I've just gotten started on working on my Astray Blue Frame, but I've taken this chance to show my very simple setup so
gunplanoobier people might have an idea of what things are essential to assembling a kit.
Here's my very small work table. As you can see, I have a toolbox, where I keep my tools. I have a towel, where I do my sanding over, as to not get the area wet. The cutting mat is for when you need to use the knife for trimming. The two glasses of water are for sanding. I use one cup for my sanding sticks, and the other for dipping the parts into to clean any dust off of them.
Beside my table, I keep my the runners I need to use on a paper file organizer. It's neat and fits the runners perfectly. Beside that is the manual, without which I probably won't be able to assemble even an arm.
The most important tool in my toolbox is my Side Cutter. You can buy this particular kind from a hobby store, but you can also get side cutters from a hardware store. The difference between these and regular pliers is that this has a flat side, allowing you to cut close to the part.
A next must have is a Hobby Knife. These can also be found in hobby stores, but you can also buy these at office supply stores. These usually come with many different kinds of blades, but I just use two: the regular blade, and the steeper one for odd angles. The blades should be removed from the handle and kept covered in oil in a small container to prevent them from dulling or rusting.
Some kits have parts that require screwdrivers. Screws in MG kits are always phillips, but I also use small flathead screwdrivers to GENTLY pry apart parts that can't be separated with my fingernails. Always use a screwdriver that's larger than the head of the screw so you won't just scrape off the metal from the head.
A Victorynox Swiss Army Knife. It has many uses. You will need it.
It's inevitable that you'll end up breaking some parts, and when that happens, you're gonna need some extra thin cement. The difference between this and glue is that this actually melts the end of the plastic parts so that sticking them together is like making a solid cast part again. Obviously, this is bought at hobby stores.
Super glue. Though the cement usually produces prettier results, sometimes you're gonna need something tougher when the break is somewhere near a part that needs to hold weight or stress.
Sanding sticks are the tools you'll be spending the most time on (for now, without painting). If you can't afford to buy sanding sticks from specialty stores, or if they don't even exist in your area, you're gonna be spending quite some time making them too. These are very important as your Gunpla will look like it came from a redneck's garage sale if you don't sand the parts down clean.
How to make Sanding Sticks
You need three things for sanding sticks: sandpaper, popsicle sticks, and superglue. You're going to need different grits of sandpaper too.
Just put some superglue all over the sandpaper then stick it on the popsicle stick. Make sure the piece of sandpaper you use leaves some space for your fingers on the popsicle stick.
Apply lots of pressure to make sure the sandpaper sticks on flat and evenly on the popsicle stick. After a minute or so, the glue would have set, but you can't use or wet the stick yet. Leave it overnight.
After leaving them overnight, the sticks can now be used wet without the sandpaper peeling off. Make sure you make a couple in multiple grits so you'll always have the grit you need for any job. You'll need around 4 - 6 sanding sticks in grit 600-800 for a master grade kit when you're sanding wet. A grit 180 lasts for 2 - 3 kits, and a grit 300 is good for one kit.
