Reddit mentions: The best spacecraft model kits

If you really wanna get it good looking I'd recommend getting an airbrush to paint it. Cans are fine but you'll never get the right colors going that way. It's possible to just use a regular brush but it'll also come out extremely thick and unsatisfactory compared to an airbrush. Its a small investment (about $150 for a nice airbrush and another $100 for a small compressor if you don't already have one. Get one with a tank if you can) but if you do even a couple of models with it you'll never want to use a regular brush to paint an entire model again.

First off the model as it comes is way too blue, I'd recommend painting it based off the newer bandai model's box art as it looks fantastic which you can see here: TIE Advanced.

For the paint itself my personal favorite is the Tamiya line of acrylics. They are the best looking and most professional out of all the acrylics I've seen. They come in nice bottles that are great too. This is of course the best for airbrushing as thats what I would do but if you do end up going the brush route a better paint would probably be Vallejo as they are more suited towards that.

I'd honestly forgo the primer and simply do a full flat black base coat to get that blue off of the solar pannels then mask those up and do the main body. According to the supplied sheet for the bandai model the main body is 70% neutral grey and 30% white with a pinch of blue grey. For the darker parts around the ship its a 100% neutral grey. You'd use that in areas like the recesses on the wing roots, the window's frame and a few other places.

After that its really up to you how much extra detail you wanna add. You can do some dark washes to get those nice shadows, maybe add some metallic scratches and what not. Theres no limit with these sort of things.

Also as a last note if you wanna get into some more of these model's I would highly HIGHLY recommend the entire line of 1/72 ships by bandai. They are all snap together and have more detail then you would believe for their price as well as coming slightly colored so you can fit it all together and still admire it even before painting. I have the TIE Fighter and plan on getting the TIE Interceptor and TIE Advanced. They are the perfect size for putting on display (or playing with haha) and even scale correctly with other real world planes in 1/72 scale.

Good stuff dude. Hobbies is tricky, not many people have any idea what the hell would be a good hobby for them. It also depends on if you have spare cash or not, and your living circumstances. I've always wanted to do this: https://vimeo.com/56287630 but it seems like it'd be an expensive thing to start.

There are a lot of artistic things that can be great fun that can later lead to a career if you enjoy it and stick with it: drawing, painting, graphic design on the computer, illustration, calligraphy, 3D rendering, movie making. Photography is a fun hobby and easy to get into.

Here's some sites with suggestions:

http://freeintenyears.com/frugal-tips/100-cheap-hobbies/

http://www.mantelligence.com/50-fun-hobbies-for-men/

Really you just have to choose something that sounds fun and go for it, don't let yourself get too hung up on picking something, there's no harm in trying it and then if you don't enjoy it moving onto something else. Even if it does cost you a bit of money to learn that its nothing something you want to continue to do.

Ultimately I suggest people find things outside of gaming, as overall it's rather unproductive (no long term reward, doesn't produce anything other than temporary entertainment). Same with docos and movies and stuff, they're great for learning and entertainment but they still don't produce much tangible results in your life.

I was bought this as a present recently: http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Earth-U-S-S-Enterprise-NCC-1701-D/dp/B00NCCJVNU/ref=pd_sbs_21_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41jbeyD5%2BPL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1QHGYMTYW7P16NM9F288 and it was the most fun I've had in a long time, believe it or not. It really took my mind off things and felt refreshing, and it felt really rewarding finishing it. It's obviously no long term hobby (unless you want to build all of the different models they have!) but it was a lot of fun. Plus it was challenging to do as well, which added to the reward factor.

Second weekend in a long time where I didn't have something to do hanging over my head.

