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artobotsrollout · 2 months ago

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Curious about model kits but not sure whether to jump in or not?

As someone who knew nothing about Flame Toy kits but really wanted that Rodimus figure so I jumped in, it's very fun and relaxing. Highly recommend it to adults and teens.

I consider myself still to be kind of a newbie but I figured I should share some things to people who this is completely new information to. Somewhat still beginner to beginner!

Important Notes and Tips for Beginners

I'll give the short form of the tips first in case you don't need too much info. But the longer explanations and tips will be under the cut.

Unless otherwise specified these would NOT be good for young children, at least without adult help and supervision.

These are NOT you're normal toys. Now this isn't me being pretentious, this is a serious warning to not use these as young children's toys.

If needed, pick up at least some nippers and super thin tweezers. (doesn't have to be the really expensive ones).

If you have difficulties using strength in your hands or come across a part that doesn't want to fit together, grab some slip-joint Pliers.

Feel free to put on a youtube video or movie on in the background.

It can take time. Hours. It's not a fast process, so break up your model kit sessions over as many days as you need

The final product, is usually gorgeous and extremely poseable.

If you get a kit that recommends glue, if possible, get model specific glue. Plastic model glue is different than regular glue

There may be a lot of very tiny stickers. If you're nervous, grab one of those sticker by number books for practice. You'll place stickers better if you aren't nervous.

There are definitely kits that if you see one you really want, try and grab it while its still available and not wait too long until they aren't being made anymore

Don't let the high price points get you down, not every kit is super expensive.

There are different levels of difficulty with model kits.

Don't take the pieces attached to the plastic frame off until the instructions show you need to use it.

It isn't a difficult hobby to get into. Just hop in! Don't get hung up on what tools you should get beforehand, just get the tools as you need them.

I hope this information helps you decide! I find it relaxing and fun overall!

LONGER TIPS, EXPLANATIONS, AND PICTURES OF THE ABOVE POINTS BELOW

For reference these are the kits I've done so far or have opened up and observed it being put together.

Flame Toy Transformers kits

-Rodimus Prime

-Shattered Glass Drift

-Acid Storm

Bandai Pokemon kits

-Rayquaza

-Rowlet

Yolopark Transformers kit

-RotB Mirage

Blokeez Transformers Kit

-RotB Mirage

1. Unless specified these would NOT be good for young children, especially without adult help and supervision.

There's so many small parts that are easy to swallow and the sheer amount of work you would have to put into it would be really boring for most children. I guess if you're a parent who wants to do it with your child it could maybe work but I still think a lot of young children would get tired and frustrated of it very quickly (with exceptions of course. Some children love activities like this). Preteens and teens may enjoy it more. Some of the pieces take some decent strength to snap together as well so even then they may need some help. However I've only worked a bit with children and I do not have any children of my own so my knowledge is limited.

2. These are NOT your usual toys. Now this isn't me being pretentious, this is a serious warning to not use these as young children's toys.

Yes they hold together well and seem somewhat hardy for what they are, but there are a lot of thin components that could easily snap through playing or even just taking it out of the house frequently and bumping into things. Parts will get lost if not handled with care.

3. If needed, pick up at least some nippers and super thin tweezers (doesn't have to be the really expensive ones).

You can find them for not too expensive and it makes the process soo much easier for the kits that you build from the ground up. Some places like comic book stores or model shops sell nippers, tweezers, and a mini metal file in a little kit. I believe amazon has some. But first check whether or not your model kit requires them. The pokemon ones I've done were marked as not needing tools and yolopark mirage also didn't need tools. But my Flame Toy kits all needed tools. My Yolopark Mirage kit however had all the pieces already removed from the plastic frame so no nippers needed.

4. If you have difficulties using strength in your hands or come across a part that doesn't want to fit together, grab some slip-joint Pliers.

It can make it less of a struggle to put parts together! Don't hurt your hands unnecessarily.

5. Feel free to put on a youtube video or movie on in the background.

It's a good way to keep your hands busy while also casually enjoying some media. I wouldn't put on a video or movie that requires a lot of focus tho.

