Want to start building Warhammer models but don’t know where to start? Here’s our list of the best tools to get you started!
Starting Warhammer almost always leads to the question of which tools are needed to start building your spanking new Warhammer models?
There are so many tools available, it’s easy to get lost into buying the wrong ones, or spending a fortune on tools you won’t end up using.
Start Building Warhammer Models
You only need three things, really. A hobby knife, a pair of clippers and some glue. These basic items will get you very far until you dive into more complex projects that might require additional tools.
We will explain the reason why each is important, and what features to look for on yours.
Hobby Knife
A good hobby knife is the bread and butter of building Warhammer models. And fortunately, even great ones are only a few bucks!
The important thing is to get one with replaceable blades. Blades, the standard ones are lovingly called #11, also won’t break the bank, and keeping a fresh one on you knife ensure it’s working well.
Steer clear from retractable knives for this. The blade tends to wiggle around, which is just not great with all the small pieces involved when building Warhammer models.
A regular no-fuss hobby knife is not expensive enough to try to nickel and dime it into a cheaper option.
Clippers
Clippers are the best tool to remove your pieces from the frame they come on. The hobby knife is great for finishing the clean up, but leave the heavy duty cutting to the clippers.
Clippers are a wild things, with quality and prices all over the place. Because some plastic kits like miniature railways and gunpla are designed with very thin connectors, these clippers will be much thinner and precise, but end up costing a fortune.
When it comes to building Warhammer models, these super fine clippers are not great because the sprues are on the bigger side of things, and you will end up damaging fine clippers.
On the other end of the spectrum, don’t go too cheap. Clippers like hardware store wire cutters are not a good option, as those will be too clunky and usually don’t have the flat edge to them.
In fact, the flat edge on clippers is pretty much the only important criteria here. Besides the color of the handle, which you can color-coordinate with either your future army or hobby area’s aesthetics. Priorities…
Glue
Cutting is all fun and games, but you need something to put the cut pieces back together at some point. And this is where glue comes in.
There are a lot of options, from all-purpose to ultra specific glues, so depending on what you’re working on, the right one might differ.
The two most sensible options are either plastic cement or cyanoacrylate. The former will only glue plastic with plastic and be fantastic at it, while the later glues everything to everything, including your hands.
A lot of starter set models are push-fit, meaning they don’t require glue to be put together. Not required, perhaps, but it is much better glued-on. Push fit has many flaws, including moving parts and sometimes not quite fitting that well.
What next?
Ok, so the basics are covered; what tools should you get next? This answer depends where building Warhammer models takes you!
If you struggle with something, or feel like there must be an easier way to do things, there probably is.
Drilling out gun barrels a plenty? Get a miniature drill.
Embarked on a giant conversion project? Get a rotary tool.
Metal models ruining your knife’s blade? Get model files.