Cubao:
Lil's and STC, 2nd Floor Rustan's. Above the grocery.
STC, 2nd Floor Ali Mall. Same level sa mga cinemas facing Rustan's.

Katipunan:
Forgot the name. Nasa street sa tapat ng Gate 3 ng Ateneo. Malapit sa KFC Katipunan.

Greenhills:
STC, Dao Lane, 2nd Floor, Virramall. Maliit lang ang sign nya so tingnan mo na lang ang display windows.

Megamall:
Lil's, Basement Mega A. Katabi ng Brownies katapat ng Auntie Anne's.

Makati:
Lil's, Park Square 1. Across the street from the Glorietta 1 cinemas.

Harrison Plaza:
JMN, 2nd Floor. Above Shakey's.

SM West/North EDSA:
Basement near the food court under the stairs.

Feel free to add to this list because I'm sure I missed a few.

From lonewolf:

Accurate Model Works - SM Southmall - ang dalas ko dito...
Special Toy Center - Filinvest Mall - Medyo madalas
Lil - SM Megamall - bibihira lang ako nakapunta...Pero ang laki ng selection...
STC - Isetann Recto - Ang laki rin...

From GIBeregovoy:

The hobby is, admittedly, seems to be concentrated in Metro Manila (this observation being based on the knowledge that there are no hobby shops in the other major cities of the country - again, correct me if I'm wrong mga kababayan). There are several hobby shops, the three major ones being Lils Futaba (or simply Lils) - Accurate Model Shop being sort of a 'branch' of Lils due to it's close affiliation with it - STC or Special Toy Centre, and JMN. The first two have several branches while JMN is concentrated in just one shop at Harrison Plaza. Lils is the official distributor/retailer of Tamiya products, while STC concentrates mostly on Dragon. Trumpeter and AFV Club kits are found more at STC than Lils. Tamiya prices in Lils are cheaper than those in STC IIRC, while Dragon prices are cheaper at STC than in Lils IIRC (or was it the other way around - now I'm confused!). (Mga kapatid, kung gusto niyo tawagin ang mga branches ng Lils, STC at saka JMN at Accurate, meron akong directory akong ginawa I normally call STC and have some of their kits reserved so that no one can get their itchy, greedy, prying hands on them! If you're wondering why there aren't M1A2s in STC, BLAME ME! )

On specific branches, Lils Parksquare has a large number of Hasegawa (?) and Fujimi (?) 1/700 scale waterline ships, while STC Alabang has lots of Dragon figures and some resin accessories (fruit baskets, fuel drums, ammo boxes, etc.) while JMN has a lot of interesting goodies (Miliputt epoxy putty, Celluclay - at around P500, X-Acto knives and blades, and resin after market parts by Legend). Accurate is more into Tamiya mini-RC and aircraft. JMN has lots of Revell kits (I think they're the only ones selling Revell), especially 1/72 scale armor kits (take your pick, M1A1HA, Challenger - 3 flavors IIRC, T-80U, Leclerc, etc). STC Alabang has lots of Gunze stuff - epoxy putty, putty, decal solution set, and Gunze paints. Lils has lots of Tamiya paints. JMN has Microset, Microsol (very useful - currently unavailable last time I went there), Bare Metal metallic polish (two bottles left IIRC). JMN also used to sell blank decal sheets and Bare Metal foil - all very useful. JMN has Tamiya, Revell, Model Master and Humbrol paints of limited quantities and varying age (some Humbrol paints look like they've been there for five years already). BTW, are you guys taking down notes? Yes? Good. There are plenty of diorama stuff also at JMN (celluclay, static grass - 3 flavors right now, field grass - hehehe, I bought all of them for the last Motorex contest, Woodland Scenics stuff, etc.). But for resin and RTV, you have to go to your nearest chemical factory to get it (unless you want to get 'em from me, 'coz I know someone who sells RTV and polyester resin). Lils Parksquare used to sell Dow Corning RTV, but apparently it was old stock and had solidified. I should know, I bought one and promptly returned and exchanged it for several kits. JMN has also lots of other goodies like 1/35 posters, maps, etc, various decal sheets of varying age (they recently got some new stocks), MRE carton sheets, and even some photoetch parts.

