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I want to start building some models out of plasti-card or styrene (depending on what you want to call it) but I am a total noob when it comes to this stuff, I do have a couple questions that I hope someone out there on dakka can provide me some answers for. First, what is the best thickness for building 40k models? Is there a such thing as a gap filler or a putty that you can put in the seams and sand down to give the model a more smoothed look? What is the best glue to use? And finally where is the best place to purchase this stuff online that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg? I thank anyone who can give me some answers to my questions. I appreciate it and I am sure that my wallet will as well. Thank you again.

First, what is the best thickness for building 40k models?

I use 1mm for smaller models and structures. For larger structures and vehicles larger than a Leman Russ, you'll want 2mm or even a bit thicker for the superior structural support. Doubling up on 1mm also works.

Is there a such thing as a gap filler or a putty that you can put in the seams and sand down to give the model a more smoothed look?

Squadron green or white putty work very well. You can find this in most hobby stores and it can be thinned with acetone. Liquid Greenstuff is more or less the same thing. Failing that, you can use Greenstuff.

What is the best glue to use?

Gap-filling super glue. Many hobby stores carry "Insta-Cure+" super glue, the one in the bottle with the purple cone-shaped cap.

And finally where is the best place to purchase this stuff online that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg?

Do you need to shop online? Check out your local home improvement store and mosey on over to the aisle with the "For Sale" signs. Those are pretty large (about 2.5 feet by 2 feet) and usually run less than ten bucks. Thickness is about 1mm. This is what I use for all of my projects like this Hydra turret scratch build. Here's the product I'm talking about, via Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_64051-37672-840241_0__?productId=3036946&Ntt=for+sale&pl=1¤tURL=&facetInfo=

Personally, I don't shop online, but Hobbylinc.com seems like a decent place to pick up some stuff from Evergreen and Plastistruct (two of the more common styrene brands in hobby stores). Plastistruct also has an online shopping cart for use.

Hope I helped and if you have any more questions, please ask. Scratch building is an absolute joy.

The BEST glue to use with it would be a polystyrene cement.

Even if you base the model, there will still be some flex in the plastic, and if there's one thing that superglue shows weakness to, it's torsion or flex. It WILL give way (not an if, but a when).

Polycements will bond the pieces permanently together chemically. They will not be separated except through physical methods (cutting).

I might as well be up front and honest, I am looking to build a Warhound Titan. I have the plans and I am building a proto-type this weekend out of either paper or like poster board/ card stock but am not sure yet. From there I want to start building one that is more durable out of plasti-card.

Agreed, chromedog. CA (super-) glues bond more quickly, but unless you want a brittle bond (tacking a part in place with a tiny dot of glue for subsequent removal), polystyrene cement is the way to go. If the parts mate nicely, it even obviates the need for gap filling (liquid plastic fills the seam, excess is easily scraped away), as well as allowing more time for adjustment. Assuming your build is to be permanent, the only downside is the dry time (unless you huff the stuff - they can be a tad stinky, but you'll hardly notice at arm's length).

Regarding thickness, my most used is roughly .03" simply because that's what the "for sale" signs I found were. My favorites, though, for small to medium projects are .02" and .04". A bit thicker would be preferable for larger builds or to reduce the internal bracing necessary for the main structures.

Any number of products can be used to fill gaps, from superglue + baking soda to acrylic putties (Vallejo Liquid Plastic) to 2-part epoxy putties (Kneadatite/GS), etc. Solvent-based putties like Squadron Green/White "bite" into the plastic a bit, so they bond better, but you pay for it in stink and potential surface marring. Acrylic resin putties brush on and smooth with water, but they don't tend to adhere as well. CA glue + sodium bicarb sets fast and is rock hard, but it takes a lot of filing to get things back to flush. Experiment a bit and find what you like best.

To purchase, search for Plastruct and/or Evergreen, the two major hobby producers (carried by any number of online hobby retailers, whether though their own sites or Ebay fronts, as well as most brick and mortar hobby shops). They also put out a bunch of tubes, rods, textured sheets, and architectural forms (girders, ladders, etc.). If you just want plain sheets, industrial plastic suppliers that deal in High Impact Polystyrene are way cheaper than buying packs from the "big two," but most have minimum order sizes that make the cost prohibitive for the average hobbyist, even if they're saving money, pound for pound.