I mentioned before I bought a USS Enterprise-D (holy fuk why is it so cheap now? When I bought it, it was 1 man...) model I wanted to make but getting into it seemed daunting. So I decided to get a smaller, different model as practice - I picked up the original Enterprise refit, as well as some additional tools. I still have yet to actually start, but I have a better idea of the work that needs to be done. This hobby shop is amazing, they've got all sorts of things and pretty much every tool you could think of or want. If my no-work weekends continue (kind of hope not, as that means less money...) then maybe I can start to build the model next weekend.

Have been marathoning Fullmetal Alchemist in anticipation of the live-action movie next month. I think I'm 3/4ths the way through the series. I've seen it before + read the manga but it's still as good as I remembered.

Yesterday I took the family to a shopping mall. The baby conked out during the drive over, so I took her elsewhere while wife and oldest daughter went shopping. Ended up spending 4 hours with the baby, which was good. Wife shopped for the entirely of that time, and still wasn't finished by the time we came back. And then she somehow lost the parking ticket, and forgot my oldest daughter's backpack in one of the shops somewhere (which we later recovered, thankfully).

A friend wants to marathon all the Star Wars movies in anticipation of the Last Jedi, and asked if I'd like to join. ...I'm good. :P The original trilogy isn't that awesome, and for the prequels, I'll stick with the Plinkett reviews and the Auralnauts re-imagining.

Aww, thanks for the gold.

If you mess up....well, yes, but it's not an easy process.

1. If you're using Tamiya paint, this is the simplest one to fix. It strips with rubbing alcohol, which also doubles as paint thinner if you don't want to shell out for the proprietary version (you probably should consider that).
   
   
2. Model Master Acrylic: you'd need Simple Green cleanser for that, and it would take soaking for at minimum several hours.
   
   
3. Other paint systems: Simple green should work for a fair number of these, not sure of it's effectiveness against enamel.
   
   
4. Spray cans: I don't know what they strip with, but you can assume that if you spray it, it will be very difficult to remove.
   
   
5. Nuclear option removal: spray on oven cleaner is really noxious stuff, so is brake fluid, both are known to strip off most paints. The former involves spraying the model with it and letting it sit in a bag for a few hours.
   
   
6. In most cases, assuming the paint isn't too thick, you can paint over it; where it becomes a problem is if the paint is full of brush strokes and the like and you'll either have to sand that out or you'll have to strip and redo.
   
   Note that stripping off the paint if you mess up WILL destroy and remove any sticks or decals you already placed on the model. That should be fairly obvious, but just in case.
   
   Fragility of the plastic should not be a concern here. The way Bandai's kits are designed it's hard to disassemble them once you already have assembled them. It's possible, but it takes a lot of prying, poking, and potentially damaging the model, but usually in a way that's repairable. Note that clear plastic used for the windows is much more brittle than non-clear plastic (apparently how it's made to be clear has a lot to do with this) so be careful with those parts.
   
   In your case, for the snowspeeder, I'd use either the decals or the stickers, then just apply what are referred to these days as "pinwashes"; dark colored paint that goes into the nooks and crannies of the model to accentuate panel lines and details.
   
   See e.g.: http://www.scalemodelguide.com/painting-weathering/weathering/paint-washes/
   
   I use watercolors, but most modelmakers use oil paints and turpenoid. Note that there are some rumors going around that Bandai's plastics don't hold up well to oil paint.
   
   In some cases, some people use pencils or ink. In most cases, pencils are only good if the effect you're going for is metallic (chipped paint, etc) because it has an obvious shine to it that isn't a "panel line" on the vehicle.
   
   In your case, I would recommend a different course of action:
   
   Buy a Bandai TIE Fighter. It's a relatively easy kit to build.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Star-Fighter-Building/dp/B00RYSAWVS.
   
   See all those nooks and crannies? That model is designed that you can leave it unpainted, but if you drop a pinwash into the nooks and crannies, it brings out the details.
   
   Another good choice might be Poe's X-wing, because it's Black and orange, meaning it's a comparatively non-complex paint job. But I recommend the TIE.
   
