And you wanted to get everythin gyou need to -start- making dioramas, ww2 era, what would you buy and where would you get it online?

I'm talking basic models (figures, accesories), paints, tools, etc.

I need to know what to get, what you reccomend as a 'starter kit'.

Looking to spend $100 to $200 on stuff - what do I get, where do I get it?
Thanks.

Well - I guess you have to start with a kit , could be anything German Kitchen, Jeep, Universal Carrier, 6X6, Sherman whatever. Then my personal feeling is to give a diorama life you need figures, at least one, the more the marrier. This'll run you anywhere from $20 to $200 (realistically $50)
Then you need a piece of wood for the base, could be a picture frame, some wall spackle for ground work, go outside and take advantage of nature and get branches that double as scale trees, dried grasses that double as well dry grasses, dirt for yea you guessed it dirt, small pebbles and gravel for rubble and rocks, if you want to make a wall or building then you'll need some material for that, could be cork, could be meat tray foam board (or from a hobby store), some balsa wood of various sizes, raid the local coffee shop and get the nice wooden stirrer sticks (buy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate to justify it). Brown paper bag from the grocery store does a lot of different things, tile rooves, furniture etc. Packing styrofoam. This stuff will run you around $20 or so depending on how creative you can be with stuff around the house.
Tools hmmmm tools, lots of #11 blades, some CA (Zap/super glue), some white glue, model putty (gap filler), scissors, dental etching tools (could be an al, or the tip of a file), small files, lots of containers for mixing paints etc (top of soda bottles), paints for the model and the base (hobby acrylics such as apple barrel are nice for the baes), nice brushes all sizes, cleaner, tweezers, and nips (wire cutters), ahh hobby wire, sand paper (can be from the painting isle at Lowes high grit #)

Nice to haves - air brush w/ compressor, many different etching tools, dremel type rotary tool and diamond bur bits, vice, lazy susan,

gweebie

First welcome to the site. Now about your questions, if you are looking for model shops or related stores on the web there are to many to count. My personel favorite is www.internethobbies.com. The service is always been great, the selection is good, and the prices are low. Like I said there are many out there try a few and find one you like.
As far as tools. If you want to buy on line there are two that I've had real good luck with. One is www.toolsgs.com the only problem I've seen with them is a $20 min order. The second is Micro-Mark.com. the prices are a little high, but the service is great. Off line and a little cheaper is department stores. Wal-mart, K-mart they have a limited selection but are much cheaper.
One piece of advise I could pass on is buy as you need. another words don't go out and drop $200 on stuff you may or may not need. Pick a project, research it, make some sketches, figure out what you will need then go from there. Lastly there is an article on the General modeling page called Modeling on the cheap it is well worth a read.

Good Luck, I hope this helps
W olfsix
P.S. If I can be of any help feel free to pm me.

Thanks for the tips and links...

I did do some preliminary shopping at walmart...

Items I have:

X-actos
tacky glue, super glue, wood/metal cement, plastic model cement, wood glue
ready mix plaster
matte finish
workable fixitive
chalk
auto primer
testors military airplane paint set
testors primers, misc testors paints
craft moss
craft acrylics
foam board
poster board
metal ruler
some brushes
thinner
tweezers

I was just realizing that there is lots of stuff to buy if you want to start from zero, also there is alot to learn.


you can save a lot of money this way and save it for stuff that really matters, like a good kit and figures. with a good research you can find lots of materials suited for a dio for free.

Greetings and Hello gweeble!

I find myself in sort of the same position... I'm currently rebuilding my gear after a 20+ year absence from the craft... I see that you have purchased a couple of paint sets already... That might be a direction you wish to look closer at... You have already purchased some enamels which have their place, but I think you may find that a little cash outlay for either artist oils or acrylics (or maybe both) might be in order... There are plenty of uses for the enamels, but I think if you dive into the articles available here at Armorama you might learn that there are some advantages to oils and likewise acrylics have some advantages also... Most of all, keep in mind that you have tapped a huge resource here, just as I have recently ... Join in and use it! And have fun!

Ok folks, then....

Tell me what paints I need, then I'll be set for awhile... *laughs*

Just list them off as a good rounded set of these oils and acrylics. Thanks..

paints are very much buy as you need.. I personally have purchased 90% Tamiya. Primarily because of availability and because I build mostly Tamiya kits and the numbering scheme was a breaze.
I have found that I am branching out and purchasing other brands now, pollyscale model masters etc.
These above are for the kits and figures primarily, some for the base.
For the base I use a large majority of Apple Barrel (or similar brand) of hobby paint, Walmart has some kind.
Here is a link to get an idea of what I'm talking about
http://www.plaidonline.com/apAB.asp

When I open a kit to build I usually plan out what the project will entail and do my paint shopping within the first week or so.
There are standards, Flat black, white, flesh, OD, Kachi, gun metal, burnt umber, etc.

As you get more proficient you can branch into oils for figures and washes.

thanks!

TRY TO DEVELOP A "CLEVER EYE" i mean look in everyday life for stuff and things that you might even think they ll be usefull to a dio. Stock em with order and the time for them will come. I ve used the most unexpected items for building a Dio. Plaster and whit eglue have always been my allies , cheap easy to use and available always. Glue in Spray 3M will be proven usefull in many occasion, different diameters of electricians wires , cardboards, thick paper, anything that you find in everyday wrapping can be useful and give u solutions , and also motivate u to scratch things instead of paying them a lot of money and wait in the post forever to deliver them. Happy Dio modelling ..Any help we could give will be a pleasure

My perspective may be a little different, because I build for a living. First and foremost, realize that you can't buy "everything you need" at once, or for just $200. Decide what you want to start with, and go from there. Right off the bat, i would suggest that a good set of basic tools will serve you well:

Xacto Knife with variety of blades ($15)
Wood Carving blades ($7)
Dremel (or other brand) rotary tool ($50)
Variety of Glues ($15)
Nice selection of Acryllic Paints ($20)
Assorted nylon brushes ($30)
Clamps and binders ($15)
Tub of Plaster of Paris ($ 5)
Tub of Spackle ($ 4)
Files and Sanding blocks ($10)

As you can see - you are easily at $200 now,. I also couldn't live without magnifying goggles, white lights, airbrush, grinders, saws, setting solution, and a breather mask... and we still haven't gotten to the point of actually buying models!

My suggestion is start small, with a specific kit, and buy the tools you need to finish that particular project. Dioramas require more tools than other disciplines, because of the nature of the work is so broad. Start simple, and add to your tools and selection as the need becomes apparent. You can get models, paints, brushes, and basic glue for well under $100, and still have another $100 to augment for future projects.