Friday, November 1, 2013

How to Prep, Assemble, and Prime Models PART 1

In this article were going to discuss a few simple steps and tips that is targeted towards that person just getting into the hobby. There are many different ways to tackle what's easiest for a new player to grasp but I will teach a few simple ones that will help your army go from plastic to table top quality in no time.. This will be a multi part article but lets get the basics.

 photo trimmingmoldlines_zps3b1ef283.jpgAssembly of models is easy enough right? Has anyone had trouble putting together models even with directions? Event he best modeler glues a piece in place before its step and has to back track at times.

TIP #1: Read instructions carefully step by step. Prep the models and work on mold lines/cleaning pieces of sprue and flash. This will help you later on when we discuss painting techniques such as dry brushing and washing. All of which will be affected by this prep. There are special tools you can go out and buy to clean flash and mold lines but for now just grab your hobby knife turn is on its side. Scrap the line towards you in a downward motion. this will get 90% of your mold lines out of the way.

TIP #2: Be deliberate when you glue your models. I know it sounds like common sense but globing on the glue to get that piece to stick can effect your end result badly. Take a few minutes and understand how your models are going together and in what steps you need to take. Glue accordingly and sparingly but enough to assemble the model. There are many different glues you can use but for the beginner I suggest super glue GEL. Its very easy to work with and apply. It wont run and glue your fingers together. That makes it pretty hard to continue without frustration.

Once you get to this point you are ready to prime. Now as I mentioned before this is a multipart article and we will be discussing basics, painting and sealing later but for now lets get these models primed.

TIP #3: Know what your base color will be, this will assist you in what color you should prime the model. For the beginner I am going to suggest 2 options. Using army painter primer available in many colors or using regular flat spray paint from Wal-Mart (white, black or grey) *** important this must be flat. NO ENAMEL or gloss even its it's cheaper.

TIP #4: Based on your color your using for your base will determine primer color. Example Dark colors need black and light colors use white primer. For deep bases you need to use grey primer. What do I mean by this? Well if your base colors are yellow you would not want to prime clack and if it was brown you wouldn't want to prime it white. Now for some colors such as red, green, and purple I suggest using a grey primer which will allow you to build up to your true color easier.

For now we will leave it at this. Check back with us for Part 2 where we can discuss primer application and getting that first color on.

This article was written by Avery.

Check out his work at http://www.gateway-gamers.com/averys-stuff.html

Also if you want to see some other local work subscribe to http://www.youtube.com/user/efrench9 to see a local players tips and tricks. What nice is if you have questions he is at the St Charles Fantasy Shop most Tuesdays.

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