Welcome to the hobby, friend! Here's a few useful tidbits of info for you.

None of the Gundam kits from the last 20 or so years need glue. That's a standard feature across pretty much every Gundam model kit. So in that regard, feel free to pick any design you like. Not all kits are created equally, but a quick search across this subreddit will help you figure out if the kit you're looking at happens to be hot garbage (and there are a few that are).

To more directly answer your question, the starter set uses an older model of the classic RX-78-02 Gundam. The Revive version is a much, much better model. You can find it here on Amazon.

A panel lining pen (or pens) are not required, but certainly make for a better final product. They're pretty cheap on their own, and generally you'll want at least grey and black, and possibly also brown. Alternatively, you can get a pack of all 3. You'll also want so basic q-tips/cotton swabs to clean up your panel looking.

You're also going to need some nippers. Nippers come in a range of types, qualities, and styles. The best nippers are single sided (that is, one side is a blade and the other is flat). These, the infamous Godhands are hands down the best nippers on the market. They're expensive as shit, but worth every penny. If you're on a medium budget, Tamiya's nippers are the next best option. There are cheaper nippers out there, but they're gonna come with significantly inferior results. That said, a lot of that can be addressed with...

A good hobby knife. You'll be just fine with a simple, cheap X-Acto knife, but there is (in my opinion) a better option. My personal favorite, the Tamiya Design Knife. It's got a slightly smaller blade, which will let you get into tighter spaces with it. It also comes with a metric crapton of replacement blades. You'll want to replace the blade every couple kits, but there's a bunch of them in there. There same container that holds the replacement blades even has a second chamber to dispose of your old blades into.

Finally, you may want some fine pointed (possibly angled) tweezers for decal application. Finger oils can screw up the adhesive on the stickers. You can pass on this starting off most likely, but you'll want to get some eventually.

TL;DR, the starter pack isn't the best option. If you're after the granddaddy Gundam, get the Revive. Otherwise, pick your favorite design. The newer the kit, the better, generally speaking. Look at the copyright date on the box cover to see. Bottom left corner.

You're going to need nippers, which can get pricey, but the cost is worth it. Start with a mediocre pair, and upgrade to the Godhands once you're committed to the hobby. You'll need a knife, too. You can cheap out on this one, but there are better options IMO.

Optionally, get tweezers, panel lining pens, and cotton swabs.

Edit: other good starter kits

HG Barbatos is a great kit. The build process for IBO models is a bit different than other gunpla, though, as they have a quasi-inner frame.

HG 00 Gundam is another great starter. It's also the first kit I ever panel lined, and it was a great starter for that.

If you're wanting a Zaku, the HG The Origin Zaku II Type C is probably the best Zaku kit released to date in 1/144 scale.

Finally, I'd feel bad for not suggesting my all time favorite HG build. It was just a fun, fun kit to make and to pose. The HG 1.5 Gundam. It's got some really cool gimmicks and, unique colors, and an awesome design.

Welcome! Glad to hear you are interested in Malifaux and welcome to the hobby! As another user mentioned check out the "Pullmyfiger" wiki on tactics and how to play. Also take a look at r/minipainting on tips and tricks for painting and inspiration! So since you are brand spanking new and have a lot of questions I'll try to cover all I can. As for my background Malifaux is the only mini game I have ever played and when I first started I was new to the hobby as well.

Lets start with minis and gameplay. Glance over pullmyfinger to check out tactics and looks of models. See who you enjoy. When I first started I picked Resurrectionists because I really enjoyed the thought of having undead minions doing my bidding. Think about what type of tactics you want to play with. Do you want to shoot people from behind cover? Do you want to summon monsters? Do you want to be in an enemies face with melee? Do you enjoy trickery and movement based shenanigans? Each faction is balanced faction to faction and each one harbors a wide variety of gameplay. Some have their specialties, but each faction can do just about anything. For example say you like to summon. Ressurs are king of summons yet other masters can summon as well, like Ramos in the Arcanists (electrical creations and spiders), Leviticus in the Outcasts (undead techno horrors), and Somer Teeth Jones in the Gremlins. There are others but you get the idea. Pick a faction you think is cool or looks cool. Depending on what faction you go with depends on which master is good for beginners. Some of the beginner friendly masters for each faction are
{Faction}:{Masters};{Role in order of masters}

Guild: Lady Justice, Perdita, Sonnia; Melee, Ranged, Magic

Ressurs :Seamus, McMourning, Nicodem; Movement/range, Melee/poison, Summoning (expensive start up cost though)

Arcanists: Rasputina, Kaeris, Ramos; Ice Magic, Fire magic, Electric/summons

Neverborn (slightly more advanced): Lillith, Jacob Lynch; Melee, Card Manipulation

Outcasts: Victoria's, Von Schill; Melee, Ranged

Ten Thunders: Misaki, Jacob Lynch; Hit and run tactics, Card Manip.

Gremlins: not enough knowledge to comment :/ Sorry

To let you know I used to have two masters in each crew other than gremlins, until I sold off many of them to focus on three factions instead of all of them.
These masters listed themselves are pretty straightforward but may have advanced interactions with their crew that you will learn in time and with reading and lots of play and practice. This also just lists what the master does. Like Lady Justice herself is melee but the rest of the crew is versatile with melee or ranged attacks and interactions. The box sets always compliment the master well especially for the beginner crews. In all honesty though pick a faction and master you think is cool. The rest will come with time.

Next lets talk about construction and supplies
Each set of Minis comes in a padded cardboard box on a sprue like this.
This is a link to the instructions Wyrd has wonderfully provided. You can look up individual box sets instruction sheets to decide for yourself how complicated a project may be. Its hard to put a difficulty on construction of the minis because they all use small parts.

Each box set comes with the models on a sprue, simple round bases and character/upgrade cards for each model in the box.
The basic tools you will need are
Hobby Knife/Exacto Knife

Needle nose pliers

Miniature Plastic glue/welder

Gorilla Glue

Green Stuff

Table or work surface

These supplies are for construction only. The cement plastic glue stuff is very sensitive. Literally a drop is all you need to permanently fuse two parts together. It actually melts the plastic ever so slightly into each other. Do not get excess on fingers and use carefully. Do not smash the parts together. This is why I like the kind with a fine point applicator like the one I linked. Always do a dry test fit first when constructing even with instructions it can be difficult to see how they parts go together. The Gorilla glue and green stuff is what I use for basing. Needle nose pliers and knife to cut things out and help hold them. Basing can be as simple or as complicated as needed. Sometime I use a very thin layer of green stuff and paint to simulate earth. Sometime I go get tiny tiny pebble off the side of the road to make rock formations. I once bought clock parts off ebay and got scrap from a plumber friend and I glued them into some green stuff to make a techno junkyard. Get creative.

Next once your model is constructed and based now it is time to paint! You will need

Brushes of varying size and type

Primer either spray primer or paint on primer

Paint and washes

Water containers

Pallet, Wet or dry. I prefer a wet pallet

Light

Start off by priming your minis by either spraying with a spray primer or a paint on primer. I like spray primer because it is fast BUT it is more finicky. It can ruin a mini if you are not careful. Don't spray too close, don't spray in high humidity. Use nice even coats. Two to three thin coats is much better than one very thick coat. Wait for each coat to dry before doing the next. It doesn't take long if you use thin even coats. Then go ahead and paint!

I am always trying to do miniatures and save money. I cannot break the bank right now BUT one thing I do not skimp on is quality brushes. As long as you keep them clean a great brush will last you ages. Invest in some decent ones and they will treat you well. Miniature paint is not always required and can get very expensive. I actually got most of my acrylic paint from Wal-Mart. The paint from there though is very thick! You want to water it down to be like skim milk. Again many thin layers are better than 1 thick one. If the paint slicks right off the model it is too thin. The other kind of specific paint to pick up is called a wash. It can be put on in large amounts and will dry dark in crevices but not on raised parts of the model. It gets great shadows and detail. Anyways I know it is a lot of information for just starting out but shoot me a reply or a Pm and I would be glad to answer more questions or concerns!

The most important things are a tank and the ability to fill the tank to a PSI above a minimum of 80 or so. A tank makes it so the compressor doesn't have to run constantly, and creates a buffer so the air pulses of the compressor aren't transmitted to the brush where they can cause dotted rather than smooth lines. You want the compressor to be able to put out a higher PSI because you want the tank to hold enough so you can spray for longer at pressures of 60 PSI or below for longer intervals before the compressor has to refill the tank.

For model painting, most of your spraying will be best done at 20-30 PSI. Higher PSIs like 60 tend to be either for cleaning, or stuff like textile paints (i.e. T-shirt artists). The little "fishtank" compressors like the Ninja Jet can only deliver a max PSI of around 15 or so, which is on the very bottom edge of what most brushes can work with. PSIs of 15 and below are mainly used for tiny close-in detail work with highly thinned paint, and going that low works better with brushes that are designed specifically for detail, rather than "jack of all trades" workhorses.

Different brushes require different CFM (cubic feet per minute- a measurement of air volume rather than pressure), and little "fishtank" compressors are bare minimum here as well, so there will be many brushes where they'll make the brush spray poorly because they physically can't provide enough air to keep up at any pressure. A good target CFM rating for a tankless compressor is 1.5.

A tanked compressor can technically get away with less CFM, since it's not supplying the brush directly, but unless you want to have to stop painting whenever the compressor has to top up the tank, you want the compressor to have enough CFM to supply the brush WHILE also filling the tank, which means check your brush manual/documentation for its CFM, and look for a compressor that is specced over that by at least 1/2. The higher the CFM, the faster the tank will fill. Unfortunately I could not find specs for the Patriot that list CFM, but 1.5 is probably still a good start for a tanked compressor.

"Master" and other such Chinese import brand compressors are popular because people think they're cheap, but for very little extra a brand like California Air Tools will get you better QC, support, reliability, and specs. Chinese airbrushes are comparatively cheap, but the compressors aren't really, so there's not much reason to get the Chinese ones IMO.

Avoid regular hardware-style compressors unless you're painting in a very noise-tolerant environment, as even the "quiet" ones are LOUD AF. Seriously: when the descriptions/reviews say "super quiet" they mean by construction site standards, not household appliance standards.

As to fittings: if you live in a particularly dry climate (like Arizona, say), you can get away with not using a moisture trap, but even there it's good practice to have one just in case. If your climate is any more variable or humid than that, you will want a moisture trap. You can just get one from the local hardware store though: it doesn't have to be a special type. Always place the trap last in the air supply/fitting chain before the airbrush hose, so: compressor-> tank-> regulator-> moisture trap-> airbrush hose-> airbrush. Or if using a bench block as described below: compressor-> tank-> regulator-> connecting hose-> bench block regulator-> moisture trap-> airbrush hose-> airbrush.

In the US, compressors usually have 1/4 NPT fittings. In Metric countries, 1/4 BSP. These fittings are cross-compatible enough that you can use them together with teflon tape.

For hobby and fine art airbrushing, I HIGHLY recommend a lightweight hose like this over braided hoses. Braided hoses are for industrial-type settings like auto painting shops, where hoses need to be extra hard wearing.

BTW, when painting, loop the hose once around your forearm so if you accidentally drop the brush, the hose acts as a lanyard preventing the brush from hitting the floor. I feel like I'm constantly hearing horror stories about people damaging their brush by dropping it when preventing this is so easy.

A tanked compressor with come with a regulator. These are perfectly usable, but imprecise. It's not strictly necessary, but I do highly recommend using the built-in regulator as a step-down regulator, and getting a 0-30 or 0-60 PSI regulator to chain after it. I use one of these on my setup, and it makes adjusting airflow much better.

If you plan on locating your compressor directly on or under your "workbench" surface, that's all you need. If the compressor is going to be outside immediate/easy reach, it can be good to mount your regulator and moisture trap on a separate "bench block" so you can put it on/under your bench within easy reach. This is what I had to do with my setup (I mounted the regulator and moisture trap on a scavenged heavy steel bookend). In that case, you'll want/need a hose like this to go between the compressor and the regulator/filter block.

There are "extras" you can get like a quick-connectors and MAC valves, but I don't personally recommend them. If you're only using the compressor for your airbrush, you don't need quick connectors on the compressor side of the hose, and IMO quick connectors on the brush side don't actually save you time/energy as it only takes 2 seconds to unscrew a brush from the hose. If your regulator is in easy reach, a MAC valve similarly does not save you any time/effort. Both of these also add lots of bulk to the brush stem, which is undesirable if your instinct is to hold/use the brush like a pen instead of a gun. There are mini-filters that go between the hose and the brush, but I generally don't recommend them for the same reason: too much added bulk on the brush stem: it's better to to add to your main filters if you need better filter performance.

I don't have a Badger Patriot, but my understanding is that it's a good brush. I have two Badger SOTAR models, and if they're any indicator, I'd expect spray performance to be comparable to IWATA, but fit & finish to be more raw and "industrial" outside of the nozzle and needle, so a little fussier to keep clean. It should be much better and more reliable than a 20$ "Master" or "Point Zero" or whatnot.

The threads in the head assembly can be a little "gritty" on Badger brushes OOB. If that's the case, I recommend lapping them with something like Flitz to ensure a good seal. Basically just put a tiny dab of compound on the male threads, then screw them in and out about 20 times to polish off the burrs that are causing the gritty/sticky feeling. Make sure to clean the residue off thoroughly before spraying again.

For maintenance, get a roll of lint-free shop paper towels, a couple packs of interdental brushes from the local dollar store, a box of q-tips, and a box of round wood toothpicks. Use paper towels and q-tips wetted with solvent/thinner to clean the cup and needle, the interdental brushes to clean the passageways/tubes in the body, and use a wood toothpick whittled to a needle taper and soaked in thinner to clean the inside of the nozzle (don't use metal tools to clean the nozzle, as they might scratch it or flare the tip). Occasionally you'll need to inspect the needle tip or nozzle for gunk or damage, so you'll want a high-X pocket magnifier similar to this. Also a stick of wax-based lip balm to help the threads in the head assembly maintain a good air seal (apply a tiny amount to the male threads before reassembly after cleaning).

Get or make a spray-out pot. They're easy to DIY out of a margarine tub or soda/juice bottle, so although nice, it's not strictly necessary to buy one.

Get or make an airbrush stand/holder. This is not for storing the brush, but rather for having a way to set the brush down while in-in use without spilling the paint cup. Again: these are easy to DIY, so you don't have to splash cash on one unless you really feel like it.

Hope that helps!

Been painting a few years and lurking here forever, here's my advice:

> Mixing Brush: I am told that you should not mix paint with your primary brushes. Where can I buy a cheap brush for mixing, and anything special I need?

If I'm already using a "larger" brush (1 or higher) I'll mix with my good brushes and just be mindful of how far up the ferrule I am or use the back of the brush. If I'm using a detail brush I'll use a super cheap synthetic 2 or 3. Look on amazon or at a local art chain (Michaels) for cheap student grade packs of round brushes. You'll end up using these for terrain, PVA glue, and all sorts of other things.

> More Brushes: My kit came with a 2 flat and 0 round. What other brushes will I need, and what in your opinion is a good brand to buy? Any set that covers all the basics? Although I am new to painting, I'd like something that will last me and be quality. They sell SoHo brushes in my local store, which look like they are great quality. Any users here?

This topic can get pretty involved. Brushes have a lifespan so if you're new to the hobby I wouldn't recommend dropping money on higher end Kolinsky brushes like W&N Series 7 or daVinci Maestro. For a new painter I recommend Winsor & Newton's University series and Army Painter's Wargamer brushes. The W&N University brushes are higher than average student quality acrylic brushes that can be abused. They're great for basecoating with thicker mixes. The Wargamer brushes are a cheap intro into real sable hair so you can get started at layering with thinned paints.

> Primers: This is a big ? for me --- Spray primers, basic black white and grey? Which ones, what brand, etc... Really unsure what is recommended here, as in a store there are so many, but hoping /r/minipainting can help as we are all painting the same stuff. Would love some specific product recommendations here.

For the most part, you have three options: spray cans, brush-on, and airbrush. I can't really recommend spray primers - they require ventilation, have trouble with humidity, and can only be sprayed at one consistency. Many of the hobby spray cans advertised for basing your minis aren't actual primers. Brush-on primers are the most economical but run the risk of losing detail on the mini if applied heavily. Airbrushing is my preferred method using either Mr. Hobby's Mr. Surfacer 1500 thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner for highly detailed minis, or Vallejo Primer for tabletop quality minis. Vallejo Primer's are acrylic and polyurethane so they're more protective but can sometimes take away detail.

> Finish: I saw a few videos where they spray some 'protective' finish on a product, I believe there are matte finishes as well as gloss finishes? Can I get any 'matte/gloss finish' product, or are there certain ones for miniatures?

Same three options as priming. If your minis are going to be handled often, I recommend a glossy coat then a matte coat. Glossy varnishes are stronger than matte varnishes, so this combo will give you the most protection. You are more likely to lose some detail this way. If your minis are for display only you can skip the varnish and just be careful. Dried acrylics are basically thin plastic so they have some durability on their own. Brand-wise I airbrush using Liquitex Professional gloss and matte varnishes, thinned with Vallejo airbrush thinner and a drop or two of Vallejo flow-improver. Vallejo varnishes are also good but Liquitex offers the best bang for your buck.

> Mini Holders: I found this product which looks amazing, but is not available until late 2017 since the Kickstarter has ended. Are there any similar products that someone could recommend, or should I just go with something very simple? Would love to hear some ideas.

