Getting Started!!

[Guest reuben]

Afternoon Ladies and gents.

first things first, great website, you guys have such a niche and even more such a finesse about your work. I have made a concious decision on to start doing a couple of conversions and feel that i'll never be able to get near the quality of work you guys do!!!

I'm froma  small contracting family in the west of ireland so i'd love to be able to copy make some stuff like we have at home, especially the redrock and kane trailers we use - but i see they are already well and truly perfected on here!! plan to do some Abbey LGP tankers, a Dooley bros 28ft cattle body and a few things distinctly irish - as well as some mchale stuff, but thats a head scratcher!!

what i'd like to know is what do you guys reccomend i do to start off - basic materials? what is alwasy good to have?

Basic tools that you all have and use regularly? i have a snap on box full of goodies but its all on the wrong scale!!

I have seen some mention of decal paper. . . can anyone elaborate on that?

anything else you guys have to say, please throw it in, much obliged, if there are any pictures you need or links, please ask because i have plenty of pictures of our own equipment and know most the majors players in the market's product portfolio - perhaps i can be of help!!

many thanks. reuben.

[Simon]

Hi Reuben

Good to have you on board, you'll no doubt enjoy it here and get as addicted as we all are.... FTF is very different from many other forums in that rather than just being all inside a PC we do meet up where we can and talk outside the forum, some great friendships have been formed from FTF!

Good man to talk to for decals is Stephen Marshall - Farmer Marshall - see the FM Tractors Sales Yard topic.

There are boatloads of suppliers of materials, EMA is touted as a good one for plastruct etc.

Everyone swears by a Dremel, myself included, and there are various hot cutters for plasticard etc but I'm not the one to ask on these....

There are lots of people selling ready made parts, Paul of PDC does some fantastic kits, PMA sell nice linkages etc, Henri Walker makes some gorgeous stuff but he's not online so you'll need to write him and ask for a catalogue, I have his details somewhere....

Anything specific you need just shout up, there's a greatbunch of people on here and plenty in your neck of the woods. Just watch out for Ferguson and Deere-est, they're mischievous little sprites! 

And get some photos posted of your kit, we all like to have a nose! 

All the best

Simon

[TM190]

Hi Reuben

As said welcome too FTF, but be warned, This place is highly addictive  :D

As for starting to bulid a few models. I think that the best thing you can do is too get stuck in and you'll soon get into the way of it  ;) Basic tools are needed Knife,Saw,Ruler and screwdriver's if you your modifing standard models  A dremel is a very handy tool as it can do quite a few different things and is small and handy..

If your in need of anything in particular, just say and someone will point you in the right direction  ;)

dont forget to post plenty of pics  ;)

Blake 

[Guest reuben]

Thanks for that, i had been pondering a dremel!! i'll get one on order!! laid up at the moment with a knee problem so i am only seeing the gear out the window of the jeep!!

nothing special a small outfit but we do things that aren't often seen about the uk so i'll post pictures when i get a chance.

think i'll do a buckrake first, simply because they seem quite simple - and i have a dealer edition LW loader that i don't really know what to do with - everyone else is doing JCB's

one thing i meant to ask, what is the best scale to stick too? obviously quality is difficult to maintain on smaller modesl, and the other way its a bit simple on some of the bigger models, would 1/32 be about right or do i need to be looking elsewhere>?

thanks lads for your help!!

[TM190]

1/32 is mainly what most people stick too on here  ;)

[Tractorman810]

well welcome to ftf reuben,hope you enjoy your time on here, any questions just ask away, we are always happy to help mate

[Fenside MF]

Welcome to ftf reuben and hope you enjoy your time on here

Can't wait to see your buckrake and there are plenty of topics here for ideas and also loads of helpful members.

[marshman]

Welcome to ftf mate :)

[Kris]

Welcome to the forum. 1/32 is probably the main scale used on here. And as for tools a dremel is recommended. Also you could start modelling with plastruct then move on to brass which is stronger etc.