Page 18 - December 2018

A Beginner’s Guide to Model Building - Part 1 of a 4 part series

So you want to build something with your own two hands, but you've grown tired of bricks and blocks.
Perhaps it’s time to try the incredibly rewarding hobby of model building. This handy guide will go over some
of the most common questions about models and will help you pick out your first kit and supplies. If you're
ready to start a new hobby, read on.

What Is Scale All About? What Do the Skill Levels Mean?
The model kits we carry come in numerous scales, ranging Model kits generally come in one of five skill
from 1:10 to 1:2500, and we're asked to explain scale all levels that represent how difficult it will be to
the time. Basically, the scale tells you how much a model complete:
has been shrunk relative to the size of the original. The
Skill Level 1: Snap-together pieces and do not
two numbers are a ratio: telling you how many units on
require glue or paint.
the real thing are equal to one unit on the model. If a
model were 1:1, that means that one foot on the model is Skill Level 2: Easier kits that require glue and
equal to one foot on the original, so in this case the model paint to complete. They usually have less than
would be full-size. The further the second number gets 100 pieces.
from 1, the smaller the model kit is compared to the Skill Level 3: Smaller, more detailed parts. They
original. If a model were 1:10 that means that it is one usually have over 100 pieces.
tenth the size of the original. To put it another way, if your
1:10 scale model is one foot long, the real thing is ten feet Skill Level 4: Advanced kits with extra-fine
details. They most certainly contain over 100
long.
pieces.
Most categories of models have a range of common scales
that make the type of model manageable for the average Skill Level 5: For expert modellers. They have
super-detailed parts, can contain hundreds of
person both to complete and display. For car models, the
most common scale is 1:24; for military models, either pieces, and often have moving parts, like working
suspension on cars and motorcycles, rotating
1:35 or 1:48; for aircraft, 1:32, 1:48, or 1:72.
propellers on planes, and movable turrets on
Sometimes we see very large commercial jets at 1:144, but tanks.
this is uncommon with smaller planes. Ship models are
unique because the originals are so large. Common scales
include 1:72, 1:350, and 1:720, but you will often find
many strange scales in between.

There are a few exceptions to this breakdown.
All model kits made by Airfix require glue and
paint, so their level 1 is really a level 2.
Sometimes, you'll find a kit that does not have a

skill level listed. In these cases, you can safely

assume that it is at least a level-4 kit.