First kit after a very long break?

[Sprue42]

I am not totally new to building plastic models, but I have not built any military vehicles since I was in my early twenties (over 40 years ago).

I am looking for something 1:35 scale any period, to have a go at as a first attempt attempt using some of the new materials and techniques available today. Something not too expensive that maybe after a first go I can maybe try again if I am not happy with the results. Any suggestions?

I have a 'stash' of two models, but I want to try my skills out before I commit to something I really care about.

Thanks, Ralph.

 

[Dave Ward]

Ralph,
a couple of suggestions - both Tamiya, well fitting models
that look the part when assembled
https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/1-35-british-cromwell-mk-ii-35221-tamiya-p12358/
https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/1-35-british-churchill-crocodile-35100-tamiya/
from the Scale Model Shop - don't forget your discount!
Dave

 

[Jakko]

I’ll second Dave’s suggestion: get a Tamiya kit, preferably one from the last decade or two, everything will fit perfectly and it will look fine once built. Yes, it will be simplified in many areas compared to the real thing, but that’s exactly what makes them suitable as your first model(s) in a long time. I would recommend against buying a Tamiya kit from last century, though. Fit will generally be just as good, but the older the kit is, the more shortcuts will have been taken in terms of detail and accuracy.

Don’t buy a kit from AFV Club, MiniArt, Rye Field Model (RFM), Takom, or similar. They all make great models (some greater than others), but will need a lot more skill in assembling them than even the more complicated efforts by Tamiya. Better to wait with these brands until you feel confident you can handle more parts and small parts.

For a good illustration, compare my recent Tamiya Panzer IV with Los’s RFM kit of the same basic type of tank.

 

[Waspie]

My second kit was RFM CH2. Soon as I started I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew but in fact I really enjoyed it. It was the first time I had encountered etch and had no specialist tools. Then found out from the guys on here in fact I had all I needed. A metal straight edge, a Stanley blade and a scalpel to remove them from the sprue.
Each track consisted of four delicate pieces of plastic. Some 200 plus links!! Oh my gawd what had I done. In fact I really enjoyed building them. Again, advice from Jacko, Mike (aka scratchbuilder) and a few others and the tracks were completed. Learned a few things, albeit some after the fact but that will be remembered for next build.
I nearly stopped the build just after I started but again, encouragement from the guys on here and I made the decision to continue. At my pace.
What I did was blog the build, listen the advice and encouragement and happily plodded on at my own place.
As a matter of fact, my third build,(VW Beetle), was supposed to be a doddle, but I cocked that right up. Once more, the good people on her gave me guidance on how to correct my errors. No belittling or Mickey taking, just sound advice to allow me to complete the beetle.
Whatever you decide on, spend some time getting to know the instructions. Most of my time is spent deciding on paint scheduling. A tip I learned from here. I copy my instruction on my printer and write copies notes on the copied instructions. Helps me plan the build order and such.
Most of all, enjoy it. and has been said. It's your model - you do it your way.

 

[rtfoe]

I cut my teeth on an old Tamiya Panzer II and loved it. 50 plus years on I still get a kick building the two I still have by adding detail that obviously is missing in an aged kit replacing stuff like the tracks. Not bothered at squeezing 2mm off it's width...still looks like a Panzer II. Try one Ralph.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[RonGlass]

I sure enjoyed Tamiya's recent release M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, it built up very nicely (as expected from Tamiya). Great bang for the buck too, quite reasonably priced. Instructions have always been well done imo.

 

[David Lovell]

As the chaps say most if not all the Tamiya stuff(even the very old)is no brainer stuff , but build something you want to build and look at once finished . Personally nothing is perfect kit wise someone will always find fault some are still looking for that holy grail. A bit like jigsaws some have eg 500 pieces others 1000 the 1000 piece one isn't more complicated it just takes longer goes together just the same it just takes longer. Using that puzzle thing again some are a tad better than others when you put the pieces together but when finished the pictures the same.
Its a box with plastic parts and a sheet of instructions for you to follow ,give the instructions a good study check out the sprues so your familiar with the parts /instructions/sequence used and off you go its exactly the same as it was forty years ago. Dave

 

[rtfoe]

A well drawn and planned instruction sheet helps a lot. Sometimes recognising the part shape nagates the searching for numbers. The orientation and facing of the part is important to notice as well.

Cheers,
Wabble

 

[Airborne01]

I cut away (and consign to the spares box) parts not used'as per the instructions before I start the build. On more complicated builds I cut away redundant sprues - makes sprues easier to handle and saves a lot of futile searching!
Steve

 

[Sprue42]

Thanks for all the great suggestions and advice guys!

I cut my teeth on an old Tamiya Panzer II and loved it. 50 plus years on I still get a kick building the two I still have by adding detail that obviously is missing in an aged kit replacing stuff like the tracks. Not bothered at squeezing 2mm off it's width...still looks like a Panzer II. Try one Ralph.

Cheers,
Wabble

Wabble

Me too! 50 years ago I bought my first Tamiya Kit, a Panzer II. I can remember is was my initiation into 35th scale. I chose the Pz II because it was the only one I could afford at the time. I suspect most people of our generation were introduced to the scale and Tamiya through that kit. I had not thought of buying it again, but it is exactly what I am after, something to 'play' with. At under a tenner, it is the perfect kit for what I want to experiment with. For me the building is not a problem. I was building with, plastic PE and white metal, and have done, on and off, ever since, just not building static 'scale models'.