I use an old Citadel paint pot and white poster tack to stick to the bottom of the base. If you want to paint individual parts, heat the tip of a needle/pin with a lighter, press it gently into the glue joint of the mini (the hole will be hidden later), then press the other side of the needle into a wine cork or similar.

> Brush Care: I got a "masters" paste from a store that I was told to rinse and swirl my brushes in after painting. Any other tips or is this okay?

Master's is the best option, just make sure you follow the directions and use warm water for best results. You can also get a small bottle of W&N Brusher Cleaner and Restorer to have on reserve if you accidentally let paint dry on one of your better brushes. If it's a cheap or synthetic brush you can clean it with original Windex (WITHOUT Ammonia-D) or Vallejo airbrush cleaner, followed by a wash with Master's.

> Carving/Scraping tools: I know some minis need to be cut from a sheet and some have mold lines that need to be cleaned. How is this done and what tools are needed?

Get a decent pair of sprue cutters - I recommend these. You should be able to find these for $10 at a local hobby store. For plastic minis you should be fine with just an X-acto or similar knife for getting rid of mold lines - just run the blade mostly perpendicular to the line and "shave" it gently.

> Storage Box: For all the little things that come along with painting, what do you use/recommend to store everything in?

A coffee mug works fine as a brush holder. You can try a hardware store for all sorts of containers if you're traveling with paints. Otherwise desk space and some imagination (spice racks) or money (official paint stand) are all you need.

> Paint Agitators: I was told to get some steel balls and put them in every paint bottle I have. It's okay to leave them in there. Would these work, or any concerns?

Please do not use steel ball bearings. You can attempt to buy "marine grade" ball bearings but unless it's reputable and expensive they are still likely going to rust and ruin your paint. I use hematite beads for necklaces for my paints. 4mm for dropper bottles and 6mm for pots. You can get them cheaper at Michaels w/ a coupon and they're inert so they won't stain your paints.

> Flow Improver: Thoughts? I was told to mix this into my washes. How much should I add, one drop? Is this product okay, or is this only for airbrushing?

Flow improver is generally used for airbrushing to extend the drying time and prevent clogs. Fluid retarder in the form of actual art supply from W&N or Liquitex, Vallejo's Glaze Medium, or Games Workshop's Lahmian Medium are what you're looking for. These can all be used to turn a normal paint into a wash (heavy dilution), or can be used to extend drying time for wet blending (light dilution). I can't give you exact ratios as each paint company, each color, and the age of your paints will dictate that. Trial and error is the only method here.


One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is a wet palette. It will save you a lot of headache when learning to wet blend and will let you save mixed paints for many days. You can get one for cheap and use either the papers that come with it or kitchen parchment paper. Both will yield different results so play around with both. Be sure to use distilled water or you're likely to get some funk from mold after a couple days.

KD was my first time assembling minis. I definitely had some trepidation over the whole thing, but really it's not bad.

Now, I admit, I had some guidance from a coworker, but I'll pass all that guidance onto you right now. All you need are the following three items:

• Plastic cement. This stuff is great, and is the best thing to use for plastic models (even Adam recommends it--even this brand specifically, I believe). It actually melts the plastic together to create the bond. Now, this may sound scary, but the great thing about it is it doesn't act as fast as super glue, which means you have time to play with the join to get it just right (while it still dries fast enough to be convenient). Just be careful to not get it on your fingers while holding a join, or you may leave fingerprints (a little goes a long way, and this isn't hard to avoid).
  
• A flush cutter. That's the one I use and it works great. You'll use this to snip the individual pieces from the sprue (that's what the sheets of plastic that you get are called. A sprue represents what comes from a single mold, and has many pieces attached to it, which you will need to snip free to assemble). It's super easy--just take your time to make sure you don't cut off more than you need to. Many pieces come with extra plastic to assist with the join (kinda like puzzle pieces--they fit together, you just still need to glue them).
  
  
• A standard Xacto knife. I won't link this, cause honestly any will do. You'll use this to clean up your pieces. Primarily you'll probably use it to deal with the excess plastic left from where the two halves of the mold joined (also known as "flash"). I generally like gently scraping this away with the back side of the Xacto knife, almost like I'm sanding it. You can also use this to cut off any excess, if you don't get a joint snipped off quite clean with the flush cutters (better to cut off too little with those than too much!).
  
  Basically, the key once you have these tools is to take your time. Consult a guide like vibrantlantern.com, which another poster mentioned, and which was an invaluable resource to me.
  
  A mini takes me anywhere from an hour (really complex monster), to 20 minutes, generally. They can go much faster once you get the system down, but I like taking time to figure out exactly what the mini should look like (for the armor kits).
  
  Throw on some music, or Netflix (or whatever helps you pass the time without distracting you too much), maybe grab a beer, and make an evening of it.
  
  It's also worth noting that all you need to start playing is the White Lion, and the four Starting Survivors. These all come on a single sprue, and are really quite simple to assemble given the above directions and tools. That will get you through several hours of gameplay just by itself, and then from there you can move on to creating other monsters and survivors as you need or want them.
  
  Hope this helps!

First of all anything I say here are not absolutes and do have substitutes. Each painter has their own way of doing things. This is just my take.

Prepare Your Mini for Painting

Before you do any paint first you need to sand/trim, assemble, fill gaps, and prime your miniature. When you sand/trim your mini you are removing mold lines and areas that don't mesh well with the minis surface, your trying to get everything even. You can use an exacto-knife and files for this. Once you have all the pieces so that they fit together well next you need to assemble your mini. Take the time to dry fit everything before gluing to make sure it all fits together. The type of glue you use depends on what the mini is made of and preference. For plastic, I tend to use super glue 90% of the time since plasti-weld (a chemical that melts the plastic together) doesnt seem to make the joint any stronger, though I could be using the wrong type. You can also pin the mini joints together for added strength. After your mini is assemble now we need to fill those gaps that can ruin a great paint job, I see it all the time and it makes me sad. There are many different types of putty that you can use but I go for green stuff. I mix 1:1, yellow to blue, and using a damp toothpick I wet my hands and smoosh it into gaps until it seems filled. This can be hard to tell sometimes since you cant get a sense of depth. If you want to make sure I will usually brush on some Gesso and check to see if it even. Finally we can prime our miniature. This is required or acrylic paint wont stick to the plastic. Application can be done via airbrush, rattle can, or brush. Since I haven't done much with a brush, but FYI you can use the Gesso above also for priming, and I cant assume everybody has an airbrush I will talk about the cheaper option, rattle can or spray paint. There are many available like those made for miniatures (though I don't think they have a real difference), and brands like Rustoleum and Krylon. Make sure you get a can that is for just priming and not the "prime and paint" type and is for indoor/outdoor use, sometimes the outdoor only stuff can be a bit thick. The brand doesn't matter as much as when and how you apply it. Humidity and temperature are Very important when priming a miniature, if it is to hot and dry the paint will crack and to humid you can get dripping and that terrible fuzzy look. Make sure you read and FOLLOW the directions on the can. When applying the paint do wide sweeps across the miniature with a constant spray. Keep the sprays short and the motion consistent.

Painting

Now you are at the fun part. Again, there are different mediums to paint in, oil, acrylic, pigment. Acrylic is a good place to start. The brand of paint you use is really up to you. You can go to a hobby or art store to get these paints. Don't get the paints that are to cheap the results are not good. Blick is a good store to visit because mini painting is an art that uses artistic mediums. That is what Blick is all about and you will get a wide range of brands there, you don't have to use the mini makers brands. Brushes are very important and if you get the cheapest kind you'll find that they tend to fray and leave little bits of bristles on your mini. For starters stick with the mid range synthetic ones and take care of them, theyll last awhile if you do. Make sure you wash them in your water pot (just a jar of water) often so that the paint doesn't dry on them and clean them every so often. So when you sit done with your brush and begin make sure you thin your paints or they will end up thick and goopy. You can thin with distilled water or you can use an acrylic medium. There are many special mediums but the most useful ones are matte and glaze medium and are used for different painting techniques. Always give your paint time to dry before applying more or youll mess up the prior coat and things will look rough.

Sealing

After you are done painting and have let your mini dry for a few days its now time to seal and protect it by giving it a few coats of finish. This will keep scratches away from your wonderful paint job. Application and selecting is similar to picking a primer but there are 2 options, gloss and matte. Think about what type of finish you want. Most go for matte and some use a mix but few do only a gloss finish.

Stripping

So you messed up. What now? Well you can strip the paint off and try again but you got to be careful here because this process can make the mini brittle. A common used item is Simple Green. Though it does a good job on the acrylic paint it will not remove the primer very easily. To do that I have found Super Clean to work best. But do note, only soak a mini 10 minutes at a time sink Super Clean works by sucking the moisture out of the paint, and the mini. So do a 10 minutes soak, then take a toothbrush and try to brush off the paint, then return to the solution and repeat.

Glad to hear it.

On the inevitable Painting supply questions that will be coming shortly...

Do you plan to paint like the box art for your army? or going to do your own thing?

Paint:

• While Games Workshop paints are pricey per volume, but are great for getting started. Well organized and lots of great resources out there to learn how to paint with them to get results that are close to the box art of your faction.
  
• Vallejo or Army Painter are great alternatives if you don't want a 100% match with the box art style colors. So great if you want to do your own thing. Army painter makes a great starting set with 50 paints at under $2 a bottle. (https://smile.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/)
  
• Wherever you go with for main paint supply... if looking to save time, and arguably improve the finish of your models I highly recommend the colored primers form Army Painter or Game Workshop colored undercoat sprays.
  
  
  Brushes:
  
  
• Regardless of what you get, you'll want some of The Master's Brush Cleaning Soap.
  
• I'm a fan of Zem brushes, they aren't terribly expensive and are a step up from throw aways, while getting close to the higher end Kolinski hair brushes. Synthetic Assortment for Base Coating and Drybrushing Then also get Zem Kolinsky for glazing, shading and detail work.
  
• Others prefer bulk throw away brushes as you can get a fresh tip for every model. Then you don't need to bother with the soap. 50x 10mm throw aways
  
• Games Workshop brushes aren't bad either if you want to stick to the exact Guides. But very expensive for what you get.
  
  Glue:
  
  
• You'll want both Plastic Glue, Super Glue, and some PVA (Elmers Glue).
  
• For Plastic Model assembly, my preferance is Games Workshop Plastic glue, but Testors and Army Painter Plastic Glue have works well too.
  
• Super Glue for Glueing models to the base, or working with resin/extra bits. I'm enjoying how quickly the combination of Army Painter Super Glue and "Magic" kicker are setting.
  
• PVA is used often in decorating your bases with sand/rocks/sprigs of grass.
  
  Model Fixes:
  
  
• Greenstuff and/or Vallejo Plastic Putty can be used to help fill cracks, repair models, and do a bit of kitbashing. So you can customize your models a bit for your own taste or weapon setups.

My man, mini painting is my jam. Head on over to r/minipainting and we'll help you out more.

The best value starter set has to be reaper's new learn to paint kit for around 30 american dollars: https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-Learn-Paint/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=reaper+learn+to+paint&qid=1564577927&s=gateway&sr=8-1

11 paints, 2 brushes and 3 pre-primed minis. It's the best way to dip your toe in and see if you like the hobby. No need to go crazy and spend 100s, see if you like it.

From there the best value stuff depends on a few things, are you a dm or a player, and roughly where in the world are you.

For paints:

No one brand is best at everything. We absolutely want hobby or artist grade stuff however, do NOT be lulled in by the false promises of cheap craft paints. Particularly as a newbie they will make your paintjobs look 10x worse, and get thrown out anyway.

• Main paint range. Vallejo MODEL colour (not GAME colour!) has the best value main paint range, about 50% cheaper than citidel/games workshop when you consider pot size, widely available, and no large 'holes' in the ranges (citidel only a month or so ago didnt have much by way of bright and vibrant purples, pinks and red-violets). If you've got a background in art and wanna mix, kimera is good. Citidel is a bit overpriced imo.
  
  
• Metallics (silvers, bronzes, golds): Vallejo METAL colour, but it runs (it's designed for airbrush) so be sure to tap your brush to paper before touching the mini. For coloured metallics scale 75 has you covered, as does vallejo model and game colour.
  
  
• Washes. Citidel is widely regarded as having the best washes, and the big 3 you need to cover all your bases are a red-brown, a brown and a 'black' (reikland fleshshade, agrax earthshade and nuln oil from gamesworkshop, NOT the gloss ones!) Other specific colours will often fit a specific purpose better, but with those 3 you can do most everything. Unless you have a big army in a specific scheme you wanna do, those 3 will cover your needs. The other big contender is army painter but they're washes are more... ez mode quick batching style I've found. Just dipping 200 little army men in to get em all done to a passable quality imo.
  
  
• varnishes: I airbrush and brush on myself, so can't help much here with the sprays, but I will say that is important to protect your paintjob!
  
  
• primers: A lot of folks dislike vallejo's and love badger's stylenrez, but it depends on what you are doing to the minis. Can you use a spray can or are we stuck to brush-on here? A primer is super important for a lot of brands of minis, wizkids and reaper bones being the 2 big exceptions.
  
  Varnish and primer are super important don't forget them or the paint job is liable to chip and get ruined!
  
  

  minis
  

  
  As a dm, you cannot afford to buy say, individual wizkids minis for everything. That'll get a bit pricey. DM's are in luck though because the next round of reaper bones' kickstarter series is about to hit. Reaper sends absolute buckets of meh quality minis (they aren't bad, great value, but nobody will ever rave about em that's for sure). Perfect for a dm who needs a tonne. Very early september is when wave 5 will kickstart, but expect a massive wait after that too.
  
  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-4-mr-bones-epic-adventure
  
  Look at those sets, about $1 a mini there on that 4th wave.
  
  The other cheap option is boardgames with minis. These are often much better value and give a variety of minis. Again not the highest quality usually. What style do you like? I'm assuming normal dnd style ones, not chibis as with say 'super dungeon explore'?

-EDIT- HUGE data dump here, sorry about that! I like Gundam stuff, what can I say?

In my experience, Tamiya makes good stuff in general.

I'm a big fan of markers for use in touch-up work and for panel lining.

The "Gundam" branded panel liner markers can make a huge difference on some kits, but honestly it depends on the surface detail on the kit. Basically, panel lining helps emphasize surface detail and make it stand out more when the model is viewed from a distance. IMO panel lined models are usually way nicer looking than straight OOB.

IMO this is a good starter pack, as the "Real Touch" markers are all double sided, giving you more options for application.

Sharpie and other brands have fine tipped metallic markers, and those can make a HUGE difference. I'm a big fan of covering any exposed frame parts with a metallic color, like gunmetal or silver, and then do highlights / color separation in gold.

The other immediate purchase you will want to make is a good side cutter tool (if you do not already have one). Using an Xacto / hobby knife works, and using wire cutters or other tools that aren't made for modeling work will get the job done, but will leave you with jacked up plastic anyplace you make cuts. This usually gives you crappy looking nub marks that can really make the model look cheap. You can fix that with sanding, but it's MUCH easier to clean up a nub if you barely make any marks to begin with. A "side-cutter" is the tool you want. They look a lot like other kinds of scissor-style cutter tools, but only one of the two sides is sharp. The idea with a side-cutter is the dull side reinforces the piece you're cutting through, holding it in place and giving you a smoother cut with less stretching. The plastic turning white is actually it being stretched as it's cut.
Once I heard about side-cutters I got myself some GodHand ones. Those are like $60 so not what I'd recommend a beginner buy unless you're made of money. I think these Tamiya side-cutters are OK? Others on this sub will probably have better suggestions on this topic ;)

I've become a fan of sanding sponges recently. I definitely would recommend checking your hobby shop's selection of sanding implements to see what they have in the way of sanding sticks, sponges, and other abrasives. IMO you'll want like 500 grit, 1000 grit, and 2000 grit versions of whatever you get, and you'll want to use each of those in ascending order. Higher number = finer sanding surface. The rough bits are smaller and closer together, so you will get a smoother surface. I do 500 to get rid of the big remnants of a nub, then up it to 1000 once it's pretty smooth, and then 2000 when I'm just about done and just want to get a good finish. I use the coarser stuff first because it's way faster at removing plastic. You could JUST use 2000, but it would take forever...

The fundamentals of getting the parts off the runners as nicely as possible, and then getting them as clean as you can before assembly are IMO the key to doing good models. I'd recommend getting solid at this stuff with a few kits you don't need to paint before you graduate to also doing painting, it's a whole other set of stuff to learn ;)

If you're in a tight budget, it's best to go to Micheals and take advantage of their coupons. Depending on the store, some will take multiple coupons at once and use their competitors' coupons but be sure to check/read their restrictions. And check out your local game workshop and ask if they do deals. Sometimes, they can give you a discount.

For the brushes, there is only one size everyone uses and that's size 1. The best brush brands you can use are Artists Loft and Royal & Langnickel. Keep in mind that when you go to the store, be sure to read what the brushes are for. There are three types: watercolor, oils, and acrylics. Get the acrylic brushes! Those are your best friends when you paint minis. Also, watch out for specialty brushes. Those have animal hairs that are used for specific paint styles and are high maintenance to keep clean. You can learn about those special brushes here and learn the different types of brushes here.

