Topic: Getting Started with Warhammer 40k Hobbying & Painting Tools

[Blazinghand]

Getting Started with Warhammer 40k Hobbying & Painting Tools

Summary

• If you haven't collected and painted miniatures before, you will need some hobbying and painting tools and supplies to get started with Warhammer 40k.
• It will cost you about $100 USD in total to buy what you need to start assembling and painting WH40k Miniatures.
• You will need hobby tools: sprue clippers, hobby knife, files, mouldline remover, and glue.
• You will need painting tools: primer, paintbrushes, and miniatures paint.
• Links to some example items to purchase are below, but there is a great variety in each category, so feel free to shop around.

Hobbying Tools

Sprue Clippers

• These are used to separate pieces of the miniature from the sprue it comes on. Costs about 10 USD. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Xuron-170-II-Micro-Shear-Flush-Cutter/dp/B000IBSFAI/
  
  

Citadel Mouldline Remover

• You will need this to remove the mouldlines from the minis, and it's better than relying on sandpaper and a hobby knife for everything. Games Workshop sells this for about 20 USD. Example: https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Citadel-Mouldline-Remover
  
  

Modeling Files / Needle Files

• You will need this to clean up the model, sand down imperfections, and file down rough patches or areas you want to reshape. Make sure they’re fine-grit. A set of 3 should be about 10 USD. Example: http://www.amazon.com/TAM74104-Tamiya-Tools-Smooth-Double-Cut/dp/B00CE3L96K/
  
  

Glue

• The gold standard is plastic glue, which is ideal for plastic minis. A 7-ounce bottle of plastic glue is about 8 USD from games workshop, and I find their needle nozzle to be excellent: http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Citadel-Plastic-Glue-2016-Global
  
  
• I often use superglue (cyanoacrylate glue), which is more brittle and so not ideal for plastic minis, but works with resin and metal. The gel bead ones are easy to apply, but brush-cap is also nice. A single 4 oz bottle should be about 5 USD, though you can get better deals on packs. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Loctite-Ultra-Control-4-Gram-1363589/dp/B003Y49R7G/
  
  

Optional: Hobby Knife

• I like to use this to clean up the model, and cut pieces occasionally. Useful when sprue clippers don't fit into a spot well. Between a mouldline remover, sprue clippers, and files, you probably don't need this, but it can come in handy. Costs about 10 USD. Example: http://www.amazon.com/Mlife-Hobby-Precision-Stainless-Cutting/dp/B07GXH21BY/
  
  

Painting Tools

Primer

• You know how on whiteboards, if you use a dry erase pen, the ink will slide right off if you touch it? Plastic miniatures are basically like that, like a dry erase board. A marker will make permanent marks on paper, though. Primer paint is basically a layer that acts like paper, onto the surface of the mini, so that your dry erase pen (paint) sticks, instead of sliding off. Most paint doesn't include bonding agents that would allow it to stick to plastic. Primer is designed to be thin and stick to plastic, and present a paintable surface.
• Primer tends to come in spray-cans. Flat gray is the easiest to use, though white and black have their advantages.
• I prefer to use Rust-oleum brand primer, but any thin primer will work. Many prefer not to use GW’s Citadel primer, though the Contrast Undercoat primers have received some praise. A single can of primer will be about 20 USD from GW, or 5 USD from another manufacturer. One example I like: http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-249115-Painters-Purpose-12-Ounce/dp/B002BWOS4Y/
  
  

Miniatures Paint Brushes

• Use these to apply paint to your minis after they have been assembled and primed. Buy cheap ones at first, as every painter ruins their first set or two. Expensive paint brushes can wait for later. A cheap set like this should run you about 10 USD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014GWCLFO/
  
  

Miniatures Paints

• Brands: Vallejo (3rd party) and Citadel (GW) are the two most commonly used paint brands. Both are excellent, and there are other brands too. I personally use Citadel.
  
• Paint Types: Citadel have paints that have different physical and visual properties. A brief description of their paints by type:
  
  • Base: This paint is very powerful and not translucent. It should be placed onto primer to make the main color for that section of the mini. Very commonly used.
    
  • Layer: This paint is semi-transparent, and you layer it over the base paint to change the color of the paint. Commonly used.
    
