Essential Tools For Newbies?

[Finius]

Hi all,

I tried a quick search and couldn't find anything that fit the bill, apologies if I have missed a thread somewhere.

I'm essentially totally new to the hobby, I've purchased a HL Chally 2 and created a list of things I'd like to work on, both specifically for this tank but also in order to expand my knowledge of the hobby etc. as a whole.

The job at the very top of that list is to equip myself with everything I need to undertake the various modifications, upgrades and maintenance I want to be doing. This includes work at home, but also essential maintenance whilst out at events etc. In other hobbies, my worst habit has been refusing to pick up the right tools for the job in advance, and then doing bodge jobs because I want to sort something then and there.

Please leave a reply if you can think of anything not mentioned below that may be useful to the budding tank commander (or if you feel any of the items in the below list would benefit from additional options etc.)

Many thanks.

[EDIT BELOW]

In order to help others who will no doubt be diving into this hobby with many questions, I've compiled all of the items suggested in the responses below into a single list. For now, I have just listed items, but over time will aim to split them into categories (e.g. essentials for painting, or essentials for internal modifications etc.), as well as providing brief information on what sort of useful things each item may be used for.

For those reading this who are new to this hobby and as bamboozled as I was when I decided my life would be enhanced by a tank, welcome, the below list of tools is quite comprehensive, if your tank is Ready to Run, you may only require a single screwdriver (which may even be supplied in the box), in order to begin enjoying it, however the items below have been suggested by experienced members of the community and will be helpful to those looking to involve themselves in the hobby in more depth.

I have highlighted in bold the items that I consider to be priorities (based on limited knowledge), on the basis that they will be essential to running and maintenance, even if not performing modifications.

-Airbrush & Compressor
-Cutting Mat
-Decal Fluids (e.g. microsol, microset)
-Digital Calipers
-Electrical Tape
-Forceps
-Grips
-Magnifying Glass
-Mini-Ratchet & Socket Set (plus hex head, cross head and slot head sockets)
-Pin Hammer
-Pin Vice & Assorted Drill Bits (0.5mm to 2.0mm recommended)
-Pliers (various shapes and sizes)
-Push Pins
-Razor Saw
-Rotary Tool & Attachments
-Screwdriver set
-Soldering Set (Butane Torch & Liquid Solder Recommended)
-Sprue Cutter
-Steel Ruler
-Telescoping Magnet
-Turntable / Lazy Susan
-Tweezers (various sizes and shapes)
-Various Glues & Advheisves (e.g. superglue, plastic cement, epoxy, EMA plastic weld recommended)
-Paints (oil, acrylic or enamel) & Brushes
-Paint Thinners / Cleaning Solvents (dependent upon type of paints used)
-Upgraded Battery Charger (with discharge function)
-Wire Cutting / Stripping Tool
-Xacto Knife / Scalpel, Spare Blades & Disposal Box

[jarndice]

You appear to want a lot of different cutters but you dont list grips or probably the most useful tool of all the Pin Vice. Once tried never out of sight.
Drapers Mini Ratchet and socket set + multiple hex head and cross head and slot head sockets.
A dremel butane torch (Far better than a soldering iron) Liquid solder.
A lot of other people will have their favourites a lot of the tools you buy will depend on how involved in the hobby you get,
I prefer to bolt and nut my models rather than glue them, same as how serious you are with painting your tank,
if you are serious then you must have an airbrush and dont forget you absolutely must have a tolerant partner and an understanding Bank manager.

[ColemanCollector]

A turntable/lazy susan thingy to admire your tank from every angle, and for painting I guess. Don't forget that Challenger gun sticking out the front!
A cutting mat is nice to work on, and a pint.

Mike.

[Tiger6]

Razor saw's cut plastic much cleaner than junior hacksaws, so I'd definitely sugest one of those. EMA Plastic Weld for gluing ABS and Styrene, needle nose pliers and tweazers if you don't already have them.

If you plan to apply decals rather than Heng Long's stickers, then a bottle each of Micro Scale Industries' Decalsol and Decalset.

If you want to airbrush, then plenty of cheap sets are available off Ebay - compressor with tank, and 2 airbrushes seem to be going for circa £100. I'm sure somebody will be along in a second to insist that you need to spend £200 on <insert brand name> "'cos its better"- but expensive tools don't automatically make a beginner any more talented - and to put it bluntly, we ain't exactly painting the Sistine Chaple here...

Other useful stuff: A pin vice and a set of 0.5 to 2mm drills, a magnifying glass, 30cm steel ruler, and digital calipers (don't need anything more fancy than 20 quid no name brand ones off Amazon) are all handy things to have.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Finius, your question is excellent and shows your good sense.

Among the useful modeling tools indicated so far, there is no extravagance. I use them daily for plastic models, RC tanks, repairing ready made farm models damaged in shipping and handling, model railroading, even the occasional household repair.

With the exception of the inexpensive calipers from Amazon, I have had them all for fifty years or more.

I don't know exactly how quickly you hope to dive in, but unless you're a somewhat experienced plastic modeler, starting with basics first will encourage you. Wrestle with big modifications later.

Among the fine things listed above, I would start with the cements and glues, pin vise and drill bits and the hobby knives (Xacto is the most venerable brand).

Those will get you to the point that you can put separate plastic parts on ready-to-run RC tanks. And ready-to-run means you can soon run, fun, and learn.

[thestig]

Good evening Finius.

Let me add one more to this ever growing list. A small telescoping magnet to retrieve small nuts and misc. metal parts/pieces that somehow jump from your hand or tool, and hide in the the lower hull, gearbox, etc.

Unfortunately I’ve been using this more than I care to admit.

Regards.

Frank

[MrChef]

Excellent suggestion Frank, not that the other suggestions aren't good too.

But along those lines I suggest several different tweezers. I have an angled needle tip that I find extremely useful.

And since I am also new to this RC tank hobby, about 6 months now, a great tool to have that I was lucky enough to already own was good surgical Forceps.

Happy Tanking.

Chef

[Estnische]

Without taking the mickey too much from your excellent first question:

- a surgical scalpel for sharp cutting
- a roll of paper towel for the first time you slip and slice you hand open
- a solvent resistant hobby mat, because you just knocked over an open bottle of thinners while reaching for the paper towel to stem the flow of blood you never knew could squirt like that
- counselling for your nearby toddler, because they just learned every swear word known to man
- Dave and Julie Allerton’s (Forgebear) phone number because at the time you were cutting you dropped that unobtainable micro part down onto the garage floor and it bounced away never to be seen again

[Meter rat]

Without taking the mickey too much from your excellent first question:

- a surgical scalpel for sharp cutting
- a roll of paper towel for the first time you slip and slice you hand open
- a solvent resistant hobby mat, because you just knocked over an open bottle of thinners while reaching for the paper towel to stem the flow of blood you never knew could squirt like that
- counselling for your nearby toddler, because they just learned every swear word known to man
- Dave and Julie Allerton’s (Forgebear) phone number because at the time you were cutting you dropped that unobtainable micro part down onto the garage floor and it bounced away never to be seen again

You’ve seen me work then?

[Jofaur86]

And also, a good, very strong, dose of patience and passion, when the famous piece? that we had been trying for an hour, and without success? to put back in place, decided to live her own life