The paints you are using are really watered down so the results will be quite messy and unpleasant to look at but you can make neat textures with them so keep them. The best paints to use are Winsor & Newton (acrylic & oils), Artist Loft (acrylic & oils), Golden (acrylic & oils), Citadel (acrylic), and/or Vallejo (acrylic). Read the labels of your paints before purchasing! People these days do not put the paint back so they are often mixed up. So, for the time being, to make things easier for you is to try out Reaper Miniatures or Army Painter. These brands have good starter kits when you are in a strict budget.

The only thing I would have done differently if I were a beginner would be the research. Before I buy anything, I research which materials are best suited for my projects, look into stores on what kind of discounts I can get from them, list what interests me, and compare prices. It's a pain to do but it's worth the money. The best advice I can give you as a long-time painter is to experiment and practice. The more you do, the more you learn. Even though it may take forever to finish, the experience you went through will help you figure out which technique is worth doing. Remember, you are the painter, do what's easier for you! Sometimes, you don't need pricy things to make your projects look good. It's all in technique and patience.

Hey OP, this is where I started: the Reaper Bones Core Skills set.

It has 3 figures, 2 brushes, about a dozen paints, and a booklet that gives you instructions and tips on how to get acquainted with the hobby. It's only $30, doesn't take a ton of space, and has pretty decent paints (brushes are like bare minimum to work, but that works because you're just getting started).

There's another kit called Layer Up! that comes with new brushes, paints, and figures, and teaches some more advanced techniques as well, so the "next step" is there waiting for you whenever you want to branch out.

I'd also grab maybe a wine cork, thread/yarn spool, or something that fits nice in your hand, plus some cheapo poster tack to help you hold a figure. The Reaper figures are supposed to be made in such a way that they don't require primer, but I still wash the minis with dish soap and a toothbrush and prime them anyway (I like Vallejo primers).

The best advice I can probably give is be patient not just with the work you do, but with yourself as well. The idea of the hobby is to have fun, create stuff, and enjoy the process/output. It doesn't have to look perfect your first go, nor should it. Give yourself the opportunity to improve and keep it relaxed.

If you've got any other questions on starting out or anything, feel free to hit me up.

> And, if it's not too bad, can anyone recommend some critical supplies for this hobby? Like what types of paints, brushes, etc will I need to do a good job?

The Reaper Learn to paint Kits are the best place to start. Everything you need to get started in the box. $35 and free shipping is the perfect price to get started!

> Are there any good tutorials out there?

YouTube, son.

-------------------------------------------------

My two cents: If your really interested in it then go for it. It's a great hobby and can be a profitable one, once you reach a certain level.

Paints: which are the best? What do you use?....

• P3: My personal fave. They just seem to always be consistent, and rarely go bad. They provide good coverage, and mix well. $3-4 per pot.
  
  
• Vallejo: They're ok, can be very runny at times and require a lot of extra shaking. They cover well, and thin super easy...so much that it's easy to thin too much IMO. Also, their pots are squeeze tubes, and it's easy for them to clog up. $2-4 per pot.
  
  
• Citadel: I've had some poor luck with these, but I hear that they are kicking up their quality and making a better product. On the other hand, their Washes are top notch. They're the most expensive (like all GW products) $3+ per pot.
  
  Those are the ones I've had experience with...there are more out there, I hear Army Painter makes a good product and Reaper dabbles in paints as well.
  
  Some people will steer you towards craft paints, I wouldn't listen to them if your really thinking about getting into the hobby, as the hobby paints are a better quality. The reason I heard back when I was getting started is Something along the lines of "Light levels and UV protection." The condensed version is: The Hobby paints will hold their color longer and not fade vs the Craft paints.
  
  Other than that....
  
  
• Practice makes perfect
  
  
• Don't be afraid to try new techniques
  
  
• Don't get discouraged
  
  
• Always be learning
  
  Edit: Buy Masters brush cleaner. It will save your brushes!

First off WELCOME TO THE TIME/MONEY BLACKHOLE !!
As a fellow Tau player I just have to correct something, they arent robots. Theres little fish face alien fuckers in those suits.
Yes they are fantastically awesome !
If you hit your local shop on weekends you will very likely find people who will be incredibly nice to you and will be very happy to help you learn to paint. This is usually a great bunch of fanboys and we love talking to newbies :) My son will talk for hours on how awesome orks are and his buddie will tell me how amazing Chaos is. I play Tau, Space Marines, Eldar & Necrons. oh i'm 47 so the habit will last your lifetime.
As for what equipment, I suggest an exacto knife for removing tiny bits of plastic. A task light with a magnifying glass is awesome. A good set of brushes & an Army painter kit. Links are below. Paint scheme... dude they are all awesome. What do YOU want ? Dont go crazy at first. start simple, 3 colors and basic bases. As you get better you can add details. Please post photos of your progress and never be afraid to ask questions
For the greater good !

Light - https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Daylight-Magnifier-3-Diopter-VS01222B/dp/B00DJG9DFA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493865330&sr=8-2&keywords=task+light+magnifier

Paint - https://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-Warpaints-Mega-Paint/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493865371&sr=8-1&keywords=army+painter+set

Brushes - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7UFLP5/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Well, in that case, if you are going to do that, I don't recommend buying an airfix starter set (it's discussed below for completeness, but while the set of paint and cement is appealing, you'll end up throwing it all away later on aside from the paintbrush). The paints included in there almost certainly will not work well.

Go to a hobby store or something, buy a cheap airfix kit (I recommend either the Harrier FRS.1, Zero, Spitfire PR.XiX (all in 1/72), go to an art store to buy some Golden Talkon brushes (it's the name of the material; its' a super soft orangey bristle), and buy some paints (acrylic, plus a bottle of spray primer), while you're there.

See this old thread below of another beginner (though he was interested in sci fi), of tools you would need.

**That list is configured for the UK.

If you want to build plastic models, I recommend a recently issued spitfire model from Airfix, a few bottles of good, brushable paint (Model Master Acrylic is good, if you use a spray primer), and a few "golden talkon" synthetic brushes, plus tweezers and an exacto knife.

The basic starter sets you can buy are these:

Italeri: http://www.austinsmodels.co.uk/product.php/italeri_jas_39_gripen_172_scale_starter_kit/?k=:::6142968

Airfix: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/starter-sets-and-gift-sets/small-starter-sets.html.

These are gear towards children, and the quality of the paints are marginal at best. However, what it will do is give you an idea of the challenge ahead.

And some liquid cement.

As for why the long list below, there is an alternative:

Airfix, Revell Germany, Heller, and Italeri ALL make starter kits with paint and cement. However, the stuff in those are generally designed to appeal to children and would have to largely be replaced once you are "serious" about this.

The tools I recommended are more for if you're investing in the hobby for the long run with reusable, useful items you can continue to use for long periods of time.

However, if you are unsure, there's nothing wrong with one of those complete package kits. Warning though, Airfix's start kit paint is absolute garbage. but water soluble and easy to clean up. Strippable with alcohol, at least in the formulation I got a year ago.

And here's how I'd set it up:

1. Airfix Spitfire PR XIX. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A02017-Supermarine-Spitfire-PRXIX/dp/B0021L9BNI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369626&sr=8-13&keywords=airfix+spitfire,
   OR: Airfix FRS 1 Harrier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A04051-BAe-Harrier-FRS1-x/dp/B0021L9BU6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442370019&sr=8-4&keywords=1%2F72+FRS.1
   **you'll notice a theme developing. These are all mostly single color builds, minus some detail work.
   
   
2. Brush pack: Get all the listed sizes, and then one 1/4th inch brush (go to an art store. Golden Talkon synthetic (orangish, really soft) is what you're looking for). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Langnickel-Golden-Taklon-Synthetic/dp/B000X213JC/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369689&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=golden+talkon+brush+10%2F0.
   
   Or, this: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Langnickel-Taklon-Brush-Super/dp/B001ARHH7G (probably the better choice).
   
   
3. Knife: in the UK, Swann Morton is probably easier to get.
   
   
4. Cement: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement-Toy/dp/B000BMYWYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369769&sr=8-1&keywords=tamiya+extra+thin Sandpaper pack: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Albion-Alloys-Sanding-Sticks-360/dp/B00DRAEV0A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369797&sr=8-5&keywords=sanding+sticks
   
   
5. Paint is preferably acrylic, so long as it's not Humbrol Acrylic, because that paint is utter garbage (and is what comes with the starter sets and bad, tube-based poly cement).
   
   
6. Consider a can of spray primer (NECESSARY if you use Model Master Acrylic, which brushes well but NEEDS a primer).
   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humbrol-150ml-Acrylic-Spray-Primer/dp/B004T8TD0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369901&sr=8-1&keywords=humbrol+primer
   or: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vallejo-Model-Color-Polyurethane-Primer/dp/B004BN5RYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369935&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+primer
   
   
7. Or best primer: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GRAY-PRIMER-180ml-PLASTIC-METAL/dp/B0000WS014/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369976&sr=8-2&keywords=tamiya+primer
   Other items:
   
   
8. A bottle of humbrol "Clear" (the substitute for Future/Johnson's floor polish in the UK). Decal setting solution (optional) Decalfix, Micro Sol will work. (In the US, Future is a gloss coating used by modelers, painted on or sprayed on before applying decals, available here: https://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Pledge-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468023141&sr=8-2&keywords=pledge+floor+care
   
   **Future can be found in hardware and places like walmart in the US, there is no need to order it online except for convenience.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Welcome to the hobby and this great game!


As for beginner painting resources, I highly recommend Mike Meeple's "Painting Poorly" series:
https://mikemeeple.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_16.html

He does a great job of breaking down the steps and his guides are very easy to follow. As an added bonus, he focuses on painting using less expensive materials and showing that you can get quality results without needing to spend a ton of money on paints, brushes, etc.


As for "best starting paint set" - there are a lot of different answers depending on the specific of your situation. For example, what colors do you plan on using? Do you already have brushes, or do you need brushes? Some paint sets include brushes (although they usually aren't very high quality).
When I first started, I was gifted this set from The Army Painter:
https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT
I've been very happy with it. But I've used maybe half of the paints in the set, so that's probably overkill.
It really depends on your goals, and how much you're comfortable spending. You can certainly make a ton of progress without nearly as much investment as that set.


The biggest beginner mistake I would caution against is not thinning your paints. If you use paints straight from the pot, it will be very thick and you'll end up obscuring a lot of the finer details on your models. So thin your paints (I just use water, but there are specialty thinning mediums that some people like to use). And take your time! Try to enjoy the process. Not everyone enjoys painting their models, but I find that it's a great way to relax at the end of the day. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make your models look perfect. Take a slow, and as you practice you'll become more confident and you'll be able to paint more models more quickly.


Disclaimer - I am by no means an "expert" painter. But hopefully my comment is helpful.
Side note - I recommend joining the "A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Wargamers" Discord server. There are a lot of really helpful people on there who are great at answering rules questions, giving painting tips, and discussing game tactics.

Hey there! I got into painting based on the board games I was picking up that came with plastic miniatures. This was a good starting place as the figures aren't super detailed and adding any paint to them seemed to make them better than standard board game pieces.

If the art side if things is more of the draw then I would suggest checking out a starter kit. There are a few "starter kits" out there that are good because they give you the basic necessities to jump into painting without spending tons of money.

I saw a couple good looking kits on Amazon. Here is a DND specific one:

The Army Painter Dungeons and Dragons Official Paint Line Adventurer's Paint Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWMTNDJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-QBDDbAFWJSHE

Or here is a generic fantasy one:
Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn To Paint Bones Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_z1BDDbC1DSWE1

I think I'd recommend the second one as it comes with a couple different figures and seems like it's ready to go right out of the box.

One cool thing about painting miniatures is that it is as complicated or as simple as you'd like. There are some great tutorial videos on YouTube to teach the basics. I learned from Sorastros painting tutorials. He does a good job of showing you the basics to get a decent looking figure and then gives you extra steps if you are extremely detailed or want to go to the next level.

As others have mentioned you can get sets of figures to paint from reapers miniatures website. Or if there is a board game out there with a theme your son likes, it may be a good place to start as most games come with 15-30 miniatures with different sizes. Including bigger monsters which can be really fun to paint. Plus you then have a fun game in which to use your art project.

Mice and mystics is a fun family cooperative game with tiny anthropomorphic mice fighting fantasy battles similar to the redwall books. I painted the figures from those and had a great time with the painting and the game.

Some other good ones are Descent 2nd edition and Starwars Imperial assault. Both come with great miniatures but are a little complex on rules and need one player to be the big bad overlord playing against the heroes.

There is also a series of dungeons and dragons board games that are cooperative and come with lots of miniatures. The quality of these isn't very high but those were my first figures.


If you want to go "whole hog" you could purchase one of the "Warhammer age of sigmar" starter boxes. These miniatures are extremely detailed and actually require you to assemble them from several pieces. They don't come with paint inused but there are entire paint kits to go along with them. Some folks really enjoy putting the GW models together, then priming and painting them. These aren't cheap so it might be best to start elsewhere but you get a lot of figures in the box. I will warn you the theme is fairly dark. Lots of blood and skulls.

Best of luck and I hope you guys enjoy!

I think it's cool you want to pick up a hobby your father had. It will be a nice reminder every time you pick up the gun.

I use this 100% for miniatures, and it works great!!

​

Alright, here is the list I bought. It's a bit more than you want to spend, but this will ensure you can get going right away, and not be frustrated. I did a fair amount of research on different forums, sites, and youtube videos. If you want to know why I chose something, feel free to ask. I was going to bold the ones that you absolutely need, but I would say everything in the first set are a must.

​

• Airbrush - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQKFAI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Compressor - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TDNKBMC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (One of the quietest compressors - I use it in the house and my gf can't hear it kick on, and she sleeps in the room right above it.)
  
• Airbrush Hose - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BF7NJ78/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Moisture Trap - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQO8WY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Couplers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TFE7WK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Didn't need this big of a set, but if you end up with tools for the compressor they will come in handy.)
  
• Airbrush Cleaner kit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y3MG6Z4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Respirator - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4EB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Extra Filters - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NTP9MDO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  
• Cleaner - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TJA0S6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Thinner - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X6DTHK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Improver - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QD780G0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  
• Primer I use for minis - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004BMZVMK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  ​
  
  For the compressor, I keep mine at about 18-20 while doing miniatures and it's perfect.
  
  I do 1 drop Improver, 5 drops thinner, and 6 drops primer and have perfect flow.
  
  ​
  
  Feel free to ask any questions! Good luck!
  
  Hvstle

1. https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/08/24/aug23-middle-earth-building-your-force-middle-earthgw-homepage-post-3fw-homepage-post-3/
   That link covers how you build armies to some degree. There are rules for what can go in. Each faction has both allowed units and units of various tiers of alliance. The link also covers army bonuses and alliances. To get the real details, you'll need either Armies of Lord of the Rings or Armies of the Hobbit. There's also a new Gondor at War book that I believe has some additional army information in it, but I haven't picked it up yet.
   
   
2. Battle companies are smaller forces. Instead of the battle of Pellenor Fields scale, more like 8-10 models per side. You can do a campaign with them and "level" the models up, kind of like a RPG, or like Necromunda or Mordheim, if you've played or read about those games. Games of this size are often referred to as "skirmish sized" games, though I don't know if that's a term used in the SBG community.
   
   
3. For rules basics, check out STF Wargaming Studio https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMu95iB_kdWNOypiyJk7ljw
   They have a lot of battle reports out there. If you have an hour, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUQ9zT4Dd0 is a "how to play video." A shorter video (28 minutes) is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkgHoUIK4l4 which is a few years old, but much of the play sequence is the same. GBHL (Great British Hobbit League, can search GBHL on youtube) and STF both discuss things.
   
   
4. As far as paints go, that's a tough one. A couple browns, some greens, silver (can't go wrong with Citadel Leadbelcher no matter your army imo), gold. Don't go overboard. Something like this might be a good start. https://www.amazon.com/Miniatures-Highlighting-Miniature-Army-Painter/dp/B01MTXRU2L As far as brushes, there's no need to go crazy. I order something like this from time to time https://www.amazon.com/Detail-Painting-Brush-Set-Watercolor/dp/B01HKUG45C/ and don't worry too much about the care of those brushes. I also have some Citadel brushes that I do take care of. There are plenty of painting tutorials on youtube, find a youtuber you like and go to town :) This guy is pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDCx2SP6thl7r42CkTdblLA
   
   
   Best of luck and welcome to the community!

Things I've learned starting out:

Wash the miniatures. I found the easiest way was those little ziploc plastic containers. Warm dishsoapy water in them, throw a few minis in, scrub them with an old toothbrush, rinse them off and toss them into a second ziploc container filled with plain water. Then drain and refill that a few times to get all the soap out. Be careful you don't dump them down a drain.

Take them out of the warm fresh water and put em onto a plate with a paper towel or something to dry. I like to organize them into which model belongs to what at this point.

I invested on a sprue cutter and it has been WONDERFUL for me to remove pesky mold lines and the bigger tags sticking out of models. Also an xacto knife helps.

I got some cheap needle files from Harbor Freight and they've helped get the flash lines flush without any weirdness.

After your stuffs all pretty and moldline free I tend to toss it into a sonic cleaner because I work at a lab. It might be placebo but the industrial strength badass one at work seems to get clean and I mean... why not? But you can do the water and rinse again. Or even just do it once, after the mold line removal. (Side note: sonic cleaners are PRETTY RADICAL for removing paint from miniatures with some simple green. I love it. Saves me a lot of scrubbing.)

