When you choose building model tanks as a hobby you are helping to keep the memory of important pieces of history alive. Militaria collectors highly prize high quality replicas of historical significance. You can turn this into a way of both making collectors happy and possibly making the cost of the model back as well. If this sounds like it would be interesting then there are some steps you can take to prepare that will make your model much easier to assemble.

The best way to think of your supplies is from the table up. The first thing you would need would be a light colored drop cloth. This will keep paint spills and cement drips from leaving marks on your chosen work area. It will also help you see small parts that you may drop on the table that could get lost in darker colors. Next you will want to have some alcohol wipes. These will be to help you clean up any paint or cement that happens to end up in the wrong places. It can also help clean up if you get too much in one place.

The next tools you should have would be the paint brushes or airbrush kit you intend to use on the model tank as well as the paints themselves. Make sure you clean these out each time you use them so that you do not end up ruining them. You should also have some lacquer thinner to help in the cleanup process. A couple lint free cloths will come in handy for wiping any loose debris from your model itself before you begin to paint it. Make sure you have plenty of cement on hand so that you do not get caught between steps and have to come back later and try to remember where you were at.

The most important piece of equipment you should have is a decent hobby knife. You will want one that has a few differently shaped tips so that you can do the different cutting that you will need to both free the parts from the sprue as well as making any customizations you wish to make. Once you have all these tools you should put them in a small tool box or plastic box and label it as a model building kit so you will have everything together that you need. This can save a great deal of time since you will not have to stop and gather your tools each time.

Make sure that you keep all your supplies and tools properly cleaned, closed and taken care of and they can last you some time. There are other supplies and tools you can add as needed including hobby clamps and drill clamps that can make further customization easier but they are not necessary if you are just beginning your model tank building hobby.