If you plan to order online, I'd find yourself a single hobby retailer (to save on shipping) that carries a Plastruct/Evergreen sampler pack (mine cost a few bucks and came with one 6"x12" sheet each of .01", .02", and .04") and styrene cement (any of the big names are a safe bet - Tamiya, Testors, Revell, etc.), whether in an applicator bottle or brush-on jar - just avoid the goopy stuff in a tube, for your own sake. If you really want to jump in with both feet, grab another pack or two of the thicknesses you think you'll use most or get some cheap styrene signs to practice with - the sampler just gives you a feel for what thicknesses work best for particular jobs. I've barely used an eighth of my .01" sheet, but those little bits here and there have proven invaluable.

A comment on Squadron Green/White and equivalents vs. Liquid Green Stuff. They have similar functions, but are very different in practice.

1. Squadron Green is toxic as hell, and the smell of it will tell you so even if you don't read the label. Same for Squadron White, Tamiya White, or pretty much any one-part putty that comes in a tube. Liquid Green Stuff, on the other hand, I'm pretty sure you'd be OK eating. It is very non-nasty stuff.
2. Squadron Green (or White, or Tamiya white putty) is good for filling big gaps and smoothing out really rough areas. You might need a couple of applications, but anything in this category will do the job. Liquid Green Stuff is not good for filling anything but small seams and irregularities, and smoothing surfaces. (It's very very good for those things, though.)
3. Don't use the Testors putty unless you've already bought it. It's really just amazingly awful.

For any gap or flaw small enough, I strongly prefer Liquid Green Stuff. No odor, very easy to work with, thins with water, fantastic. For the bigger gaps and rough areas you'll get building big structures out of plasticard, you'll probably want Squadron Green or something similar. (Tamiya White is my favorite, but Squadron Green is totally fine and much, much cheaper.)

EDIT: superglue and baking soda is an excellent filler for big gaps, too--and superglue is much less toxic than any modeling putty I know of. I'm a little bit hamhanded and find it a pain to get right, but it does work really well.

Yeah, polystyrene cement is probably the best glue for plasticard.
I personally wouldn't start working on the titan right away. Get some practice first, maybe build a tank or vehicle to get a feeling for the material....

Being in much the same situation as the OP (Except I'm making buildings) I find the tips above very helpful, so thanks for everything so far.

I've decided to go with the tip that most people here seem comfortable to share, with using plastic cement for glue (and I already have liquid greenstuff, so I have that covered.)

I'm wondering if anyone has any brand or type of plastic cement they would recommend. How do you prefer to work with it? I see there are buckets of the stuff (presumably for larger spatula work?) and all sorts of tubes.

What would you recommend as far as packaging for ease of work in the sort of work you do in the warhammer hobby?

As for brands ...

I use Revell's Contacta brand (in the darker blue "professional" bottle and in a glass jar - two different containers for different jobs) although Tamiya, Testors and Humbrol ALL have their own versions as well.

MrMerlin wrote:Yeah, polystyrene cement is probably the best glue for plasticard.
I personally wouldn't start working on the titan right away. Get some practice first, maybe build a tank or vehicle to get a feeling for the material....

Are there plans out there for building tanks or something smaller than the Titan?

Synister_Intent wrote:

Are there plans out there for building tanks or something smaller than the Titan?

Terrain is usually a good place to start. The Imperial Bastions are begging to be scratch-built.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/bwc-archive/

4chan's Origami and Papercraft usually has a Warhammer thread somewhere in there. Here's the thread currently: http://boards.4chan.org/po/res/470836

Jordan wrote:

Synister_Intent wrote:

Are there plans out there for building tanks or something smaller than the Titan?

Terrain is usually a good place to start. The Imperial Bastions are begging to be scratch-built.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/bwc-archive/

4chan's Origami and Papercraft usually has a Warhammer thread somewhere in there. Here's the thread currently: http://boards.4chan.org/po/res/470836

That is actually a good idea, I think my gaming group could use some more terrain for our games so I can always just start there.

I build many a thing completely without any idea what it'll look like in the end... usually works fine!
Plasticard is a great material to work with once you've got some practice. you can do nearly anything vehicle-realted with it.

oh and if you're looing for specific plans... either google until you find a vehicle you like and draw your own plans, or copy a good ol' gw tank.

I've heard lots of good things about Revell's Contacta cement. I use Testors Liquid Cement for Plastic Models (the one in the weird-shaped black bottle with the plastic applicator tip), since that's what I can get locally. It's worked well enough for me that I haven't bothered searching out others to try.

For those looking for projects, there are tons of templates floating around for 40k vehicles (Imperial, especially). Building from plans can be a good way to start, as all the figuring is done for you - you get a feel for the material while cutting and gluing without having to worry that your design won't turn out well. I've found scores of plans and templates over the years, but most have been repeats of a few dozen plans that can all be found across a site or two. The BWC Archive used to be THE place to get them, but they've been reposted elsewhere, by now, and new ones have been added.