Scale Modeling Work Space Setup

With my second model build announcement done, it’s time to figure out my work space.

For the past few months, my schedule’s been a bit off kilter while trying to meet a deadline at work. During that time, Gillie and I rearranged the second bedroom in our apartment as well, so my modeling stuff got stowed away in the corner.

Before

Some of the tools are from my previous build (paints, air compressor), but I had a decent-sized shopping list afterward. For example, a lamp with a magnifying class, that crazy octopus-looking thing (on the left) that has alligator clips to hold pieces in place while you paint, etc.

There’s an infinite amount of money you can throw at work space setups, and the last time I checked, I don’t have a wealthy patron, so I have to keep myself in check. 🙂

My next post will cover a new piece of gear: a spray booth. In short it vents airborne chemicals from your work space to outside so you’re not breathing your airbrush paint. That’s why having the work table near a window was a must.

After

I found some plastic bins at Walmart which should come in handy for storing small painted pieces awaiting assembly (which should also keep things from getting dust on them, too). Plus there’s always a need for organizing modeling supplies such as sand paper, masking tape, and the like.

After several rounds of rearranging, I’m pretty happy with the new setup. Given I can store the in-progress pieces somewhere else, I have half the table for active work, and the rest for things I need on hand or to assist in painting.

The foam block underneath the table was useful in my last build for holding pieces that are drying, which are held in place by wooden skewers with alligator clips on the ends.

I played around quite a bit with lighting — desk lamps, flood lamps, etc — and decided I needed another goose-neck lamp. One lamp wasn’t really sufficient to light the cutting mat; plus, I’d have no light whenever I moved the magnifying lamp over to the spray both. Amazon to the rescue for about $20! Now I have a dimmable LED lamp…

Rough draft of the roadmap

This model kit has almost 300 parts, it’s my first fighter jet since probably 1990, I’m trying some new airbrush paints, there are some neat weathering techniques I want to try, and I want to film the construction.

Whew, that’s a lot! Those who know me understand that planning and process are kinda my thing, so of course I have a Trello board set up. Here’s the draft version…

What’s next

That big gray thing on the right side of my desk is the spray booth. I learned a few things about setting it up, so I’ll cover that in my next post.