Who Is Into Scale Modelling?

[Mamang Tahimik]

I'm not into scale modelling, but i'm interested. Sorry, i'm too lazy to back-read to find myself the answers (search function is not working too).

 

How much will I spend if I make one, like a jet aircraft. I don't know how it is measured, maybe about 10 inches in length. Complete with paints and colors.

 

BTW, is it recommended to do the above right away? 'Coz I don't have any idea as how to make one.

 

Tips? Links?

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Mamang Tahimik

[Luftwaffe]

I'm not into scale modelling, but i'm interested. Sorry, i'm too lazy to back-read to find myself the answers (search function is not working too).

 

How much will I spend if I make one, like a jet aircraft. I don't know how it is measured, maybe about 10 inches in length. Complete with paints and colors.

 

BTW, is it recommended to do the above right away? 'Coz I don't have any idea as how to make one.

 

Tips? Links?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Well, as Dr. Pepper have posted above, the most painless way for you to do it is buy a completed (pre-painted) model. Dragon kits are quite well-detailed and offer lots of options (i.e., removable stores and landing gears). Otherwise, you could do what we all did and start from zero-skill modeling experience. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty (there are a lot of cheap subjects to experiment on, anyhow). Besides, I don't think any modeler here could claim being an expert right away on their first kit. The key is practice and lots of patience. Also, try searching with Google and am pretty sure you'll get lots of tips and info from other sources in the net. The most important thing here is to enjoy yourself... everythinbg else comes second...

[Mamang Tahimik]

I made at least 2 to 3 cheap ones before (w/o paints), but my daughter smashed them to pieces. I like building them, but the finished product didn't look good (ie. doesn't resemble a realistic smaller scale of the real thing). This kinda disappointed me, the reason why I didn't pursue it before.

 

I'll look for these Dragon kits in local stores. Thanks for the tip man. :cool:

 

Checked its price over the internet. About $30 each, not bad, they look great too. I'll replace these PC game boxes in front of me in the near future.

[Luftwaffe]

I made at least 2 to 3 cheap ones before (w/o paints), but my daughter smashed them to pieces. I like building them, but the finished product didn't look good (ie. doesn't resemble a realistic smaller scale of the real thing). This kinda disappointed me, the reason why I didn't pursue it before.

 

I'll look for these Dragon kits in local stores. Thanks for the tip man. :cool:

 

Checked its price over the internet. About $30 each, not bad, they look great too. I'll replace these PC game boxes in front of me in the near future.

 

 

Yeah, I know what you mean... I don't exactly know what's in the completed kits which kids just couldn't resist smashing. Anyway, am glad to be of help. Good luck on your collection!

[floppydrive]

Ah, yes... the venerable Fine Molds Star Wars Kits. I've been eyeing those kits as well but they really are expensive. I guess given the fact that they're the best Star Wars kits ever produced, the price is well worth it, isn't it? Have you built the Millenium Falcon yet? Post some pictures here Bro so that we can take a look at your masterpieces!

I still don't have the Fine Molds Millennium Falcon and Slave I. Slave I retails for around 4500, and the MF can be yours for only 12,500!! Add them both, and you can buy a mid-level cellphone or a 8-10 megapixel camera. :boo:

 

I do have a Slave I and MF by MPC/ERTL which I got 10 years ago. All the FM kits and the latter two kits still in the box. I'm waiting for my son to grow just a little older - he just recently smashed a whole shelf-full of Tie Interceptor, Snow Speeder, X-wing, Y-wing, A-wing and a Macross Zentraedi ship. :cry: So my collection was reduced to smashterpieces? hehehe I guess the fun is in the building - didn't feel really bad about getting the models wiped out.

[floppydrive]

I made at least 2 to 3 cheap ones before (w/o paints), but my daughter smashed them to pieces. I like building them, but the finished product didn't look good (ie. doesn't resemble a realistic smaller scale of the real thing). This kinda disappointed me, the reason why I didn't pursue it before.

 

I'll look for these Dragon kits in local stores. Thanks for the tip man. :cool:

 

Checked its price over the internet. About $30 each, not bad, they look great too. I'll replace these PC game boxes in front of me in the near future.

If I may add, realism comes with the painting and weathering of the model. This process sometimes takes longer than the actual gluing and sanding of the kit. What kits are your interest? I learned how to paint on armor models - tanks, half tracks, etc. These are the kits that are relatively easier to paint and bring to a semblance of realism. I remember as a 12 year old, building a Tiger I tank, and painting it with just two cans (different colors) of spray paint borrowed from a cousin. It turned out decent!

 

A painting skill step up for me would be planes, as they have more complex surfaces and details to paint, while a really challenging kit to paint would be living things - dinosaurs, people (specially the faces), animals.

 

Please try browsing through www.finescale.com - they have many tips and sample builds. The magazine is nice but expensive. Good thing they post old articles, with pictures, online.

[Dr_PepPeR]

Well, there are. But it's very few and far in between. I know of this certain modeler who was commissioned to make armor/vessels found in the AFP inventory. His works are now displayed inside a government installation...

 

That's amazing! I wonder if he scratchbuilt the Cadillac Gage V150 and V300 armored cars. I also wondered how he made decals, especially those usually painted on the sides of the 6 bys in Army LogCom service. Would you know where they are displayed? I'd really like to see them since I am planning to do a Philippine Marines LVTP 5, which I have just acquired a resin interior for. My only problem now is sourcing the Philippine Marine decals.

