| The first thing you will need is a storage box or | | | | wise to choose one that is fairly straightforward |
| drawers for your equipment. A small box with a | | | | or frustration can set in if you find it tricky, and |
| lid will be ok to start, but as you do more models | | | | you will end up disappointed with the finished |
| the amount of paint and tools will grow and you | | | | model. |
| will need more storage. | | | | In my experience the smaller the scale of the |
| You will also need the following, although not all of | | | | model the more detailed it is. Therefore, a 1/8th |
| these items are essential to build a model:- | | | | scale car will have larger but fewer parts than a 1 |
| Paintbrushes - at least 3 different sizes with a | | | | 12th scale kit. The larger scale (1/8th for |
| very small one for detailing. | | | | example) kits generally have pre-painted parts, i.e. |
| Adhesive - A tube of adhesive or a bottle of | | | | bodywork, wheels & engine cases which are |
| adhesive with a lid brush. | | | | easier to build. With the correct methods |
| Model knives, a small pair of scissors and wire | | | | however, even a more basic kit can look great. |
| cutters or sharp pliers | | | | It is also a good idea to pick one that is of a type |
| A bottle of thinners or white spirit | | | | that interests you, i.e. if you prefer rally cars it |
| Paper towels | | | | would be best to get a model of a rally car |
| Fine sandpaper | | | | instead of a formula 1 car, that way you will find |
| Small slotted and Phillips head screwdriver (a lot of | | | | it more enjoyable to build and will take more care |
| kits come with these supplied if required) | | | | to ensure it turns out great. |
| Shallow dish or bowl of warm water (for decals) | | | | Check the box contents: |
| Masking tape | | | | When you open the box, check everything is |
| Blu-tac | | | | there before you start to build it otherwise you |
| Tweezers | | | | may have problems returning it to the store. You |
| Tube of model filler | | | | may find a form in the box to order certain parts |
| Lacquer | | | | or decals if you find later something is missing. |
| Cotton buds | | | | Most kits now come wrapped with cellophane so |
| Selecting a suitable model kit: | | | | this shouldn't be much of a problem but it can |
| If this is the first kit you are going to build, it is | | | | happen. |