by SteveM » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:18 pm
IMHO the bare minimum would be:
Bottle of Elmer's white glue
Xacto knife with a few spare #11 blades
Self healing cutting mat (or other suitable work surface)
A square of ceiling tile (or other suitable pinning surface)
Sanding block with spare paper of various grits
Waxed paper
1-1/2" T-pins
masking tape
UHU purple glue stick
A few nice to haves would be:
Pushpins
6" metal ruler (doubles as a straight edge)
Clamps of various sizes
Various sanding devices such as a emery boards and a 6" or 12" bar sander.
Squirt bottle for misting water
Dope and a brush to seal the tissue
Fine tooth saw such as is made by Zona
Paint (eg. Liquitex) and paint brushes
Canopy glue
CA glue and applicator tips
Epoxy
Wire cutters and pliers (for bending landing gear wires)
Now I've never been in a house that didn't have Elmer's glue, masking tape, and waxed paper so those are optional, but a small botle of glue and roll of tape might help keep peace in the house and mom or dad can help get a piece of waxed paper if they are young. The purple UHU stick is great for sticking on the tissue, but some people have great success using a mix of white glue and water for applying the tissue and sealing it so you can get a lot of things done with it on the cheap, but I don't think it is the best for all of those jobs. Glue can be applied with spare stringers or other scraps of wood.
The stuff in the "nice to have" list could be purchased later on for a second build based on experience and a desire to do better. For the most part you can get by without them, but they make the job easier or aid in a higher quality final product.