Anyway once its dry I personally use this glue and some stuff called green stuff to fill in gaps. Heres a tut showing the basic idea

Once they're assembled I use some good ol elmer's white glue on the bases and dip em in sand and shake them off. Tutorial that shows that

Then prime your stuff. Tons of tutorials about it and tons of everyone saying which is their favorite primer, spray or brush on, different types of primer, different brands. Some stand by Army Painter or Citadel. I've had good results with Rustoleum Ultra Cover 2x White primer. I've recently picked up some TAMIYA WHITE which I hear good things about. Trying them on some Morats tomorrow.

Lots of other good info has been posted too! I also just started probably, shit, 6 months ago, so this is stuff I've had to pick up and learn as I go.

I'm in the USA, so these are more North America-centric, but I'm fairly certain you can find equivalents in Europe or Australia.

If you want to learn techniques before buying expensive minis, but a pack of cheap army men or dinosaurs:
https://www.dollartree.com/kids-military-action-figurines-50ct-packages/279838
https://www.dollartree.com/plastic-dinosaur-figurines-7-in/252377
In the store, these are $1.00 USD. great for learning to paint, and disposable if you mess up.

Primer: Painters Touch 2x - good primer, way less expensive than Citadel. Home Depot Link

Brushes: Painting, especially learning to paint will be rough on brushes. Cheap brushes that aren't garbage will work for you, I suggest these: Walmart Link

Paint: Don't use craft paints. They are super cheap, don't thin well, are well pigmented and are generally crap for actual mini painting. Vallejo has a starter kit that's great: Amazon Link

Army Painter has a very basic starter kit, I'm a fan of their range as well, Amazon Link

$3 USD will get you a ton of minis to learn on
$5 USD for primer
$4 USD for brushes
$30-50 USD for paints

Get a cheap hobby knife or x-acto knife and for less than $75 you're in a hobby that will keep you entertained for life.

If you really don't want to start on non-hobby minis, $10-25 USD will get you an EZ Build pack. Games Workshop Link

You may even want to just drop the $40 and get the basic starter for Warhammer AoS - LINK or WH40k - LINK. Each has 4 Easy Build packs in it, so basically, buy 3, get one free, plus you get the basic rules of the game as well.

Hope this helps.

Apologies, just realized I did not reply to your RCA cable comment.

When I did the tonearm rewire, I also swapped out the RCA cables which were connected to the board. I did both at once so I can't tell how much of this was the cable replacement vs the tonearm rewire - but I noticed a good drop in the overall noise floor and better clarity. In my head, I credit the noise floor drop to the RCA replacement and the clarity to the tonearm review - but again, don't take my assumptions as gospel. It did seem like a worthwhile change.

Take a look at KAB, that's where I picked up the tonearm rewire stuff and it was cheap and defiantly worth the effort. I have very limited soldering experience and it still only took me about 1.5 hours to get everything pulled apart and reassembled with the RCA cable soldering and tonearm rewire soldering. Just need to be delicate. If I were to do it again, I'd def pickup an inexpensive set of helping hands, something like this to make the job easier as it is delicate work.

Currently with the SME 309, I'm using the Sumiko Premier PIB-1 Interface Box so I get to pick the cables running out from there to my phono stage. Currently using bluejeans RCA interconnects and have no complaints. Super 'high-end' cables an area I haven't been convinced enough that it makes that huge of a difference, so I'm going to stick with what I have as I have no issues.

The run in a little longer than I like and it crosses paths with some of the power cables behind my components - so a good cleanup and cable management project is needed. I picked up the supplies a few weeks back to take care of cable management but don't want to commit to it until after the external power supply change as I know that'll need to be considered when I end up taking care of all the wire management work.

All the best brother (or sister)!

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.

A friend bought me this set for my birthday: https://www.amazon.com/Citadel-Shade-Paint-Games-Workshop/dp/B00KOD3FM8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537582745&sr=8-1&keywords=citadel+wash

I haven't found uses for all of the different colors yet, but I have used far more of them than I expected when I opened it. For example, I painted a zombie last night - I used my Vallejo buff to lay out a basic skin tone, then used the citadel flesh wash over it (which made it into a bronzed god!), then went over that with the green wash from that set. That turned the whole thing putrid, so I went back over the tops of the shoulders/head with the buff again to bring them back up to that original flesh tone, which worked out really well!

I'm starting to appreciate that investing in good paints is well worth it. I got some little eye-droppers so that I can pull out a tiny amount of paint onto my easel before painting (so that I don't waste a bunch of it), which has been pretty effective. I really like the bottles that the Vallejo paints come in, but I really like the colors of the Citadel washes.

Amazon.

I have:

Generic Hobby Knife - Generic hobby knife kit. Blades were shit so I buy Xacto brand but the knives and case are good.

Needle Files - Extremely useful for polishing off mold lines or smoothing cuts.

Adjustable Jeweler's Saw - Handles a ton of different size blades for cutting metal, plastic, or wood.

Swivel Handle Pin Vice - Probably the best tool you can buy. Great for customizing what your troops are carrying.

Third Hand - Stupidly useful. Mostly for gluing.

Jeweler's Saw Blades - Bought these for my saw. Useful. Others might be better.

Micro Drill Bits - Bought for my pin vice. Useful. Others might be better.

Mini Drill Bits - Bought for my pin vice. Useful. Others might be better.

The cool thing about RGs and a lot of newer MGs is that the armor parts are specifically designed to hide the seams, so you don't have to worry so much about it. If you want an easier way to do your kits, invest a little money in a really good pair of side cutters, a good blade (I like to use 30 degree-angled blades, for better control). The old #11 X-Acto is too easy to slip and take off more plastic than you want (or part of your finger). Some fine-to-ultra-fine grit sandpaper is useful, too, but not necessary if your cutter and knife do a clean enough job, and you're careful about what you cut. I get my sandpaper at auto supply stores. You can get up to 2000-grit paper and it's a lot cheaper than buying specialty hobby sandpaper. Some fine point tweezers for decals and markings, a cutting pad, and maybe a panel liner or two, and you're good to go. An investment of less than the price of a good Master Grade should get you set up. If you invest a little in good tools, you'll find that the "work" part of the hobby goes a lot more smoothly.

Also: keep those old kits that you think you've messed up. Use them as paint hulks, practice cutting and panel lining on them, use them as victims in dioramas and battle displays; get inspiration from them! They're not mistakes, they're lessons. Oh, and remember that the pictures you see on the blogs and in the magazines are made by artists. Not everyone can draw, or play music, or write poetry, and not everyone can build $2000 garage kits and make them look like museum pieces. That's not the point. The point is that you enjoy it. If you aren't enjoying it, don't do it. But if you like it, practice, and you will get better and better, even if you don't become a Gunpla god(dess).

edit: splelgin

While this is generally considered good advice given here for a true "no experience" beginner you can get away with cheaper brushes.
IMO these brushes work great and are an excellent value at 4 bucks. And you will get a variety of useful sizes. (If you look for them in store they now have black handles, not blue)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Plaid-10-Piece-Detail-Round-Brush-Set/22086220
(And yes I know this isn't an amazon purchase like OP wanted but its a great value)


Its probably better to pick up primer and sealer locally too. You could probably get both at Walmart.. I use Krylon COVERMAXX Acrylic Crystal Clear Flat sealer. But I like to use Duplicolor Sandable Primer so I get that at the automotive store.

IMO I would not buy a palette either. It's really easy to make a wet palette out of things from the dollar store or from around the house that will serve you better then an artists palette.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96mjmqWTPfM


Reapers MSP and Citadel paints are not well represented on Amazon.. but Vallejo and Army Painter paints are..

Reaper does have their Learn to Paint kit on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Bones-Miniatures-Learn-Paint-Reaper/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8


If your not sure that mini painting is going to be your thing you may just want to start with (diluted) craft paint anyways... but purpose made miniature paint really does have its advantages.

Sorry I know I haven't been much help on what to buy on Amazon but hopefully this will give you an idea on what to avoid

It sounds like a great idea. So to start off with, do you know what really interests him? Like Tanks or planes or ships, military, civilian, what sort of era (like ww1/ww2/coldwar etc). Tanks is a bit of a wide pool!

In general, Tamiya is often a very good place to start. The kits are pretty easy to put together, they fit really well, look nice when done, have clear instructions and not too many parts. For tanks I would say a 1:35 scale tank is probably the best bet, tanks come in really 4 scales, 1:16 (absolutely monstorously huge), 1:35 (pretty much the standard scale, around 15 cm long or so), 1:40 or 50 something (used for war gaming stuff) and 1:72 teeny tiny tanks. Of the tanks I've built recently, the Tamiya amx-13 1:35 was pretty nice.

Kit aside, you'll be wanting to get him some tools (if he doesnt have any). As far basics I would say; 1) A pot of plastic glue, I recommend the tamiya extra thing (this stuff), a pair of cutters for getting parts off the sprue (I really like the pointy nose ones like this, a pair of tweezers (if he has some lying around they'll do to start with), something to sand pieces with (some use sandpaper, I use sanding sponges, some use sanding sticks), a couple of brushes (small detail and wide flat are what I use the most) and once you've decided on a kit maybe a pots of paint. On the paint front, again I would just default to tamiya acryllic 17ml pots to start with (and buy him some thinner, those paints are like treacle).

As another option, there are some really nice kits by bandai which dont really need any glue and dont have to be painted (look better with both in my opionion) but they are fundamentally click together. Their starwars line of kits are especially great in my view if thats something he likes.

If you have a local modelstore I would go talk to them. Places like hobbycraft carry models but they arent particularly helpful in my expience. If you dont have a hobbystore near you, then the websides I dfefault to are emodels.co.uk (very nice to navigate website, a little expensive), hannants (god awful website design, but they stock basically everything under the sun), wonderlandmodels.co.uk (somewhere inbetween, I have had some poor service from them but most people seem fine), amazon (be very careful with prices, there arent many model supplies on there and the stuff that is seems to get uppriced by bots to silly levels) and ebay (if you find something you really want its often on there for a good 20% cheaper than elsewhere, especially older cheaper kits).

I used the Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts Female Dwarf Summoner mini because it was the only female dwarf at my FLGS and it was inexpensive. I will say if you've never bought this brand/type, the detail shown in the picture online is far above and beyond the actual mini, and I assume the pic is a computer render. This may already be obvious to y'all, I dunno!

Anyway, I sliced her hands/spell effects off at the wrist with a utility knife and sculpted new hands from Apoxie Sculpt, leaving a hole through one fist to fit the axe I sculpted. I also added a beard, because I love lady dwarfs with beards, and trimmed a little off her head as well so it could fit the dragon skull I sculpted too. Wasn't sure what to put in her other hand but ended up cutting off a generic monster head from one of many cheap baddie minis I had, just so she'd look extra badass, I suppose. (I think I should not have used generic super glue to attach the monster head though, as it left a white film and ended up falling off anyway.) I also trimmed a little away of the base so she could sit on her new mount, a huge polar bear (for the Mammoth Rider Pathfinder prestige class).

I painted everything with this super basic starter set of Army Painter paints. I intended the colors to be pretty neutral and natural, because the character makes a lot of her own gear from animal hides, bones, etc. Didn't really know what I was doing, so tips are appreciated, but be gentle :) I used almost the cheapest mini and paints I could find because I was afraid I would be terrible and end up wasting money on a hobby that I would suck at. It turned out better than I expected though, and inspired me to want to paint my Heroforge mini too. Any suggestion for the next (not too expensive) tool/paint/whatever I should get?

He said good price guys lol. If you're coming from nail clippers and just want a cheap, but legit set of nippers look on Amazon for xuron like these. They are the ones I have. But if you really want cheap ones xuron make cheaper ones as low as like $10 but they might not have a spring open or cut perfect.

I use the xuron ones for initial removal from the sprue, then some Gundam planet nippers for the close cut. But if you're just getting started don't worry about them. I will say though that for the price, the Gundam planet nippers are amazing. But don't feel like you have to save up and skip out on an HG or 2 to get these amazing nippers. But if you're flush and want the best, they're what I'd recommend.

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.

Malifaux minis are pretty darn close to KD in terms of complexity. I really don't think you are going to find anything cheap, but you could probably buy, assemble, and ebay the minis you build (and anything is cheaper than fucking up a KD model). You'll lose a few bucks, but a well assembled mini is worth almost as much as one on the sprue.

I am new to assembly as well, but after about 20 models I don't even sweat it. Everyone on this sub swears by Tamiya liquid cement -- but I think this applicator is 100x better than the brush for most cases:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006N6ODS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Basically... take your time, clean up every little piece as it comes off the sprue, dry fit a few times to make sure. It's not that hard, it just takes patience. Sometimes I will sand+dry fit a piece a dozen times before it finally fits perfectly. One thing that I didn't realize for a long time is these things aren't perfect -- sometimes a piece just doesn't fit and its up to you to fix it. A couple of the hands on the Phoenix, for example, were real bastards for me. A really great trick I learned randomly on youtube -- you can use the plastic cement as a kind of seam filler by putting slightly more glue than necessary, so it just barely squeezes out the side. Then cut/sand any excess.

I also recommend grabbing a cheap seam scraper and a very nice sprue cutter (the clippers at home depot are not made for plastic). Also maybe some tools for pinning -- for example, I had a resin base that I wanted to put my antelope on, so he had to be pinned to it rather than glued.

If you are going to paint your models, there's a few more things you should get -- a putty you like, some clay shapers, and some way to do some light sanding.

1. For me I generally just prime and then paint. You can get away with sanding and then painting, but I reserve that for smaller surface areas and for pieces that are going to be painted in a darker or similar color to the original plastic.
   
   
2. You just add thinner to a portion of your paint to make it more dilute and in turn saving paint. It's recommended you take a few drops of your color and thin that instead of thinning your whole pot so the paint doesn't coagulate and "spoil" if you're using a weird thinner (some people don't have this problem, so you can try that out if you want).
   The consistency you want for your thinned paint varies depending on the method of application, but for handpainting, most people thin it to the consistency of water. Not so thin that it's water color-like, but just when it has that watery consistency, that's perfect. I've done this with enamel paints and enamel thinner and the results were great.
   
3. If what you're talking about regarding glue is seamline removal, you do not want to use super glue for this. Use liquid plastic cement like Tamiya or Testors depending on what's available to you. And yes, apply the cement, sand the seam away, and then paint. It makes sense when you think about it; you don't want to sand your paintjob away
   
4. Tip: after you prime, you're not done! Check for any imperfections in the kit like holes or nubs left over from building. You can now sand and fill in those mistakes with putty and then reprime and check again. This is a major step that decides how well your paintjob will turn out.
   
   hope this helps

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.

This Army Painter starter set is your best bet. It has Black, White, 3 primary colors, green, a flesh tone, a good brown, steel metallic(you can add colors to it of you want the metal to look a different color), and Strong tone wash(actually my favorite wash, period). Even comes with an okay detail brush.

If you want purple and orange. You can pick up any brand you want and it'll work just fine with these paints. Citadel is usually the easiest to find if you have gaming shop nearby. Or if you have a hobby lobby, they sell Vallejo model paints. They're good. Other brands that come to mind. Reaper, P3, Secret Weapon, and Scale 75. All good.

So all you'd need to get is a primer of your choice. And a decent brush, here's a decent brush set. And probably want to get a good matte varnish. Most people recommend Testors dull coat. But if you want brush on. Vallejo matte varnish is a good alternative. All in all you could easily be under $50.

Miniac's video on how to take care of your brushes

I did not need to pin him. In fact I've not found the need to pin any of the models because of the glue I use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006N6ODS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That stuff emulsifies the plastic a little to create a nice bond, of course be careful with it, but it works great. The harder you press and hold the parts together until it starts to set up the better it fills in seems too. The applicator tip is very helpful for these tiny miniatures as well.

For the SA use masking tape to hold the disk in place if need be, but if you hold him in place for about 5 min it starts to set up enough to hold the base in place then you can turn him upside down so all his weight is off the leg and let him set up for for a day. Usually this stuff sets really fast, the only things that require more time to set are real "load-bearing" spots like the leg here or the left hand of the Dragon God.

Reminder: this glue essentially melts plastic, but as long as you don't bath your minis in it will not harm your model. It only emulsifies the surface it is applied to. It will not eat your model like acid or something.

Not sure your price points but looking on Amazon this Army painter set is a great start to get a quantity of colors you would need and can add colors when you need to, there's also a $25usd kit with less paints but enough to get started.

For brushes I get this from Michaels as it had a lot of brush sizes for different things and starting out you don't need to buy expensive brushes.

This is a great brush cleaner and depending on the figures you decide to paint you need some tools so something like this kit would be easy to have everything in one go.

Did you have any minis in mind you were wanting to get started with? And welcome, I use painting for stress relief as well and it's easy when you have a figure and are just making them look good

Stuff that you need:

• Compressor - What I use There are lots of different compressors out there but you want to at least get one that is designed for airbrushing IE: oil-less and preferably one with a tank. Airbrush compressors are designed to be quiet as opposed to like a shop compressor that is loud as fuck.
  
  
• Airbrush - What I use This is an Iawata eclipse which is more on the expensive side but honestly since the airbrush is what is doing all of the work I opted for quality here. This is not to say that you cannot find good quality airbrushes for less but this particular name and model is fairly well known for being one of the best. You might want to shop around on this one to find one within your budget. The main thing is that you want gravity feed with the cup on the top of the airbrush, and dual action meaning that you press the trigger down for air only and pull back for paint. Single action airbrushes (paint and air together when you depress the trigger) are garbage.
  
