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i started 40k in 2007 and have mostly been using GW products.

I have recently seen the light and turned away from GW glue (plastic and super) and have also started switching over to Vallejo paints.

I have finally used up the last cheap plastic hobby knife form the pack i bought 2 years and ago and am looking to get a new hobby knife. From what i have read online the only GW toold worth getting really are the knife, the razor saw and the clippers. but a lot of people also point at Xacto knives as trhe way forward.

My questions:

Are GW tools worth it/any good?
GW Knife or Xacto Knife?

I'm also interested in this - I'm just getting into the painting/modeling side and need some decent tools to start with.

The clippers are nice. I also buy the brushes because the FLGS is the closest place I normally go that has that kind of stuff. I also can't speak for the GW pinning set. I use the GF9 one with the wooden knob handle. As far as a knife goes, I actually have a cheap utility knife that I use. It's a thick enough blade that I can put some pressure down without fear of the tip snapping (as I've had happen with an Xacto), and yet it's still small enough to get the job done in hard to reach areas. When it starts to get dull, I just break off the tip with pliers, and it's good as new. One of these:

My tools are thus:

Revell glue with the needle
Industrial sized pots of superglue (buy from a hardware store)
3lr tub of PVA from hardware store
Xacto knives (x3 of varying size)
GW Clippers
GW files
Generic pin vices and drill bits

In my opinion (wrong or not) GW tools are pretty good. The grips are good, the blades etc are of decent quality but they are a touch expensive. Even so, they seem to last for a good long while. Only thing that made me snarl recently was just how much they are charging for glue and the quality of their brushes.

I hate picking lost bristles off of a fresh coat of paint. Worst is noticing it after the wretched stuff has dried!

I was about to say if you're in the US you could go to Harbor Frieght Tools and get bucketloads of tools at less than half of what GW asks for. I don't think they're international, though.

Do a search as there've been other threads talking about tool equivalents, many of which are better and less expensive than GW.

GW tools are nice, they're sturdy and get the job done. One downside is the cost, you can get similar tools for a bit cheaper if you shop around, but branded tools from miniature companies like Tamiya etc. are usually around that same price range.

For a comparison, the X-Acto and the GW hobby knife is fairly similar. I can't really tell the difference when I use the two knives, both are very sharp and cut cleanly so get the one which is cheapest.

The Razor saw is great, I've used mine for nearly a year sawing through resin, metal and plastic and it hasn't even begun to dull yet. Clippers are also pretty solid, but I prefer the tamiya flat nose clippers since the citadel ones get a little jammed after use.

The GW files are OKish I guess, requires a lot of maintenance but gets the job done. You could probably get other modelling files (make sure you don't accidentally get a wood file) for cheaper. Avoid the citadel spraygun, totally not worth it.

go to Squires & buy from them -
http://www.squirestools.com/
they haven't got an online shop as such but postage is free.
or Gaugemaster -
http://www.gaugemaster.com/index.html

I use Xuronclippers -the blades don't dent if you try to clip anything other than lead & resin ! - and X-acto razor saws.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
BTW I haven't ordered from either 'cause they're close enough for me to visit!

I only really need the knife and maybe clippers (mine are a bit dull now from years of clipping paperclips for pinning).

Does anyone know if the GW knife comes with spare blades? I can pick up an Xacto knife and a pack of blades for about £5 on amazon but the GW knife is only another £1 more so if it has extra blades i would go with the GW product.

Buy a swann morton knife handle for a couple of pounds.
The packs of blades (scalpel) come in 5s, and cost less than £1 a pack.

Oh and I know what bubber means. Squires is round the corner, and my brother works at Gaugemaster. Both good hobby shops.

Also, which xacto knife and blade size do people use? Confusing.

I use generic side cutters from Hobbycraft, a small file set from maplins, an X-acto knife and the old all metal pin vice drill from GW
all my drill bits are from maplins tho.

glue wise i use brush on superglue (loctite) as its easier to control then the squeezy and i use Humbrol polystyrene cement for my plastics - the one in the yellow bottle with the needle top for precision stuff.

i don't get GW brushes anymore and i never buy their undercoat spray

Godo point. i need ot find an alternate base coat spray too. GW are charging £8.50 i think now!!!

My tools recomendations:

Revell glue with brush
GW superglue
PVA any from 1ltr upwards
Precision knife with exchangable blades (comes in a penshape)
GW Clippers
GW files AND GF9 files (smaller)
Army Painter drill and some bits bought from a hardware store
Any Razor/Bone saw
Milliput
Modelling/Sculpting tool really depends on yourself

This thread was great for tools.

I still refer to it!

That was a good read, thanks. Think i will go for a No 1 Xacto handle with a pack of No. 10 curved blades. Even after postage that still come out cheaper than the GW knife.

Praxiss wrote:Are GW tools worth it/any good?
GW Knife or Xacto Knife?

No.
Xacto.

Seriously though, if you go into any halfway decent hardware place and they will be able to give you higher quality equivalents of all the tools apart from possibly the hand drill. Xacto knives are awesome, but make sure you keep safety in mind, I have a plastic case to keep the blade when its not in use because I know otherwise someone would reach into the toolbox and get blood all over the place.

I recommend Loctite superglues and Humbrol polystyrene cement too, use them myself and they do the job admirably. Make sure you get both a gel and a liquid superglue though, they're very different beasts with different applications.

