Welcome to the hobby! As someone who started the hobby on the poor side of life, don’t start stocking up on expensive toys and tools until you’re sure you want to make that investment. I’ve found there are a lot of everyday things that can be multi-purposed into modeling tools. Here’s my poor man’s guide to getting started. And keep in mind, this is the starter kit. You’ll start expanding soon.
Sprue cutters: Eventually you’ll want to get these, but in the interim, use a nail clippers. I still keep a new nail clipper on my workbench. It gets a close cut to the part without gouging the plastic, it is great on smaller parts, and is effective in trimming little bits of excess plastic or small flash.
Sandpaper: You can get model specific sandpaper, but I prefer a home improvement store for coarse grits and an auto parts store for finer grits. Get a sanding sponge (the thin flat kind in a) while you’re there. It allows a lot of flexibility in sanding different shapes. And wet sand as often as you can. It makes things go smoother.
Hobby knife: Here’s where I recommend you fork out a little extra and get one that will take a replaceable #11 blade. Don’t buy the model company no-replacement blade knives; they wear out way too quickly. The #11 blade knives are great for shaving parts, removing flash, cutting out decals, and even cutting parts from the sprue. You want to replace the blades when they get dull … which happens much quicker than you’d think.
Glue: Have plastic glue and super glue (cyanoacrylate / CA). Liquid glue is worth the investment as it is easier to use and not as messy. But get a brush to go with it, a thin brush. A thicker brush will end up putting too much glue into a seam and it will leak out the other side (so I’ve heard ). I use an old sable brush that I retired from painting. For CA, when you’re at your local discount store, pick up a container of thick and thin. Go with a more known brand (I prefer Loc-Tite for my cheaper glues).
Clamps: I recommend ye olde clothespin for clamping. It doesn’t put too much pressure and gets the job done. If necessary use an old rag or paper towel to protect any finish that may have been pre-applied.
Stirrers: Get a box of wooden coffee stirrers on Amazon to stir your paints. Don’t shake them …. it’s a hard habit to break and usually leads to me needing to use pliers and wrenches to open a jar of paint. They can also be used in applying putty. Eventually, invest in a mechanical paint mixer. It’s great on paints you haven’t used in a while.
Misc. tools: Check out the health and beauty aids section of the local store. Lots of things can be found that are very useful. Totally unrelated side note: I found a cuticle tool in the nail care section that works great in scraping out vanilla beans when making crème brulee.
Work mat: If you need a cutting surface, get a scrap booking mat (AKA self healing craft mat). I picked up three at a thrift store a while back. It will protect your work surface and if you get paint on it, it’s no big deal. Use the light colored side if you kit has dark parts, the dark colored side (usually green) for light parts. This will prevent parts from getting “lost” on the table. If you don’t want to get a mat right now (you may not really need it), I do recommend getting a sheet of neon colored poster board. It’s cheap, it protects your work surface, and it’s great for keeping parts from getting lost on the work table.
Paint brushes: Do not use the model brushes (Testors, I’m looking at you). Period. Look for a pack of sable brushes (they usually run $5-$10 in the States) at a craft store. That will give you various thicknesses and put on a much better coat than the hobby brushes.
Paint stand: Most times you’ll need something to put your model on when you paint it. You can spend $25 on a name brand paint stand (which will be well worth the price later), but in the interim, there is a cheaper and very flexible solution. Get a coat hanger, unravel it so you have a long wire, then bend it into a free standing holder. You can also bend it into a U shape and mount it an a small piece of scrap 2x4 lumber for a more stable stand (best for cars, but will do a lot more than that). The hanger allows you to shape the stand to fit the model.