what are affiliate links?
Amazon affiliate links pay a small amount to the channel without you spending any extra money, buying things your were going to buy anyway.
Most of the below are affiliate links, except for where the product is not on Amazon, or is ludicrously expensive on Amazon, or any Citadel links (I get nothing from Citadel, I just quite like the quality of some of their stuff.)
cutting and texturing
Proxxon hotwire cutter (thermocut)
The best hot wire table available as it offers variable temperature control, which massively helps with cutting thicker pieces (hotter) and precision cuts with minimal foam loss (colder)
If this feels like a big investment over a knife, think about it this way. Knife blades get blunted fast by XPS foam, and will never stop needing to be replaced. These tables have a lifespan of decades, and require no new blades. If you divide the cost of this thing over how long you'll have it and use it, it'll probably only cost you a fiver a YEAR. A set of blades I'm finding I need to buy more than one a year, and they cost £6.99. And that's WITH using a hotwire table for most things.
TDLR: it's cheaper than it looks.
Canada/australia/Netherlands
shifting lands accessories
These things are very useful for getting that little bit more out of your hot wire table. The guide is pretty much essential, though you can make your own*. The other two aren't required, but they do help make things easier, and some allow you to do things that are very hard or impossible without them.
The examples above from left to right are the guider pro, the circle cutter and the angle cutter.
The guider helps keep foam straight, especially taller pieces. It is ESSENTIAL for getting perfect right angled cuts without screaming incoherently. Or as I say, you can make one.
The circle cutter...cuts circles. Very useful, but only if you have something in mind. I used it to make reusable tokens for npcs I don't have minis for, among other things.
The angle cutter is amazing for getting precise angles to your cuts so things all fit together properly. It was crucial to the full colosseum build I did a year or so back, but outside of specific projects, it doesn't get used much.
TDLR: get the guider pro. The rest is optional.
*Interesting video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq502z27GyY
Something to bear in mind is I haven't tested this myself, and can't be sure of the accuracy, especially longer term if the foam were to squash a little. I'd recommend giving the thing a coat of thick mod podge or two to help with that :)
Olfa Utility Knife (and blades)
I picked this up on my return to the hobby. I ended up springing for a version with a nice rubber handle for the grip, anything that counters my natural clumsiness is a good thing!
Buying the proper Olfa blades is a good idea, they're stronger than some others.
There is a another version of this knife with a smaller blade and no rubber on the handle, which is SOMETIMES cheaper, but not always. It costs about the same in the UK, and last time I checked it was MORE expensive in Germany! I'll link that too in case you prefer it.
the UK knife currently doesnt seem to be in stock on amazon, so an alternative source (that doesnt support the channel) is here. If you appreciate help like this please consider supporting as a patron :)
.
xh-1 (Rubber handle) holder: UK/USa/germany/
xh-1 (Rubber handle) Blades: uk/usa (20 pack)/germany (non affiliate link)
L-1 (sometimes cheaper) holder: uk/usa/germany
L-1 (sometimes cheaper) Blades: uk/usa/germany
x-Acto knife (and blades)
A smaller blade for miniatures and precision terrain work. I'd recommend one with a rubber grip, it makes things easier and honestly, is safer. The one niggle I have with this Citadel one is that the rubber doesn't extend to the tip of the grip.
For blades just make sure they're this shape and size, they do come in others! Make sure you don't loose the safety cap, it's important to put back on whenever you aren't using it as these things can roll.
Fiskars Self Healing Cutting Mat
steel carpenter's square and steel ruler (with cork underside)
Of the two, I use the ruler more because it's lighter and faster to get a quick measurement with, and I'm less likely to accidentally dent foam with it. A cork back is important to protect what you're working on, and also hold it in place more easily.
The carpenter's square is great for getting 90 degree edges though. I use it less, but I'm glad I have it when I need it.
wire brush
Wood grain. When you boil it down, that's 90% of what this gets used for. But it's really quite good at it. Not needed if you prefer the pencil wood grain method. I like both methods for different reasons, but when it boils down I find the wire method faster and once you get used to a few tricks often ends up looking more real.
Which technique you use is entirely up to you though - personal preference is all that matters here.
Sculpting tools
I have a few more than this, I just grabbed some and it looked awesome.
These are great for a whole bunch of things, from sealing gaps with green stuff to using as a tiny shovel for basing texture.
I've also recently started using a set of soft clay sculpting tools, these are great for working with putties to get an organic, rounded texture easily!
metal sculpting tools: uk/usa/germany
soft sculpting tools: uk/usa/germany
wire cutters
These are the bigger, heavy duty cutters I find useful for clipping wire for repeated use in builds, or anywhere using smaller model clippers are going to be more of a strain on my hands due to their small size.
uk/USA/ger
model clippers
these are the smaller, more precise cutters I use for minis, some terrain and most precision jobs. some of these are tough enough to cut wire, some aren't, and it can be quite hard to tell. generally speaking, if they dont say they can cut wire, don't test it :)
You want one with an opening spring, that has one side totally flush for cutting as close as possible, and ideally, one that isnt too thin a handle so it doesnt get uncomfortable to use a lot, but finding the right one can be a fairly personal thing!
uk/USA/ger
