Like most hobbies, modelling is limited only by your imagination; however, there are some basic essentials you will need to know in order to achieve a reasonable result from your purchase.  Please note: most accessory items described below (ie.Glue etc) can be purchased from us here at Boomerang Models.

Tools of the Trade:

At the most basic level of modelling, there are some essential tools you will need in order to build your kit.  We categorise modelling tools as: essential & luxury items. These tools are listed below:

Essential
Hobby Knife (No.1 Handle with No.11 Blade)
Plastic Glue (Tube or Liquid Plastic Cement)
Sandpaper/Emery Board/ Micro Mesh Pads
Paint Brushes (Synthetic)
Paint – Acrylic or Enamel

Luxury Items
Sprue Cutters
Liquid Glue
Cyanoacrylate (Super Glue)
Primer (Aerosol)
Paint Brushes (Sable)
Paint (Oils)
Pastel Chalks
Masking Tape
Liquid Masking
Paint Thinners
Cutting Mat
Filler Putty
Various Shaped Files
Wet & Dry Abrasive Paper
Decal Setting Solution
Gloss/Matt/Satin Clear Coat
Electric Drilling Tool (Dremel, Arlec etc.)
Airbrush & Compressor
Aftermarket Detail Sets (e.g. Resin & Photo-etch etc.)

Stage 1 – Preparation:

All plastic model kits are manufactured from fine plastic pellets compressed in moulds.  These moulds are lined with an oil-based solution called “mould release agent”, which assists in separating the kit components from the mould.  This mould release agent is often still present on your kit & will have to be removed to ensure the paint adheres properly.  The easiest method of removing this agent is to wash the kit components in a solution of warm (NOT HOT) water with a few drops of dish washing liquid added.  Give the kit a good bath and allow to air dry. Now that you have washed your model, things can get started.

Stage 2 – Removing Kit Parts:

The first thing you should do is: read the instructions! When starting out, you should follow these diagrammatic representations of kit construction strictly to the letter (or number), and only remove those parts required for each step as you reach it.  You will note that all the kit components are attached to a plastic tree.  This plastic tree is called a sprue.  In order to construct the kit, you will need to neatly remove these components from the sprue without damaging them.  The best way to do this is with a specifically designed sprue cutter.  This cutter cleanly & safely cuts away the kit component from the sprue, leaving little, if any clean-up work.  DO NOT twist parts from the sprue or cut them away with domestic size scissors or Stanley knives, as it will damage the parts. If your budget does not allow you the luxury of sprue cutters, then we suggest you purchase a basic hobby knife.  These knives are very cheap (& sharp so care must be taken) but you can buy replacement blades for them when they become blunt.

Stage 3 – Putting it all Together:

Once you have removed the appropriate component/s from the sprue, try and clean off the left over plastic ‘bump’ from the sprue with a hobby knife and/or file.  Once this is done, it is important that before committing glue to plastic, you give the parts a “dry fit”.  This simply means putting the kit pieces together (without glue), in order to see how they fit – you may need to remove a slight amount of plastic from one part or the other in order to achieve a better fit.  Once happy with the part fits, you can now glue them together.

You should note glue is a solvent & as such, should be treated with caution.  Model glue actually ‘melts’ or welds the plastic parts together, so it is important to use glue sparingly.  “Revell” & “Humbrol” produce a glue with a needle nose applicator, which is ideal for controlling glue application to your model.  The other alternative is to pour a small amount of glue onto some kitchen foil and use a tooth pick or cocktail stick to apply the glue to your model.  You DO NOT need to apply a lot of glue to your model.

Once the parts are together, you can use low tack masking tape (Tamiya) and/or clothes pegs to hold kit parts together until they set which may take a few hours.

Stage 4 – Cleaning it all up:

Unless you are exceptionally careful with glue application, you will find some glue residue has oozed out from the mating surfaces during drying.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it will help fill some minor gaps between those surfaces.  All you need to do is sand it back once it has fully set.  The best thing to use here is ‘wet & dry’ abrasive paper.  Use this paper wet.  Gently rub the paper along the join line and you will eventually rub away the oozed glue line, leaving a seamless join.  This phase is essential if you intend to paint your model.

