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Tips For Introducing My Son To Model Building


rawhide45
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Gentlemen:

 

My son has expressed interest in working on WWII military models. Can you recommend what he needs to get started? Specifically, I want to get him a few beginner model kits and the tools of the hobby (brushes, paints, files, cements). Thoughts?

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Good topic...

 

It would be very nice to have had someone with experience give me some pointers years and years and years ago when I started building. As it was, I just dove in and made a bunch (a REAL bunch) of novice mistakes.

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I would start him off with a snap together plane kit.It would allow him to read the instructions,locate the parts on the sprue,remove them,and follow the steps.It will go fast and give him some instant gratification and keep him excited for the next build.The next one can be a little more complex and introduce him to glue and paint.

Have fun and fight the urge to jump in,let him make mistakes.It is how we all learn.

Have fun Dad!

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We did some snap together models last Christmas and he loved it. I wanted to take him to the next level with a model project that we can do together. He is especially interested in WWII fighter planes. I was looking at some of the Revell and Tamiya kits. Any recommendations?

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If you have a Hobby Lobby near by or a model train store or other hobby shop you will be able to browse through a lot of different models and also most of what your son would need for a starter kit, such as paint sets and brushes...

 

I used to have a lot of fun making models with my father when I was growing up.. They are all boxed up now since that was almost 40 years ago...

 

A great hobby to spend with the son...

 

Leigh

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I would start him off with a snap together plane kit.It would allow him to read the instructions,locate the parts on the sprue,remove them,and follow the steps.It will go fast and give him some instant gratification and keep him excited for the next build.The next one can be a little more complex and introduce him to glue and paint.

Have fun and fight the urge to jump in,let him make mistakes.It is how we all learn.

Have fun Dad!

 

I 100% second that, Keep it simple and have fun together.

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Not sure how relevant this might be at the moment in your process, but I've been interested in a Revell models forum for quite awhile, and maybe it will have some significance. I built a great many WWII aircraft in my day, never quite got to the infilling and authentic painting/decals stage of the art, but had a great time and learned a lot about military airplanes. Having a personal guide to make suggestions about how to use glue, how to clamp the parts, how to sand/file off sprues, how to be patient - that sort of thing, will be wonderful for him. Those model maker experts are quite something, and might have some ideas of value, there on this site or some other similar one:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/126399814185218/?fref=nf

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If you are looking at aircraft, I would start with 1/48th scale rather than 1/72nd.

 

The simple reason is the parts are larger and easier to place. They are large enough to be fun, and not too large.

 

For younger hands, I think 1/32 may be too large. Plus the 1/32 kits tend to have more parts added.

 

The stalwart brands for many years for young modelers were Revell and Monogram. The two companies are actually now owned by

the same holding company now.

 

If you shop online, such as Amazon, you can shop for Revell or Monogram or Revell Monogram. All of them will bring results.

You can also go to the website https://www.revell.com/index.php

 

Tamiya is also out there, from Japan. I would hold off on these kits for awhile as they tend to be more detailed.

 

You will want a variety of paints and brushes for adding details. Eventually he might want to work up to a simple air brush, but this

will take some patience. Keep in mind that military colors are "flat" as opposed to glossy. At some stores you can find

a starter pack with with a dozen or so military shades.

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Thank you for the advice. I am thinking about purchasing the Revell 1/48 Mustang and Messerschmitt models for Christmas. In addition to the models, it appears that Testors has a flat enamel paint set for military builds that should cover his bases.

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The Revell/Monogram 1/48 stuff is the way to go. Most of us started with those. Not too many parts, not real expensive. There are lots of kits geared towards experienced modelers with photo etched parts and much more detail. Those are for down the line if the interest continues. It has to be fun.

 

There is a Monogram group on Facebook and we just completed a nostalgia group build that folks seemed to really enjoy. We kept the rules simple. Out of the box and build em like you did when you were a kid. Fun was the key and not competition.

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