Scale Aviation Modelers of Muscatine

The Tools

Jul 20, 2000

Modeling,like any hobby worth it's salt,requires a certain amount of tools.These tools need not be the most expensive nor elaborate,but they certainly will make your new waste of time...er....hobby more enjoyable.

The most basic tool collection will include a hobby knife,various grades of sandpaper,files,and a selection of paintbrushes.I will cover these items,along with some more comprehensive tools as soon as I fetch myself a cup of coffee.Oh,and by the way,coffee is a mandatory beverage when model building.Make it strong.You will often find yourself staying awake all weekend to finish your latest camo scheme on your HE-111,only to receive a phone call and find out it's now Monday morning.Just kidding about the up-all-night stuff....

At any rate,the first and probably most important tool is the hobby knife.X-acto is one brand.Do yourself a favor and spring for the good,brand name stuff,not the cheap imitation stuff.The blades will fit properly,and your fingers will thank you.Trust me.The most popular style accepts the #11 style blades,and this type is the most versatile,allowing you to perform a multitude of tasks,up to and including, of course,cutting things with it.Of course,I must caution all of you,these knives are very sharp,and the utmost care should be exercised when using,or even thinking about using,a hobby knife.And don't run with the scissors.....

The next item on our little shopping list is sandpaper.Sand paper comes in many sizes,called "grits",not to be confused with that disgusting stuff Southerners eat.Our term "grit" concerns the abrasive quality of the paper.The lower the grit number(usually found on the back of the sandpaper),the more coarse it is.For example,you would not want to polish out the light scratches in the paint of your mother's new Lexus using 16 grit sandpaper.As a matter of fact,I don't think you should be anywhere near the Lexus.Step away from the car,please....Anyhoo,the most basic toolkit should include a variety of grits ranging from maybe 180 to 1200.That is just a recommendation,as you may find you prefer to use other grits not mentioned.I find emery cloth to be indispensible.You will be using this stuff to smooth seams,remove excess material,and otherwise shape the plastic into what you envision.Become one with the plastic.Be the plastic......

While you are in the abrasives aisle,grab a set of needle files.These may also be called jewelers files,and can sometimes cost as much as jewelry.These will be used much in the same way as the sandpaper,smoothing and removing material.These are not really necessary,but they make things much easier.My suggestion is to get a Micro-mark catalog.They specialise in tools for hobbyists.You will also find things you want for gifts in this catalog.Great stuff.If I can figure out this link thing,I'll see if I can put up some good links.

The last things you will need in the basic tool category are paintbrushes.These,too,come in a variety of sizes.Again,you will want to get the quality suff.Stay away from the cheap nylon bristle jobs often found in the hobby aisle,and many times included with a set of model paints.I find it very difficult to do a good job with these.Throw them in with the wife's sewing stuff.See if she can find a use for them.That is just me.You may find them wonderful.I prefer the decent grade of artist brushes found in the areas of Wal-Mart that men fear to tread.The Craft Section!Don't be scared.There are actually some pretty cool things there.Just have an open mind and stay away from the doll parts.Just grab a brush set that includes at least a 00 on up to maybe a 2 or so.I'm not certain of the exact numbers mine are,as they are long ago worn off,but it is somewhere in that area.Just take a good look at them,and get a quality set.That brings me to another point,and one of my pet peeves.Clean brushes.ALWAYS keep your brushes clean and in good shape.NEVER store them in solvents,especially upside down for any length of time.Take care of your brushes,and they will take care of you.Well,maybe not,but you can expect a very long service life out of them with proper care.That goes for ALL of your tools.