Returning to hobby and need advice

I have come back to the hobby about three times now, and each time it gets better. You can't go wrong with Humbrol for handbrushing, and the Model Master enamels also brush well. If you convert to acrylic, as I mostly have, then Model Master Acryl and Polly Scale seem to handbrush and have a wide range of colors. Tamiya is excellent airbrush paint but is tough to get a good finish when handbrushing.

Its a small world, I just returned to the hobby about two years ago. One thing that has really helped me is checking out the modeling web sites: HyperScale, Aircraft Resource Center, etc., you can really learn some good stuff.
One final thought, before returning to the hobby two years ago, the last model I built was the Monogram 1/48 scale SBD Dauntless, this was in 1966.
Sink

When I returned to the hobby a few years ago a bought Tenax liquid glue by chance. Now that I have tried other liquid glues I have found Tenax to be my favorite. It bonds quickly and will hold parts even when they are under opposite. My best advice for somebody returning to the hobby after a few years is to read and re-read FSM. Every article wether the subject interests you or not. It has been my most valuable tool.

Ive just come back into the hobby too. I have forgotten how much fun it is to build and paint model airplanes. I still build and fly RC airplanes however. There's room in my shop for both hobbies.

Welcome back! I would recommend picking up a good "how to" book. Both Osprey and Verlinden make have some good ones. I think you can get them all at Amazon.com.
Good luck.

Welcome back to the hobby! If you've been out for that long you have some wonderful surprises in store. For 1/72 aircraft kits, try Hasegawa, Academy, Italeri, and Tamiya. For paints, I agree with what was said about Humbrol above. Can't beat it for brush or airbrush. The only negative are those little tins it comes in. You obviously know about FSM magazine and you will find great info there as well. I also highly recommend several books by Kalmbach, available elsewhere on this site. Check 'em out! Best of luck and happy modeling!

Regards,

Pat

I've also just recently got back into the hobby and cut my teeth back on the 1/48th Monogram kits, here's a few bits of advice:

Paints:
I use Testor's Model Master for airbrushing and some hand brushing. They airbrush well when thinned and the colors are accurate. I use the 2oz squeeze bottle craft-store acrylics for a lot of hand painting (figures, cockpit interiors, etc). They're cheap and dry fast.

Adhesives:
For assembly I use liquid cement, the kind you brush on. It's not so much an adhesive as it is a welder of the plastic parts. FSM has had a lot of articles in the past on how to use this stuff. I never use tube glue, althought some prefer it for stronger bonds. The liquid cement when applied right fills seams and makes a great bond. Hold the two peices lightly together, brush the cement on, gentely squeeze the parts together and then hold or clamp tightly. The plastic will melt and just barely squeeze out of the seam. Trim away the excess, lightly sand and whala!

I use superglue in those 1/2oz or 1/4 oz tubes as an alternative adhesive and gap filler. It's fairly cheap, about $1 per tube and I use about one per model. I will often reinforce joints (like the fusalage seam) from the inside with superglue.

Use standard Elmers white glue for applying clear parts like canopies.

Accesories:

Superglue per above fills small gaps and sands easily. I also use a little Squadron green or White putty for larger gaps.

A hobby knife, X-Acto with #11 blades. Also a sprue cutter to cut parts from the sprue. Tweezers, cottong swabs (the kind you use for cleaning out your ears for whiping small stuff away). Paper towels, Sandpaper in finer grits, I use a green nylon Scotch dish claning pad for a lot of medium-fine sanding.

Other stuff- Future Acrylic Floor wax- the best gloss clear coat you can buy. Dip your clear parts in it. Spray a coat before decalling. Decal Setting Solution (Microscale). Rubbing Alchohol for whiping down your model before airbrushing and thinning paints.

I keep bottles and bottle-caps that one would normally throw away for mixing paint and stuff.

Kits:
As I said, I grew up with the 148th Monogram kits. They are great bang for the buck but do suffer from raised panel lines and frequently poor fit. I still build them (and they've gotten bettter) but my tastes have become a little more refined for Hasegawa and Tamyia. They cost more but are beutifullly thought out and engineered kits.

I hope this helps. These are just a few items off the top of my head.

ST
For paints, Hubrol is still hard to beat when using brushes. I use them and Model Master enamels exclusively.
For adhesives, try the Model Master liquid cement in the black (some what triangular) bottle. It's got a built in needle applicator and beats using a brush. I still use the tube glue in some areas but you can't beat the control of the applicator/bottle. Super glue is great for filling gaps and G-S Hypo Tube Cement is PERFECT for clear parts. You'll find it in the Micro Marks catalog. It also has a needle applicator for excellent control and it does not craze or fog the clear parts.
On your last subject, Super Glue is great for many filler applications as well as green or white putty. If you hit the super glue with an accelerator and then sand, it's not so hard as some of the putties after they cure. For me, ParaFilm M is the best thing I've found for most masking applications. It sticks without lifting existing paints and can be easily trimed with a hobby knife. It also conforms to irregular shapes. I've gotten some of my best results with canopies with it.
Hope this helps ... good luck and WELCOME BACK.
Paul