  • Shade/Wash: This paint is very watery, and designed to sink into crevasses in the mini, bringing out detail and adding feel to its recesses. Very commonly used.
    
  • Dry / Drybrush: This paint is designed to be used with a dry brush, sticking to upraised parts of the mini, casting its protrusions into relief. Sometimes used.
    
  • Contrast: This paint is meant to fill the role of Base, Layer, and Shade/Wash all in one go. Watery like Wash, but colorful like Base. Use over Contrast Primer, or as a kind of Shade/Wash. Sometimes used.
    
  • Technical: This paint has texture particles mixed into it, and is supposed to be painted onto the base around the miniature’s feet, to give the ground feeling. Somewhat commonly used.
    
  • Air: Paint to be used with a powered airbrush. Specialty product, rarely used.
    
• To start things off, you’ll likely want to pick 2 Base Coat paints for your two main colors. You’ll likely want 1 Shade/Wash paint to accentuate your miniatures’ details. You will also want 1 more Base Coat paint for your weapons and perhaps for armor trim, typically grey or black, though it varies from army to army, and some like to use one of their two main colors for this. Depending on what kind of minis you have, you may also desire 1 Contrast Flesh paint to paint their faces and hands easily.
  
• In the future, as you go, you’ll find you’ll want to buy additional paints for gems, banners, extra cloth ribbons, extra details, eyes, armor trim, highlighting, drybrushing, exposed metal, weathering, and so on. But 5 paints to start off is probably enough.
  
• Cost: This setup (3 or so Base Coats, a Shade/Wash, and another color of some kind) will likely cost you 40 or so USD.
  

Painting Resources

• Citadel Colour: Games Workshop's Citadel Colour is an invaluable guide for getting started with Citadel paints. You can access it here: http://citadelcolour.com/
  

Total Cost

To go from nothing to ready to work will likely cost you about $30 for hobby equipment, $10 for a set of paintbrushes, and another $50 in paints and primer. In all, I would expect this to cost about $90 USD.

[Lord of Winter and War]

I will say, that if you use super glue on plastic miniatures is a trap. It'll make them a lot more brittle. Always use plastic glue on plastic kits, as it creates a permanent bond. The games workshop plastic glue has a fantastic metal nozzle which allows control over glue application.

I'd also recommend the mold line remover from gw over a knife. It's a better tool. Doesn't wear out, and won't damage the model or you.

For paints, and details on the painting styles. I recommend including a link to the cidital colour website, it's a fantastic resource for new and experienced painters.

[Blazinghand]

Thanks for the feedback! I've added mouldline remover, moved hobby knife down to optional, and included plastic glue as the main glue choice. That GW plastic glue needle-nozzle is pretty amazing, so I threw in a mention for that as well. I've also added the Citadel Colour website link.

[magenb]

Citadel's plastic glue is OK, but Revell Contacta Pro has a stronger bond and is cheaper. I would also keep a lighter handy, both Citadel and Revell's small metal nozzle gets clogged, a quick flamer purge clears it


Rustoleum is great for priming that 2 time coverage just works. It works against it if you want to preshade though.

Citadel Moldline Remover... Nice option to have, not really required, I have one, but most of the time I just use the blunt edge on the clippers.

Files, I would say are not need in getting started with the hobby, when you get into conversions and forgeworld kit, then yeah, super handy to have.

[Grand Master Lomandalis]

Files, I would say are not need in getting started with the hobby, when you get into conversions and forgeworld kit, then yeah, super handy to have.

Files were a necessity when half of the model line was pewter.  The only effective way to get rid of flashing / mould lines was to file the mini.  Thankfully that is no longer an issue.

[Alienscar]

Files, I would say are not need in getting started with the hobby, when you get into conversions and forgeworld kit, then yeah, super handy to have.

I still use a file to remove mould lines as I find sometimes I can be a bit clumsy with a knife. Also on models like the Mortal Realms Chainrasps I preferred using a file as I found the models to be quite flimsy and I find a file works better in circumstances like these. Also I find a file, particularly one with a round cross section, works better than a knife when the mould lines are on small concaved areas or things like the fingers of a model.