New to 40k needing painting/modeling help

[kelterran]

Hi,
I'm looking to jump into the hobby for the first time. The thing is, I have limited money to invest in this (with having a family in all), so I was looking to start with putting together some Space Marines (probably Ultramarines). My question is this: what all modeling and painting tools should I have to start out? I don't live close enough to a Games Workshop or hobby store to do a lot of wargaming so I'm in this more for the modeling/painting.

I've also done some looking around at other blogs for ideas, but if there are any specific ones that I should check out, please feel free to post that as well.

[Dezmo1218]

Main tools that you'll have to start out (this collection will grow, trust me.)

* Xacto / Hobby Knife
http://cdn.dickblick.com/items/574/50/57450-0051-3ww-l.jpg

* Straight edged clippers/nippers (I found some great ones at Michael's in the jewelry section)
I use these: http://www.dickblick.com/products/beadalon-nipper-tool/ These are great for clipping up to the very edge of bits off the sprue. Precision!

* Small file, either a "needle file" or some sort of pencil-sized file for smoothing out unwanted edges and mold lines. Very many different shapes and sizes, pick your favorite one and go with that, really. :)
http://www.micro-tools.com/store/images/items/large/fil-972-00.jpg

* Paint brushes of varying size. Cheapest to start with a starter pack from an art supply store.

* Paints of course! (I lean towards Vallejo, but won't go into details here.)

* Plastic cement (I usually use Testor's in the red tube), GW's kind of expensive for what it is..
http://i1.avlws.com/533/l116751.png The needle applicator helps with precision. Plastic cement melds virtually only plastic surfaces together, where as super glue is almost any surface.

*Super Glue - I love Zap-a-Gap, but really any super glue with a tube applicator will do here.

*Hobby space - Somewhere you can find a large amount of space to spread out and that you wouldn't mind getting messy (slinging glue, paint, and plastic shards everywhere). Lay down some newspaper if you have to. Also helps to have music/movies/TV to give you something to listen to while working.

*Palette/Water Cup - Palette for putting down your paints for watering down/mixing, and a water cup for washing your brushes, of course.

Others will probably have many other ideas I forgot, but these are the basics!

[SierraFiveOne]

Welcome to the hobby!

Here are a few supplies I'd recommend.

-Fine sand for basing. Slightly coarser sand for rocks on bases. I can't stress enough how important a good-looking base is. You can find this on the ground just about anywhere.

-Static grass/snow. Not completely necessary depending on how you want to base your models, but they go a long way towards making them look good.

- Loctite Gel-Control super glue. It's cheaper than GW glue and sets quickly. I read about it on this very forum and have never used another super glue since.

- Washes. The GW ones work pretty good.

-A shoebox to keep your exta bits in. A bits box is a valuable resource

-Spray primer. This lets you basecoat your models quickly and all at once. Krylon has worked well for me.

-A hobby drill. This lets you drill out the barrels on your model's guns and lets you pin your metal models.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[isotope99]

My recommendations:


I'd go for a big stanley knife/boxcutters, those little xacto knives are a bit too delicate. Doubles as sprue clippers, knife, saw (better for plastic than metal) and file (skim off mould lines) depending on how you use it.

Cutting surface, I use an old block of wood but a cutting mat is probably better.

The pin vice/drill is good for drilling out barrels/pinning models. There are cheaper alternatives to the GW version.

Water cup and pallette, any old cup/glass and a spare DVD box

A bit of green stuff (or any cheaper equivalent epoxy putty like milliput) is great for filling gaps even if you don't want to go for conversions (in which case it will last forever), can be smoothed with wet fingers

Coarse sand/gravel for basing & some PVA glue (pretty cheap)

The GW plastic glue isn't cheap but I find it lasts quite a while and I'm too lazy to look elsewhere.

You can get larger paintbrushes from arts stores but I recommend the GW fine detail brush for, well, fine detail like the edges of shoulder pads.

A cheap multi compartment tool box is great for a bits box but an old rhino sized GW box will do.

[wscthepm]

Hi KT-
I registered on Bell of Lost Souls specifically to respond to your post, and, more specifically, to warn you.
This can become an expensive hobby.
There are plently of sites and threads that can give you a list of all the items you will need to paint and model.

Do the math and figure out if that list, in total, is something you can afford.

