Hey all,
Found this website from doing searches for "how to" and techniques and Ive already learned some new things from just looking at some different threads...
I just bought my first model in about 10 years but to be honest I never really " got into it" back then and did the bare minimun for building them. Once it got painted then that was pretty much it. no weathering or anything like that.

So now that deer hunting season is over Ive been sitting around and decided to try a model again after all these years and bought a M48 Patton tank by monogram at Micheals. It was cheap enough and for good reason. But i spent time on it and after learning to do different things I am pretty happy with how it has come out for my first real model.
Patton Tank

Its not completly done yet and I still need to do up a base for it. Pay no attention to the pile of dirt...

Im suprised that after going to my local hobby shop that modeling has gotten less popular and how expensive it has got! The owner apologized for the prices but she cant do anything about that but she has a Dragon german halftrack going for $65. It blew my hair back a little bit. Its tough to swallow spending that much just to try out different paints, painting techniques, weathering etc etc but as time goes on and I get better then I wouldnt mind paying a little more.

Well I hope to work on some more models as time and money permit and I look forward to learning new things, practicing, sharing my work, and most of all meeting new people that know what the hell they are doing!!!

-Jesse

Welcome aboard, and I think you will enjoy yourself here.

There are other option for some cheaper kits for "experimenting". Some model shows have swap meets, there is a Kits for Sale section here, Ebay, and there are some web vendors that have sales.

Good luck, and looking forward to seeing some builds.

Welcome to the site! For test purposes, I recomend you stick to Revell or Lindberg. Lindberg models are real dogs, but also very cheap. It took me three years to try a Dragon kit, after I got back from a long hiatus. Patience is key. And, practice makes perfect. Before jumping into a Dragon kit, you may want to try a Tamiya shake&bake. They are pretty accurrate, but not as fiddly as some of the other manufacturers(Trumpeter, Dragon, AFV Club). Baby steps are the way to go. Ask lots of questions. And, above all, have fun!