I use:

surgical scalpels
Loctite 406 glue
Model Master pin vice
Xuron snips
Kneadatite putty

I got the GW tool set as a christmas pressie from my son ( he was going to get me the mega paint set but fortunately they had none in stock) tbh I would say the drill is the only decent bit of kit in it ( oh and the extra army case).

The knife does come with extra blades but I find that mine doesn't tighten very well.

The vice/ clamp is cheaply made and looks it.

The saw is ok but for the price there are much better alternatives.

I also use the humbrol glue with the needle as mentioned in a previous post, and am in the process of replacing my paints with Vallegio.

The only thing I personally would venture into a GW store to buy would be the washes.

Shop around mate you won't regret it.

The GW saw will cost you, what, $20-30? the exact same saw, less the handle, will cost $2 at an FLGS/hobby shop.

then as far as hobby knife/blade is concerned, its all according to preference. Theres a lot out there, some are pencil-sized, others are highlighter sized and others still come with a screw-driver like grip. Again, its all going to be cheaper from an flgs as you are not paying for the repackaging and branding of the products.

long story short, the only thing I now get from GW is to walkin and remind myself why I don't buy from them.

gw £8.20

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat470006a&prodId=prod840893


X-acto £7.30ish

http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Acto-Precision-Safety-Crafts-Hobbies/dp/B0017CVS6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317162730&sr=8-1

AND
2x

http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Acto-11-Refill-Blades-5-Pkg/dp/B004BPTB14/ref=pd_bxgy_diy_img_b

I would go X-acto over cheaper ones or the GW.

Exactly what i was looking at except i was going to go for the curved No10 blades.

Used an xacto knife pretty much since I started, they're great and the blades last a fair while and the replacement pack are also cheap.

Xactos are the Kleenex of hobby knives. But to Be honest Xactos have design flaws too. My favorite fluorescent pink Xacto splintered apart on me last week. I like the handle on the GW knife, use number 10 blades.
For sprue nippers Xuron flush cutters are best, also similar or cheaper than GW, I bought the GW nippers a while ago because I couldn't find my other tools, again nice handles but overpriced and soft metal.
For files any jewlers files will work, and autobody sand paper for finishing.
Good luck on your tool adventures.

Wait, so you can use the GW knife with Xacto blades?

An exacto knife is cheaper, more rugged, and ergonomic...

YES, you can use exacto Knives with a GW handle. They're universal.

Didn't even know anyone was dumb enough to buy a GW exacto knife when you can get an actual exacto knife for half the cost.

I have had one of these for 20 years and it has never failed me. I bought it in art school and have used it for all manner of things, the most recent being with minis. I use #11 blades.

I use an old GW knife that has a metal body & uses Swann Morton blades. I use the 10A's.
I think it's the one on page 10/20, bottom left (catalogue page 190) -
http://www.squirestools.com/12-13.pdf & is only £5.99.
I've had it for years & is brilliant IMO - nice weight, sturdy and will last.
You can also buy blades in bulk - recently I bought my self the 100pack of 10As (next page)

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I find the blades in an X-acto tend to slip & slide.

My personal recommendations:

-GW Super Glue (the old stuff that came in a squeeze bottle with the orky label
-Exacto brand handle with the red plastic grip on it: http://www.xacto.com/Product/X3205
-#25 blades. Not sure if that's right, but I love the angle of the blade. Has a nice flat edge for scraping things too. I don't particularly like plain old straight edges. you can't put as much elbow grease into them, IMO
- Modelling putty. Just plain old putty. Buy it at the dollar store Great for filling gaps that you don't particularly care about, or sticking together arms and torsos
- I use Old framing files from the 50's that have been passed down, but I've used GW files, and actually recommend them.
- Tzeezerman Elongated tzeezers: http://www.tweezerman.com/store/product/point-tweezer/
- Heavy duty snip snaps. No particular brand. Look like this:
-
- Small needlenose pliers
- Small set of screwdrivers. Sounds like I'm getting away from modelling now, but trust me, screwdrivers, especially flat heads, have numerous uses around the table

Samus_aran115 wrote:My personal recommendations:

-GW Super Glue (the old stuff that came in a squeeze bottle with the orky label
-Exacto brand handle with the red plastic grip on it: http://www.xacto.com/Product/X3205
-#25 blades. Not sure if that's right, but I love the angle of the blade. Has a nice flat edge for scraping things too. I don't particularly like plain old straight edges. you can't put as much elbow grease into them, IMO
- Modelling putty. Just plain old putty. Buy it at the dollar store Great for filling gaps that you don't particularly care about, or sticking together arms and torsos
- I use Old framing files from the 50's that have been passed down, but I've used GW files, and actually recommend them.
- Tzeezerman Elongated tzeezers: http://www.tweezerman.com/store/product/point-tweezer/
- Heavy duty snip snaps. No particular brand. Look like this:
-
- Small needlenose pliers
- Small set of screwdrivers. Sounds like I'm getting away from modelling now, but trust me, screwdrivers, especially flat heads, have numerous uses around the table

My sentiments here exactly.

When modelling, nicely made small jewelers tools (screwdrivers and files) are perfect for modelling miniatures. Jewelers files alone are worth their weight in gold.

GW tools are mediochre quality at slightly over market price.

While not cheap, I use this company a lot.

http://www.xuron.com/consumer/index.htm

Being in the UK, go to Maplin and look at their electrical/electronic tool range. They have pin vices and flush cut snippers for way less than GW.