[Dr_PepPeR]

I've had this personal side project to complete all the PAF's aircrafts. It's limited to a few models, but the problem is locating some of the rare items like the WWII sea-plane that looked similar to a PB-Y, but had a different construction. Of course, all of the models I've collected are ITB (in the box).

 

I think that I've seen almost all the PAF aircraft done up as models by the IPMS Bert Anido Chapter. They usually display it every IPMS BAC competition. Someone even scratchbuilt the Fokker Islander and one other plane which I can't recall right now. How would you get the PAF decals?

[Dr_PepPeR]

I still don't have the Fine Molds Millennium Falcon and Slave I. Slave I retails for around 4500, and the MF can be yours for only 12,500!! Add them both, and you can buy a mid-level cellphone or a 8-10 megapixel camera. :boo:

 

I do have a Slave I and MF by MPC/ERTL which I got 10 years ago. All the FM kits and the latter two kits still in the box. I'm waiting for my son to grow just a little older - he just recently smashed a whole shelf-full of Tie Interceptor, Snow Speeder, X-wing, Y-wing, A-wing and a Macross Zentraedi ship. :cry: So my collection was reduced to smashterpieces? hehehe I guess the fun is in the building - didn't feel really bad about getting the models wiped out.

 

I know why you didn't feel bad about the smashup. It gives you a good excuse to get those FineMolds kits! That's the way my mind works!

[Dr_PepPeR]

If I may add, realism comes with the painting and weathering of the model. This process sometimes takes longer than the actual gluing and sanding of the kit. What kits are your interest? I learned how to paint on armor models - tanks, half tracks, etc. These are the kits that are relatively easier to paint and bring to a semblance of realism. I remember as a 12 year old, building a Tiger I tank, and painting it with just two cans (different colors) of spray paint borrowed from a cousin. It turned out decent!

 

A painting skill step up for me would be planes, as they have more complex surfaces and details to paint, while a really challenging kit to paint would be living things - dinosaurs, people (specially the faces), animals.

 

Please try browsing through www.finescale.com - they have many tips and sample builds. The magazine is nice but expensive. Good thing they post old articles, with pictures, online.

 

In my case, the joy comes in the painting of the model. Due to the number of coats of paint, washes, drybrushing, detail painting, and letting everything dry in between, it usually takes me a few months to actually finish painting a model. But I love every minute of it and I have to catch myself to keep from adding more and more weathering and telling myself to stop. This is why I love armor more than planes, I have more artistic license for the weathering portion. Aside from the finescale webpage, take a look at the following sites:

 

www.hyperscale.com - mostly aircraft but has a few armor and figures articles

www.missing-lynx.com - armor stuff

www.armorama.com - the name says it

www.aircraftresourcecenter.com - an aircraft site

 

Browsing thru these sites will lead you to other specialty sites, like modern jets, modern armor, us afvs, 1/32 or larger scale planes etc etc. Try also the manufacturer's sites like Trumpeter, Dragon and Tamiya for kits and builds you want to drool over.

[floppydrive]

I think that I've seen almost all the PAF aircraft done up as models by the IPMS Bert Anido Chapter. They usually display it every IPMS BAC competition. Someone even scratchbuilt the Fokker Islander and one other plane which I can't recall right now. How would you get the PAF decals?

Oh yeah! The decals! I haven't really thought about it, but I guess the last option would be to paint it on the same way they did on the real thing. Or wreck the model trying!

 

I really have to pay close attention if and when I get to attend the next IPMS BAC event.

[Dr_PepPeR]

Oh yeah! The decals! I haven't really thought about it, but I guess the last option would be to paint it on the same way they did on the real thing. Or wreck the model trying!

 

I really have to pay close attention if and when I get to attend the next IPMS BAC event.

 

I think that if you could get some decal paper (like those from Micro Mark), I suppose you could whip it up using a graphics program or scan and then print your own using a laser printer. For most of us that would just take care of the black markings, but I know some offices who have color laser printers. This would just probably leave out white, and I guess you're left with having to paint this up. The more expensive option is to have someone custom make the decals for you, like Mike Grant Decals.

[floppydrive]

I think that if you could get some decal paper (like those from Micro Mark), I suppose you could whip it up using a graphics program or scan and then print your own using a laser printer. For most of us that would just take care of the black markings, but I know some offices who have color laser printers. This would just probably leave out white, and I guess you're left with having to paint this up. The more expensive option is to have someone custom make the decals for you, like Mike Grant Decals.

Thanks for the advice! So ink jet printers don't work on the decal sheet? I thought it would and THAT would have been the easiest option. Thanks again!

[Dr_PepPeR]

Thanks for the advice! So ink jet printers don't work on the decal sheet? I thought it would and THAT would have been the easiest option. Thanks again!

 

Actually you're right, ink jet printers would have been the best. But the problem with this is that the decal paper doesn't take the ink that well, so most of the time when it comes out of the printer, it tends to smear. If it turns out OK, you have to hit it immediately with a clear coat since inkjet colors are water soluble. That's why I would think laser printers would be the better option, since I've tried passing acetate paper through a laser printer and despite the heat, it prints out well enough.

[drugstore420]

i have always wanted to go into scale modelling, any tips on what i should purchase as a start up kit? where can i get these supplies? i have seen a shop in megamall called lil's i asked the people there what i need as a start up kit but they were just too busy.

 

and lastly, what scale model should i buy that is easy for newbies?