So basically, the strengths of the following stores are:

STC - Dragon, AFV Club, Trumpeter and other 'lesser known' manufacturers like Alan and K-something. Also has a fine collection of 1/250 to 1/720 ships, from the large Shokaku carrier to the USS Arleigh Burke. Also lots - and I mean LOTS - of sci-fi/anime models as well as tools (motor tools, pin vise, drill bits, etc.) Has a nice stock of Gunze paints and Gunze products, and catalogs, as well as (damn, I'm gonna HATE myself for revealing this ) Concord books (yeeeup - M1A1 books, Leo2 books, SpecOps books, lots of reference material).

Lils - Tamiya is king here. As well as R/C kits. Got a whole range of Tamiya paints as well. Lils Parksquare has Evergreen sheet styrene of varying types and thicknesses. If you're a Tamiya fan, this is the place to go. Also spotted some Trumpeter kits, though not as numerous as STC. Lils Parksquare also has some after market (white metal) and photoetch parts (it's beside the door, from inside, it's to the left of the door).

JMN - A modeller's shop! Decal sheets, blank decal sheets, if you do dioramas this is the place to go. Has a nice collection of car kits. Revell kits abound here - PzH2000, Luchs, Fuchs, M110A2, etc. etc. Few Dragon kits (last saw only 2) and some AFV Club kits (someone beat me to the Scimitar! ). A significant number of Academy and Kangnam kits and some Tamiya kits as well. Other accessories, photoetch, Legend aftermarket parts - F105 cockpit, ACES II ejection seat, resin figures. Also sells a Tamiya airbrush (or spraygun) set complete with compressor. Various paints - Tamiya, Humbrol enamels, Model Master, Revell. Check it out from time to time and you'll find something important like Bare Metal foil (good for masking, too!) and blank decal sheets.

Accurate - closest shop for those in Paranaque and Las Pinas. Sells mostly Academy. More into Tamiya mini-R/C cars. Lots of plane kits.

For airbrushes, best place to go is National Bookstore or Recto (where I suspect there are other lesser-known, family-run, small hobby shops that are treasure troves like JMN). Tip: at National Bookstore, they sell paint jars with labels "M. Enriquez" or something. That is an art supply store at Recto and I reckon they sell Badger (and maybe Aztek?) airbrushes and accessories.

Can someone please contact STC and ask the price and availability of the Trumpeter Type89 MLRS kit? Thanks!

Jeepney, sigurado ako na doon sa Hans tools sa shang ay nag-bebenta ng mga badger airbrush AT napakaraming spare parts tulad ng needles, nozzles, etc.....

Thanks Fritz! Useful yan kasi maraming naka-Badger sa atin. Aztec nga lang airbrush ko ;P

Don't forget some stores like Ace Hardware for the supply of sandpaper, masking tape, superglue and paint thinners. Don't forget also National Bookstore for the cheap Airbrush, reference materials, X-Acto Knife and some masking tapes.

What else?

Groceries for toothpicks, superglue, aluminum foil, 70% isopropyl alcohol (paint thinner and blade wound disinfectant), beer, snacks, etc.

Btw, what tool can you recommend for cutting beer cans? I'd like to replace some thick plastic parts with thin aluminum.

again there is another shop which you guys forget nasa makati cineman square..the propriertor is rhoel carpio.. he's also the phil.distributor for revell germany...and if ur into playstation, cards, comics and vinyl figures thats the place

hey guys don't forget mercury drugstore for your liquid cement (for plastic)..."chloroform"... just buy a cheap brush.. .believe it or not when i started it only cost 3 pesos i think it can go on th 30 pesos..whew...

