Today I bought my first model kit...EVER!

First off,  welcome to the addiction hobby!

I'm no master modeler, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

The most important advice I can give would be to not take it too seriously, and don't over-think anything. If you start doing those things, this may end up being more like a job than a hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be fun, right?

Also, if you ever need help and/or advice, ask on the forums. Most everyone here would be ready and willing to help you!

P.S. Even though you only bought one model, you will soon find that they multiply exponentially!

Hey, thanks!  Great advice!  I typically do take things too seriously, so I'll try to roll with this one and just let myself make mistakes.

Yes, hobbies are supposed to be fun, and I really need to keep that foremost in my mind. 

I will not hesitate to ask questions, EVERYBODY has been SUPER helpful.

Exponentially?  Cool! 

Welcome!

Aside from what's already been mentioned about having fun, I'd say be ready to use "tools" that you wouldn't expect.  The big examples I've ended up using are

-clothespins ( for holding parts together while cement dries )

- green foam plastic blocks ( holding sub-assemblies while spray-painting )

- toothpicks ( holding the aforementioned ssuvassemblies on the aforementioned blocks as well as useful for applying the 'gel' cement from the tube and scraping paint from canopies where it went over the lines )

- Lego blocks ( very helpful for containing molding material if you get into resin casting, and I got that tip from FSM )

- broken guitar strings ( for pipe details )

- eye shadow applicators ( for applying weathering powders/pastels )

- Silly Putty, salt ( both for masking effects when airbrushing/spray painting, also mentioned FSM contributors )

- Q-Tips ( for moving decals and "rolling out" the bubbles/wrinkles )

You'll get more like these from FSM as well as here in the forums.

that is a good kit for a beginner... nothing overly complicated and tolerant of the novice builder.

Dont forget to get a no. 11 hobby knife, what most call an Xacto knife. Get extra blades, too. This is the premier scale modeling tool. Along with a few grades of sandpaper, a tweezers and a decent light source, I could build an entire model with only these things.

As for the building - just follow the directions. Take it slow and use the internet to look up pictures of the Camel, so you have an idea of what you are after.

The one thing I will warn you about is using too much cement. Test fit everything before you cement it and use the smallest amount of cement that does the job. Toothpicks and pipettes are your friends, here.

Excess cement wont make a stronger joint, and it can actually hinder the bond. Regardless, it will always look like crap.

That is great to hear, cause that is exactly what I was shooting for!

J.

First off welcome. Second let me join in and tell you that you are now Hosed! Just kidding. But once you start down this road it seems to snowball.....but it is great! In a year from now I  predict you will have increased your stash, and been on here regularly for tips and to get the creative juices flowing! I know I am.

Very jealous about the hobby room too! My room is still under construction. Lucky for me it is winter in Florida. Which means cooler (70 not 90) and less humidity, so the garage is my tmep home.

Glad to have you on board. Can't wait to see some work.

Travis

Excellent advice, I'll really take that to heart!

I have everything but the glue.  I have super glue, but what should I be using instead?

First off to the Forums. Secondly, a good source of sanding sticks is in the make-up section of the supermarket. They sell sanding sticks(for nails) that have 4 different grades on 1 stick. Totally disreguard the funny looks you'll get from the women shopping in that section.

Jim

The most useful bit of advice I can give is don't be afraid to walk away for a half hour. You can be so focused that you'll over do something on your project. My personal rule is "One wet proccess at a time". If you glue an assembly, let the glue dry before procceding. If you paint, let it dry before changing colors or adding another coat. Glue, paint, decal solution,...etc, if it's a liquid or semi-liquid, let it dry/cure before going on. Sounds like the simpliest thing in the world but when your in the zone or trying to fix a mistake, it's hard to set a model down. Like I said to start it's good to lift your head up and take a little break. This also helps when something you did isn't working. Don't get upset, set it aside for 30 minutes and then come back to it. What looked like a complete lose will look better after the paint has dried and it will be much easier to correct.

What great advice!  Thanks a lot!

I do IT work for a living and find that these rules hold there too!  A LOT! 

woody's advise is very good. I have had many a time where I had to walk away, sometimes for a couple of days. Things looked a lot better after a break.

Super glue is actually ok now. When I started it was the Testors tube or liquid cement. I now have 3 different types of  super (or CA) glue. I still have the Testors tube and Liquid cement too. All have a different purpose.

I will tell you that I started with spray cans and hand painting. Now I can not think of functioning w/o my airbrush! The most improtant thing is to have fun and be proud of what you build.

Travis

You will find there are 3 basic glues for putting together your model. I would buy and try  all three and see which one you like the best.

Thick plastic glue- "The original plastic cement "  the stuff sold by Testors. If you buy this I recommend getting the "Model Masters" version because it has a thin metal dispensing tube.(black bottle, black label. The regular Testors is in a black bottle, red label, plastic dispensing tube.  I don't recommend the tube version unless you are in a pinch and cannot find the others.

CA glue- aka Super Glue. You can find this stuff everywhere in one form or another. I'm liking the version put out by "Gorilla" white bottle, baby blue cap.

Thin plastic cement- Tenax-very "watery". Apply with a brush or thin hollow tube.

I grew up using the thick plastic glue and always want to reach for it first.

I'm starting to use and like  Super Glue more and more.

Try as I might I just cannot get the hang of using  the Tenax type glues. It just doesn't "flow" into the seams like I keep hearing. I know many people in this hobby swear by this stuff. I just swear at it!

First off, welcome to the cult hobby!  They are right, a stash of one rarely lasts.  A good first step is to look around online and find a review and familiarize yourself with it and the instructions.  Looking for pics of the real thing is a good idea.  You can make notes right on the instructions.  You'll have everything right there in one place.  When in doubt, ASK!!

Thanks to all for such great, great advice!

I'm soaking it all in and taking notes! 

don't try to do everything at once, as a newbie, everything is trial and error.  and as you can see by the comments, what works for one person doesn't always work for another. The whole process is something you have to get the feel for. There will be some experimenting to find out what works for you.

attention to minor detalis in the assemby phase allways pay off, you can't patch a hole in a canvas with paint.

Never loose sight of the big picture... Enjoy It!

Welcome to the forum and the hobby. Hopefully you'll have lots of storage space in the hobby room for that stash we all end up accumulating!

As for glue, I highly recommend Tamiyas extra thin liquid cement. It comes with it's own brush but I usually use a smaller one for application. How it works is you put the two pieces together. dip your brush in the cement and touch it to the seam. The cement will flow via capillary action into the seam. Very good bond. Tenax is also good and is applied the same way.

Cary

Well, thanks to everyone that has encouraged me so much!

I have just been having a good time researching the Sopwith Camel and have yet to even crack the box open, but I'll get there...  Just taking my time.

Merry Christmas to everyone!