   Commercial products are available for doing the washes that make the details pop:
   
   Normally, I don't recommend these because I roll my own, but in your case, it's somewhat easier just to recommend a product that is ready to go than it is to really go through the walkthrough:
   http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/87131_133panel_accent/index.htm
   
   That is a wash that can be painted into panel lines to accent shadows, line separations, etc. It's prepacked and ready to use. Similar products are offered by AK, Wilder Modelling Products, Vallejo, Mig, and probably a few I'm forgetting. I don't use any of them, but keep a supply of oil and water colors.
   
   For the Tamiya product, you will need model enamel thinner to remove the excess, either that or you'll have to use a very fine brush and be absolutely precise.
   
   See video for further details (pay attention to the use of panel line washes).
   
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXerpuOthXk (No, I am not him; there's a rule in this sub about promoting one's own videos. However, he's a good source).
   
   If you move on to gluable models, you'll also need this: https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement/dp/B000BMYWYC
   
   Going rate is 5 dollars at hobby shop or less, so you might want to stop in one instead of buying it online and paying shipping.
   
   

Yes it is! Although they are not easy to find depending on your model. It's easier to find the 1000 on Amazon if it isn't sold out. But you can find one on playasia for about $28 but tax and shipping and whatnot. I was blessed to have one thanks to my lady but it was almost $50 but for my Vita it's worth it.

I think this would work for you:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006URYAKS/ref=mp_s_a_1_62?ie=UTF8&qid=1474387181&sr=8-62&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ps+vita+case&dpPl=1&dpID=41rvSA-PKsL&ref=plSrch

My brother has this and I fit mine with the cover and while a bit tight it held the Vita in well.

Also try this.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007CJNSBA/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1474387513&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ps+vita+travel+case

I can't say for certain but hopefully it fits the Vita.
Lastly is this...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018HORBLG/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1474387557&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gundam+vita

Now this has everything you need with the cover and a case for it but for the Vita only and no cartdriges or chargers. While pricey it does an affective job.

http://www.play-asia.com/face-cover-for-playstation-vita-slim/13/707slh
This is where you can get a face cover. You can go to decal girl if you want to make your own which is around $17 if I'm right but they have sales from time to time. You can try Amazon as they have really cheap ones.

Hope this helps. Now the rest is up to you.

I'm with you, but if you're looking for some to add to your collection I recommend the revell snap tite models. They are model quality so not as sturdy as these but they are fun to build, are cheap and come with sounds/light effects.

The best one is probably the rogue one walker

I also like the U-Wing and Star Destroyer, the scale is pretty close to action fleet

Here's what a quick search of amazon showed up. These all have prime shipping and are some of my favorite ships. I can really recommend the NX-01 kit. It's a joy to build.
Enterprise NX-01 (or refit) - $23.35

TOS Enterprise - $24.44

Enterprise Refit/A - $23.19

USS Defiant - $25.62

Enterprise E - $14.69

Edit: the pricezombie bot is showing prices that don't include shipping. The prime options are your best bet on amazon right now. Maybe other sites have them cheaper. Look around

Thanks a lot man. I actually really like the Fascination ICONX Queen Anne's Revenge model in the "related" section of the one you linked. I'll probably end up getting that one if I can't find anything else.

Also saw the Star Ship Enterprise and am considering that instead of a pirate ship as I love Trek. Might just get both since they're so cheap and use one as a desktop decoration lol.

I might custom fab some little cloth sails/flags to replace the metal ones just so they blow in the air flow of the case lol. I was hoping for cloth sails/rigging/colors/etc to begin with, but with such a small model I can understand that not being something readily available.

Thanks again for the links and info.

Sure, and I agree that Twizzlers are probably more popular because of marketing and branding. Mega Bloks have come out with a lot of awesome looking sets in the past five or ten years, but once burned, twice shy... in this case, I have bought mega bloks at least three times and each time regretted it. I suppose if you are building it once and then not taking it apart again it matters less.. but at that point, I think I'd rather have an actual model kit anyway, I buy building bricks so I can build whatever I want. While this set comes with some awesome specific parts, most of the bricks in the set are pretty standard.

