Essential Hobby Tools for Miniature Painting Building Warhammer and 3D Prints

Ready to transform your tabletop miniatures from plain plastic to stunning works of art-fast? Whether you’re assembling Warhammer 40,000 warriors or crafting unique gaming figures, having the right tools can make all the difference. From precision clippers and fine detail brushes to airbrushes and dry palettes, discover the essential gear that speeds up your build and paint process without sacrificing quality, so you can get back to gaming sooner.

After a dalliance with miniatures painting in high school, I caught the bug again in 2017 with the launch of Warhammer 40,000’s 8th edition. Since then, I’ve painted dozens and dozens of miniatures, and even had my work published on the official Games Workshop community website. I’m not a professional painter, but I am a dedicated hobbyist with a penchant for trying out wacky new tools. Here are the bits that I use on a weekly basis to make spending time with my little space boys more enjoyable.

Tamiya Extra-Thin Cement

$10 $10

Citadel’s plastic cement is. fine. It’s just fine. It’s thin enough to run when you need it to run, and thick enough to stay put when you need it to stay put. But if I have to take the plugged-up, microscopic metal pipette out one more time to clean it, I’m going to lose my mind. That’s why I opt instead for a two-pronged approach from Tamiya, which uses little brushes instead.

Tamiya Extra-Thin Cement smells pretty bad – not as bad as the quick-drying variant, but pretty bad. Good news is that it’s just the thing to get those tiny bits stuck together real good. The low-viscosity formula also means it’s great at flowing into nooks and crannies. I particularly love using it along the edges of two-part cylinders, like those found on tanks and artillery pieces. It’s also great for sealing the gaps in larger pieces, especially when you slop it on from behind where no one will see the mess.

Tamiya Cement (standard)

$8 $8

For larger joints and areas that are particularly well hidden, I rely on regular Tamiya Cement. It melts plastic a bit more aggressively than the thin stuff, and its higher viscosity makes it great for covering larger areas without damaging fine details.

Jeff Did It! Hex and square bottle holder

$13 $13

With a two-bottle holder custom-made to keep these weird-shaped bottles upright on the table, you’ve got everything you need for plastic adhesives.

Tamiya Sharp Pointed Side Cutter

$28 $28

While lots of folks seem to like the Citadel nippers, I’ve had much better luck with the Tamiya Sharp Pointed Side Cutter. Having used both tools, I find the Citadel version to be overly large in the hand – especially so for folks with smaller hands. But most importantly, Tamiya’s much more slender cutting head makes for closer and more precise cuts right up against the model. And more precise cuts means less time spent removing mold lines.

Citadel Mouldline Remover

$23$2612% off $23

No matter how good your nippers are, you will eventually have some mold lines that need removing – especially if you’re using an airbrush. For cleaning models, I’m a big fan of the Citadel Mouldline Remover in addition to a hobby knife. It’s a great way to non-destructively remove minute imperfections, especially around curved areas. Especially if you have bigger hands and bad eyes like I do, it’s an expeditious tool that can help you make fewer model-ruining mistakes. Add in some Micro-Mark Softback Polishing Sticks and some even smaller and more flexible sanding twigs, and you’ve got everything you need to prep and dry-fit your models.

Exemplar Premier Wet Palette

$35 $35

While I’ve already written extensively about my favorite paints and brushes, I also love using a wet palette to keep my paints moist and mixable. For the last 18 months or so, I’ve been using the Exemplar Wet Palette from Game Envy, and I can’t say enough good things about it. After years struggling with the Masterson Sta-Wet Handy Palette, I love the Exemplar for its rigid, dishwasher-safe construction. It also creates a very tight seal that, when combined with some pennies or the copper bits sold as add-ons, helps mitigate mold growth when I forget to clean out my palette between painting sessions. Add in additional features like brush storage and a smartphone easel on the top and you have what I consider to be the premier wet palette for painting miniatures today.

Paint Puck Rinse Cup brush cleaner

$31 $31

Another must-have accessory for me is the Paint Puck Rinse Cup brush cleaner. While the silicone nubbins on the bottom are of questionable utility, it’s the arms up top that make this an important part of my setup. They’re a great way to hold your brush’s tip pointing downward when you’re not actively using it. They also keep paint and other debris from infiltrating the ferrule, which is the metal clamp that holds the hairs onto the brush.

Mini-Vortex Mixer

$88 $88

Finally, I simply would not be able to get as much done in one sitting without the Lab Genius Mini-Vortex Mixer. Originally designed for medical and research settings, it is a rock-solid option for mixing even the most stubborn thick paints. The clever construction, which includes big, flexible silicone feet on the bottom, means it will never start walking away while you’re using it. At nearly $90 it’s far and away the most expensive item mentioned here, but it’s likely the last paint mixer you’ll ever need.

What are the must-have tools to speed up miniature building and painting

Must-Have Tools to Speed Up Miniature Building and Painting

To accelerate your miniature hobby without compromising quality, these essential tools are widely recommended by experienced hobbyists:

Pin Vise (Hand Drill): Crucial for drilling precise holes to pin parts together, reinforcing fragile models, and enabling conversions or customizations.
Wet Palette: Keeps acrylic paints moist longer, allowing smoother blending, less waste, and more consistent layering, which speeds up painting sessions.
Sculpting Tools: Useful for filling gaps with putty and adding custom details, helping to streamline conversions and repairs.
Airbrush: A game-changer for fast, even base coats and smooth gradients, significantly cutting down brushwork time on large models or terrain.
Magnifying Lamp or Headband: Enhances visibility for fine details and reduces eye strain, improving precision and efficiency during long painting sessions.
Painting Handle: Holds miniatures securely while painting, preventing smudges and providing ergonomic grip for longer, more comfortable painting periods.
Sticky Tack: A versatile adhesive to secure miniatures or parts temporarily, preventing drops and facilitating precise painting or assembly.
Hair Dryer: Speeds up drying times between paint layers, reducing waiting and allowing faster progression through multiple coats.

These tools collectively enhance speed, accuracy, and ease in both building and painting miniatures, making them indispensable for hobbyists aiming to work faster and smarter.

Which tools most effectively reduce painting time without sacrificing quality

To reduce painting time without sacrificing quality, the most effective tools are:

Airbrush: Ideal for fast, even base coats and smooth gradients, significantly cutting down brushwork time on large surfaces.
Large High-Quality Brush: Using the biggest brush that can still do the job speeds up coverage, especially during base coating, while maintaining control for detail work.
Glazed Ceramic Palette: Helps keep paint consistency predictable and encourages using fewer colors at a time, which streamlines the painting process.
Dry Brushes: Great for quickly adding highlights and contrast via dry brushing technique, saving time on detailed layering.
Hair Dryer: Speeds up drying times between layers, allowing faster progression through multiple coats without waiting long.
Good Quality Acrylic Paints (including Speed Paints): High-quality paints provide better coverage and reduce the number of coats needed. Speed paints can do bulk work efficiently, though they may lack mixing versatility.

These tools combined help maintain a balance between speed and quality by enabling efficient coverage, quick drying, and simplified color management.