What's the ideal model kit for beginners? The Model Kit Basics

Long-time kit builder Glen helps us sort through all the kits on offer in store and points out the ideal model kits for beginners! On top of that, he guides us through the basic tools anyone will need to get started in the great hobby of model kit building. Tune in and check out all his recommendations!

For that cool looking 1/35 assault gun on the desk:

See the latest 1/48 Messerschmitt 109 kit from Tamiya:

And for all the hobby tools you need:



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[chrissteadman]

Super refreshing to watch a no nonsense, down to earth video of this kind, that isn't 30 minutes long! Thanks!

[bunnyniyori]

I think the best ideal kit for beginners is best stated as "Not the small one, the cheap one, the one with fewest parts." Because often those ones are also crap. Or inherently flawed. or just a lot of work to make into something that isn't a disappointment. The best kits are often made by very solid companies that have been in business for decades. Pick one of their new releases. It will usually be them at their best. Pick a tank. They are less prone to need skills like painting. Planes need to be assembled perfectly. Cars need to be painted perfectly. Ships have many small parts. A tank is often no interior. A box shape with some parts glued on it. Some wheels and tracks. And it is ok to look beat up.

[theblytonian]

Right on the money, if building in 1/48 (aircraft), 1/35 (armour), with the caveat, for first/early models stick with Tamiya's older kits which if less accurate than latest toolings, are simple, inexpensive and yet result dressed up in their war paint, result in attractive models. Just pick one which most excites the mojo.

[garfieldsmith]

Great kits. The older molds are great for beginners to work their way up into building more complex kits. They are also great for the average builder who just wants an easy build to display. And weathering etc can make these early kits look great. If you are a serious builder then the highly detailed and high parts counts from other manufactures are for you. I build Tamiya, straightforward, easy to build and a nice parts fit

[raymondrosario]

I agree 100% with this video. Tamiya makes kits for the modeler...quick assembly, fairly accurate, good part count. You can go with Meng, RFM, Takom for really high detailed kits but something you can do in a weekend...Tamiya hands down

[coling]

my first 1/35th vehicle was the Tamiya Panzer IIf - the one from the 1970's which you can still get for about a tenner... its dead easy to put together and has the bonus, especially if you're a youngster, of having a squad of Afrika Korps soldiers with which to display it with. dead easy to make and a nice little kit. something like the Leopard or the T62 are also pretty cheap and dead easy to assemble.

[billclarke]

Hey thanks, that's a great vid for beginners, especially young people.

[davidcole]

Lately, I have been building Takom's 1/72 turret kits (Yamato, Missouri, Hood, Bismarck, etc...) I actually think these kits would be marvelous kits for learners and here's why: 1) low part count. 2) good fit and finish. 3) lower price 4) not a lot of paint or other materials/supplies required. 5) perfect opportunity to learn basics of weathering. 6) simple to paint, especially if new with the airbrush. 7) can be built in a weekend. 8) good opportunity to learn the basics of cutting parts off of the sprues, removing the nibs, preparing for glue.
Just my two cents. I normally build 1/32 aircraft, 1/16 armor and 1/35 armor.

[jeremyalam]

Buildability and fit are very important for beginner's kits. You don't want something with warped parts, lots of flash, surface irregularities, badly mating surfaces, or thick sprue gates. Nor do you want something with a huge part count. You want something with parts you can cut off the sprues easily and glue together with a minimum of fuss. And lastly, a beginner should start small and master the arts of assembly and finish. For this reason, I would suggest newer 1/72 aircraft or armour kits as better options for the beginner. Obviously, you also have to consider subject preference as well--some people prefer cars, ships, spaceships or even dinosaurs to planes and armour. Airfix, Revell and Hasegawa kits are all good choices apart from Tamiya, particularly their more modern offerings. They are usually cheaper than Tamiya kits and of comparable quality. As a further suggestion for tools, sanding sticks are a must to clean up parts and deal with seams.

[lappin]

perfect for lock-down get building people!!

[faded_yt]

Im just getting into building kits, thank you for the tips!

[mageckman]

I realize that this is 3 years old or so, but I have to comment on what was said about tamiya's tracks. Some of the rubber tracks are glue together, like he said. However, some are supposed to be melted together with a hot screwdriver or something similar. If it is a child beginner building the kits, they would need adult supervision for that part.

[SouthernMercenary]

Another great series is Mengs World War Toon kits. They're small and very easy to make while not being expensive.

[stephenmcdonald]

Totally agree. The 2 sprue a/craft kits are excellent.

[kevinu]

Aoshima, Revell & amt are some other decent balanced options I've found....

[michaelnaven]

Spot on about Tamiya. They engineer their kits with the primary priority is the builder.

[Alan-gbwh]

Me jumping right into a modern 1:72 thinking smaller was better. I was successful but boy oh boy was it a rough learning experience

[flipvdfluitketel]

as starterkit aircraft the 1/72 revell kits are cheap, usually decent and some allow you to learn to work with imperfect kits. For armour there is nothing better than the older tamiya kits for learner kits.

[BigAndTall]

Tamiya's Panzer 2 in 1:35 scale is sooo easy to build, easier than airplane kits...

[sonnyd.]

Always been a Tamiya Armour guy. I miss the motorized versions . they where cheap and easy to assemble. I esp love the big scale 1/24 scale, which had motor, individual track links and suspension.