Meron din pala sa Cinema Square?! Masilip nga one of these days! Thanks for the tip!

Chloroform for glue? Didn't know pwede pala yon. At least may panlaban ka na kung may nagreklamo sa gulo ng workbench mo

blitz-you are right, theres also a store in makati cinema square... i buy some of my models but lately wala na masyado models

jeep- i mentioned before plaza fair... makati cinema square pala..hehe

Thanks for mentioning that Makati Cinema shop Blitz! Now I know I wasn't dreaming. I remember going there once - just once - back during 1991 (I remember because it was the Gulf War).

Jeep - chloroform is a medical adhesive I think that works very well for plastic models, so I heard at TankNet. In Sweden, I think it's known as Ethylin Acetas or something like that. It's beauty is that it works fast - mighty fast IIRC - and gives a very strong bond. Very nice to have around for your aircraft fuselages, hull halves - anything requiring fast strong bond. I haven't tried nor inquired about it yet. A nice substitute (IMO) is Tamiya's Extra Fine Liquid Cement. Gives one helluva bond with just a few drops! Tried it with the Boxster for my sis, the A-6E, and the hull deck of the Leo2A5 (which you've heard about the damage). I tried prying the parts but can't without cracking the plastic. No BS!

OKAY LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT CLUBS AND MODEL SUPPLIES (AM I IN THE WRONG TOPIC?)
A FEW YEARS BACK-(HEY LET'S NOT GET INTO THE EXACT YEAR..) I JOINED THE SMCP - SCALE MODELERS CLUB OF THE PHIL. BASED IN CUBAO WE MEET TWICE A MONTH .. OUR GROUP WAS NUMBERING 20 TO 30 ACTIVE AND INACTIVE MEMBERS.. WE PAY YEARLY DUES IN WHICH OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES WAS SPENT MOSTLY ON REFERENCE MATERIALS ... AND THE REST OF OUR FUNDS OF COURSE WAS SPENT ON OUR MEETING'S SNACKS.. ON SECOND THOUGHT WE SHOULD HAVE NAMED OUR CLUB THE "SUNDAY MERIENDA CLUB OF THE PHILS." WELL I MET A LOT OF MODELERS FROM THE OLDER GENERATION AND MY GENERATION..THERE ARE ALSO KIDS ... MGA IBA NAGING MENTOR KO...AND FRIENDS...(TEKA MERON BA AKO NAGING KUMPARE...HMMMM)OKAY ANYWAY .. ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE CLUB JUST FADED AWAY.. IT WAS JUST LIKE THAT .. PARANG PAKONTI NA NANG PAKONTI NAG AATTEND... AS FOR ALL OUR INVESTMENT SA BOOKS ... ??????ANOTHER GROUP BACK THERE IS ..IPMS (PHIL. CHAPTER) I WAS INVITED TO JOIN BY FORMER MEMBERS OF SMCP BUT DUE TO MY TANGLED SKED ..I WAS UNAVAILABLE TO JOIN THEM .THESE GUYS ARE JUST KEEPING A LOW PROFILE.. RECENTLY, FROM AN ARTICLE ON A WEBSITE..IT MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE THE ORGANIZERS OF LAST YEAR'S MOTOREX..(CAN ANYBODY SHARE SOME INFO ON THIS?)
SOME EX MEMBERS OF SMCP HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN GROUPS IN WHICH CASE FOR PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL GAIN..WHO KNOWS??
REGARDING MODEL SUPPLIES.. IF YOU GUYS ARE INTO SERIOUS MODELLING BUT TIGHT ON THE BUDGET, HAVE YOU CONSIDER ON INVESTING ON PLASTIC SHEETS.. (MODELERS CAN'T DO WITHOUT IT..)TRY VISITING SIGNAGE SHOP (THE SHOP I USE TO GO TO IS MCDONNEL IN RIZAL AVE.- OR AVENIDA) THEY HAVE THIS .5MM THK SHEETS AND 1 AND 2 MM. THK. SHEETS AVAILABLE...SAD TO SAY RODS AND STRIPS ARE HARD TO FIND.. SINCE THIS SHEETS ARE HUGE IN SIZES MY SUGGESTION IS AMBAG AMBAG KAYO .. SINCE YOU WON'T BE NEEDING THAT MUCH..AND AGAIN LIKE I MENTION CHLOROFORM .. EITHER WAYS CHEAP BRUSH OR GLASS SYRINGE WILL DO .. I PREFER BRUSH SINCE IT GIVE ME MUCH CONTROL AND FLOW ON MY PLASTIC MODELS.. THE DISADVANTAGE IS ITS FAST DRYING AND TOO MUCH CHLOROFORM CAN MELT THE PLASTIC.. GIVE IT A SHOT..JUST REMEMBER THAT CHLOROFORM AND HANDKERCHIEF DON'T MIX AND MATCH..HAVE FUN