Revell's master series falcon is just a re-release of the fine molds kit, but it's not cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/Revell-Millennium-Falcon-Model-Kit/dp/B011258850/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453566555&sr=8-2&keywords=Revell+falcon

The only reason I have it is because I got a bunch of Amazon gift cards for Christmas. Dragon also got the star wars license, but they haven't announced anything larger than 1/144 scale other than a massive 1/35 AT-AT. There's hope though, I'd be interested to see if they release anything else huge. Would love a decent star destroyer.

Wow! That's amazing! I think I bought it online, you can find it on amazon etc.

​

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hasegawa-Scale-Voyager-Unmanned-Space/dp/B007TJJ7ZO

​

Does your dad still follow what's happening with Voyager? Any stories of it? So interesting!

Thank you. If you are ever curious and have $25 burning in your wallet, the Bandai manufactured ones are great fun to build with minimal tools and a beginners skill set.

First of all: keep in mind the scale factor: An 1/72 Saturn V is expensive but it is also pretty big (1.5m high).

Maybe an 1/144 version is more suitable. Revell produces an 1/144 Saturn V (75cm) that you can find on amazon for 40$

From the few revies that i can read online (http://s13.zetaboards.com/RevellAtions/topic/7152656/1/) it's not a bad kit, and if he's not an experienced modeller the lack of some details will not be problematic. I've built the /48 Eagle lander and even if it lacked some details it came out pretty realistic.

For the materials needed (which glue, which paint, what should be your minimum set of tools and so on) take a look at the sidebar or fell free to ask here

I'm a huge space geek myself. Here are some of the things my gf has given me as presents that I've loved: Lego Space Shuttle http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Spaceport-60080 (it's above your price range but they do have a smaller version); Metal Art Apollo Lunar Lander http://www.amazon.com/Fascinations-Metal-Earth-Laser-Model/dp/B00JMQR448 (they also make a Mars Rover version); Celestron Binoculars http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN (great for checking out the moon, stars & planets - I would also suggest a tripod to go with it). Hope those help!

I remember getting this for Christmas in the 90's, and the drill bit to make the holes for the fiber optics broke. This inspired me to look at model prices and WOW. Yeah you got a good deal! https://www.amazon.ca/Generation-Enterprise-Optics-Lighting-System/dp/B000VWLYX4/ref=sr_1_14?s=toys&ie=UTF8&qid=1493187772&sr=1-14&keywords=star+trek+model

Something I want

Something I need

Something to wear and

Something to read

This something to watch
will make me laugh,

And this will be music to my ears…

But what I want most, my dear friends, is to ease sadness and tears.

I actually have some X-Wing miniatures, which are indeed super cool looking. I was thinking something bigger, though. Like This, but perhaps even bigger and/or nicer. It's possible these Bandai 1/72 guys are actually the ticket, I just don't know much about them.

I got it at a local model shop for 30$ (however its cheaper on amazon, I just like to support my local hobby store)
Its the Bandai X-wing fighter 1/72 scale
. Ive since removed it form the guide since it was just a placeholder for more images.

If you have any desire to BUILD a model X-Wing, you can get the Bandai Resistance X-Wing off Amazon for 20-25 bucks.

You'll have to paint it if you want Poe's black X-Wing and it IS plastic but the detail on it(and Bandais other offerings like the T-65 X-Wing, the Y-Wing, TIE Fighter....) are absolutely astonishing.

Supposedly they're all snap together models so no glue required but they look awesome.