Stage 5 – Painting & Decaling:

Some modellers are happy to simply make their model, decal it and leave as is.  This is fine, however; there’s greater reward from painting your model to represent the real thing.  Before we begin this phase, there are some basics you will need to know about model painting.

The first important thing to do is re-wash your model. This will remove dust or finger grease that has accumulated during the construction process.  Just lightly rub the model with a lint free rag soaked in water or rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl de-natured alcohol).

The next thing you need to decide upon is whether you want to airbrush or brush-paint your model.  While more expensive initially, far superior results are obtained from using an airbrush (or aerosol paints) – DO NOT use automotive or household paints for this task as they may melt your model and bury the detail.

Brush Painting:

The plastic used to produce your model is smooth and shiny. As such, you will need to apply a primer coat in order for the subsequent layers of paint to ‘grip’ onto.  You can brush on primer paint, but it is much better if you buy an aerosol can of primer paint, as this produces a much smoother layer for you to brush paint onto.

Aerosol Hints & Tips

With all aerosol paint cans, you should do the following prior to spraying your model:
1. Place the aerosol tin into an ice-cream container or similar, filled with hot tap water ONLY (DO NOT boil on stove).  Leave the aerosol in the water for about 2 minutes’
2. Take the aerosol out and shake it vigorously for about 1-2 minutes’. (Read Instructions on the aerosol tin).
3. Replace the aerosol into the hot water for another minute
4. Give the aerosol another quick shake
5. Hold the aerosol approximately 20-30cm away from your model and commence to spray one (1) light coat in ONE DIRECTION only.
6. Leave this first coat to dry for about 30 – 60 minutes
7. Apply a second coat, covering the whole kit.  Allow to dry for at least 24 hours in a dust free environment.

Any portions of your model which you do not wish to paint (e.g. Windscreens, canopies etc), should be masked prior to any painting sequence/s.  We believe the best masking tape available is Tamiya masking tape.  This is a low tack tape designed especially for modelling and is relatively cheap.  DO NOT use household grade tape on your models, you WILL damage your paintwork and/or leave a sticky residue on the paint.

It is now time to start your brush painting.  The first important aspect of this phase is to ensure you have good quality brushes (either nylon or sable).  Poor quality brushes will leave brush hairs & brush strokes in your paint scheme.

To ensure a smooth quality paint job, you should remember to thin your paint, but before this, remember to stir your tin or bottle of paint THOROUGHLY. Failure to stir paint properly WILL result in poor paint coverage & adhesion.  Once the paint is stirred properly, you can either attempt to apply the paint directly from tin or bottle using your brush OR, often it is better to thin the paint a little in order to assist smoother coverage.  We suggest you obtain a few 35mm clear film canisters (free from most photographic shops) and a couple of cheap eye droppers.  Use the eye dropper to transfer the amount of paint you require, from tin or bottle, to a film canister.  Now, using a clean eye dropper, transfer another amount of thinner to the film canister.  Paint to thinner ratios does vary, but we recommend a ratio of about 7:3 – (that is: 7 parts paint to 3 parts thinner).  Experimentation is the key here.

Whilst we’re discussing thinners, I recommend you buy matching brand thinners for the paint type you’re using.  This means that if you purchased “Humbrol” paints, then you should use “Humbrol” thinners until you become proficient in the various brands and types of thinners.  Paint companies blend their thinners to be chemically compatible with their paint range.  Having said that, you can clean your brushes with either turpentine or water, depending upon whether you’re using enamel or acrylic paints (more on this later).

When transferring paint of different colours, remember to clean the eye dropper thoroughly before plunging one colour into another.  If you don’t, you WILL contaminate the other paint tin or bottle.

Now, once the thinners have been added to the base paint, ensure you stir this mixture thoroughly (using a stick of plastic sprue or a cocktail stick).  Dip about 1/3 of your paint brush into the paint and commence painting your model.  It is important to remember at this point, that you should paint in only one direction along the model.  Apply only thin coats and never go over the same area twice, before the underlying paint has dried thoroughly.  Failure to adhere to this basic principle of brush painting will result in the underlying paint ‘lifting’ and may cause brush strokes to appear in the final finish.

