Scale Models: The Beauty and Detail

If you’re a fan of building objects with detailed and precise craftsmanship, scale modelling may be just the perfect hobby for you. It’s the building of replicas, with the goal to make them accurate representations of everyday physical objects. If you’ve ever looked at a car, plane or boat and you were amazed by them – by the delicate and well-made features that all serve a purpose, you should know that scale modelling allows for you to remake them to the smallest part. It’s a rewarding hobby, both mentally and with the final result. 

Modelling has great benefits, such as boosting your logical side. Involving small and careful hand movements, it makes you concentrate and think, clearing your head to only focus on one thing. And, despite this, it still allows for a great deal of creativity and artistry. It is up to you how you’ll make the model and how you’ll paint it.

In the end, it allows you to have a finished product that you can proudly display and value. You made something with your own hands, something that lasts and something you can collect with other scale models to make for a rich experience, which you can then share with your close ones.

A Full Set

As there are many everyday objects that fascinate us, so too there are models in their form. So, depending on your interest and goals, you have a wide selection. You can choose the right scale model for you in terms of style, ratio, complexity, type, and much more. However, the type is the principle category that divides them. 

Cars and Motorcycles

The classic choice, cars and motorcycles. There’s no dispute that the gold standard is carried by these two. Something about them just fascinates us, the details and the fantasy of speed and control. You certainly caught yourself staring at them in model shops and were amazed by the life-likeness. Even thinking about how you want to roll them on the ground to see how they’ll move. Luckily, model car kits are widely-available with muscle and racecar types. If you want a racecar type, you can go for a Tamiya Toyota GT-One, or if you’re a muscle car type the Tamiya Ford GT is a great choice.

Meanwhile, the go-to type for motorcycles is the sports variant, with many models being replicas of Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha. For example, the Tamiya Honda NSR500 with its perfect colour scheme and beautiful build.

Military

Although, if you’re more of a lover of the history that precedes us and you’re interested in military technology with its rugged look, then you’re in luck. There’s a whole type of model military vehicles, from tanks to aircraft to even soldiers as an extra. 

If you’re interested in aircraft building, you have a selection of all the WW2 plane models that they used. You can go for the Mitsubishi Zero or the Hawker Typhoon or Curtiss Tomahawk. All of these models were designed to look like the original to the smallest detail, even the nose art. 

Ships

Probably the most diverse scale model, ships offer a fun, but difficult experience. They have the largest number of small parts that must be fixed perfectly with no error. As such, you cannot make any mistakes or lose your focus during the process. On the other hand, ships offer the most exciting and diverse models, from plastic to wood. 

With that in mind, if you’re a fan of the old wooden ships with their exact and alluring details; and the fantasies they bring of the old sailing ways where people were in touch with the sea and the winds, then you should go for a wooden model. You can get a Viking ship or a red dragon, all with true to life characteristics. 

But, if you’re a fan of the technological advancements of the 20th century and the imposing nature of today’s watercrafts, you can choose a model of the Japanese Zuikaku aircraft carrier, or of the US battleship Iowa. And aside from the military types, if you’re a romantic soul, there is a Titanic model to recreate the famous scene with your partner. 

The Ratio

Of course, every model has a scale. It’s in the name. So, what does it mean? The scale ratio is a proportional representation of the size of the model and the original object. For example, if it has a ratio of 1:72, then it’s 72 times smaller than the original. And, if it’s 1:1, then it’s the same size. Interesting fact, museums sometimes use 1:1 models if the original machine needs to be repaired or similar.

And the scale ratio doesn’t just define the size. If you want a more realistic, more detailed model, then you need a smaller scale ratio. Somewhere between 1:24 and 1:72 is ideal for this, as a lot of great models come in this size. But, if you want a smaller model that might also pose a greater challenge, then go for 1:144 or more. However, the model will then be with fewer details. 

Tips and Tricks

As modelling is hard initially, it’s easy to get lost and frustrated. So, here are some tips and tricks to help you have an easier time. First, always be sure what type of material you are using. There is a huge difference between plastic kit models, a diecast model or even wooden. All three come with their challenges and rewards.

Aside from the material, you should have your essential tools and supplies at hand. If you don’t want to end up with a mismatched, ugly plastic model at the end, you need to have a good glue, cutter, colours, and much more. Also, make sure that you clean your model. You can do this with soapy water or other non-abrasive cleaning products.

For example, if you’re working with a model without factory colours and you want to do your personally-designed look, you should have a good work station. You need this to make the parts static as you paint them with a brush. If they move, it’s easy for them to get smudgy or have messy colours. Or if you want to go for an all-round smooth look, you can just use a paint can.

Nonetheless, you might get all of this right, but still, end up with the model looking out-of-place and glue sticking out. To avoid this, you can first practise putting the parts together without glue. That way, you can see how the finished product needs to fit. In other words, it gives you a preliminary goal. Moreover, you can choose a glue with a smaller nozzle, so that you can control the amount you put on. You can also use the paintbrush handle. And as a final measure, you can rub off the paint where the parts need to be glued together. As such, the glue can bond the plastic.