Hi,

For those who need badger airbrush accessories, there is also St. Patrick's store. There are several branches. Ang napuntahan ko na ay doon sa Makati -- it is in front of the San Miguel warehouse along pasay road going to South Super Highway. It's good someone provided a list of stores -- especially the JMN in Harrison.

Is there any store here in MM that sells air-brush compressors -- iyon ang wala ako. pero meroon akong badger 175. I would appreciate if someone could tell me where to buy...ubos na pera ko using propellants..

thanks

for airbrush and compressors i suggest ..binondo or near arranque market.. well you'll see a lot of specialty hardware.. kahit nga dremel magsasawa kayo... and definitely they'll tell you that ace or sm hardware or any other big hardware are are all getting from them... (no kidding..) i know one store panda hardware....these people are the exclusive distributor of dremel...i got my 1.2 hp compressor back in chinatown overall .. you'll love binondo.. OPPPS BEFORE I FORGET... A BIT TRIVIA THE FIRST STC IS IN BINONDO JUST IN FRONT OF STA CRUZ CHURCH...

Blitz, re: motorex - actually a transport show which IPMS tagged along to do it's contest. Crismag, Jeep, and I (and others here probably) joined. Cris entered his Panther (King Panther?) dio (I loved the rotting posters and the wrecked vehicle Cris), Jeep with an F-14 Tomcat I think and another kit, and me with my 2 M1A2s going through wild-grass-gone-wrong-sprouting-like-hair field. IIRC, none of us won, but it was fun (twas me first time to join such a sport) and saw oodles of nice and fantastic builds (like that Su-33N Flanker). Some say it was a mismatch because first timers (like me) were pitted against pros - but I had fun anyway. Some of the judging results in the ship category I did not agree with (like the 2 Tamiya CVN-65 USS Enterprise - one was better built than the other yet the less-better built won first place, while the USS Arizona didn't look outstanding yet got 3rd).

Warthog - thanks for the tip on the Badger store. Will check it out soon. I need a new needle and various tips for my Crescendo.

As for air compressors, if you got the money, better get the ones sold at hardware shops like Ace. More useful too (you could use it to quickly pump your car's tires - not like the small car compressors, use it to paint your house or furniture, rent it to the construction crew building that house beside you, etc. etc.) plus, with a pressure regulator and meter, you could play around with the air pressure. Noisy but if you get one with a pressure tank, it'd be making noise intermittently only. For truly airbrush compressors, National Bookstore sells the Kawasaki (same goes with Ace Hardware), or STC which sells linear compressors for Gunze airbrushes (which, with adapters, you could use theoretically with any other airbrush). Or if strapped with cash, modify your car compressor as Cris did (perhaps an article Cris?)

With regard to Dremel motor tools, you could get them at Ace Hardware and True Value IIRC. At Ace Hardware, it's in the power tools section (along with the fire extinguishers, compressors, and other tools). It'll cost P4k. They had (or currently have) a promo where you buy a motor tool (similar to Dremel - I think it's Black and Decker?) and get the accessory bits for free - all for P4k IIRC.

