Cutter

The first model making tool that i can show is the cutter. You must be careful when you use a cutter, the most suitable are those with the retractable blade because they allow you to control its extension and thus avoid imperfections in the cut. For greater safety, you remember to always make the cut in the opposite direction to the body and obviously never put your fingers in the path of the blade.

For a precise and straight cut, use a metal ruler to support the cutter and do not make unnecessary efforts: the precision of the cut also depends on the force exerted on the blade and it is better to insist on it several times, exerting a light pressure, so as to prevent the blade from deviating from its trajectory.

Iron ruler

This rule you can buy in hardware stores and is it is ideal to be used in combination with the cutter because, unlike the plastic or wooden rulers, it doesn’t deteriorate when the blade passes. But it is also useful for designing buildings because it allows measurements to scale and the subsequent reproduction of the measurements on the chosen material.

Pencils

For realize an amazing model, especially in the case of buildings or hills of steep slopes, before cutting the shapes, it will be good to measure and adequately mark the material used for the realization;  pencils are better than pens, because pens can easily stain and subsequently cross the painted surface, ruining the final effect.

Scissors

Most of the cuts needed, if the raw material used is a thin cardboard, they can be realize with a great pair of scissors: the important thing is choose an big type for be adapt to cardboard but but not big enough to make cutting difficult.

Little jars

For mixing, yogurt pots are ideal for holding water, mixing vinyl glue and sand, and preparing paint. For example, the caps of spray cans work equally well.

Paintbrushes

You will need them of different thicknesses: the finest ones will be useful for finishing the details of the scenographic elements, instead in the initial stages of their realization it is better to use much larger brushes; the latter are used both to apply the vinyl glue (remember you to wash them well immediately after use otherwise the bristles will stick), and to apply the base coats of one color (often green or black); they are also very useful for coloring and dry brushing on rough and uneven areas, given the poor duration of the brushes used for this type of activity, we advise you to choose those with the most resistant bristles that don’t cost much more.

Pincer and pliers

They are two indispensable tools for those who intend to develop scenographic elements using iron wire. Some tongs have a shears incorporated and therefore can also be used to cut iron as well as to bend it; if those you buy don’t have a shears instead you will also have to get pliers as it is practically impossible to cut the iron wire with scissors.

Hacksaw

Small and handy hacksaws can be bought both in modeling and hardware stores, which usually come in handy when cutting balsa wood or small branches. Attention, only those with small enough teeth will perform their task properly.

Sand papers

It is sold in sheets and is quite cheap; it is found in hardware stores and is produced with a great variety of grits. They will all be fine for cleaning the details of the scenographic elements, but it is better to choose the coarser ones because the fine ones become useless after just a few steps, especially if they have been used for heavy tasks such as smoothing wood and plaster.

Spatulas

Spatulas is an useful tool for to apply vinyl glue, for to spread the putty and modeling clay. It can be purchased not only in hardware stores but also in those that sell products for the fine arts. In substitution Instead you can use the stick of an ice cream, it will do the function of a spatula perfectly.

Styrol cutter

This very simple tool allows you to cut polystyrene with surprising ease. It consists of a handle containing a battery which, once connected to the saw, heats the wire and allows it to penetrate the polystyrene as if it were butter. You can buy it in online shops or self-produce.

Heat sealer

The last model making tools that I will show you is the heat sealer. It is a very useful tool for applying adhesive substances to large surfaces with poor accessibility. Its function is to heat a special glue in bars until it melts. Once spread, the glue solidifies again, firmly joining the materials with which it was put in contact.

Model making tools conclusion

In this article there are all the type of model making tools that you can find in a model making toolbox. Hope this was helpful for you. Follow me for a new tutorial.