You will notice that the first and second layers of paint you apply may show minor brush strokes – don’t worry about this!  Subsequent layers of thin paint application will generally hide the ‘brush stroke’ effect.

The important points to remember about brush painting are:
Mix the paint thoroughly
Thin the paint (70% paint to 30% thinner)
Ensure an undercoat has been applied to the model
Paint ONLY in one direction
Apply ONLY thin coats of paint
Allow the paint to dry thoroughly between coats

Now that you have painted your model & allowed it to dry thoroughly, we can consider decaling.  What is decaling I here you ask well decals are the transfers you find on a sheet in your model box.  Decals are often seen as national insignia (e.g. The Aussie Kangaroo, Numbers on the side of Tanks, etc).

For decals to adhere properly to your model, they need to stick to a very glossy surface.  You might say this is difficult to achieve, if for instance, your model is painted in all matte colours – but all is not lost!  You can and should coat your model in a gloss varnish.  Once the varnish is dry, you have a nice smooth & glossy surface onto which you can apply your decals.

The best way to apply decals is to cut each decal you need from the sheet (using small manicure scissors or similar) and then placing that decal into a saucer of luke warm water.  Only place the decal into the water for about 10-20 seconds.  As soon as the decal starts to move around on the backing paper, take the decal out of the water and using a clean paint brush & tweezers; gently coax the decal onto the appropriate area of your model.  Now, using a piece of tissue paper, gently dab the decal into place & absorb the reside water.  If you wish, you can even use a decal “Setting Solution” which will melt the decal into place; in effect giving the markings (decals) the appearance of having been painted on (as they are in real life).

But, I wanted my model to be matte, not gloss! What happens now?  Well, simple – all you need to do now is cover your whole model in a matte varnish either brushed, aerosol or airbrushed and this will restore the original paint to a matte finish.

Even if you wanted your model to present a glossy appearance, then you still should give your model a final coat of gloss varnish.  This in effect, also “seals in” the decals you have just applied and enhances the gloss appearance even further.

Types of Modelling Paints:

Within modelling, there are basically two (2) types of paint you can buy for your kit.  These are: Enamel and Acrylic.

Enamel Paint: This is a hydrocarbon or solvent based paint.  That is, the paint pigments (which give paint its colour) are mixed in solution with the liquid solvent.  This is why it is so important to ensure you have mixed your paints well.  If you don’t, you will be left with a heap of pigment – not good!

Enamels can be cleaned from your brushes with Turpentine, General Purpose thinners or Cellulose (Lacquer) thinners.

This paint is usually more ideal for brush painting than Acrylics.  The reason for this is that the solvent (Hydrocarbon) liquid evaporates (Dries) at a slower rate so there is less chance of brush strokes to form whilst hand painting.

Acrylic Paint: These paints are very user friendly in that they contain an alcohol solution as the carrier solution for the acrylic resin paint pigments.  This means that this paint can be thinned with de-natured alcohol, methylated spirits, and generic thinner or distilled water.  Even better, your brushes can be washed out in water! We do however; recommend thinning these paints with a generic thinner.  Like enamels, these paints have to be stirred well.

The down side to acrylic paints is that their “carrier” solution dries rapidly (when compared to enamels) and as such, it is more common for brush strokes to appear in your paint job.  All is not lost however.  You can buy a product called: “Acrylic Retarder” from art supply stores which effectively slows down the evaporation (drying) process of this type of paint.  Note: if you take this option, make certain you apply the retarder to the base paint in a separate mixing container (EG. 35mm film canister) and NOT directly into the paint bottle!

That’s it modellers!

Yes, it’s that easy.  Just follow the six (6) easy steps outlined in this summary and with a little practice you can produce some beautiful scale models.  There are obviously further advanced techniques which will enhance your model even further, but these techniques fall outside of the scope of this summary (for instance, an airbrush/compressor combination will provide far superior results in paint application when compared to brush painting).  If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask with ANY queries you may have, no matter how basic (or advanced).