The PzII fits the bill because it is cheap, quick to build and will give me something to practise using acrylic paints and some of the new super detailing products and techniques on.

I was sitting here trying to remember what I did with all my old models that I built back in the 1970s. The Pz II reminded me. As I said earlier, I bought it because it was about the only one I could afford. However, by the mid 1970s, I was between jobs and got myself a job in the Holborn branch of Beatties. If you were good enough, they would give you the value of a model as credit, if you built one for the shop as a display model. I built all sorts of models at that time. the shop display models were built from the box, but later, I could exchange modified models for replacement kits of the base model. For me that was great, I could build like mad and never get over-run. also I had the best stash in the land - the entire shop stock!

Ralph.

 

[Jakko]

Each track consisted of four delicate pieces of plastic. Some 200 plus links!! Oh my gawd what had I done. In fact I really enjoyed building them.

Can you let me know your address, please? Just so that when I next find myself with RFM-style tracks to assemble, I can mail the sprues to you, and you can send the tracks back once they’re built?

 

[Dave Ward]

Thanks for all the great suggestions and advice guys!



Wabble

Me too! 50 years ago I bought my first Tamiya Kit, a Panzer II. I can remember is was my initiation into 35th scale. I chose the Pz II because it was the only one I could afford at the time. I suspect most people of our generation were introduced to the scale and Tamiya through that kit. I had not thought of buying it again, but it is exactly what I am after, something to 'play' with. At under a tenner, it is the perfect kit for what I want to experiment with. For me the building is not a problem. I was building with, plastic PE and white metal, and have done, on and off, ever since, just not building static 'scale models'.

The PzII fits the bill because it is cheap, quick to build and will give me something to practise using acrylic paints and some of the new super detailing products and techniques on.

I was sitting here trying to remember what I did with all my old models that I built back in the 1970s. The Pz II reminded me. As I said earlier, I bought it because it was about the only one I could afford. However, by the mid 1970s, I was between jobs and got myself a job in the Holborn branch of Beatties. If you were good enough, they would give you the value of a model as credit, if you built one for the shop as a display model. I built all sorts of models at that time. the shop display models were built from the box, but later, I could exchange modified models for replacement kits of the base model. For me that was great, I could build like mad and never get over-run. also I had the best stash in the land - the entire shop stock!

Ralph.

You mean this one https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/1-35-german-panzerkampfwagen-ii-35009-tamiya-p12249/ ? - because there is a later Tamiya Pz.II from 2008
Are you aware of Scalemates? https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=All&q=Tamiya+Pz+II* That's the goto index of all models - and in a lot of cases you can download the instructions, really useful!
Dave

 

[Sprue42]

You mean this one https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/1-35-german-panzerkampfwagen-ii-35009-tamiya-p12249/ ? - because there is a later Tamiya Pz.II from 2008
Are you aware of Scalemates? https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=All&q=Tamiya+Pz+II* That's the goto index of all models - and in a lot of cases you can download the instructions, really useful!
Dave

That's the one Dave. I did not realise there's a later version of the Pz II. I have heard of Scalemates, but not got around to investigating it. I will rectify my mistamina immediately

Ralph.

 

[Scratchbuilder]

All the advice above. Tamiya can save you a lot of pain. You would probably find a lot of the other manufacturers kits far too much of a struggle and expense just to sit in a cupboard (to finish another day).

I cut away (and consign to the spares box) parts not used'as per the instructions before I start the build. On more complicated builds I cut away redundant sprues - makes sprues easier to handle and saves a lot of futile searching!
Steve

Sprue O and Q for instance, how many times I have searched all over the wrong sprue....

 

[Jakko]

On more complicated builds I cut away redundant sprues

Same, once major parts of a sprue are empty, or mostly so, I cut off the bits without parts — after carefully checking there really are no more parts on them — and put them in a box for later disposal in the bin. Saves a lot of trouble with largely empty sprues hooking into each other, having to lift them to look under them, etc. However, it occasionally causes minor problems because I’ve cut away the bit with the identifying letter

 

[H2O Paul]

I'm in the same position and am mid-way through a Tamiya 1/35 Jeep Willys MB build. Going together quite nicely with enough detail to try some stuff out on and cheap enough that it doesn't matter if I stuff it up!

 

[Scratchbuilder]

I'm in the same position and am mid-way through a Tamiya 1/35 Jeep Willys MB build. Going together quite nicely with enough detail to try some stuff out on and cheap enough that it doesn't matter if I stuff it up!

You do not 'stuff it up' you convert it into an art form and display it in the bin for a week untill it is emptied.
We have all been there and we all still go there, and we all keep coming back for more...

 

[Waspie]

I'm in the same position and am mid-way through a Tamiya 1/35 Jeep Willys MB build. Going together quite nicely with enough detail to try some stuff out on and cheap enough that it doesn't matter if I stuff it up!

As I learned. Even ‘stuffing it up’ can be recoverable. Just search for my Beetle thread!!!! What I thought was a paint finish nightmare from hell was sorted with sound advice from these good people.