  
• Airbrush Flow Improver - link This is what makes airbrushing thick acrylics especially GW paints possible. It allows you to thin down the paints while maintaining good coverage but won't speed up drying time like thinner or pure water will.
  
  
• Misc other stuff - You will also want latex gloves for the hand that you hold models with. Find at auto parts stores or in the first aid section of a drug store in boxes of 100. Masks, either the paper disposable ones or get a painters respirator mask at the hardware store. Simple Green for cleaning your airbrush. I run a full paint cup of it through followed by a full paint cup of water in between colors and when I finish for the day. Gun/Pistol oil for oiling up the moving parts of the airbrush. Find at any place that sells firearms (walmart, academy, outdoor goods stores). I use it to oil up the trigger, as well as all of the threading. I also dip the needle itself in the oil which lightly lubricates the spray nozzle and helps to prevent clogs.
  
  
• Final tip - everything that I learned about airbrushing I have learned from this dude on youtube: Next Level Painting I suggest watching his videos as well as videos from other youtubers to avoid a lot of trial and error. Lastly ... don't be intimidated... it takes practice but once you feel comfortable with using the airbrush it really ups your painting game.

Pretty big entrance.

----

• PG Banshee only comes with sticker decals, therefore no decal binding solution is required.
  
  
• As your first kit, I would recommend against painting. Without any planning, painting can cause several problems such as joints being too tight (can break off), pegs become too thick, paint pooling, etc. A straight assemble with basic detailing techniques is recommended (clean nub, panel line, decals and top coat).
  
  
• Fine point Gundam Markers are great for panel lining. No fuzz, easy clean up and fairly cheap. Pretty beginner friendly. I recommend mixing your own solution when you become more familiar with the hobby.
  
  --------------------
  
  As for top coat, below are the two most popular choices:
  
  
• Gloss - shiny, thicker and will darken the overall tone.
  
  
• Matte - remove a lot of shine and will slightly brighten the tone of your kit.
  

I use gw paints, mainly because I just always have, and I'm used to them, but if you wanna use some better quality, most people recommend vallejo or army painter. You can get a pretty good start with a variety of colors for army painter on Amazon for a pretty good price.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_B706BbA6TT14G


And I know you didn't, but I use their brushes, this set is a good starting point.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00HC8H4EI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_F806BbW819S9Q

Asking about the "best" filament for minis is kinda like asking people about the religion they prefer - people get all excited :) My own preference is AIO Robotics which has been always consistent in quality and thickness (doing four measurements on their PLA will always average out very, very close to 1.75 mm) Remember that there is cheap filament and good filament but I've yet to find filament that is cheap AND good.

I haven't used acetone like some other posters. My one "must have" finishing tool is really good sprue cutter like this one I got from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TMZ7QA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It will allow you to snip off junk very close to the model without breaking off delicate parts like swords and spears. I then finish up with sanding and filing with jewelers' files.

​

Good luck!

I believe I have finally decided on my first Gunpla, the HG Age II Magnum and want to make sure the items I have added to my Amazon cart are ideal or not for a beginner/future use for HG and MG kits. The list is as follows:

• Gundam Model Builder's Cutting Mat 12"x9"
  
• Findfly 9Pcs Gundam Model Tool Kit
  
• Gundam Marker Value Set
  
• Mr. Super Clear Flat Spray
  
• Bamboo Skewers
  
• Alligator Clips
  
• ScotchBlue Painter's Tape
  
• Styrofoam Blocks
  
  I know that this sub has a list of tools and tutorials, but because I'm trying to budget, I was thinking no more than $100 would be ideal for me to start with. Since I'm beginning with HG models, I don't think I need a full set of Gundam markers, but if it's needed/required/highly suggested, I might pick them up as well.
  
  So I have read and seen that top coating and panel lining are essential for MG models to make them pop. Are they just as essential for HG model kits? Looking at pictures of the Age II Magnum I'm planning on getting from Amazon, it doesn't seem to have a lot of indents for panel lining. Of course, I could be wrong and be blind as a bat. If I don't do any sort of panel lining, is it still a good idea to add a top coat regardless?
  
  Also, how soon can one get into MG kits? I was originally going to jump straight into either the MG GM Sniper II or the RX-78-2 Ver 3.0 but after doing some research over the past few days, I've decided I'll be doing a few HG's to begin with as I haven't built model kits since I was like 7 or 8 with my dad. I'm thinking after the Age II Magnum, I was thinking about getting either the HG Double O Diver or the HG 00 Shia Qan[T]. Maybe after I complete the 3 HG's I've listed, is it possible to jump to the the GM Sniper II?
  
  TL;DR:
  
  

• Are the items I have listed a good starting point?
  
  
• Is a full set of Gundam Markers a necessity for HG/beginners?
  
  
• Are panel lining and top coatings important for HG model kits?
  
  
• Is it okay to use top coat on an HG model if no panel lining is used?
  
  
• Edit Do people usually top coat the accessories? I can't seem to find any info on that.
  
  
• What color panel lining pens do people normally use based on different parts of Gunpla's?
  
  
• What level of skill should one be at before getting into MG model kits?
  
  

By Zaku Revive, did you mean one of the Origin kits or the Gouf Revive? Because I don't believe they have released a Zaku Revive yet. As for what to build next, pretty much any modern HG kit is going to be easy to assemble, but the Revive kits are some of the best out there. Unfortunately, there is no Guntank Revive, but the Guncannon Revive is a great kit, and the Zeon side has the Gouf Revive and Gyan Revive so far.

As for panel lining, you just need some lining markers or pens (I suggest these). All you need to do is use them to fill in the panel lines on the kit and maybe some of the other recesses (you can look at photos of the kit with panel lines in the instruction manual for guidance) and then use some Q-tips to wipe off the excess.

http://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-74016-Basic-Tool-Set/dp/B000BMYWXI/

This is the only basic tool set I know of.

That said, I would recommend getting a nice spruce cutter:
http://www.amazon.com/Xuron-2175ET-Professional-Sprue-Cutter/dp/B001TMZ7QA/

X-acto knifes are essential, such as the #2 large blade which is probably the most essential tool you will need.
http://www.amazon.com/X-ACTO-Knife-Cap-Silver-X3602/dp/B000V1QV7O/

Other miscellaneous tools you should get: Q-tips, fine and regular for cleaning tools, weathering with pigments, etc. Fine-tipped tweezers are also very useful. I recommend using Tamiya's extra thin cement, as well as regular cyanoadhesives for painted parts on your model. You will also definitely want some sanding tools, I recommend going to the Dollar Tree or w/e and getting a bunch of medium and fine nail filing sticks. They are cheap and work excellent on models. Tamiya also makes a line of very fine grit sandpaper (1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2500, etc.) that can make a nice polished surface, as well as sand down thick paint.

If you need suggestions on Glue, I like using [Cyanoarcylate glue] (https://goo.gl/images/Y3VYYN). This will work on both plastic and metal miniatures. Most hobby stores will have this with a different store label. You don't need much to glue and it dries really quickly (10-15 seconds)

You could also try using a more advanced glue: Tamiya Extra thin cement. But be advised, this may slightly melt plastics, which is why it is great on large models. I did this with my troll and it worked really well. I wouldn't really use it on small figured if you are novice to miniature assembly. It tends to flow into spaces and basically melts plastic together nearly seamlessly... but take care with it. It dries rather slowly, so I will use a bit of the Cyan glue and then use the Tamiya glue elsewhere on the model. So the cyan will hold quickly which will then allow the Tamiya time to dry and meld the plastic.

I would recommend some snips for removing the miniatures from the plastic spues, a sharp hobby knife, and maybe some hobby files. The snips from Games workshop and the scraping tool are nice, but cost ALOT. You probably get away with just a hobby knife for like 8 bucks... but with as many miniatures you are assembling it is work considering your hands and fingers. =]

A hobby mat / cutting board could also be good to work on but not necessary.

Just to play devil's advocate, you could justify the cost of the new tools if they are very well designed. The tools you've recommended are definitely good tools and I think any hobbyist would be happy with them, but that doesn't mean there isn't a reason to pay more. As an example, the side cutters you've linked are good cutters. But Tamiya does make a set of really nice side cutters that gunpla builders really like and recommend if you have the money that costs about $30:
Tamiya 74035 Sharp Pointed Side Cutter

I'm not as familiar with the other tools so I don't have any links for them, but if they have to quality to back them up there is a reason for the cost.

That being said, unless you to take the modelling side of this hobby super seriously, there is no reason to spend that much on tools unless cost really isn't an issue. And to add to that I'm skeptical that these tools are going to be any better that offerings that are already out there. Xuron makes a set of side cutters with similar features except that it has a plastic handle (which since I own a pair can say it's a really good handle) which is cheaper:
Xuron 2175ET Professional Sprue Cutter

TLDR: GW tools may be worth if the quality is there and you can afford them, but I doubt that this will be true.

you don't really need sandpaper if you have good tools to begin with

bare minimum

1. Xacto blade (recommend any of the ones that have rubber like the x2000 plus at least 2 new blades for each kit you build
   
   
2. Side cutters: Get the Tamiya Sharp sided cutters They are expensive but worth ever penny, especially if you plan on building more than one kit
   
   
3. Gundam Markers: Get a fine tipped black and a fine tipped grey. These will work for most colors
   
   After that its whatever you think you might need
   
   If you are going to get the RG Freedom (absolutely awesome kit) you should also consider
   
   1)Any clear blue paint ( you'll need it for the sensors)
   
   
4. Action base 2 (highly recommend since this kit was made to be airborne)
   
   http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hp7g-XsLx_I/UE84fXE7K0I/AAAAAAAAk0s/RIFvF9yJ9tM/s1600/0.jpg

Take it slow, then. Spend a lot of time looking at it really closely and absorbing the detail. Listen to sad music while you build (I usually do). Consider how nice it is that there are actually things in the world that fit together and make sense (and since this is a kit from Revell Germany it's probably quite good, and the directions should be easy to follow and sensibly written). Get some liquid model cement like this: http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Cement-For-Plastics-1-15oz/dp/B0006N6ODS ...and some acrylic model paints from a hobby shop or online (Vallejo paints are quite nice, and acrylics clean up with water and won't stink out your room) and maybe a spraycan of some kind of gloss coat-- Testor's makes a decent glosscoat lacquer, and there are others out there too. Test fit before gluing. Use tiny amounts of glue, applied with a toothpick or something similar. Don't use model cement on the clear parts, though-- use good ol' Elmer's Glue (I think-- check our wiki to be sure) and if the clear parts are a little iffy, dip them in Future floor polish ("Pledge with Future Shine"-- it's like a magical model-building liquid). If you mess this one up, there are other kits out there, and you can learn from this one so the next one will be better.

We have a wiki with a lot of general info that may answer other questions, or just ask: http://www.reddit.com/r/modelmakers/wiki/index

Ok. Gonna throw out a couple of suggestions to get you started.

First get a starter paint set.

You can get them from the local hobby shops

A few of them come with the basic supplies you need to get started.

The following ones come with a small set of paints, a brush and a miniature to paint. Often they also come with step by step instructions or online videos to watch

Dungeons and Dragons Official Paint Line Adventurer's Paint Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWMTNDJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kTC0Db25P03XH

Dungeons and Dragons Official Paint Line Monsters Paint Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWL5JZZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VVC0Db4FCQTAM

Reaper Miniatures 08906 Learn To Paint Bones Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vWC0DbVBYBCNP

Reaper Miniatures Master Series Paints #09970 Starter Set for Mini Figures https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07664WJ3H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RXC0DbPXRB07Z

The Army Painter Kings of War Undead Miniatures Paint Set - Highly Pigmented Acrylic Model Paint Set - 10 Miniature Paints in 18ml Dropper Bottles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRYAY5R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FYC0Db3QD8HJT

The above links are only there to show you what to look for.

Citadel also has a great range of paints but they are generally more expensive and don’t come with brushes or models to paint

Please. Buy local and support our FLGS (Friendly Local Game Stores) They are the reason why so many people are into these hobby’s.

Take a little while and find a couple of Nolzurs or Reaper miniatures you like to paint. They are inexpensive and will be great pieces to start with.

However if your gonna look online Miniature Market currently is having their Black Friday sale


https://www.miniaturemarket.com/searchresults?q=black+friday+sale#/?_=1&sort.ga_unique_purchases=desc&page=1&filter.product_tag=Black%20Friday&filter.manufacturer=Army%20Painter

What ever route you’re choose let us know what you did and show us your completed work. There are a lot of super helpful people here

The Army Painter Miniature Painting Kit with Bonus Wargamer Regiment Miniature Paint Brush - Acrylic Model Paint Set with 50 Bottles of Non Toxic Model Paints - Mega Paint Set 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_A9jWCbSM25CCW

Is a great set that I purchased when I got into 40k. It has a great selection of colors and washes so you’ll have everything you need to get started. Plus with all the options the set will grow with you as a painter. As you get more comfortable you can use what’s in there to expand into adding more advanced shades and highlights. As long as you remember to “thin your paints” it should last you awhile. If you want to get the most out of these or any paints I’d also recommend looking up how to make a wet pallet. It’s easy and makes a little paint go along way. Hope this helps.

Paints: Most GW paints are fantastic, there are a few exceptions here and there, but you can easily supplement your GW paints with alternatives from Vallejo, Army Painter and P3. This usually comes down to personal taste for most people.

http://www.thewarstore.com/vallejo-game-color-paint.html

http://privateerpress.com/formula-p3/paints

https://www.thearmypainter.com/

Brushes: GW brushes are a joke, they're the same price as really nice brushes like the Windsor Newton series. If you're going to spend $15-$20(US) on a single brush, get something nice not the GW crap.

Hobby Tools: GW's hobby tools are fine. It's hard to mess up simple metal tools. That being said, they're also 3-4x what they should cost. A trip to your local hardware store should net you the same or better products for about 1/4 of what GW wants to charge!

Glue: I hate GW glues personally. I've never had a good experience with them. For plastic assembly I prefer Model Masters and for Super glue I prefer the Bob Smith Industries gap filler medium.

http://www.bsi-inc.com/hobby/insta_cure_plus.html. I would be shocked if you can't find this in any number of hobby/craft stores. Worst case scenario, you can get it from Amazon with a couple of days wait time.

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Cement-Plastics-1-oz/dp/B0006N6ODS. Best plastic glue around, the metal applicator tip allows for extremely precise application of glue.

Primer: Everyone has different opinions on primer. If you're just getting back into the game I suggest going with GW primer. It rarely has issues and although extremely pricy, it gives an excellent base coat. That being said, any dollar store matte primer will do the trick.

**Once you're back into things, I highly suggest you look at an airbrush. The miniatures world has changed a LOT in the last 20 years, and now airbrushes are cheap and many paints are already formulated for use with them!

Hey Time-killing, thank you for the advice. I have one more question if you don't mind. I think I'm going to get started by going with the basic Reaper Learn to paint Bones kit to get my feet wet and see how that feels.

You recommended some Space Marines earlier to practice on and while I think that's a cool idea, I'm more into fantasy stuff. Can you recommend anything like that but more on the fantasy side?

Edit: Maybe something like this? Black Ark Corsairs? These minis have armor, weapons and different material types. Is that what you were going for with your original example?

Bonus question from someone who can't stop sweating the details: Do you think the Reaper paints would be "wasted" on those GW minis? Should I try to acquire some Vallejo and Citadel paints to make the most out of painting GW minis?

And I hope you're having a happy new year as well. :D

Tamiya Extra Thin Cement works perfectly for KDM. The cement actually melts the plastic together for a tight fit. It comes with a fine tip brush applicator which gives you great control. Added bonus is you can’t glue things to your fingers, and it gives you 10-30 seconds to reposition the pieces.

Definitely dry fit all pieces before gluing to make sure they go together properly. Have fun!

My best guess would be to use a thinner for that type of glue, if one is available. If one isn't, you might need to just gently flick and peel them off or softly sand them down. Wish I could give a better answer :(

Also, I'd recommend making the jump to cement glue as it creates very small seams that can be sanded down to near invisible levels with some patience and a delicate hand. Though if the model kit is of a good quality, you probably wouldn't need to. Tamiya example on Amazon. An example of a model maker using that type of glue. He also gives great tips throughout his videos, if you find yourself a fan of his.

I have the same bootleg and you might need something extra to fix those seams in his head. The cement might work, but what it actually does is melt two pieces of plastic together, so it doesn't really fill anything, it can actually melt plastic away if you use too much.

You might need an epoxy like Green Stuff or Apoxy Sculpt to fill them, which when mixed dries into a plastic like material.

You can try the cement, just don't use to much and you might be able to sand the seam line away.

Testors will probably work, I've never actually used it. Just make sure to thin your paints with water or acrylic thinner. It will take a few extra coats of paint, but it'll look smoother and nicer.

As for shiny vs matte it will come down to what finish/sealer you use. The clear gloss you ordered will be great for the shoes and nose, but you'll still want to seal the rest just to avoid paint rub/damage. I'd recommend getting a brush on Matte finish. Paint the whole figure, Seal the whole thing in matte, then brush on the gloss finish anywhere you want it to shine.

