Ok guys, I am going to make this my first post and my first build in over 20 years. I figured this would be a good way to post all of my trials and tribulations from a brand new (for all intents and purposes) modeler. I used to build Tamiya when I was a kid (poorly I might add) and haven't done one since about 1986. I was in a hobby store last weekend and I saw all the boxes on the shelves and I was hit with this very strong nostalgic wave. I rushed home and began researching military models. When I stumbled across this site, I gave a little shout and poured over the material on here. It was all coming back in flashes. On payday, I immediately hit the hobby shops and picked up a kit and some supplies.




I picked up some paints and supplies and raced home! Ripping open the box I was stunned to see that they put the full paint requirements INSIDE the box....back to the store!

Now, I needed a place to build, and our home office was perfect for it, however I needed a nice table top to use that I could spill and mess up with impunity. I had some old vinyl flooring and a thin sheet of plywood that fit the space perfectly. A little adhesive and some trimming and I had a perfect table top that was soft to a knife blade and was secure and non-slippery.




It is very thin and I can easily move it to another room for quick storage if I need the office space. I love how grippy the surface is and the fact that paints and glue just wipe right off.

Step 1

I tried painting on the spur and off the spur to see what worked well for me, and I feel that at this point and at my skill level, it really just depends on the piece and how easy it is to work with. The road wheels themselves I took off the spur and sanded the rough spots down before gluing together. I painted them black (I am slow and followed the instructions poorly) LOL.

Once they dried, I repainted them olive green and left the edges the flat black that I accidentally primed with.





I am using acrylic paint by Tamiya for all except flat black. I had to buy enamel as the store did not have any acrylic in stock. Using brushes (since I don't have air brush) I find I like the enamel a bit better as it covers nicely and seems to dry smoother. Although with two coats, the acrylic does come out nice, the enamel seems a touch easier for me to work with.


That's it for today, I am going to keep posting here and am really as newb as they come so I appreciate any tips or encouragement that I can get!

One of the points of this exercise is so that I can show you experienced guys out there what it is like for a complete novice coming into this exciting hobby. Maybe by being completely open, I can let you guys see how trying and difficult your skills are and how far along you guys have gone.....

Hello Rob,

and welcome back to this wonderful hobby.

The purchase of a 48er Tamiya kit is a good choice to start with assembly models.


"...Tamiya for all except flat black. "

I too use Tamiya flat black as it is recommended for painting the road wheels if they would have been painted before with acrylics because you need only some enamel thinner and a cotton swab to remove the mispainted colour.

A coat of acrylic clear gloss will ease this work

Good luck.

How can the clear coat help the process along? Curious....

I will try the cotton swap tip...awesome.

The gloss coat effects a smoother surface which is necessary for a better capillary effect.

But it's not a must-do.

Welcome back to the hobby Rob and welcome to Armorama. I was a newbie about a year and a half ago after my own lengthy hiatus. Just take your time, relax and most of all have fun. IMHO this site is fantastic. I personally can't say enough positive things about all the helpful people here.

Cheers,
Jan

A 20 year hiatus...that's like granddad finding a new like-aged person to do it with since nanna passed away 20 years ago! You'll start out rusty, but then it'll all come back to you...and you may even learn new things on the way lol

Welcome back to model building Rob! You'll find the landscape is as diverse as ever with manufacturers having really raised the bar on detail and accuracy the past 5-10 years. Tons of after market parts out there as well.

Once you really get into gear and you start considering other kits for future projects, here are some good review sites (just go to reviews, then the appropriate scale & manufacturer):

http://www.cybermodeler.com/index.shtml

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/

Btw, don't mean to be an arse but if you wanna go for some accuracy, Nazi Germany didn't have any green panzers They were tan in North Africa and had exotic camouflage in Europe. Ofcourse, this is your first and at the end of the day, anyone can do what they want with their model

Good luck with your build!

Hi Rob!
And welcome back to world of modeling. Your story is very much same as mine: lots of models as a kid, then over 20 years doing nothing (school, work and then family on first spot) and them like a lightning from sky above, strong desire to start again. Now, after two tanks, I´m wondering, why the hell I quit making models back then.. Anyway, your Tiger is coming together very nicely. Keep it up!

there are plenty reviews here too, and later in the war, although tiger 1 wasnt the case panzers were based in green if i understand correctly

hehe about the colour - I am definitely not a historical guy....I just read the box and followed their recommendation! It will give me an excuse to do another one - more accurate.... I do like the green and although it is inaccurate, I will battle one obstacle at a time! Thanks for all the good words though guys...very motivating.

Rob, this fix applies to your kit.

David

LOL That's awesome! Thanks!