I had been debating getting a whole bunch of those little die cast fighters for my desk or some of the Disney fighters but came across the Bandai models and was blown away by the detail and accuracy

Edit: Link to Bandai T-70 X-Wing

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B014VTPPS2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1452275115&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bandai+x+wing+resistance

https://www.amazon.com/Revell-Star-Millennium-Falcon-Model/dp/B011258850/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487884327&sr=8-1&keywords=revell+master+series+star+wars+millenium+falcon

This kit is essentially the same as the Fine Molds 1/72 Millenium Falcon...Revell and Fine Molds are one and the same. The difference being that you can't get the Fine Molds kit anymore. It is the most detailed kit you can currently build of the falcon, unless you jump up to the Deagostini Falcon...which is $1200.00

If you are interested, I have a build thread going on here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SciFiModels/comments/55xsh7/revell_ms_millennium_falcon_172_wip/

It's the Ertl 1/1400 1701-D in clear plastic:

https://www.amazon.com/AMT-AMT955-Scale-Enterprise-1701-D/dp/B01MZ2I1UX

It's not a great kit to start, and doing it in clear (brittle) plastic makes it more susceptible to damage, but if you can pull it off it looks quite nice.

The regular resistance X-Wing already came out. Not built it myself, but it looks just as nice as the T-65.

I built the Voyager kit as a kid and thought it would be fun to do it again with more skill and lit up. Just found this Enterprise D on Amazon...

You should check out Bandai's model kits too. They've got an incredible amount of detail (much more than Revell's kits). Here's their TIE Advanced x1 (which can be found on Amazon.com if you want to buy it).

For anyone curious this was made using the following Bandai model kit:
https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Star-Fighter-Building/dp/B00RYSAWVS/ref=pd_bxgy_21_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00RYSAWVS&pd_rd_r=CW3TNAZAYSSZ32NWPAWT&pd_rd_w=jTSHm&pd_rd_wg=2b9BI&psc=1&refRID=CW3TNAZAYSSZ32NWPAWT

I like the Metal Earth models. There are several different ships. Here's an example.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NCCJVNU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1454235376&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=star+trek+metal+earth&dpPl=1&dpID=41jbeyD5%2BPL&ref=plSrch

I know they are small but you make it yourself!

1. I think I paid around $80 but it was in Sept. last year so I don't quite remember.
   
2. You can't, unfortunately, unless you get them on the secondary market now--was a group buy on Massdrop. You could try /r/mechmarket, but I imagine they will be quite expensive if any are available given the huge delay that went on with the group buy.
   
3. Here!

Sure, there are plenty of different brands though:

One

Two

Three

Just google around with model kits (googling rocket model kits typically leads to actual rockets, but any model kit site probably has a rockets / space page)

Bandai's X-wing model

https://www.amazon.com/Revell-Star-Millennium-Falcon-Model/dp/B011258850/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1496748070&sr=8-7&keywords=millenium+falcon+model

You can buy one for 240$

Revell Modellbausatz Flugzeug 1:144 - Space Shuttle Discovery & Booster Rockets im Maßstab 1:144, Level 4, originalgetreue Nachbildung mit vielen Details, Raumfahrt, Weltraum, 04736 https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000CBNR8E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mLgYCbD8V717J

Revell Modellbausatz Flugzeug 1:144 - Apollo Saturn V im Maßstab 1:144, Level 4, originalgetreue Nachbildung mit vielen Details, Raumfahrt, Weltraum, 04909 https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00G7G4EPI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YLgYCbQSWWNF3

These are fun

Hmm...

This Slave I?

and this TIE Fighter?

Maybe one of each? That's about $60 in kits instead of just $30+ for Slave 1.

I suspect it is this X-Wing or one of the other Bandai models you can purchase.

They also have a 1/48 AT-ST which is the correct size for this game.

Hi there. Here’s a link to Amazon for this product: Bandai Hobby BAN194870 1/72 Tie Fighter Star Wars, Multi-Colored, 8 Inches https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RYSAWVS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bjG0Cb48QMEN3

This one: Revell Star Wars 1/72 Millennium Falcon Model Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011258850/