The glue I'm using is a gap-filling cyanoacrylate, specifically this: https://www.amazon.com/Insta-cure-filling-Bob-Smith-Ind/dp/B0000DD1QQ

What I've been doing is applying it to the cracked areas, and smoothing it down. Once that's dried, I've applied more, and smoothed that. Repeating until the crack is filled, and I will sand that after. I have a pretty solid array of fine grit sandpapers, as well as a pretty extensive array of dremel bits. I think some fine grit buffs will help me with these cracks as well as some other rough spots I was hoping to smooth over. Hoping it goes well. I'm actually having some success re-texturing the hair where it cracked by using the same metal bristle tool on the glue as it dries. Gonna need to soak this tool in some acetone when I'm done, though.

I use mostly Warcolours paints, which are listed on their website as "designed for use with paint brush and/or airbrush", but you need to thin them out quite a bit. I use Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver to thin them down.

Don't use any Citadel paints in an airbrush, besides their new Air paints. The pigment particles in their regular paints are too large, and will clog up your airbrush no matter how much you thin them.

I've never tried any Vallejo paint of any kind, so I have no opinion on them. I just back in to the hobby with 8th Edition, and read nothing but good things about Warcolours paints, so I bought the full line (literally). All base coats, all layers, all metallics, something like 140 paints. Last time I played, I never used anything but Citadel, and I remember them being such a pain to use because they are so thick, and seem to dry out extremely quickly. The Warcolours paints have the awesome dropper bottles like Vallejo, which makes it super easy mix, and keep them air tight.

I still use Citadel for washes and shades, and some metallics, they probably have the best metallics.

nonononono dont use super glue! What you need is cement glue, I use and recommend Tamiya. I've never used super glue on plastic models so Im not sure what will happen, but play it safe and use the stuff that was designed for these models.

Edit: look to see if there are any hobby stores near you, they most likely can give you advice, and most likely would stock the correct paints and glues

here's my airfix Hurricane mkII that was my first serious build, It's old and I lost the canopy, but I still like it :) Model making can be very fun, those are some nice kits, enjoy them

Once you get past assembly (the advice here already is great!), you'll want to look at paints. Do yourself a favor and get a good primer (around $15, I use Army Painter flat black primer), and then 3 brushes (kolinsky sable is the best, but regular sable works fine too). Get a size 0, 1, and 2. Do not get super cheap brushes, but you don't need way out expensive brushes either. $8-12 a brush should be your target.

Then you've got to choose paints, and this will boil down to personal preference. Vallejo makes great paints, as does P3 and Army Painter. I'm not wild about Games Workshop's paints.

This is a great value, if you decide you like their paints.

I have found that the easiest (and cheapest) way to up your model kit game is to panel line them. It makes the color separation pop way more, and helps define the proportions of a kit much better. A three pack of the panel linking markers are on Amazon for 5-7$ usa (link below). I recommend using the gray marker for white parts, brown for red orange gold and yellow parts, and black for blue gray and silver parts. The markers last a very long tine as well.

Another way is to buy some sanding sticks (10$ roughly for a 4 pack) and work on carefully removing nub marks. It will really improve the final presentation on the finished model. Start with a lower grit stick to remove the nub, and then increase the grit to polish away the scratches. If done correctly (I'm still working on this too) it will look like the nub was never there.

I Hope this helps, from one modeler to another.

Panel lining markers:

GSI Creos Gundam Marker Value Set -GM01&02&03- (Black, Gray, Brown) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HY93GHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xt-2DbKF7CZZR



Sanding sticks:

Squadron Products Value Pack Sanding Stick https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CDR5K8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AC-2Db3ZFSJ3K



Edit: also the panel lining will help the paint job pop. In addition I'd saw use multiple coats from the gundam makers if possible.

I use gold, silver, and copper paint markers specifically gundam markers and sharpies

For the gundam markers I got the metallic gundam marker set: https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Creos-Gundam-Metallic-Marker/dp/B00KBRFOIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467993243&sr=8-1&keywords=gundam+marker+metallic

The gold and silver from that set is super useful but the other colors less so, they're okay but can be really uneven in the color they put out so I'd suggest for the other colors only for small and very few spots on a kit to lower your chances of getting inconsistent color (again though this is not a problem with the gold and silver they're great)

For the sharpies I used a metallic marker pack that I bought at Wal-Mart that has gold, silver, and bronze: https://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Metallic-Permanent-Assorted-1829201/dp/B007QNWC3M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467993555&sr=8-1&keywords=Metallic+sharpie+markers (It was like this pack, same markers but only one of each and it was really cheap like around $3-$5)

The sharpies are great they don't really spill like the gundam markers can but the downside to them is that they can kind of streak easily especially on bigger surfaces and they can rub off fairly easily which is great for cleaning areas where you accidentally covered, but can be a little frustrating when the color rubs away on areas that you wanted the metallic color (top coat helps protect the paint)

Here's a quick list of goodies to consider:

Testor's Model Master Glue - works on all of the kit's plastics except clear glass (use Elmer's glue for that). Be sure he scrapes any paint or chrome plating off the parts before gluing.

Tamiya Fine Surface Primer - painting is much easier with a primer coat. It gives the paint something to bite into. This can be used on the body and really any other parts that get paint. Makes it much easier to brush paint on smaller parts, too.

Model Master Black Lacquer - this will give him the base for a great matte black finish.

Model Master Flat Clear - this is a clear, non-shiny protective top coat that will take the shine off the black paint and give him a nice, matte finish.

Here is a build guide - much more than he needs, but the painting process is the same, except he'll be using a flat clear instead of gloss.

Feel free to ask any questions or send him over to /r/modelcars when he gets the kit. Have fun!

I bought one of the Reaper learn to paint sets (link below). I never painted the minis that came with it, but know people who have. The colors work well for beginners. Thee is a decent mix and a full spectrum. Supplement that with a few other reaper bottles and you have a good start collection of paints for like $50.

From there, I kept on buying one or two bottles at a time and now own a bunch of paints. I stopped for a whole but starting painting again just last night! It's fun and relaxing. My Saturday shift at my local game store is coming to a close in the next month, so with more time I hope to paint some more coming up!

https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-Learn-Paint/dp/B00NTMC49G

If I were to go back in time I would just not have bought it and bought a nicer version of each tool separately since I like to invest in the long run.

In my opinion, the xacto knife that comes with the kit isn't secure enough, ie it may wobble during precise cutting. I'd recommend just getting a hobby knife off Amazon or wherever.

The sidecutters do the job but they aren't great. If you don't cut close to the piece, it won't bruise the plastic, but I would still recommend in investing in a good sidecutter if you're really interested in modeling. I personally use the Tamiya Sidecutters. They're expensive but they cut through the runners like butter.

All in all, the Tamiya basic tool set isn't bad- it's a decent toolkit and you can still use it on any model and still achieve a great finish, but you'll just have to work a bit harder.

It's a little bit of an extra expense up front, but just this past week I bought this kit from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NTMC49G/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1451310598&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=reaper+bones+miniatures&dpPl=1&dpID=51DZMCGMRCL&ref=plSrch

It came with 9-10 bottles of paint, 2 brushes, 3 miniatures, and a great guide/tutorial for getting started. It gives very good step by step instructions with details on all the various painting techniques for the first miniature, then recommended paints and techniques for the other two in the box. Worked really well for me for an introduction!

Now the next step is to work up the courage to apply those techniques to Mice and Mystics and Sentinel Tactics...

get something like this, with the drills maybe in your local measurements.

then a set of files like this or a complete set like that. than this strange substance.

consider this in case he gets funny. some collection of magnets like those. prices vary drasticly, again go for local measurement system. he will probably need 1x1mm, 2x1mm, 3x2mm. just check if the drills you got and the magnets fit size wise and the magnets have to be neodynium.

​

i am not very familar with skaven so i cant give much advice on models but i assume this one will make him happy. it qualifizes for "anything really cool", can be used to build different things he might like and you can use the stuff mentioned above to fill out the rest of the budget if you like.

​

this overrated book vendor in the links was just used as example of product and quality and prizes of products will vary drastically. with this stuff you cant make too much wrong with going cheap.

somebody from your country might offer you a good vendor. i cant really suggest specific products since they maybe are not availlable where you are from.

​

my most sincere condolences that you lost your partner to plastic crack :(

I've plugged it before and I'll plug it again - Reaper's Learn to Paint kit is probably the most budget-friendly way to dive into mini painting. It comes with a set of paints, some brushes, three minis to practice on, and a handbook that introduces you to painting techniques that get progressively more complex on each mini. Plus, it's easy to add paints to the kit's storage case if you end up enjoying the hobby.

If you go that route, I also recommend adding a bottle of red paint and a few better brushes, because the kit doesn't come with any shades of red and the two included brushes are just average. Otherwise, it's got everything you need to get started and the practice minis are a godsend (I didn't want to touch my Gloomhaven minis until I had a couple less important ones under my belt).

Edit: Just saw that the kit is a little pricier on Amazon CA. If you can find the kit on another site or at a local game store for under $45 USD or so I would still recommend it, otherwise it's worth hitting up the minipainting sub and seeing what other options they recommend for beginners.

Looks like everything you would need! Good choices :-)

While you don't need this right away, you may want to consider it:

http://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Airbrush-Improver-200ml-Paint/dp/B00QD780G0?ie=UTF8&keywords=flow%20improver%20airbrush&qid=1463514084&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

It really helps to let the paint run in the airbrush and doesn't "Gob up" on the tip of the needle. It's not mandatory while you're learning how to use the airbrush (It's not mandatory at all actually) but it helps to improve the quality of what you're painting.

I hope to see some pics of your finished work soon! :-D

I usually paint reaper minis, but for him you could honestly just get a bag of green army men and prime them grey, then move on to more intricate minis (and expensive) minis when he learns the basics (and doesn't lose patience.)

As for paints, a normal acrylic set should work out, you could also look into a paint kit. I would honestly recommend the Reaper Bones Learn-to-Paint Kit as it was my first, comes with a decent selection of colors that don't require thinning for regular painting, as well as a couple brushes and 3 minis.

Hope this helps! :)

It's not absolutely necessary to wash the pieces, though it doesn't hurt. Old Bandai kits used to have a layer of residue on the plastic to help the piece get removed from the mold but the technology nowadays have improved a lot and there isn't a need to wash the pieces. Priming is important to help the paint adhere to the plastic, though even then it is not necessary. Some people will still swear by the wash, prime, paint, gloss, panel line, top coat procedure. Some (myself included) have skipped the washing and priming part, though I do prime when changing stock color schemes.

To do the front skirt of bb351, I would paint the whole thing light blue, or the color of your choice, let the paint dry, mask the inner part (where you want to keep the blue) and then spray the whole piece gold. Let it dry, remove the masking tape, and you should have a two colored piece. Procedure is similar for the other pieces. Do not paint the transparent parts unless you want to make them opaque?

[Liquid cement] (https://smile.amazon.com/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement/dp/B000BMYWYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501907274&sr=8-1&keywords=tamiya+liquid+cement), one of the more important tools in your gunpla tool box. It pretty much melts the two pieces and fuses them together.

Looks good! That's a great setup, better than what I am working with.

I'd suggest adding a few things before ordering:

http://www.amazon.com/Vallejo-Airbrush-Improver-200ml-Paint/dp/B00QD780G0 (Buy it!! Trust me)

http://www.amazon.com/Yueton-Nylon-Nozzle-Brush-Handle/dp/B010NDQWLE (Will need for cleaning)

http://www.amazon.com/Plaid-44250-30-Piece-Craft-Brush/dp/B003ZZ3PHW (Cheap, disposable and super useful for mixing in bowl, won't scar the sides.... Cheaper at Wal-Mart)

Well, depending on the level of newbness the following might be helpful:

Use Tamiya Extra Thin Plastic Cement (green cap) instead of super glue for the grey plastic stuff. It won't work on Resin though. Buy it at a Hobbytown USA or off Amazon.

Use wire cutters to remove stuff from the sprues, don't twist. Even a cheap $4 pair of Hakko cutters works fine. I use a small Gerber pocket knife to scrape off mold lines.

Don't get caught caught up into magnetizing stuff. Just glue it and be done. Nobody is going to care if you say a Carnosaur counts as a Troglodon for a game, or if your Saurus Knights are not really using the lances they are modeled with.

Apparently massive amounts of Skinks are a good investment for current Seraphon. I'd not buy more than 2 boxes while waiting for a new battletome though.

If you REALLY screw up a model, you can fix it with green stuff 99% of the time.

Army Painter sells a 50 paint set that I fully endorse. Drip bottles that won't dry out quickly like GW paints.

Ebay is a good resource. You'll have to click worldwide on the left.

Sometimes you can get stuff you can't find on Amazon at your local independent hobbystores or official GW stores that keep old stock, like unsold copies of Carrion Empire. One example, Chaos Lord on foot is a website exclusive, but you can have it shipped to a store for free instead of $10 to your home. You have to place the order in person with the store staff for that specific shop to get credit for the sale though.

Keep building stuff! And don’t buy something difficult or expensive until you are comfortable with it. You can improve your techniques and make the little HG and SD kits look amazing! I jumped into MG kits too fast and now I notice everything wrong with them, but I’m too lazy to re-do them lol.

Definitely work on nub removal and panel lining. Practice makes perfect! When I first started building, my fiancé bought me this tool set and it helped tremendously. Happy building!

Same here. Zero experience and no artistic ability to this point, but I was interested in fixing up Scythe and Mansions of Madness specifically. I saw this one referenced on /r/minipainting and gave it a try. I also picked up some duplicate minis from Amazon and had a "mini painting bootcamp" one Saturday with me and my three kids. Instructions were spelled out step by step, easy to follow and they actually turned out pretty well. We'll be doing a follow-up or two before diving into my actual games, but I thought it was a great way to test the waters before diving in.

I’m a tricomb guy, grab a cheep scope off of amazon, https://www.amazon.ca/KINGMAS-Microscope-Jewelry-Magnifier-Jeweler/dp/B00AQAANDS/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=mini+microscope&qid=1567317008&s=gateway&sprefix=mini+micr&sr=8-5 Or search mini microscope and pick one

This one is 12$ Canadian and works perfect for this, the tricombs will start clear and then start to get cloudy and then start to turn Amber. I usually check the middle of the main cola on the plant and chop when it’s approx 60/40 Amber to cloudy. it’s a personal preference thing as the high changes depending on ratio. You should be able to find some you tube videos fairly easily that’ll help. The scope is also a must for identifying some pests as well.
Great looking plant, good luck!
I seem to have linked the wrong scope, you should get at least a x45 sorry about that

Good luck finding a group!
Emerald Tavern and Dragon's Lair both carry a couple of lines of paint (I'd personally avoid Games Workshop paints, they're overpriced and the pots will help your paint dry out).
King's Hobby has a great selection of paints from companies you won't find elsewhere in town.
If you're just starting, brushes from craft stores or great.

A great way to get all the paints you'd need to really get started is the Army Painter Set, which has 50 paints, a guide, and a brush to get started with:
https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=army+painter+set&qid=1554409358&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I got a question for you.
How much do you want to spend on cutters?

Some notable brands for cutters are (listed from price ascending) Xuron($10-$20), Tamiya($25-$30), Gundam Planet($35), and then Godhand($55-$??). (There might be others, but I have found these to be the most popular.)

Right now I have Gundam Planet nippers. They are the best nippers I have had so far, but I have only owned one other pair so dont take my word to heart. What ever you do don't go for a $5 pair not worth it at all. I did that and I spent more time fixing the mistakes those clippers did to my model.

Personal opinion get a pair of Tamiya Sharp Pointed Side Cutters or Gundam Planet Nippers. Here is a [comparison] (https://panzercraft.com/articles/2016-01-31-tamiya-side-cutters-vs-gundam-planet-nippers/) between the two. In all honesty though I have no been able to replicate that slow cut with my GP nippers. Another point is I have been able to get pretty close if you scratch the white part with your finger nail it almost looks like the slow cut photo.

P.S. Really though all of your clean up with the nubs is going to be with sand paper and a razor blade of some sort. I just ordered myself a OLFA Rubber Grip Utility Knife, but you can also get a OLFA Cushion Grip Knife if you want one of them.

Golden Frieza looks as good as mine, IMO.


Check out Apoxie Fixit Sculpt for modding, it's a two compound formula that dries 4 hours after being mixed, which gives you plenty of time to work with it. It's what I use, I love it. Fun fact: it smells like cooked shrimp before it hardens. Strangely pleasant aroma :P.


There's also this green stuff called... Green Stuff (clever name), haven't used it myself but it looks pretty good from what I've seen. I'd ditch the baking clay.


My Golden Frieza Mewtwo was almost completely scrapped cuz the Montana Gold spray paint I originally used was garbage. If I could salvage that abortion (seriously, I wish I took pictures to show how F'd it was), you can totally save yours, not to say it even looks bad, just the base. Everything else looks salvageable, even the Yoshi, dunk him in acetone & go to town with a million q-tips.

Does he use miniatures in his games? You could pick him up a random booster pack of D&D minis- new monsters to use can be inspiration for encounters.

EDIT: This would most likely be on budget and these are new figures! Came out in late July.
https://www.miniaturemarket.com/wzk72871-pack.html

If he plays 5e there are new books coming out still- you could look at what he has or order something upcoming for him to lean his campaign toward.

EDIT: Make sure you check his shelf/bin if you don't want to get something he has already!
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=5e+books

Maybe he is a fan of fantasy books/movies? You might have some luck picking something he would like- that could bleed through for inspiration.

