Command Module  Pod 1  Pod 2  Pod 3  Pod 4  Pod 5  Pod 6  Pod 7  Pod 8  Pod 9  Pod 10  Pod 11 Epilogue  The Hangar  Moonbase  Back to Main Mission   Shown here is just a small selection of my equipment.  Not having done any scale modelling for many a year, I had to rack my brains (and my pockets) for a comprehensive tool kit.  Nothing irritates me more than being half-way through a project and, at a critical moment (usually when the shops are shut), realising that something's missing!  Note: I offer the following as a guide only, as choice of equipment and paints is entirely up to you 1 - Glue applicators, 2 - Good Quality sable brushes, 3 - Clamps, 4 - Black spray paint, 5 - White spray paint, 6 - Enamels, 7 - Thinners, 8 - Spare plastic tubing, 9 - Clear brush-on enamel, 10 - Grey automotive primer, 11 - Spare plastic sheet, 12 - Permanent markers for minor detailing, 13 - Disposable gloves, 14 - Assorted nail files, 15 - Surgeon's scalpel (or 'Xacto-knife'), 16 - Modeller's putty (yellow/grey), 17 - Cyanoacrylate (CA) and Epoxy adhesives I don't have an airbrush, nor did I intend buying one as this was a one-off project.  Therefore, I used cans of spray paint to complete the task.  Several models that I've seen are finished in matt white.  Personally, I think this is fine for a studio model which needs minimum reflections/glare but mine is to be a display model.  After testing several brands and finishes of white, I initially settled on a 'Plastikote' satin finish, then thought I would use Tamiya sprays but eventually it boiled down to a humble can of automotive primer! These assorted nail files were purchased from a beautician's wholesalers (thanks to the wife for lending me the card!)  These are available in many different grades from 80 right up to a smooth buffer.  I chose these as an addition to sandpaper as they are comfortable to use and flexible and proved to be the most often used tool during the build As well as a comprehensive equipment inventory, a 'Dremel-type' rotary tool is a valuable asset.  It not only saves time but can prevent aching hands Of course, if you intend to use a rotary tool of any kind then eye-protection is essential A laborious but essential part of building any scale model kit - cleaning up.  Patience exercised at this stage will pay dividends later on.  I'd advise wearing disposable latex gloves after the kit is cleaned and washed to prevent 'greasing-up' the parts - but until then it's not necessary Flash is quite abundant on some parts but is easily removed with careful use of the relevant tools.  Any holes (air bubbles) that appear in the resin during trimming/sanding should be filled with either A-B Epoxy, CA or modeling putty Removing large pieces of excess resin with a hacksaw blade.  Care should be taken here as the resin is brittle Removing flash and other 'overfill' from a leg pod with a craft knife.  It's very easy for an inexperienced modeler to accidentally cut into the resin.  Paradoxically, the resin is quite soft as well as brittle Removing a 'nodule' of resin from a leg pod Sanding the edges of the command module rear Easy does it!.... Removing the flash from a gantry part. This cleanup business is not for the faint-hearted - it will take a long time if done properly!  Especially if you take the time to sand down the 'microbubbles' (see below).  Also, the parts are not as well finished as they first appear.  Just the spine and the four gantry parts took me the best part of 6 hours to sand/file down to a reasonable finish  The resin is quite malleable but this can lead to problems too.  My advice would be to be very gentle when removing flash etc until you're used to the material's properties.  I began on the main spine and started quite heavy-handed.  Not the correct approach.  Just whittle/sand away gently.  A note on sanding too; this isn't a styrene kit and fine grades of sandpaper are more than enough to reduce even large pieces of resin quite quickly A safety note on sanding and filing; as well as eye protection, it is advised to use some form of respirator or face mask as inhalation of resin dust is dangerous Bad paintwork caused by foaming resin microbubbles  During a test to establish what finish I would use, it became apparent that the kit has many places where these microscopic holes appear.  They are almost invisible to casual inspection but are the seeds of a very unprofessional finish - see picture left and enlargement.  Jim Small suggests in his review that paint is blasted into these holes with an airbrush.  Do not try this if you are using spray paints as you will end up with an ocean of paint on your model!  Instead, you will have to take the time to gently sand down the imperfections (they don't go deep) before painting.  Use a very fine grade of sandpaper, particularly on highly visible parts like the nose-cone All imagery copyright Eagle Imagery (PhotoGraphics) unless otherwise stated Unauthorised use is illegal