Greetings

My name is David and i am new to modelling.
After retiring from participating in sport to start a family i needed something to do so my wife bought me a Revell 1/72nd scale stuka.

Now i am wondering if anyone can tell me should i build the model then paint it, or paint the parts first, what works best ???

Is there anywhere i can read step by step instructions on the painting process so my model and future models will look as good the pros.

Any help would be greatly apreciated !

regards

Hello there from the United States, David. How are you? Glad to have you on Aeroscale. Just ask any questions you like and people on here will be glad to help you along. Like any endeavor in life, practice does make perfect! Enjoy the hobby it is a great way to spend the time. Russell

P.S. I would start by assembling the wings. Then doing some work on the cockpit. There are many ways to "skin the cat" so to speak in building a model.

Welcome on board David, you have come to the right place for an answer to all your modelling questions.

on the painting question: it depends. for every piece you should ask yourself if it can be easily painted after it has been glued to the plane or not.

Pieces inside the cockpit you will usually paint before assembly, some pieces you will only install after the plane is completely finished and painted.

If you want professional results then a decent airbrush is a must have.

In general, for technical issues, this site has a google search integrated, use it and you will find all the info you need.

cetainly for a first model it will pay off considerably if you spend a lot of time on aeroscale before building and painting.

Further, I hope that you enjoy the hobby as much as I do. My personal advice is to think about what you want to achieve and then work in that direction.

for the rest: the most important tool that you need is "patience"

Modelling naturally grows to become a collection of finished models and a collection may look nicer if it has a central theme. in a while you may think about this.

My life-long ambition is to build a modern airfield in 1/48 scale with relativly modern stuff on. As a consequence, i only buy and build aircraft which fit in that idea.

Others here build whatever comes along, or concentrate on WW I or WW II subjects.

But all this may not make sense to you yet, just enjoy building

Hi and welcome to the hobby great advice your getting so far my motto is measure twice cut once its worked so far.Ask a question any time.I generally start with the cockpit.Check out some of the build logs on here and that will give you a better idea where to start.

Build On,
Justin

G'day David, great to see another Victorian on Aeroscale. Where in Vic are you ?? You will get some great advice here on Aeroscale, I am constantly amazed at the skills of the contributors here. The trick is to pick a thread and follow it through to see what steps are taken. Don't be afraid to ask questions, and certainly don't be afraid to post pics of your progress, you will get heaps of advice.

For a great place to start, check out this thread . . .

https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/forums/111677&page=10

Another great idea is to join a local club. There are a few around and the guys are very helpful there too.

Cheers, Damian

Most important......It is your first model. No way it will be as good as some of the ones from us folks that have been doing them for a while, only because of the inexperience. If you screw it up (DO NOT GIVE UP). We all screwed up our first few models. Be patient, it takes time..... .......Al

David,

I'm the same age as you- though I built kits as a child. I have learnt at a much accelerated rate by reading build logs on this site, as well as the features. Look in the WW2 forum for threads that have the cog symbol by them, this means they are a build thread.

For a first model, I wouldn't spend too much time on the cockpit- just paint it all one colour inside before assembly. Concentrate on getting the parts clean (e.g. from where they used to join the frame/sprue), and fitting together nicely- dry-fit parts before committing to glue.

You'll need a few basic tools:

sharp blade (e.g. modeling knife or scalpel)

small piece of sandpaper (e.g. 400 grit), or a nail board

glue- I would think a liquid polystyrene cement would be better than superglue (CA) or the thicker cements

A brush and the paints- paints are either enamel or acrylic (or lacquer). Enamels require white spirit or similar to clean brushes, and they take a long time to dry. Good acrylics can be really nice brush-painted.


If you aspire to the really best finishes, then you will be looking at an airbrush and compressor, and all the extra hassle that goes with it!

Good luck, and post photos of your progress, it will help us to help you!

G'day Dave,

Nothing to realy add to what the lads above have said, other than welcome!

Good luck finding time to model when starting a family - I've got an almost 4 week old and have yet to find some time to head back into the workshop In contrast I managed time to start sport again

Rudi

p.s. I echo Damian's question: where in VIC are you?