Also, tabletop players always enjoy a new set of dice, if they are a shiny new color or something.
I suggest these!

https://www.amazon.com/Wiz-Dice-Pack-Random-Polyhedral/dp/B01KN7REWQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502128441&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=alchemical+oddities+dice

EDIT:

This is kind of a stretch probably- but consider steering him toward something like https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-4-mr-bones-epic-adventure/comments which can be a near endless source of materials/resources.

You could try picking up one of the starter sets to see if he would like painting!

https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-Learn-Paint/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1502128215&sr=1-2&keywords=reaper+bones+paints

https://www.amazon.com/Layer-Bones-Miniatures-Learn-Reaper/dp/B01N458GBK/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1502128232&sr=1-1&keywords=reaper+bones+paints

A great place to start is the mini painting starter sets by Reaper:

https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-Learn-Paint/dp/B00NTMC49G

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N458GBK/

They're not too expensive, and they are a great intro to mini painting. They also come with pieces to practice techniques on, and a lot of paints to work with as well. I'd get those, and maybe some brushes.

I also would recommend a wet palette to keep paints wet between painting sessions, magnifying glasses to help see, and a mini holder.

I also got these brushes, which seem to be working well for me, and have a mix of useful ones.

Great job first time out! I remember this kit fondly and can’t believe you found one. Everything u/levrin said is correct. If you are looking to continue, at the very least I recommend going out and purchasing an exacting knife/side cutters/ a set of paneling markers/and tweezers for decals.
Again. Great first outing and welcome to the hobby!
side cutters
paneling markers
tweezers
knife

Hope this helps

Thanks! I was overwhelmed too, so I started by watching some videos on YouTube and whatnot. I ended up getting this set:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTXRUUT/

​

This feels like pretty good value to me, and has a ton of colors to pick from. It also has premade washes for shading, metallic paint, and blood/dirt effect paint so it has worked super well for Gloomhaven stuff.

Another option is Tamiya plastic glue; it's just as good. This is the stuff you're looking for: https://www.amazon.de/Tamiya-Extra-Thin-Plastikkleber-300087038/dp/B000BMYWYC/

It works by melting the plastic that it touches, so the two parts fuse together into a permanent bond. The best way to use it is to put a little bit on one or both of the surfaces you want to combine, wait a few seconds for it to start dissolving the plastic, then press them together.

It is great on translucent models because it dries perfectly clear.

I like these. http://www.amazon.com/Games-Workshop-Citadel-Shade-Paint/dp/B00KOD3FM8 but always with the knowledge that I can make my own with about a 1:8 ratio of any paints that I have. Use the color wheel as your guide. Cool colors recede while warm colors pop out. Try experimenting with different colors and see what effects you get, and what makes you happy. On faces I use a bit of blue in the shadows to help them recess, while using red in other places to help it come out.

Also, I typically repeat 3 and 4 multiple times.

I don't have any "methods," since I've never tried to sculpt individual feathers (just a feature "texture" on wings). But I'd suggest using green stuff or a similar two-part epoxy putty, if you weren't already. It holds detail amazingly well and dries almost as hard as plastic, while being much less brittle than modeling clay. Something that protrudes off the edge of a model (like, I'm guessing, your feathers) could still get snapped off, but during normal play, or even if you drop the model from a reasonable height like a game table, it should be totally fine. I'm not a sculptor by any means, but that's the best material I know to recommend.

But as for a "way to sculpt or apply feathers" once you have the green stuff, I'm not sure, and it would depend on how big you want the feathers to be. I can attach some pictures of a project I'm working on to give you ideas, if you want, but I haven't yet added any free-standing feathers. They're molded directly onto the wings of the model, so I don't have to worry about them breaking off.

The only basic supplies you will need are paint brushes and acrylic model paints. A starter set like this for you would be perfect, if you're in Taiwan you can probably find something local for much cheaper.


https://www.amazon.com/Miniatures-Highlighting-Miniature-Army-Painter/dp/B01MTXRU2L/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1525546731&sr=8-4&keywords=army+painter


If you want more videos on how to get started, the basics are covered very well in my opinion by Games Workshop videos. They sell models for a science fiction miniatures game but the ideas of painting models are universal and this will really help you!


Basic painting of a military vehicle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig_gKQAgBKY


Another basic military vehicle tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74p9eGwRAog


Adding weathering and battle damage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyuPxJG5kFc


And the great thing about acrylic hobby paints is that they can be easily removed from the model, so if you don't like what you did you can remove it all and start again fresh!


http://www.instructables.com/id/Take-Paint-Off-of-Models/

The 3 things you need are:

• something to cut the pieces off the sprue -- an exacto knife will work, but flush cutters are easier to work with.
  
• an adhesive -- super glue works, but plastic cement is better.
  
• something to remove sprue nubs/mold lines from the plastic -- an exacto knife can work again here, but I prefer needle files. Much harder to make an error than when using a knife.
  
  That's pretty much it. If you want to dive in really deep I have a massive post that lists other tools and touches on a lot of customization that people have done. But none of that's mandatory, you can very easily forge ahead with just the 3 tools I linked above.

Armor kits come with the original game purchase- yes.

I'd recommend this glue:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BMYWYC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

Anyone that has built minis for a while loves Tamiya. It's FAR superior to most super glues.

I was interested in just painting up a few of my plastic miniatures for fun, and to make them a bit more interesting.

Got this as a starter kit, even comes with a few minis to paint so you can practice before you get started on the ones you care about: https://www.amazon.com/Reaper-Miniatures-08906-Learn-Paint/dp/B00NTMC49G

I immediately bought a couple of extra colours, but it seemed like a pretty cost effective way to get started, and it comes with some instructions around technique, using the included miniatures as examples.

Yup have fun! If you got a revell kit which requires gluing, I recommend using Tamiya cement instead of the supplied model cement. I found the supplied stuff tends to add thickness to connections, which will push apart seam lines. What you want to do with this stuff, if there's peg holes, apply a tiny bit in the hole then snap together. Run the thin brush with the tamiya cement along the seam line, this solution will soften and literally weld the plastic together. Apply pressure on both sides to really push together the seam. Some excess material will goo out, this is a sign that the melding is working and the pressure is pushing the 2 together. However dont over pressure to the point where things buck. Let sit and cure, preferably let sit for 12 hr+ (I'm impatient so sometimes I tackle it around the 4-6 hr mark). The plastic will solidify again and here you treat like the nubs, use a blade to carve off the excess and sand away the seam line. This is what modelers do to remove ugly gaps and large seam lines, a bit technical and requires practice, but necessary for certain kits.

If you're hasty and impatient like me and want to avoid waiting/don't care too much about seam lines, use CA glue Which is just fancy speak for super glue. This stuff dries thin and is VERY fast. The purple cap dries in 5-15s, there is a blue cap that dries in 1-3s. Use sparingly, and make sure the part doesnt need to come apart again, as they never will.

Ah yeah, the hasegawa Su-33 is pretty high end, plus expensive. would definitely practice before tackling it. I personally like the reverse swept plane from ace combat more, though I dont know much about the series

For beginners the HG RX 78-2 Revive is a great kit for starting. Few stickers, and nice part color separation. It's 1/144 scale, so just take your time to avoid breaking any parts.

$10 USD - amzn.com/B00WW4F8YA

You can also get some panel lining Gundam Markers to help highlight vents, details, parts of interests, etc. The RX 78-2 is a good kit to also practice panel lining.

$9 USD - amzn.com/B00HY93GHY

As for tools, something like this should get you by for now since you're just starting the hobby. Has everything you need to get building.

$17 USD - amzn.com/B01GHA6C7G

FYI: You will want to use Plastic Cement for these hard plastic models. It will give superior results when compared to super glue.

I recommend looking for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Cement-Plastics-1-oz/dp/B0006N6ODS

The Model Masters (an offshoot of Testors, so a well-known brand) has a very nice this applique needle to apply very small amounts to precise locations. It'll keep you from ruining your new expensive figures! The game can be played without them. Take your time assembling, fixing, sanding, etc.

Not from Canada, so I can't help you on the ordering stuff, but you can always check local brick and mortar gaming shops. If you find one that sells miniatures etc. not only can you buy your stuff there, they are probably also happy to help give you recommendations / stuff to practice with if they can gain you as a customer.

Oh and I would start with a starter set, not a mega set \^\^
(something like this but not completely overpricesed...)

Thanks!

Sure thing!

I started by mashing some aluminum foil into the general shape that I wanted it to be, and then hot glued that to a 40mm base. I then reinforced the foil with more hot glue with lengthwise bands of hot glue.

Once cooled, I covered the structure in a layer of Apoxie Sculpt, (AS) which essentially resulted in a smooth "tentacle" upon which I could add details.

My next step was sculpting the chitin plates along the back of the structure with AS. I started with the smallest one near the tip, and working one plate at a time, giving each one adequate time to set, worked my way to the largest one at the base. After each plate had set, I used heavy grit sandpaper to touch up the final shape and add some texture to them (think fingernail ridges), and these scraper tools to add the deeper cracks. This is an area where AS is superior to Green Stuff(GS); it cures rock-hard, so it can be filed, tapped, sanded, and drilled with very good results.

From this point on in the project, I used (roughly) 50/50 mix of GS and AS.

I then used a dremel tool with a tiny carving head to carve out space under the edge of each plate and sculpted in the connective tissue there. Looking back, I wish I'd left more of a "ledge" on the plates, so that that connective tissue was more recessed. Live and learn.

Next step was planning out the rest of the structure. I knew I wanted the inside of the tower to be 1) composed of different sections, 2) complex in texture, 3) "Squishier" than the outside, and 4) functional in appearance. I used pencil to draw sections on the model until it was broken up in a way that I liked, and then I planned a few of the details. (I settled on the vertebrae-like structures as a way to separate the sections, the defiler-like texture near the tip, and decided that I wanted structures at the base that looked like they were "rooted" into the ground--I didn't want it to look like it just sat on the surface.

I sculpted the vertebrae next, using this wonderful tutorial by Mr. Pink, one of my sculpting heroes. The defiler texture was added next, using a "Hydra tool"--a rounded off nail set into a handle. Just poke the tool in at an angle where you want a hole to be--I wish I'd done a better job of organizing the holes into a pattern of some sort.

the long lateral sections came next. I put putty down, and then used a large ball burnisher to make the large depression, a smaller ball burnisher to make a smaller depression in the middle of the large one, and a tiny ball burnisher to make the ring of tiny depressions around that second, medium sized depression. Once I had all of those in place, I went back to the medium burnisher for the depressions on the surface, between the large depressions. I can't think of a better way to describe this right now, but I can attempt to clarify if you like.

the tubes at the base were next. Fat cylinders of putty were rolled out and the ribs were sculpted with the back of the narrow scraper I used on the chitin plates. After they'd set, I blended them into the rest of the structure with the putty around it. the tiny spine structure was made similarly to the larger ones, and the concentric circles were made by making a hole, putting a ball of putty into it, and then turning the hole into a doughnut with a hydra tool, and then repeating.

The tiny spikes were shaped, and allowed to cure, and then glued to the model and blended in with texture and stuff.

If you want more general advice, I'll cut/paste an old comment below, or if you want further clarification or whatnot, let me know!

Happy sculpting!

Well, the only things you really need to build a kit are a pair of hobby clippers and motivation. Everything else is optional, depending on how much effort you wanna put into making your model look as best as possible(hell, I used nail clippers of all things with my first gunpla because I didn't want to invest in tools before actually building one for myself and knowing if this was a hobby I wanted to pursue or not).

For this one I actually got a modeling toolkit, some Gundam markers for panel lining and a small cutting mat through amazon(although you might be able to find them at local hobby stores as well). I can't really speak for other tools, but these ones worked pretty well for me. If you're worried about costs you can always start with just some basic tools and slowly build your toolbox up from there as you build more models. Hopefully you have as much fun with your first gunpla as I had with mine!

P.S. Remember I'm also a newbie so take all of this with a grain of salt

Total noob here about to dive in scared on my first-ever build with a Master Grade kit. Just had to have this love at first sight.

Is a tool set like this a smart buy over getting the main essential ones separately?

If not, could you guys kindly recommend a list of half-decent quality tools that would fit a budget of $20-30 (or possibly for a bit more if absolutely necessary for a quality build)?

Thanks guys.

I would advise against re-buying the black edition. It is nicer, but the quality is still a bit lacking. For the figures, I know people have gone to using the old micro machine models. I'm not sure how available they are/how bad shipping would be to Portugal.

For painting, I highly recommend getting this kit from Reaper. The instructions are easy to follow and it comes with everything needed to get started. Once you've painted the three included figures I would look into ordering the colors you want to use. Generally speaking, you would need to:

• Prep the figures, meaning wash them with dish soap. You can file down the mold lines first if they annoy you, I probably wouldn't bother with it.
  
• I haven't painted the Star Wars Risk ships before, but I'd suspect you'll need a primer. I think spray primer is the easiest to use. I'd go with white, I think its trickier to "paint up" from black.
  
• Primary color for each ship. This will probably be a shade of gray, with a little red mixed in to give the rebel ships that warm used feeling. I'd go a little brighter shade than you want the end product to be.
  
• A matching wash, or just a thinned and darkened version of your primer. This is a really thin, wet coat that gets into the nooks and crannies to give the model depths.
  
• Accent paint colors, like orange for the X-Wings, blacks for the windows and bright reds for the engines.
  
  I'd skip doing highlights for that many figures, and I wouldn't bother sealing them either. I'd also paint one figure of each type first, then do batch runs in series (prime everything, base coat everything, wash everything..)
  
  Hopefully this can get you started improving your set. :)

Shows a comparison, using the same piece, of the cheap Amazon Platos and the God Hand. I have the Tamiya's that are clearly inspired by the God Hand, wondering if its worth the upgrade.

My nippers:https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-Sharp-Pointed-Side-Cutter/dp/B000J47Z4G


Anyone seen or used the one sided nippers?

I'd highly recommend this kit if you can buy it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NTMC49G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KDOgAbJ2VC8V6

It's a kit that comes with paint, 3 minis, a couple brushes, and some instructions.

My wife and I had never painted minis before, and we bought this and have been painting like mad since. It teaches some really great basic techniques and gives you the basics of what you need to get started. Then, it's just all about practice. Take your time painting, learn as you go, and you'll get better and better!

Also, using double sided tape on an old pill bottle is a great way to manipulate your mini while painting it!

I'm using these Xurons for thicker sprue connections and then following up with the usual God Hand work, or if the connectors are small enough, just going straight in with the God Hand. If necessary I'll do further trimming with an Xacto blade afterward.

Those Xurons are actually pretty good on their own, but the God Hand is smaller and thus easier to use for work in confined spaces.

Though you could just use a blade and sandpaper if you have some practice at it. Some people even use nail clippers.

Reaper Learn To Paint Bones Kit is a solid place to begin.

Miniature Painting Kit is a really solid pack of colors for a beginner as well. Good quality miniature paints, with a decent brush and most of the colors, washes, and metallics you'll need to get going. Plus it comes with the army painter getting started guide on how to paint tabletop quality models efficiently.

After that it's all preference and practicing more advanced techniques. But it is easier just to start by grabbing some cheap acrylic colors, a cheap pack of synthetic brushes from a hobby store, and begin painting a miniature.

You can read all the guides you want. Application of the techniques takes practical practice plain and simple. You can mentally know how to layer or glaze all day long. If you don't have the brush control that comes from actually painting, or know how much paint to load on your specific brush to achieve the effects then knowing the technique won't make your painting better.

Start painting!

Glad to hear it!

For soldering, I'd recommend doing what I did and just go to Home Depot or Lowes or a hardware store and get a few feet of wire, maybe a few different gauges of it, take it home and practice. Cut it, strip it, solder it together, and use electrical tape or heat-shrink wrap to cover all exposed metal. Rinse wash repeat. Did that 3 or 4 times and got more comfortable with it.

Grab one of these helping hands along with a basic soldering kit off amazon and you're good to go.

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-01902-Adjustable-Magnifying-Alligator/dp/B000P42O3C/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=helping+hands&qid=1569619359&sr=8-4

Have fun!

You could try hobby epoxy. Idk about how the heat generated from it will affect the headphones, or if it even will, but the epoxy I use is significantly stronger than hot glue.

(I crashed my RC plane and ripped the tail completely off and repaired it with epoxy. I crashed it again the next week, and the tail ripped off again, 1 inch away from where it had previously been ripped off. Pretty impressive imo.)

Edit: Here are 2 glues I'd recommend: Epoxy, Super Glue. Watch your fingers, this stuff WILL stick them to anything if you get some on them. (speaking from experience)

>black is fine I use citadels shade "nuln oil" this can make any paint job look 2x better

Can a black wash be used on any color? How do you use a black wash on a light-colored figure?

I see that the Citadel Shade Nuln Oil is $8.60, but I could get a batch of 8 Citadel washes for $34.50. Would you recommend the batch of washes, or is the black all I need for a beginner.

I also have the Army Painter Strong Tone Quick Shade that I have been using, but it is a pretty dirty shader, only good for all my zombies I think.