Me, I make do with the power drill we gots at home. :-)

As for Binondo, if Operation Eyeball is a go, maybe The Great Model Shop Search, Hunt and Raiding Expedition in the heart of Manila might go there as well. :-)

See guys, Blitz saw it in Binondo. Who knows what great treasure layeth in that realm and others! Arrr arrr 'tis time to ready the masts ye matey's!

ahhh .. yes the neverending problem of competition judging .. i really think organizers should address this issue .. regarding judging categories, classes and levels.. somehow its one of the dilemmas of entering a contest. the day of ingres(the excitement knowing you worked hard for it) ..the anxiety of how judges will look on ur model.. and at last the results comes out only to find out that another model exactly like urs beats u!!! so much for unfair judging but you know with a vengence that you'll do better BUT WHEN????.. well the issue here is when or where the next competiton will be. it's not really often that we have this annual contest right .well the only possibilty for modelers to enter annually is transhow or motorex (pero parang minsan you feel na parang hindi yun yun exact venue)has anyone heard of tha 10th model competition !!!???... or .. so how can you possibly show off with a better model. and judges exactly know what they are looking for i guess funding is one one big problem.. or hobby shops are really hesitant about this( hey they'll benefit from us right!).. with exception of natalie who's been very supportive with our cause.... well just an opinion....

-- if im not mistaken, the store in binondo is also winston's store...STC

May nakita akong magandang compressor sa Ace Hardware. May storage tank at regulator na. 5k nga lang. Next time siguro.

Kami ni cris mag-field trip sana sa Binondo when I got my AB to look for a compressor. Di ako makapaghintay (sorry cris ) so I went ahead and looked for one. I asked a friend who has a store in Binondo for directions and he directed me to Raon, the haven of gray market electronics and what not. Take the LRT and alight at the Carriedo station. Walk towards the direction of Monumento and turn right at the second street. That'll be Raon. Got my Kawasaki compressor for 2700 after my girl haggled with the salesman

Btw, if you have friends who are studying architecture, they might have an AB setup that you can buy or borrow.

Guys, thanks very much for the input regarding the compressor, when I get the chance punta ako doon sa mga nabanggit ninyo (dami programming dapat matapos sa office....ahhhhhh).

Is the Kawasaki any good and is it noisy (I usually work at night baka kasi batuhin ako ng mga kapitbahay namin). I saw a compressor in national book store lately -- is it the same kawasaki compressor mentioned in some of the posted replies (kaya lang walang kasamang kahit regulator or water traps).


:-)

Hey Warthog!

About the Kawasaki: wala nga syang regulator or water trap. Nilagyan ko sya ng 400 peso water trap sa may outlet nya pero may droplets pa rin. Better daw kung ang trap ilagay sa malapit sa AB mismo. Problema nga lang mas malaki pa ang trap compared to my airbrush

Wala ka ring problema sa noise. May popping sound lang sya pero di naman parang jeep na walang muffler. Kung nagpapagawa ka ng balloon sa National Bookstore parang ganun lang ang sound nya. Nanood nga ako ng TV habang nagpe-paint minsan. Kung gusto mo i-test drive mo muna sya sa store before you make a decision. GIBeregovoy will give you some advice if you have a Badger because he had some hose fit problems when he bought his.

Try to find a way to keep the Kawasaki in one place. Tumatalon-talon sya at umaandar mag-isa.

Good luck!

Jeepney: Maraming maraming salamat sa advice, you guys have been very helpful. I hope GIBeregovoy could post his experience and advice regarding hose fit for the Badger AB -- I do have a Badger AB.

Thanks again

Glad to help. Text ko mamya si GI. Nag-aaral nga lang yun para sa finals pero pwede naman sigurong istorbohin hehe #:-)

mukhang aabutin ako ng at least 7K for a good compressor and AB ah. Badtrip