Monday, February 18, 2013

Small-Scale Armour Modelling

Over the years I've gradually built up a good collection of modelling tools and equipment, and those I describe here are relevant to all types of scale modelling, not just small-scale armour. Some specialist tools can be expensive and these include things such as lathes, milling machines and others but so far I've managed without these. They can also take up quite a bit of space, often more than most people without a dedicated workshop or hobby room have and so for both these reasons I won't be covering them in this book. Resin casting materials could be considered advanced or specialist, but beginner casting sets are available at reasonable prices and they don't require much room to use. With these you can make multiple copies of simple homemade parts without the need for expensive casting equipment, and so this is something that I will be looking at in more detail later in the book.

Painting and Finishing Techniques


Plastic model building has been around for many decades. Over time, it has evolved into an art of creating very detailed and accurate miniatures. With the advent of such accessories as photo-etched and resin parts, different types of markings and well-researched references, it has become a very involved hobby that can produce some stunning results. Inspired by a family friend, I was introduced to the hobby at an early age. I spent most of my time and money, together with my brother Tony, building practically every model that Aurora, Airfix and Revell released. Our efforts produced some rather crude results at first, most of which met their end at the hands of my pellet gun or some well-placed fireworks. The interest in the hobby never died, and we continued to improve our building and painting techniques, buying matt-finish paints, airbrushes and other new tools as we discovered them.

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