I'm On A Budget! Model Building Essentials
Gained an interest in model building? If you are new to this hobby, the first thing you have to do in order to start on your projects is build your kit. You do not need any fancy tools right away or any complicated gadgets; what you need are the building blocks of your kits, the simple hobby modeling tools that you will be using often—the model building essentials. In this blog, we will be telling you which tools they are and how to get them FOR A GREAT PRICE. Let us get right into it!
Summary
- The Essential Tools for Model Building
- In Conclusion
The Essential Tools for Model Building
These are the tools that are absolutely indispensable for every model builder. They might be simple, but you will find yourself using them often, especially when you start taking on projects. Because of their simplicity, you absolutely have to invest in quality ones that will serve you well and last you a long time. These are the essential tools for model building:
Essential #1: Hobby Knife
The hobby knife is a versatile cutting tool that you can use in all areas of hobby modeling, whether it be for carving, whittling, or sculpting. This knife has it covered. It can be used for cutting plastic, metal, paper, and fabric and is often made to have retractable blades. No matter what project you are working on, you will find yourself using this tool, so purchasing a great hobby knife will definitely be worth the money.
The Ninesteps Premium Knife features a Size 11 blade that is high quality, affordable and offers the perfect cutting edge for plastics, silicone, cardboard and just about everything else a hobbyist will encounter during their creative endeavor.
Get the NINESTEPS Premium Hobby Knife here
Essential #2: Side Cutter/Nippers
When building models, an essential part of getting the best possible results is making sure that everything is done properly right from the start. The first step in creating most models starts with getting each part out of the sprue, a task that the side cutter does best. These nippers are created specifically for cutting plastic sprues seamlessly and getting into tight corners with no fuss. There are single- and double-edged nippers for cutting and precision that will definitely separate each of your sprue pieces without a scratch.
A much smaller and sharper derivative of the side cutters used in the electronics industry, the NINESTEPS Industries nippers are perfect for removing plastic parts from their runners, or any other light duty, precision cutting job you may have. We offer three different kinds of side cutters, namely:
Essential Side Cutter
Choose the Essential when you want a no-fuss cutter that gets the job done. Great for beginners and those not needing super-fine cuts. Features a double-sided blade.
Get the Essential Side Cutter here
Classic Side Cutter
Arguably the best performance-per-dollar cutters in our range, the Classic strikes a good balance between heavy-lifting and accuracy. Features a double-sided blade.
Get the Classic Side Cutter here
Premium Side Cutter
Our Premium model features the sharpest and thinnest blade in the range, allowing for knife-like cuts to be made in confined areas. Features a single-sided blade.
Get the Premium Side Cutter here
Essential #3: Paint brushes
Another tool that you should have in your kit is a paint brush. For beginner modelers, a nice synthetic brush is a great starting point that you can use alongside acrylic paints to paint on models. Whether you are working on miniatures, model vehicles, or figurines, there is a brush for you. There are different sizes and tips available on the market that you can explore.
At NINESTEPS, we offer a range of essential and premium paint brushes which are perfect for all your creative needs. Our synthetic brushes are made to suit a variety of different techniques such as, dry brushing, wet blending, edge highlighting and stippling.
Check out our collection of paint brushes here
Essential #4: Sanding blocks
These sanding tools are used for smoothing out any unnecessarily sharp edges in your models and are primarily used for getting rid of sprue gates and seam lines that you will often see on injection-molded plastic models. What you cannot get rid of fully using a hobby knife can be taken care of with a sanding block/stick.
Our NINESTEPS sanding blocks have a firm, foam core and are double sided with high-quality grit. The grit on our sanding blocks is also usable when it's wet, so you can even dip the block into water to get a finer sanding effect.
Check out our collection of sanding blocks here
Essential #5: Tweezers
For model builders, tweezers are the handiest tools to have when working with smaller-scaled models. For delicate, easy-to-lose parts tweezers are THE man for the job, you can use it to grasp small pieces and achieve maximum precision. Inscale modeling there are many specialized tweezers created specifically for model building with varying tips for different tasks, a testament to how ingrained it is in the modeling hobby and why you should have one for yourself.
The NINESTEPS Industries tweezers come in many varieties to suit a multitude of jobs. These tweezers are an essential hobby tool, especially when things get tiny!
Ninesteps Flat Tweezer
Our XL Flat tweezer features unique flat or 'shovel' ends, perfect for holding flat items such as sheet or card, as well as for waterslide decal application.
Get the Ninesteps Flat Tweezer here
Ninesteps Sharp Tweezer
Our Sharp Point tweezers are your go-to when trying to handle the smallest and most delicate of objects, such as small model parts, threads and wires.
Get the Ninesteps Sharp Tweezer here
Ninesteps Angled Tweezer
Similar to our Sharp Pointed design, the Angled design provides just that little more dexterity, allowing access to tighter areas and around corners.
Get the Ninesteps Angled Tweezer here
In Conclusion
When building your modeling kit, you do not need to buy every single gadget or tools that are for the hobby, starting out simple is the best way to go, but simple does not mean average quality. Always opt for the best one you can find at a fair price, if you can. Happy modeling!
Check out our full collection of everything hobby modeling here
At Ninesteps Industries, we take pride in creating the best tools for your hobbies. Check out our products, blogs and other cool stuff here. Did we miss anything? Let us know!
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