So, I've been building models of one variety or another since my childhood, and I've been building and battling tabletop minis since about 2000. In all that time, I've used a lot of different tools to build my minis. Everything from scissors and scraps of wire and PVA glue to where I sit now four different glues three brands of clippers, a file set, myriad brushes, for different hobby knives, my favorite scraper, and slew of other model-building tools. As time has marched on I've found things that work, (like I said, my favorite scraper) and things that don't (SCISSORS!), and I would like to share some of the successes and pitfalls with you now.
So, to start off with, I'll cover clippers, as that is probably the first thing your little plastic miniatures will ever see. I can't stress enough having the best pair of clippers you can afford. I'm sort of a fanboy of Citadel Fine Detail Cutters, but its really because I've used other brands before, and even scissors as I mentioned earlier, and they really work the best. First time I clipped a model free of its sprue with them I was in love. If the thirty-three dollar price tag is too much to swallow, a decent second is the Army Painter Precision Side Cutter. Though not nearly as sharp as the Citadel, they will work fine. And if neither of these is readily available to you, before you go using scissors on your models, get a cutting matt and an X-Acto knife, and gently cut the bits off the sprue. Just trust me on this one, almost anything is better than scissors!
If you're working on metal miniatures, your first tools are going to be a little bit different. You'll need to get some small metal cutters, most likely from a hardware store, and a set of metal needle files. Now, metal miniatures are kind of going the way of the dodo thanks to costs, but its still good to have the needle files on hand for plastics too, so they are worth the investment. Here you have a few more options for model-level files, Testors, a company that makes mostly model paint, has some for sale in retail outlets, and the Army Painter also makes a nice set of three different types of file. And of course, Games Workshop makes a Citadel pair of files, but I'm kind of torn here.
With the files, Games Workshop only makes one type of file, in two grades of roughness. These are spade files, and while a spade file will cover about seventy percent of your filing needs, its not always the best option. The Army Painter's set comes with three types of file, all in the same grade of roughness. They have a spade, a rat tail, and a triangular file. Where as the extra shapes of files is nice, they are only rough files, and its horrible when you shave just a little too much off of one of your miniatures because the file is too coarse.
The next bit you need to worry about glueing your models together. What you use to do this depends on what material your models are. So my personal solution here has been to acquire both sets of files and be happy. Testors set looks like it has a whole plethora of different files, but I haven't found the money or the need to purchase yet another set of files, so I can't speak with authority on theirs.
That was way too much of files. Sorry, but I think it needed to be covered.
So now that we've covered what you need to get your miniatures off their original packaging, lets discuss what you need to keep them held together; glues.
What glue you use will depend on what the material you're joining is. If you're making plastic minis you'll be best off with plastic model glue. Once again Testors, Army Painter, and Citadel all have options. They are all the same stuff, so what's available and cheapest will probably be best for you. What you need to know about plastic glue is how it works. Plastic glue creates strong bonds by actually melting the plastic and reforming it. So if you don't want to terribly maim your miniature, use a tiny, tiny bit. As little as it takes to get a good bond. Now, this comes in thick and thin variates, and I prefer the thick as it doesn't run everywhere and ruin your model, but different situations call for different things, so use what works best.
If you're joining metal or resin minis, you'll need super glue, or cyanoacrylates. I will first put out a warning, these are slightly toxic, so use ventilation, and will instantly bond skin. They also immediately harden when they touch cotton based clothes, hardening them and causing them to crack like glass or plastic. Please be careful with this stuff! When it comes to super glue, you can't beat the price of brand name Super Glue, as its cheap and works great. Without discussing other tools from the next article, all I have to say on this now is that without a brace, you'll need to hold together the pieces of your miniature you are gluing together for about thirty seconds to a minute to get the bond to hold itself, and then wait a couple hours before you do much more to the model.
In part two of this series, I'll be covering the rest of the tool kit you'll need to seriously work on tabletop minis, though with what you have here, you've got most of what you need covered. See you in part two!
So, to start off with, I'll cover clippers, as that is probably the first thing your little plastic miniatures will ever see. I can't stress enough having the best pair of clippers you can afford. I'm sort of a fanboy of Citadel Fine Detail Cutters, but its really because I've used other brands before, and even scissors as I mentioned earlier, and they really work the best. First time I clipped a model free of its sprue with them I was in love. If the thirty-three dollar price tag is too much to swallow, a decent second is the Army Painter Precision Side Cutter. Though not nearly as sharp as the Citadel, they will work fine. And if neither of these is readily available to you, before you go using scissors on your models, get a cutting matt and an X-Acto knife, and gently cut the bits off the sprue. Just trust me on this one, almost anything is better than scissors!
If you're working on metal miniatures, your first tools are going to be a little bit different. You'll need to get some small metal cutters, most likely from a hardware store, and a set of metal needle files. Now, metal miniatures are kind of going the way of the dodo thanks to costs, but its still good to have the needle files on hand for plastics too, so they are worth the investment. Here you have a few more options for model-level files, Testors, a company that makes mostly model paint, has some for sale in retail outlets, and the Army Painter also makes a nice set of three different types of file. And of course, Games Workshop makes a Citadel pair of files, but I'm kind of torn here.
With the files, Games Workshop only makes one type of file, in two grades of roughness. These are spade files, and while a spade file will cover about seventy percent of your filing needs, its not always the best option. The Army Painter's set comes with three types of file, all in the same grade of roughness. They have a spade, a rat tail, and a triangular file. Where as the extra shapes of files is nice, they are only rough files, and its horrible when you shave just a little too much off of one of your miniatures because the file is too coarse.
The next bit you need to worry about glueing your models together. What you use to do this depends on what material your models are. So my personal solution here has been to acquire both sets of files and be happy. Testors set looks like it has a whole plethora of different files, but I haven't found the money or the need to purchase yet another set of files, so I can't speak with authority on theirs.
That was way too much of files. Sorry, but I think it needed to be covered.
So now that we've covered what you need to get your miniatures off their original packaging, lets discuss what you need to keep them held together; glues.
What glue you use will depend on what the material you're joining is. If you're making plastic minis you'll be best off with plastic model glue. Once again Testors, Army Painter, and Citadel all have options. They are all the same stuff, so what's available and cheapest will probably be best for you. What you need to know about plastic glue is how it works. Plastic glue creates strong bonds by actually melting the plastic and reforming it. So if you don't want to terribly maim your miniature, use a tiny, tiny bit. As little as it takes to get a good bond. Now, this comes in thick and thin variates, and I prefer the thick as it doesn't run everywhere and ruin your model, but different situations call for different things, so use what works best.
If you're joining metal or resin minis, you'll need super glue, or cyanoacrylates. I will first put out a warning, these are slightly toxic, so use ventilation, and will instantly bond skin. They also immediately harden when they touch cotton based clothes, hardening them and causing them to crack like glass or plastic. Please be careful with this stuff! When it comes to super glue, you can't beat the price of brand name Super Glue, as its cheap and works great. Without discussing other tools from the next article, all I have to say on this now is that without a brace, you'll need to hold together the pieces of your miniature you are gluing together for about thirty seconds to a minute to get the bond to hold itself, and then wait a couple hours before you do much more to the model.
In part two of this series, I'll be covering the rest of the tool kit you'll need to seriously work on tabletop minis, though with what you have here, you've got most of what you need covered. See you in part two!
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