Pros and cons of the ZM 1/48 TA 152-H

[jkim]

Carlos' recommendations are excellent. I use my Tamiya tweezers all of the time, especially when dealing with the tiny photoetched stuff. I find the pin vise invaluable. Not only with the micro drill bits but you can use it to chuck other small items such as a sewing needle, which I use to scribe hatches and circles. I've even used it to hold tiny transparent landing lights so that I could drill the base to simulate a light bulb. For panel line scribing, I have a small scriber from UMM-USA that I really like as it has two cutting edges (one you can push and one you can pull). Speaking of scribing, Dymo label tape is great as a flexible, adhesive straight edge when scribing panel lines.

A photoetch bending tool is handy but you can get by without it if you are not making intricate folds. I have the BUG by The Small Shop, which I love. I've already mentioned the RP Toolz Punch set, which I would rank much higher than the bending tool in terms of usefulness. I have an OLFA compass cutter which is very useful for cutting circular masks, especially if you like to spray your own circular markings such as Japanese hinomarus or RAF roundels. I'm looking for a smaller cutter to fill the need between my punch set (2mm max) and the OLFA cutter (about 1/4 inch min).

Photoetched razor saws are VERY handy. A quality pair of sprue cutters makes life much easier. I like the Tamiya ones the best but I think I botched mine by cutting wires with it. I picked up a pair of Xuron cutters but I'd rank it a notch below the Tamiya cutter.

But I think the two most significant tools that have elevated my modeling are... the magnifying glass and the airbrush. I went a long time use the magnifying glass that was attached to the X-Acto X-Tra Hands tool. It worked really well except it was a bit limited since it had to rest on the table. I've recently picked up a Carson MagniVisor (similar to the Optivisor) which I've liked in the limited time that I've used it.

[Stuart]

All Good suggestions thus far and I'd agree.

I think my most used items are:

Sharpe knife, Sprue Cutters, Sanding Sticks, Micro Drills and a pin vice (I have a three Jaw chuck version), Scribing tool (I have a pin vice with a pin in it), A selection of tweezers, smal! clamps or clothes pegs, various plastic cements (I use Tamiya Extra thin, Humbrol tube glue & one of those Revell precision bottles), Thick and thin CA glue (best for RE, Resin and sticking on items such as u/c after painting) and decent paint brushes (or airbrush).

Oh and of course q-tips and cocktail sticks! (oh and filler - lots and lots of filler! I use Revel basic and 'Perfect Plastic Putty' which is water based and great for filling fine gaps as it can be applied and the excess wiped off with a damp cloth or q-tip.

Other useful stuff... um... Razor saw, needle files, decent paint (and make sure you use the correct thinners).

Thanks for the comment on the 109 -alas I don't have a thread and very few pictures. But q-tips were good.. I sort of dabbed the paint on and rolled it off again.

Cheers

Stuart

[speedgraflex]

John's List of 10: thank you so much, John! Did I miss anything?

1. Tamiya tweezers
2. Pin vise
3. Small scriber from UMM-USA
4. BUG by The Small Shop
5. RP Toolz Punch set
6. OLFA compass cutter
7. Photoetch razor saw
8. Tamiya sprue cutters
9. Magnifying glass
10. Airbrush

[speedgraflex]

Stuart's List—did I miss anything? Please make any corrections. Thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you.

1. Sharpe knife
2. Sprue Cutters
3. Sanding Sticks
4. Micro Drills
5. Pin vice (three Jaw chuck version)
6. Tweezers
7. Small clamps or clothes pegs
8. Various plastic cements (Tamiya Extra thin, Humbrol tube glue, Revell precision bottles, Thick and thin CA glue
9. Decent paint brushes (or airbrush).
10. Q-tips and cocktail sticks
11. Revel basic and 'Perfect Plastic Putty'
12. Razor saw
13. Needle files
14. Decent paint (and make sure you use the correct thinners)

[Thomas_M]

Bruce,

I love to work with this PE bender from Master Tools (Trumpeter): Link

I also would add a non-magnetic pair of tweezers to your list. Very useful when working with PE or any other metal parts!

[mostrich]

Wow Bruce, this is a serious list of modeling stuff. If you have it all you're able to create everything out of styrene.

But just to keep things down on earth a little, I do up to 95% of my construction work with the following tools:

• Scalpel handle for 2 different types of blades (rounded and straight edge)
• Razor blade saw (mine's from JLC from Poland)
• Pliers (Revell's is reasonable priced and good quality, Tamiya and Gunpla offer high end)
• Sanding sticks (ignore modeling brands, too expensive. In the US Tropical Shine are perfect for sanding styrene. Get yourself different grids.)
• Tamiya Extra Thin (best of the best, but don't let it flow into your fingerprints!)
• Cheap Super Glue
• White Glue
• Tamiya fine pin vise (0.1 to 3.2 mm)
• Set of drill bits
• Clamps to force parts together while glue's drying

With those tools you're absolutely able to build any kit up to a stunning (unpainted) model. The rest is up to your skills.

[jkim]

Can't forget cocktail sticks or what we call toothpicks! I go through those like water. My initial list got me thinking and I thought I'd expand on it...

Glues and associated items:
1. Tamiya (Green) Extra Thin - primary for styrene to styrene connections
2. Tamiya (Yellow) - thicker for all other styrene to styrene connections
3. Small bottles of CA glue, both thin and thick
4. Debonder - to remove excess CA glue (I like Great Planes PRO CA)
5. Microbrushes to apply debonder
6. Elmer's White Glue or other PVA glue - secondary for photoetch and also to attach clear parts

Putties
1. Mr Surfacer 500 and 1000 - primary for filling minor imperfections
2. Milliput White 2-part epoxy - bridging bigger gaps, larger reconstruction projects and filling gaps without removing surface detail
3. Mr Dissolved Putty - similar to Mr Surfacer but does not shrink as much

Decals
1. Microset and Microsol
2. Solvaset - when Microsol has no effect

Other
1. Sandpaper - various grades
2. Micromesh - to smooth and polish plastic after sanding, for clear parts and when working with Alclad metallic paints.
3. Cutting mat
4. Digital caliper for measuring
5. Small sheet of glass or hard tile - I tape sandpaper to it and use it to grind a flat spot on tires.

Not all of this stuff is "essential" obviously but I thought it'd be helpful to mention other things that I've found useful.

[speedgraflex]

Thank you Carlos (Stikpusher), John, Stuart (Portman), Thomas, and Mostrich! You are all aces and your advice is incredibly useful. Avengers Assemble! What a team to have advise anyone at the beginning of an adventure. You have aided me tremendously. My first action will be to go online and choose some of the recommended Tamiya products; I was very intrigued by Mostrich's suggestion of scalpels. I was planning to try a small Opinel 2 even though the blade is not locking but a scalpel is superior. Thank you, Mostrich!!!

[Thomas_M]

That´s one point I like this much here on SPAModeler: there are no egos that tell you what you made wrong. All our mates here are happy to answer questions and lend a helping hand where possible.

Bruce, if possible get your hands on Gator´s Grip Acrylic Hobby Glue. This stuff is great for attaching PE parts that won´t have to bear any load later, or are in places where they can´t get broken off. It´s water solvable, so any excess of glue can be taken off using a wet brush. But only when still not cured...
I like to use this stuff. Plenty of time to adjust a tiny PE part, in contrast to super glue.

Here is a picture of my 1/32 scale Revell Ju 88A-1. See those tiny levers with the red knobs? Those have been attached using Gator´s Glue.


Click the pic to see it larger!

[Stikpusher]

Agreed on the Gator Glue. I used it for all the PE attachment here...