6. It can take time. Hours. It's not a fast process, so break up your model kit sessions over as many days as you need.

You could devote a whole day to some if you truly wanted and were able to focus that long but if you're like me and have ADHD or otherwise some difficulty with focusing/getting bored easily then I'd recommend breaking it up over time or finding a kit with less detail or less parts so it goes faster.

7. The final product, is usually gorgeous and extremely poseable.

My Acid Storm has 40 moveable joints. My Roddy has 60. Model kit figures always look so amazing when they're put together.

8. If you get a kit that recommends glue, if possible, get model specific glue. Plastic model glue is different than regular glue

Some types of glues expand as they dry and you definitely don't want that to mess with how tightly parts are snapped together. However most Flame Toy kits, as far as Ive experienced, don't require glue. My Acid Storm did though. My father, who has done many model kits, recommended the brand Testors to me. Also don't sniff it, and use it in a highly ventilated area. Instead of adding an adhesive that has volume it basically melts the plastic so you can fuse two pieces together. It doesn't take up space like other glues which means parts stay aligned better.

9. There may be a lot of very tiny stickers. If you're nervous, grab one of those sticker by number books for practice. You'll place stickers better if you aren't nervous.

If you're a perfectionist and don't want it to stick them wrong you can hold off on the stickers until you feel ready and come back to them (most of the time as far as I've come across) If you're nervous, grab one of those sticker by number books. Make sure it has some smaller sized stickers for practice! You likely won't find ones that go quite as small as the Flame Toy kit stickers do but it's still good to develop a steady hand and confidence. Don't beat yourself up if the sticker isn't perfect. They are pretty forgiving and can gently be peeled off if placed wrong. However try not to overwork it. The sticker might start to lose some integrity if removed and reapplied over and over again

10. There are definitely kits that if you see one you really want, try and grab it while its still available and not wait too long until they aren't being made anymore.

Kits can come in a range of prices depending on where you're located and whether or not they are still being produced and their level of popularity. But especially ones that are out for a limited time I recommend grabbing as soon as you can before they stop being made otherwise you'll have to go through a second source which can list it for a higher price. Trust me I found this out the hard way. Once they're out of production their price can jump really high on Ebay.

11. Don't let the high price points get you down, not every kit is super expensive.

Getting less expensive ones generally means getting one with less parts/detail or less bonuses or just smaller in general but theyre still fun. A lot of the pokemon one's I've found can be under $50 CAD. I found some in stores as low as $10 CAD. I have yet to do a Gundam kit but I've seen a large range of prices for them as well.

12. There are different levels of difficulty with model kits.

Some model kits have parts that are pre-put together and you just assemble them (like the yolopark mirage kit). Some have way more intricate parts and you assemble absolutely everything and have to take them off a plastic frame. (Like the Flame Toy kits, the pokemon kits, and my Blokeez Kit). And there are multiple levels of detail you can pick from. There's quite a few options on the market so you can pick what experience would be the most fun for you.

13. Don't take the pieces attached to the plastic frame off until the instructions show you need to use it.

Some pieces look a lot like eachother. And some pieces are specific to which side of the character it belongs on and if you remove ALL the parts at once it can be overwhelming to remember what every part is. There's usually a number and letter labelling system on the plastic frame that holds the pieces which is essential for following the instructions. At least in my experience. People who nip out all the pieces at once and just throw it together are braver than I am haha.

14. It isn't a difficult hobby to get into. Just hop in! Don't get hung up on what tools you should get beforehand, just get the tools as you need them.

I know there's a lot of info being thrown at you but ultimately this is an activity that's super easy to get into so please don't be intimidated by this long list. Honestly, most of these tips are just to make your life a bit easier. You can absolutely just buy the kit and do it as you go. You don't have to buy all the recommended things before getting started, you can wait till you recieve the kit to then assess what YOU need.

✨If you have any questions please send in an ask and I'll answer as best I can! ✨

#Transformers #Model Kits #model kit #flametoy #flame toy #yolopark #pokemon #bandai #artobots model kits #artobots tutorials #tutorial #artobots tips

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