The following is a list and brief description of my favourite tools that I use on almost every hobby project. It’s a great starting point for anyone who is interested in getting into model building and painting but isn’t quite sure what they need.
Flush cutters (Bought mine from Michaels)
An absolute must for any model builder, invest in a good pair of flush cutters will solve so many problems and keep you from accidentally cutting into your fingers while trying to cut out that new space marines from its sprue.
Pin Drill
Great for pinning models and drilling out the muzzles of guns.
Precision X-Acto Knife
Great for precision cuts, trimming off excess plastic, flashing, and scraping away mold lines.
Testors Plastic Glue (Blue tube, find it in your local hobby shop)
Non-toxic plastic glue, always a must to have on hand. Be careful and controlled with the application as this stuff does melt plastic and will easily mess up any fine detail.
Precision Plastic Glue Tips
As funny as it seems these are one of my aboslute favourites, they allow you to control and apply plastic glue exactly where you need it and the great thing about them is you can scrape out any excess dried glue with a pin and keep using the same tip for ages.
Files & Emery Boards
Get your hands on some small files and emery boards in a wide range of grits. Great for smoothing out rough parts of plastic / metal or scuffing up plastic / metal for gluing.
Super Glue
I haven’t found a brand that I’m completely happy with but the mini tubes from the dollar store have been my go to for quite awhile.
Dental Tools
Great for sculpting green stuff, pushing green stuff into cracks to fill gaps and scraping mold lines off. I picked mine up from a local surplus store but they can also be found decently priced on ebay or Amazon.
Tooth Picks & Pins
Endlessly useful for a wide range of uses. From things like picking glue out of clogged nozzles, stirring paint, removing dirt and dust from details and so on. I always keep a few on hand.
What are your favourite or must have tools for hobbying? Let me know in the comments below.
