7 Things every miniature painter needs to add to their arsenal right now.

[Adam Huenecke]

Greetings, all!

Looking around my work space, I was reflecting upon some of the "special" items I've added to my arsenal of tools in the past, and thought I would share my list of must have items that can improve any modeler's experience. Without further a-dude...

1.) Tamiya Clear Red

Want to paint blood? Here you go. No hassle, perfect blood every damn time. This stuff even "coagulates" in the cap like real blood. Perfect texture, gloss, and thickness. Try it, I promise you will not be disappointed.

2.) Super Glue Accelerator

Tired of holding pieces together while your glue dries? Spray some of this on, and the bond is instant. Perfect for getting that arm perfectly positioned or whatever. "Oh, but the bond is not as strong!" some contrarian will add. That contrarian is probably holding pieces together as we speak. I've barely noticed a difference in strength honestly but in almost every instance this stuff makes my life easier. Use it.

3.)Jewler's Saw

I can't believe it took me as long as it did to pick one of these up. Whether you are working with plastic or metal, you will never get a more precise and easy to control cut than with one of these. An absolute must-have for any serious modeler or kit-basher.

4.) Non-American Uhu glue

You know how European modelers (massive voodoo) always have awesome blood and slime effects? This is why. Get your German friends to send you some of this (the stuff you can buy in the US with the green writing on it is not the same). The European stuff probably gives you face cancer or something, but it is worth it for the awesome effects you can get with this stuff. This is what I used for the wings on my Nurgle Daemon Prince. It is great stuff.
[URL=http://s11.photobucket.com/user/popg0estheworld/media/40K/Nurgle032.jpg.html][/URL]

5.) Citadel Agrax Earthshade

Most people already use this, but it is awesome enough to warrant mentioning. I have not met a model that could not be improved with a little bit of this stuff. I put this on everything. Great for quickly shading nearly ANY color. It isn't fancy, but if you are painting Troops or other numerous minis, this will get the shading job done quick. For my Cultists, I painted base colors, shaded with Agrax Earthshade, and then picked out a few details, and I was done. Super quick. [URL=http://s11.photobucket.com/user/popg0estheworld/media/40K/Nurgle084.jpg.html][/URL]

6.) Magnifying Lamp

This is the priciest item on my list, but it is well worth the investment. Nothing substitutes for doing micro-detail work (eyes, etc). It is hard to describe exactly how this improves your experience, but it takes the things you are working on, and makes them look BIGGER and BRIGHTER. Okay, it is not that hard. Still, this is a purchase you will be glad you made. Put it on your Amazon wishlist or something, maybe Santa will bring you one.

7.) Self-Healing Cutting Mat

Anyone who does papercraft or styrene work can attest to the importance of one of these. Makes cutting easier, and catches your blade when you slip. I'm a slob, so I even paint over mine, and it is still fine. I use these as a foundation for all of my operations. A cheap, easy way to class up your work space.

I'm sure there are many other items that everyone will attest are super important, but these are a few of the things that I think many beginners don't know they should have (except Agrax Earthshade. Everybody knows about that, but it is still great).

Good luck!

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I didn't mean for that UHU picture to be so huge, but its size is equal to its awesomeness.