The internet and many sites I know of carry a vast wealth of knowledge and hints and tips for the model making hobbyist, so rather than cover those already covered I thought I would aim to give a helping hand to the beginner, with words of encouragement and a few tips I have learnt from my own experience. For me, my first port of call would be SFM:UK (see Links page) - where Sci-Fi and Fantasy modellers are genuinely keen to help and advise, and happy to share their ideas and suggestions with new and old - so my first tip is: Check out SFM:UK!

Modelling Hints and Tips

Firstly, be brave and go for it! Don't be put off by what appears to be 'complicated' - take your time, and remember, you're making your creation for YOU, for your own enjoyment - it does not matter if your first (or even 2nd, 3rd or 4th, and so on) attempt doesn't resemble the illustration on the box - as long as you have pleasure from making it how YOU want, that's the most important detail to any model.

Choose a well cast model sourced from a reliable model shop (either in the high street or online) - a poorly made recast could very well deter a beginner from the outset, as the parts are ill fitting and much work is needed to rectify the problems and the beginner could feel they are at fault when it is infact the model itself! Look for a model kit with at least the sculptors name, or seek advice from the supplier. Many garage kits are sculpted and produced/cast by individuals and these models are generally the best for detail, quality and fit - although fit can sometimes be an issue, so really it's a case of trial and error - either way, if you unwittingly acquire a poorly made recast as your first model, don't let this undermine your potential modelling skills!

As a first figure model kit, vinyl is probably the best option as parts merely require cutting out (cutting away the flash) and gluing together and can be manipulated easily with a heat source if parts don't fit well (hot water is ideal), but they will require 'stuffing' to prevent deformation during hot or cold weather extremes. For small figures, shredded newspaper will do the job as a stuffing. You may opt though for a resin figure kit, and there's really no reason not to! Larger resin kits will undoubtedly need pinning at the limbs especially, but this is not a hard task to tackle providing you have the basic modelling tools. Again, a quick Google, or a visit to SFM:UK will help with advice on pinning - you could use the 'dot of paint' method I initially used for pinning my models, or glue the parts together first and drill and pin afterwards, using a bit of putty to cover and fill the drill hole after the pin has been pushed through. Whatever method you choose, make sure it is one that suits your needs, you may even hit upon a different way of pinning! There are no hard and fast rules, do what feels best for you.

The one 'must have' tip is to ensure you clean your kit well prior to painting! This is where I fell foul with my first 2 vinyl kits. The casting release agent, if not washed off, will give terrible problems when you come to painting your model! After dry fitting and handling, wash the parts in warm water and washing up liquid, giving the parts a good scrub with a toothbrush (this is for both vinyl and resin). After assembling the parts that can be assembled, and all pinning, sanding, filling and prep prior to priming is done, I always give my models a second bath to clean away grimy finger marks, sweat, and any remaining grease - I leave them to soak overnight to ensure they are clean. From that stage on, handling is best done using gloves (waiters gloves are ideal, or surgical gloves perhaps). The less you handle parts, the better the paint will adhere, and ultimately a better finish is achieved.

Tools - It is tempting to fork out a small fortune on modelling tools, thinking you will need them, and this is where you could lose heart with so much outlay on an already 'not so cheap' hobby. Any other tools you can purchase as and when you need them, but for now the basics are: a Dremel multi tool (this will possibly be your biggest outlay, but will prove its worth over time) with basic accessories for cutting, sanding, grinding and drilling, plus a Dremel Multi Chuck (which will save a fortune on different sized collets!). It will be tempting to buy a cheaper alternative to a Dremel, but don't be fooled - it can prove costly in the long run. From experience, the cheaper tools struggle with harder resins, and motors burn out very quickly! If you only plan to make one model, and no more, then perhaps consider a pin vice instead of a Dremel tool - these are reasonably cheap, but will require manual strength to use them! Secondly, a good scalpel and a few spare blades, pliers or even tweezers if you feel more comfortable with tweezers, a small pair of wire cutters, an old kitchen/dining knife is handy for smoothing, and a hacksaw blade (or junior hacksaw, if you prefer) could be useful too, but not vital unless you know you'll need one! If you plan to drill or work on very small parts, it would be wise to obtain a small 'hobby' bench vice - holding tiny parts with your fingers whilst drilling isn't recommended!

Other accessories and materials required will be pretty much down to you and the model, but the basics you will need are: wet & dry sandpaper (one fine and one more coarse - not too coarse though!), gap filling superglue (the thinner type superglue is best to use, as it doesn't instantly dry, and gives time to adjust parts if needed), Milliput (a 2 part resin) is a good filler/multi purpose putty to use for large gaps and to create smoother joint seams (and to cover a multitude of other sins ;-), a good selection of round and flat headed paintbrushes - at least one should be a fine detail brush - choose your brushes according to the type of paint you'll be using. I have found 'fine hair' watercolour brushes don't work too well with acrylic paints, whereas 'mixed hair & sable' seem to be OK - again, find what suits you best, and experiment to see which type will achieve the result you want from them. You will also need primer (acrylic based) - this can be a spray can of car primer, or an artists primer from the Valejo range for example. Avoid 'filler primer' if your model has lots of detail, as the filler primer will almost certainly fill the detailed areas! Use grey primer if possible as this will 'reveal' any missed flaws, bubbles and pin holes left behind after sanding and prep. Paperclips are a very good and cheap option to use as pins for pinning - just straighten them out and cut to length. Cocktail sticks; for holding parts whilst drying, and I also use them for painting small details (eyes, etc), and for stirring paint and many other uses! White waiters gloves are useful whilst handling and holding your model for painting, etc. (or any glove that won't leave fibres or grease on the model). Paints; only buy the colours you need first off, especially if you are painting with acrylics - although there are some huge sets of colours out there, it's not a good investment when you find most have dried up after 6 months! A good tip to include here is if you are making a vinyl model as your first kit, use ONLY acrylic paints, NOT enamels - the paint can react with the vinyl and leave you with a sticky mess! If you are making a resin kit, you can use either or both. Finally, a block of polystyrene or florists foam (oasis) is great to hold parts whilst drying - just use the cocktail sticks to hold the parts and stick into the block. Also, make a temporary base from scrap plywood (or similar thin wood, 15 - 20 mm deep, roughly) for your model to stand on whilst you work on it. Drill holes in the feet of your model, and hammer pins into the wood to line up with the holes in the feet - this will hold your model securely as you work on it, or when you set it aside for a break.