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After years of reading Rulebooks & Codices I'm contemplating purchasing a few models and painting them up.

Before I can do that I need to pick up some supplies. See the list below. Please review and let me know if there are any glaring absences. Recommendations are encouraged (brush sizes & brands, paint brands, primers, tool makers etc...). Also recommendations on where to purchase online. As it stands I'm looking at a $500 investment before picking up any models.

Thank you.

Desk
Chair
Light
Mat (Self Healing)
X-acto knife
Sprue Cutters
Model Glue (Zap A GAP CA)
Elmer's Glue
Tweezers Set
Magnifying Lens
File Set
Emery Boards
Popsicle Sticks
Paint Set
Brushes
Primer (Light Grey)
Sealer (Matte)
Palette
Toothpicks
5th Edition Rulebook
Codex SM

I use an old chopping board for cutting stuff on rather than an actual "cutting mat". Works just as well. Failing that, I am sure you can get an offcut of wood from somewhere for free.

You might also be able to find toothpicks and popsicle sticks in your local version of the 99p store. I got about 500 toothpicks and about 800 cotton ear buds for about £3. Not really looked for popsicle sticks, but I am sure you can find them.

You can also find brushes in there too... I use them for painting large surfaces (as that is all they are really good for).

I also prefer a Stanley knife for cutting things. I find I break anything else far too much. Got a really sturdy one with an automatic blade replacer and blade magazine for about £4.

Just make sure to look in your local hardware/DIY stores for most of the tools before you got to GW, as you will save a fotrune, and often get better quality, even on the bargin tools.

In addition to your CA glue, I reccomend purchasing a plastic-cement such as Testors Model Magic. It is a lot easier to work with if you are using plastic miniatures, and provides a better bond. CA glue is better as a general purpose bonding agent, since it works on metal as well, but it forms a very brittle bond that can be snapped pretty easily.

For pencils i recommend :

Da Vinci (Nova Synthecics ed. if you can) pencils , they barely bend , their tip is easyli fixed and are the easyest thing in the world to wash ...

I also recommend that you get a set of guys to paint(since its not on your list ) Get a tactical squad to start , and find out you paintscheme . Then post a new topic asking what you should get for X much money(or just ask GW staff , propably the same result )

Gretar

Umm you forgot C from the last thing from your list. Actually the GW knife cuts up pretty well although I'm using these grade Ö knives that really suck.

illuknisaa wrote:Umm you forgot C from the last thing from your list.

You forgot "Generic" before "C"

"Popsicle sticks" are available from McDonalds, masquerading as "coffee stirrers".
I believe their policy is one-per-coffee.
I believe they do not enforce this policy too strictly ...
I would not recommend trying to grab several handfuls all at once, but if you are a regular customer, you can soon build up a small stack

I got a pair of GW sprue-cutters, and they are fine.

The rest of the tools should be easy to pick up from any decent crafts store.

While brushes are worth spending time/money/effort on good ones, there are quite a few bits that do not need to cost much, e.g. cutting mats (I picked one up for £3, including a steel rule from a Bargain Store), pallette for me is an old CD, etc.

If you are going to spend quite a bit of time at your painting desk, it is worth making sure you are comfortable. For my computer desk, I used to get real bad aches, RSI etc. £150 and a few weeks research, i got a new chair, new desk, new kb+mouse and it all got a LOT better.

my 2 teef.

Thanks for the info everyone. There isn't a GW store near me, so there's little chance of me purchasing actual GW tools (unless they are vastly superior in some way). If my local Home Depot has some of these at reasonable prices, that's where I'll go to pick them up. The Table & chair I'll probably try to find on Craigslist. The paint, specialty tools etc... I'll try to find online.

gretar wrote:For pencils i recommend :

Da Vinci (Nova Synthecics ed. if you can) pencils

What are pencils used for?

Sorry , i keep forgetting(here in iceland we say Penslar for brushes) so those are supposed to be brushes , sorry : )

gretar wrote:Sorry , i keep forgetting(here in iceland we say Penslar for brushes) so those are supposed to be brushes , sorry : )

Actually, pencils are good to have if you're going to be trying any freehand

Or, colored pencils can be used for a type of highlighting technique on vehicles with straight edges... I think its called "hardlining" or something.

Look for some of your tools at Harbor Freight. You can save a huge chunk of change.

You can pick up brushes at your local craft store - don't feel the need to buy expensive ones straight away, everyone ruins their first set, so better to do it on brushes that only cost a few dollars each (Keep in mind, don't buy low quality, but just 'decent' will do).

you can also check out this place http://www.micromark.com/
i just found it for another post. it has a lot of great model equipment, as well of many of the items on your list.
as for the desk, if you are handy and have the equipment (or you can have home depo cut the wood for you - that is what i did), you can make the desk yourself. that way it'll be the how you want it to be.
i added a backing to my desk and added bins to help store stuff in (see the pics below).
i would advise using a 4x8' of pile wood. design your desk, the sign of the cuts you need, before going to home depo. they will cut the wood for you (for like 25 cents per cut - but if you do the measuring for them they may not charge you, i have done this 2 time and had the measuring done for them and they were so happy with me they didn't charge me).

i am really happy with my desk as it is exactly what i needed and wanted.

hope this helps good luck with a great fun hobby.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
forgot to add -
after making my desk, i covered it with cloth that i picked up at a wal-mart for about $3.50 a sq yard - it needed 2 sq yards. i spend, i think, about $40 - $50 all said and done for the desk. maybe a bit more adding in the bins.

I would also recommend ebay as a place to get cheap, but good quality modelling supplies (pin vises, files, paints, brushes, etc).

I cover my workshop with the sticky saran wrap that you can use to make baggies out of the material alone. It seals very nicely to the surface(a little scotch tape doesnt hurt either) and and be peeled off and replaced when it gets nasty.

You will need some green stuff as well, at least to fill the gaps in the models after you have glued them. Its essensial when working with metal figures, and some times for plastic ones aswell.