Rodan recommends. The new formula (thanks EPA!) Testors paints fail in the bottle within a year. The Tamiya lasts near infinitely if kept properly sealed. Water cleanup, so brushes last better, and they have an airbrush thinner when you get to that build level. Their spray cans are very good as well, but slow drying. One other item Testors has that you want, is a clear parts glue. It does not work as a melting weld like the regular plastic cement, and it is not very strong, but it does not fog the window"glass" like plastic glue or cyano acrilate glue. Jump in and join us!
As far as spray paint goes, I've had decent success with Tamiya lacquers over their Fine Surface (white) Primer. I do get a little orange peel, but I know I'm a little heavy on the coats and I don't color sand or do anything special. I'm also a fan of the Model Master Enamel bottles, never been a fan of Acrylic paints- it seems to me they don't "stick" the way enamels do. I do note what TurnerX19 said about the Testors paints in that they seem to fail after a year or so- but I've been able to "bring them back" with a good stirring with a toothpick.
As far as other supplies, hit up the makeup department at Walgreens- get a pack of nail files, a tweezers, and an ingrown-toenail clipper, all for usually a buck each. I've found hemostats (medical clamps) are great to have on hand also. I use the nail clipper as a sprue cutter and it works great. Heavy sanding with the coarse side of the nail file and finish sand with the fine side. Of course you'll still want to hit the hobby store and get a knife (and spare blades), some fine sand paper, and all your paints and brushes. I use Harbor Freight superglue exclusively for all my builds- $3 for a 6 pack, and I use about 1.5 tubes for a build.
Kit prices have gone up significantly, but Hobby Lobby almost always has a 40% off coupon. Make that $30 kit only $18, which is much more bearable. Also, my local hobby store has a "discount" section for models missing stuff like decals or tires, or older kits that didn't sell, and I've gotten several decent kits for under $10 that way. The purple Model A I posted a while back was one of those kits, and I've got a few more in my "stash". I also peruse eBay for kits and you can get good deals there, especially on early 2000's kits.
Art supply store or craft store for fine brushes. The "water color" type. Be picky on that one, if the brush is not perfect when you buy it , it will never work right. The old fashioned hobby store is largely gone unfortunately, although we do have one here in the Lehigh valley.
I just got back into it again last year. I needed something to do over the winter months and while I would have liked to do some model railroad stuff the cost was astronomical.
I've been spraying with Model Master cans. The results have been pretty good considering my dead skills. A bit of orange peel but honestly once it's finished and in the display case you don't really notice it.
Model railroad supplies have helped quite a bit. I use Faller 'Expert' cement. It is thinner that tube cement but thicker than Testors liquid. Holds better and comes in a bottle with a nifty metal needle applicator. I've had the same bottle for nearly 10 years and it is still fresh.
For windows or clear lenses I use MicroScale Krystal Klear. It looks like Elmer's glue but dries clear and doesn't damage clear plastic. It can be used as an adhesive and it has also been handy to make glass in small openings. I just glob it on and let it dry; it makes a 'thick' glass window.
I've done two reviews of kits on YouTube.
I'm pretty much an out-of-the-box builder. Other than swapping some parts around I don't do body modifications or add wiring. Too tedious. I do this for fun, not to win contests.
^^ To add to the "clear parts glue", there is another method I have used with success. I clear coat my models (usually) with Pledge Floor Care Finish/Future Floor Wax, and I've found using a dab of it to attach small parts (like mirrors, badges or headlights) works great. And since I'm just adding more of what's already there, there's no chance of ruining the finish.
If you're unfamiliar with using Pledge/Future as a clear, basically you brush it on pretty thick, dab any runs off with a paper towel, and then buff it out with a used dryer sheet after it dries. I usually do a few coats, and it helps to level out the finish. The 'Cuda was not cleared, the Toyota S800 and Chevelle wagon I posted were both done with Future. The Model A was done with Testors One Coat "wet look".
I guess I never posted that Model A- so here it is:
This was a custom build. Engine is a Studebaker 262 V8, custom made headers (to match the siamese exhaust ports). Body is channeled about 4 scale inches over the frame. Made most of the interior myself. Unfortunately this is the only pic I have on my phone. Built this around 4 years ago, but I consider it to be the best model I've built since I got back into building.
I finished my 1/43rd scale AMX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfdQyqaWHj0
I’ve been using Gorilla Glue non-foaming clear to attach clear parts on my cars. With the exception of the class light bar on my M6 on the previous page, it holds the parts pretty well. It just dries a little slowly.
I use Future on all of the clear canopies on my airplanes. It seems to prevent the super glue fogging.
Nice Model A and AMX! I’ll happily dive into detailing a 1/48 airplane cockpit but 1/43 cars scare me. 
In reply to BenB :
I'm a "reformed" airplane builder myself! This was my only "contest winner". It has a little bit of scratch built work in the cockpit, some weathering on the underside that I'm really happy with and 5,000 "remove before flight" tags on the multiple hardpoints on Sandy. 
This is probably my favorite build. It's got a significant amount of scratch work on it, and the Phantom is, and will always be, my favorite plane of all time. 
Here's a few other samples:
Unfortunately, I got overly ambitious on a 1/32 scale F/A-18 Hornet project. It's about 80% done, and has over 700 scratch built parts in it. I totally burned myself out on it and sort of ruined the fun of building. Cars are slowly working me back into the hobby, but someday I need to finish the Hornet. I also need to get back into airbrushing, but just don't have a decent place to set everything up anymore.
I had an AC130 on display at the local air force museum where our IPMS chapter met back in the day but it was miles away from the stuff you guys are showing here. Impressive work!
In reply to kazoospec :
Duuuuuuude, your plane collection is the business! Starfighter, Phantom, and a Crusader?!? Please continue on!
In reply to ddavidv :
Your videos are both really good, you should add the tags to them and share them on like the IPMS facebook page or Scale Auto, etc.
Also, in 66 the GT350H was available in Candy Apple Red:
Also, you can strip chrome off of plastic by soaking them in Westley's Bleche-White, available at your FLAPS.
In reply to BenB :
Very, very nice builds! Feel free to share the planes, too!
Bleach also works for stripping "chrome"
Javelin said:In reply to kazoospec :
Duuuuuuude, your plane collection is the business! Starfighter, Phantom, and a Crusader?!? Please continue on!
OK, last one. No Cold War collection is complete without a Scooter. 
In reply to kazoospec :
You forgot the adversaries!
In reply to Javelin :
Maybe they were all shot down
I’ve been building since I was 7 years old.
I think the 80s-90s Tamiya kits are my favorite subject matter.
Noticed a few of us have done this Subaru:
Some more WRC:
RS 500s
80s Pro Stockers
I have LOTS more....
I need to take pictures of my 1/8 MP4/4...
its pretty cool.
In reply to Saron81 :
Drooooooooooool...
The 1/43rd scale AMX is complete. I'm really happy with how it turned out, especially for the size.
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