This is a wonderful, immersive, fun, and rewarding hobby- but it will take up lots of your time and money.
Please take the time to figure out , in advance, if you can afford it.
If yes, then hit ebay and look for the guys getting out of the hobby who are selling half painted armies with their entire paint collection and all their tools- and keep in mind that the paint may be worthless depending on how long it's been hanging around.
Even if you don't have a hobby shop close to you, maybe you can locate fellow hobbyists in your area who might be willing to let you use their paint and tools while you decide if the hobby is for you.
Hope this helps, and happy gaming/painting/modelling.
Chris

[Scion_of_Terra]

When it comes to glues, GW is not the answer, not only because of the quality of the product, but also because they rip you off harder here than anywhere else in the hobby.

There are three kinds of glue you'll need: Super glue, PVA (white glue), and plastic glue.

With plastic glue, less is more. Try to find something with a fine-tip applicator. My preferred brand is Klieber, although if you're not careful, the tip can clog up.

GW's old super glue was fairly decent, and you got a lot of mileage out of the bottle. Their new version eats d*ck. The idiotic brush applicator drips like crazy and eventually fuses together, and you get about an eighth of what you used to. I can't recommend a new brand, as I was fortunate enough to get one of the last of the old GW super glues, which should last me another two years.

PVA is useful, not just because it's used for basing, but also because if you mix just a little bit with super glue, it'll dry nearly as fast as plastic glue. I just use Elmer's for this - it's cheap, effective, and you can probably just borrow it from your kids.

When it comes to paint, everyone has different preferences. I'm lazy and just use GW, but I've been satisfied thus far. I will say their foundation and wash paints are excellent investments.

As for knives... I've been doing this for the better part of a decade, and I've managed thus far with only an exacto knife, a single small file, and upon very rare occasions, a pair of wire cutters. It's sometimes inconvenient, but if you're on a budget, you can make do with these.

I hope some of this helps.

-Scion-

[Lerra]

It's cheaper to buy tools and paintbrushes at arts/crafts stores (I recommend Michael's and Dick Blick Art Supplies if you're in the US). GW's hobby tools are overpriced.

The basic order of putting together a mini:

* Remove the bits that you want to use from the sprue
* Use a file or exacto knife to remove any mold lines or bits of leftover sprue. The rule of thumb is that if your nail can catch an edge, it will be visible after the model is painted. Not everyone removed mold lines, but the final product will look better if you do.
* Use Super Glue to assemble parts of the model. You need to make sure that you're able to get at everything with a paintbrush later. For a space marine, I'll usually put the torso, legs, and head together. I'll leave the rest off until the torso is painted.
* Use a spray primer. Rustoleum makes a nice, cheap primer. GW's primer isn't bad, but very overpriced. For hobby primers, P3 is the best, though.
* Paint
* Use a clear matte spray to seal the model, so the paint doesn't chip off later.

[Brass Scorpion]

If you're in the USA, Michael's and A.C.Moore craft stores regularly have 40%, even 50% off one item in the store coupons. Both sell modling knife sets and perhaps file sets. You might want to check them out.

Actually, GW's price on paint brushes is quite reasonable. You can buy even nicer brushes, but they are NOT cheaper, they are way more expensive. The brushes at art stores, the good ones, are very expensive ones. The cheap ones usually don't have a good point on them or lose their point quickly, making them terrible for miniatures painting. The only brushes I buy cheap at craft stores these days are stiff ones for dry-brushing and work that doesn't require great care like painting the gravel on bases.

Use Elmer's Glue for your white glue. It's way cheaper than the PVA at GW.

My last arcticle for BoLS was "Hobby Essentials". You might want to check it out. Here's a link. (http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2010/11/draft-hobby-essential-and-helpful-tools.html)

This is the best plastic cement on the market because of the dispenser. If you can't find it locally, The War Store sells it at a slight discount. Testor's also sells it on their website.
http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media/mfg/809/product_image/thm/t350_d27c035abb296d43032c26320deaec83.jpg

[Capn Stoogey]

You should also be warned that, as an Ultramarine player you are going to cop SO much crap from all the haters out there, the ones talking about how lame smurfs are and how awesome their own made up chapter of supercoolhappyfuntimes angels are. We defenders of Macragge need to stick together, I hope you have thick skin my friend! Best of luck and welcome to the hobby. :)