Necessary Tools For Scale Modeling

No matter what type of ship model kits you are working with, there are a lot of necessary tools that you will require to finish a beautiful scale model. The following are some of the basic tools that you simply can’t live without regardless of what sort of model kit lies before you:

• Hobby Knife or Craft Knife – It is very useful and multipurpose tools for removing components from sprues, scribing panel lines, cutting out decals, applying filler, pretty much any other time you need to cut or scrape the model parts. Ensure that you’ve got some fresh blades handy for when the existing one goes dull.
• Tape – It is very useful for marking out paint areas or panel lines, holding glued components still, or keeping loose components jointly. The experts for scale modeling recommend using electrical tapes, masking tapes, or scotch clear tapes.
• A Straight Steel Ruler – Measuring is one of the key things while building a scale model kit, particularly if you’re making amendments or adding a few additional details. A straight ruler is necessary for getting right placement and sizing, and it even comes in handy for cutting tape, or scribing panel lines.
• Paint Brushes – Today, there is a wide range of ship model kits that come ready-painted, with little effect necessitated to make them look good. However, if you are building a scale model from scratch, or would like to add any colorful alteration, you will require several different paint brushes, from wide soft brushes to fine point brushes for exact detailing.
• Glue – Unless you are a wizard, there is no getting around gluing the components of the scale model jointly. Luckily, you can get a wide range of different glues to meet scale modeling needs.
• Emery Boards or Sandpaper – These are very useful for smoothing the surface or plastic and metal components or adding a little of wear to a painted model. These are available in several different grades, with 3000 being very smooth and 50 being bumpy and far coarser, 400 and 800 are wonderful for the beginner scale modelers.
• Modeling Putty – Even though not required for every scale model, however, modeling putty is extremely handy for finishing surfaces or filling in marks or blemishes caused by erroneous scribing or cutting.
• Tweezers – These are great for positioning tiny model components and laying out decals. Even though a pair is usually enough, however, there’re plenty of different types out there. So it is helpful to have a small collection.

So there you have it, a great list of scale modeling tools required to create a wonderful scale model masterpiece. Besides all these tools, depending on the type of ship model kits you are working with, you can even think about getting some of the optional tools as well, including clamps, a power drill, lead pencils, an airbrush, good quality cotton swabs, old rags, and a few RC tools. You can even consider creating your own tool kit exclusively dedicated to scale modeling!