I’m an amateur as well. I bought this and a nice set of brushes but really just YouTube video. I’m lucky to have a friend who is really talented at painting minis so he has given me a lot of pointers

I started with the army painter set on Amazon. Was like $80 but came with 50 colors some washes and a few metallic paints. They are fairly easy to use because they come in dropper bottles and are pretty thin on their own. I'll try to find the Amazon link if possible.

https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Painting-Bonus-Wargamer-Regiment/dp/B01MTXRUUT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550464178&sr=8-2-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=army+painter&psc=1&smid=AU

A little more expensive then I thought but is good bang for your buck. It is less then $2 per paint. That is very cheap for the quality and amount you get.

The 3-pack of markers for bold lines:

https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Creos-Gundam-Marker-Value/dp/B00HY93GHY/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?crid=3GTR0RXGUXX4H&keywords=gundam+marker+set&pd_rd_i=B00HY93GHY&pd_rd_r=3b3b062e-d90d-495a-8e52-176ed31b8ba1&pd_rd_w=RRUZa&pd_rd_wg=sdCxW&pf_rd_p=a5491838-6a74-484e-8787-eb44c8f3b7ff&pf_rd_r=9A24ZX8C18EJZBXABCXP&psc=1&qid=1571687311&sprefix=gundam+marker%2Caps%2C152

Tamiya ink works differently, it will spread down the lines: (Comes in a variety of colors)
https://www.amazon.com/TAMIYA-87131-Panel-Accent-Plastic/dp/B01HDJ7BR0/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tamiya+ink&qid=1571687349&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-1

​

And I like to use this for fine details, it is thinner than the Gundam markers:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UCSNQY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

These I use for cleaning, the middle grit will take off ink, then the fine will buff the marks:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R34AE66/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Hope this is helpful, good luck!

tamiya ts 80

​

https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-TS-80-Clear-Spray-100ml/dp/B000ZVO3YS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tamiya+top+coat&qid=1568355627&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

is that a good alternate top coat? mr top coat is nowhere in stock... and apparently the super clear is lacquer based and no good over decals and panel liners? so that leaves me the taimya one? is that ok to use?

Did you know the Xurons are Made in the USA? thats actually pretty cool, and in my book another excellent reason to buy.

I just got mine in today, and i noticed it has a lifetime warranty? Might be interesting to check out what that covers... never buy cutters again?

Edit: Found these also, which may be good for small parts on busy tree's http://www.amazon.com/Xuron-2175ET-Professional-Sprue-Cutter/dp/B001TMZ7QA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372196644&sr=8-1&keywords=2175ET

I just watched 00 a few weeks ago and Virtue/Nadleeh is my favorite design from that series. Kit looks great, I've been tempted to get one myself but I have 3 MGs on the slow boat from Japan that will take me a bit to build. To take your kit to another level, look into panel lining. I bought this set and it's suuuuper easy and makes kits look incredible, especially on a kit that's mostly one color like this (the legs of Nadleeh especially).

On a side note, I don't remember Nadleeh having this shield/rifle combo in the anime, any idea if this was from the one mission where they sent it out as Nadleeh instead of Virtue?

If you’re talking about the Reaper Learn to Paint kits they’re pretty awesome. I didn’t find out about them until I had already been painting a while too, but some friends and coworkers have picked them up and seem to love them.


For those that haven’t heard of them, with each set you get a few minis, a brush, some paints and a guide to walk you through some basic techniques that’ll get you painting at least tabletop quality.

Frosting - any white marks on models after post-curing are usually due to residual IPA or water left on the print. If you make sure they are completely dry before putting them under the UV lights you will get rid of most of this (I use an airbrush or compressed air can to help speed things along.

For fixing divots etc you can try to remove most supports before post curing as the resin will be softer and less likely to fracture (leading to divots). Otherwise you have to look to tips from plastic modellers and use putty and glue to fill and then sand. The tools you use are also important - proper modelling sprue cutters (side cutter and tweezer types) put less stresses on the resin and lead to cleaner cuts. Final clean up can be done carefully with a sharp new blade in an xacto knife (a magnifier of some sort helps). 99% of the time I remove supports after the IPA washes and before post-curing (use gloves!). Tamiya Sprue Cutter & Sprue tweezers

The shininess when you do not wash in IPA is the extra resin on the model hardening to a smooth finish. When you wash it off the layers and 'pixels' in the model are more apparent and your get the matt finish. I have not experimented much with this but you can try adding a clear coat over your model at the end of the process to restore some clarity.

thinner makes it dry faster. so i agree with the other commenter its drying too fast. if you want to make it thinner to spray just use a flow improver - which slows down drying. i use liquitex flow aid (its like a 20:1 ratio of water to flowaid so it lasts forever). I've heard good things about vallejo flow improver as well.

i use tamiya paints often. i don't use thinner often... really only with clear coats. most tamiya just need a flow improver

Ooooh thanks! I'll have to watch that video! I just ordered the Citadel set as well. I'll do a couple of side-by-sides and post the results. Hopefully this weekend, since I'm still waiting for them to come in the mail.

Thanks for giving me the motivation!

So is this I prefer the latter because I would suggest starting with other than the preset minis in the box. I have both I recommend both but I think starting you should find more stuff yourself. Like pathfinder deep cuts or nolzurs marvelous miniatures. Bones are great don’t get me wrong I have thousands but they paint they come with isn’t the easiest to learn on.

id reccomend this glue, i use it for models of any game. i used it on putting together many many points of directorate and other armies.


https://www.amazon.com/Insta-cure-filling-Bob-Smith-Ind/dp/B0000DD1QQ


pinning is ok, espeically with models that are large and have flat connection points like these, although ive never had to pin a firestorm model. they are quite light with the white resin they use.


the thin flakes or other resin flash id just scrape off with a knife. just make sure its clean and give it a good prime.


have fun!

All good advice you've received so far.

I'd also get some sprue cutters (also called flush cutters) - they are like wire cutters except one side of the blades is flat so you can cut near to the part and leave little or no attachment point. If there is one, file it off as /u/warlock27 suggests.

You can usually find cheap ones online or in a hobby shop, here's some on Amazon so you know what I'm referring to:

https://www.amazon.com/Xuron-2175ET-Professional-Sprue-Cutter/dp/B001TMZ7QA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478566221&sr=8-1&keywords=sprue+cutter

(sorry for the long link)

Otherwise a hobby knife is good for part removal too, and cleaning up any parts.

It will snap together fine, I've built a couple of similar models and am surprised how well they fit and click together. But can't hurt to get some plastic cement - Tamiya Extra Thin is usually the top recommendation.

Plus may be an idea to get some small needle-nosed pliers and tweezers for handling small parts - again either from a hobby shop or most electronics, craft or hardware stores will have something (or chemist/drugstore for tweezers).

Flush Cutters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A07771002JJJMUPKY9LNZ&url=%2FIGAN-330-Electronic-Clippers-Powerful-Precision%2Fdp%2FB07RW8VTSX%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fkeywords%3DFlush%2Bcutters%26qid%3D1568614943%26s%3Dgateway%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1568614943&id=3287567174581193&widgetName=sp_atf

Hobby Knife:

https://www.amazon.com/Hobby-Excel-Blades-Safety-American/dp/B0006O5JHE/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Excel+hobby+knife&qid=1568614967&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Testor's Model Glue:

https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Cement-Plastics-1-oz/dp/B0006N6ODS/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=PLastic+glue&qid=1568615017&s=gateway&sr=8-9

​

As for paint, I usually buy off of Games Workshop's website. Any order over $60 gets free shipping in the US. Models depend on if I can get them at my local store, or Amazon first. Anything not available at those two I go to the GW website for. Have fun, and good luck.

If you're not into painting - the first bundle is fine if you're willing to put the money into it, the other bundles are too much for a beginner IMO

Something like:
https://www.amazon.com/Miniatures-Highlighting-Miniature-Army-Painter/dp/B01MTXRU2L/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1518146756&sr=8-4&keywords=army+painter+kit

Is a cheaper entry point - look for something in the same category as this, the primary colours + a few extras, a shade and a standard sized paint brush

This way you can try out painting and if you enjoy it, you can add to it from there, while not investing as heavily as the suggested bundles in the link are asking


Another option ~

https://www.amazon.com/Games-Workshop-60-22-Base-Paint/dp/B00KOCXDT4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518147023&sr=8-2&keywords=citadel+paint+kit

Any paints from Army painter/Citadel/Vallejo are great places to start, just get whatever's got the best deal on at the time.

Only other suggestion would be to get a spray undercoat such as

https://www.amazon.com/Army-Painter-CP3001-Base-Primer/dp/B005WH3LVG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518147186&sr=8-1&keywords=miniature+undercoat+spray

Undercoat sprays make painting a mini MUCH easier and MUCH quicker, however, if you are only painting the bases and not any detail on the mini, you can get away with no undercoat spray
(You can get cheaper sprays but I find when you're new, picking one model paint brand and sticking to it to start with makes things easier to manage)

I've just grabbed links from Amazon, but you can find these products all over the place

Yeah. Here's an Amazon link to the basic games workshop set.
Amazon

Essentially the paint is super watery and will suck itself down into the crevices of a model. It's nicknamed liquid talent because it just instantly and drastically improves your model.

I've used shades on a 0.1mm layer height print before. It's usually fine, any bigger layer height and it starts getting wonky because if the nature of 3d printing. It makes rings around the model. It looks like you should be fine though.

Just my thoughts on gluing these models. I have built 4 of these HMM models (Shield Liger, Blade Liger Bang Ver. [Pic](https://i.imgur.com/VU5go5C.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/VU5go5C.jpg), Raven's Geno Saurer, and the PK Iron Kong.) I glue all, non-moving pieces, and the reason is because, when you don't do that, the models are VERY fragile. I built the first one (the Shield Liger) without glue, and kept having issues where parts would fall off while trying to pose. I eventually stripped it all down and rebuilt it with glue because of that. I like to pose these models because there is so much articulation to them, that posing them is a joy. Using glue basically makes them an action figure.

​

This is the "glue" I use: Model Master - Liquid Cement for Plastic Models. This stuff basically fuses the plastic to plastic, so that's why glue is in parenthesis, so be VERY careful. I like that it has a needle like tube that allows you to use a very minimal amount, and 1 bottle lasts for many builds. Just my 2 cents from a guy who actively builds with glue.

It will be plenty strong for you to leave it be to cure or work on another part. I use Insta-Cure+ very strong bong within a minute. They have some that cures slower or faster as well. Full strength cure in 2hrs for this one.

This works for plastic and resin models really well.

I really like this kit.

The brushes are decent.

The paint selection is nice, although there is no red and the yellow is kinda meh. So you'll want to buy those two colors individually.

The best part for beginners, in my opinion, is that it includes 3 minis and a guidebook for how to paint them.

If you need help beyond that, YouTube is filled with tips, tutorials, etc. I like The Miniac and Tabletop Minions personally.

You should really give it a shot! It's not that hard once you get into it, and it feels really good once you get your first model finished.
I have zero artistic talent, but started out with the Reaper Bones Learn to Paint Kit, and that worked out pretty well. You could also check out the G&S series Painter's Guild for tips as well.

With a 4x4 base you're probably looking for something that's 12"+ tall. I think you'll have more luck modeling that yourself than purchasing anything available. I think you'll have better luck buying this and this and testing your artistic ability.

Edit: These might make a nice touch: Melissa & Doug Rainbow Crystals Bead Set

I'm planning on top coating some HGs. I'm also using gundam markers for small details and the pour type markers for panel lines. Which top coat would be better: tamiya, mr. hobby top coat, mr. premium top coat spray, or mr. super clear, or maybe anyone have other recommendations?

I just got this stuff for my brother:

tools



glue

mold line scraper

I'd suggest getting some well reviewed mini brushes from Amazon as well. Make sure you clean them. Enjoy!

+1 for the Hakko FX888D-23BY

Some solder wick and a desolder pump is something else I would add. Also a cheap tip thinner for a noob (like me). Helping hands are cheap and can be useful. Also a cheap variety pack of tips. Nothing expensive till you are comfortable with keeping them clean and tinned.

These are all things I bought when I purchased my Hakko FX888. All have been useful.

Desolder Pumps and Wick

[Tip tinner] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NS4J6BY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_k1kZDbJ5TS5Q6)

Helping hands w/magnifying glass

Various Tips

Hakko FX888D-23BY


All of this cost me $146 shipped. Right now, it'll all total to $139.83 shipped if in the US

I got a set similar to this https://www.amazon.com/Rustark-Gundam-Building-Repairing-Fixing/dp/B071LB1T5D/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1NVWGU1Y2TD3K&keywords=sprue+cutter&qid=1571361112&sprefix=sprue+cutter%2Caps%2C338&sr=8-2

It has a sprue cutter and emery boards to sand down. If you take your time clipping you won't need to do much sanding with the emery boards. But you'll definitely need to file/sand down some edges to get pieces to fit more flush and to make the end result cleaner and not have little bits of plastic sticking out of seams. Hope you enjoy the build process!

Do you perhaps know how GW's current plastic glue works? I've used the really old one that came with a brush (like tamiya's glues), that one melted the plastic slightly in which case 'removing it' doesn't do anything since it's already destroyed detail. In this case you may need to resculpt the detail yourself.

Also don't use any glue debonder/remover, they are acetone based...and acetone will eat plastic.

Your best bet may be isopropyl alcohol at 99% diluted with water. Though even this can melt plastic but is far less reactive then any other remover like acetone/turps/spirits. Trythis at your own risk really. Sorry can't really be much help. In the future you may want to try something like this, it's thin but easier to manipulate since it has a brush.

Tamiya Extra Thin Cement† are my go to plastic glue:

I love the small brush in it for applying the glue I find it easier to control the "precision" tube (like on this) I also find that the tube get stopped with old glue and I don't think I have ever used all the glue in one because of that. But as I said the Tamiya glue do not have that problem.

The design of the glass bottle makes it almost impossible to tip over (I did that 2 times last time I tryed humbrol Liquid Poly)

I like the glue it self, but if you want "extra thin" or something a little thicker is a personal taste and what you are using it for. But extra thin are the standard for model kits and what we are doing is smaller (or same size) than that.

Edit: I forgot to say that if your flgs don't have it you local model kit/train store does, and in general it's a good place to look for hobby supplies.

†(The link are from this guide https://hobbymodelguide.com/best-glue-for-models/ that I like, so there probably a refual link in it)

Happy bday!

I predict that you'll come out positive by $417

Here is an [item from my list] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J47Z4G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=37P03X5GM5QWW&coliid=I1PV451LGGZM7P) that you can use your winnings to get!

I figured this had been answered before, just wasn't sure where to look. Thanks for the response!

Would this kit be a good place to start? I'm hoping to have it by Friday because I've got all weekend free. So I want to order something today.

Well, if you're thinking about doing it get some mylar paper from goulet and go slow and use super cheap nibs. You will break your first 4-16 nibs.

I personally like to do it on my dremel at low speeds using a finer grit spinny thing :) The way you do it is keep a vision of what the nib should look like at a very detailed level and just go slow and light with the grinding and check it with a loupe often. I use a 60x loupe (this one, it's amazing) and check the shape of the nib OFTEN. After every few seconds of work I'll check it till it's in the shape I want, then I'll take some fine files and smooth it out a bit with different sticks between 3200 and 12000 grit. I'll usually move up from 3200 and just keep going until I'm on the 12000 grit stick. I usually have the nib I'm working on in the pen by the stick tuning part but I do take out the nib when I'm using the dremel.

Now that I've gotten pretty proficient at it, it usually only takes about 5 minutes to do a nib unless it's below a F, in which case it'll take up to 10 since you really have to go slow with those because you want to keep as much material on the nib as possible, but just shape it into a finer point where the paper touches it.

Thank you. I will say that it definitely helps to practice a lot and have good materials. Learning how to highlight a face is a must and there are a ton of videos and tutorials about that. I recommend a good set of brushes (about 2-3 different sizes), I use thePsycho by Army painter and I have used it for the last 2 years for those fine details. I am also beginning to use a wet palette which helps create layers, I usually do about 3-4 different shades. Finally, using a set of magnifying lenses helps a lot. I can give more details, but those are the biggest tips I can give.

There is a list of recommended tools in the wiki section. I used tamiya sharp pointed side cutter this one: https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-Sharp-Pointed-Side-Cutter/dp/B000J47Z4G until i switched to Godhands last month.

If you really wanted to learn the ins and outs of modeling gunpla, or any model really, something like the tamiya nippers are great. They're good enough to get clean cuts, but you'd still need to sand and cut off that last bit of the nub with a hobby knife to get really good and clean results, which can take time and if you're not careful with sanding you could get soften edges. This is all part of learning modelling, it can be tedious but this is all part of the hobby.

Getting a pair of godhands, I don't have to sand or use my hobby knife as often as I used to. When I do have to sand it's usually just to smooth out a very tiny nub, probably because the nipper blade wasn't flat enough on the piece. The nippers just cut so smooth and well (at least for now while the blades are still sharp), it's basically cut the time I need to get my pieces out of the runners by half and I make less mistakes (no cutting too deep with the hobby knife, no over-sanding). But godhands when just starting out, you do miss out on learning and mastering certain techniques, if that's not something you think is important I'd say go with the godhands if you have the budget for it.

Hope this helps!

I used to buy Loctite. It's pretty decent for what it is, but I don't really like those fancy 'squeeze' bottles, so I started looking around for a different brand to buy from.

This is what I buy now and it works very well. Good value, too. It's usually around $6, not $8, which is the highest I've ever seen it. Sometimes it drops down to $3/$4.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DD1QQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00