My modelling workspace

After struggling modelling off trays and small desks which meant hardly anything was at hand and had to be put away after use myself and my girlfriend decided to turn our spare room into a model making and card making  hobby room (the card making is my GF's hobby).

Using kitchen worktop and with some shelving and homemade storage racks this has become the ideal model making place for me. Its well kitted out with Internet, Sky tv,Dab radio my radio scanners and a great sound system and its well heated too.

Good lighting and storage makes it a very usable place to work.

A general view of my work area

My extractor spray booth can be seen on the far left this makes it much easier to spray indoors with a massive reduction in fumes and spray dust.

I did mainly model German armour, but lately i have been building almost anything from aircraft to ships and submarines and anything that catches my eye. I only use vallejo and Tamiya Paints as i think they are the best on the market and as you can see in the followinf pics ive quite a collection now.

Humbrol and Revell enamel paints

Vallejo Model colour (great for brush painting)

Full range of Vallejo model air (pre -thinned for airbrushing) Also on the top row some Xtra acylics and Testors detail enamels

The full colour range of Tamiya acyrlics and Tamiya enamels

My Meduims, washes and pigments

1. Vallejo and Mig productions Pigments, used to make effects such as rust, mud smoke etc etc. Both companies offer diffent shades and colours giving you a good selcetion of choice.
2. Vallejo Acrylic Washes, i use these washes on figures and for certain effetcs on armor (tanks etc) like rust streaks, and where a wash effetc is needed in a hard to get to area as you can build up the layers with acrylic as it dries so fast.
3. Promodeller washes, i prefer to use these on aircraft as they are very easy to use and remove form areas not needed giving precise control on where a you would want a wash to show.
4. Mig washes same as above but a little harder to remove so i prefer to use these on armor were a less than perfect look is required.
5. Various items including Meduims used with the pigments these be used to make wet looking mud, textured rust etc. Decal meduims to help with the applying of decals making them easier to move about and also to conform to panel lines raised lines etc. Liquid mask, ideal for those places maskign tape cannot be used once dry it peals off.
6. Various Humbrol mediums decalfix clearfix, maskol etc etc
7. Mig German camo filters, various colours that dull down the paint work om armored vehhicles giving a more realistic effect. Plus Mig oils 3 tone camo, rust and snow. Mr surfacer
8. Left to right, Pva glue, wood pva glue, small bottles of thinner and klear (decanted from bigger bottles)Vallejo brush restorer and cleaner, superglue activator,water (for decals),windoline,  canopy pva (leaves no marks on aircraft canopies), Vallejo Primer red, dark yellow, white and grey.

Modelling tools

My airbrushes

Top to bottom Harder and steenback Evo, Harder Steenback Grafo and a  Revell master

The two Harders get used for acyrlics and the revell is used for enamels. They are run of a Storage type compressor.

Varoius modelling tools

Various paintbrushes

My most used tools

Masking tape, sanding sticks, spare knife blades

I can while away the hours modelling surfing the net, listening to itunes, the dab radio or listening to my scanners Both Uniden bearcats a 780xlt and a handheld 3500xlt, i can listen to everything from Civil aircraft, military aircraft, airports, cordless phones, taxis, pmr radios you name it i can hear it.

Almost 90% of my modelling supplies have been bought from SnM Stuff http://snmstuff.co.uk/default.aspx. I find their service second to none and their prices are some of the best i have found on the internet. They are very friendly and professional to deal with and i have not had a single problem in the numerous transactions i had with them.

Photo studio.

Just got one of these of ebay for £36 posted
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360314391262&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT


Works well, more so with my other light added above to the 2 supplied ones, i think the pics are quite good, took a bit of experimenting to get good results but im happy with them. It comes with red blue black ad whire backgrounds (i found blue the best) and it can all fold way nealty into its on self contained storage pouch.

One thing i will say is the supplied camera mount is rubbish for a big dslr as it cant handle the weight so i used my own full size tripod.

Oh yeah i really need to iron those backdrops