Essential Tools, Bits and Pieces that you should have before starting?

[kaiwhara]

Hi All

I have tried to search for a list of Tools, Substances and other odds and ends that are considered either "must have's", or items to aim at getting, and why. As I am a fairly newcomer to the hobby (not having actually built anything yet save for a few card buildings), I feel that such a list could be useful to a newcomer. If one exists, please point me in that direction! 

Depending what others feel, this could become a sticky for future reference?

So what I would like to find out from you lot, experienced or otherwise, is, what do you have that you consider essential, or close to it, and why? I am not necessarily worried about brands unless there is a particular brand that stands out from the rest for the majority. I would like to know this in the following categories (but do not limit yourself to these in case I have forgotten one).

• Tools (for Baseboard Building)
• Materials (for building baseboards)
• Other bits (for Baseboards)
• Tools (for the modelling of trains or scenery)
• Paints, Thinners, Varnishes etc
• Fillers
• Electronics
• Cleaning Products (materials or equipment)
• Spares (what should we have in reserve?)
• Any other odds and ends

As responses come in I would like to add them to a list like the above, so I would like to consider this a living post. Thrash out ideas, as I guarantee that your opinions will not match up 100% so if there are differing opinions, I would like to know what the pro's and con's are and try to come to a general consensus.

Hopefully I at least, and other's might learn something from this!

Cheers

Andrew

[scotsoft]

A similar thread was started a while back 

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=8821.msg94083#msg94083

cheers John.

[kaiwhara]

Thanks John

God knows what I was searching for (I had been searching all day!  ). Might it be worth trying to capture it in a more accessible format on one post rather than trying to gather information from multiple posts?

Cheers

Andrew

[longbridge]

Don't worry about it Andrew, I would like to add a vacuum cleaner and a good bottle of Scotch.

[Bealman]

Or a few bottles of Speights (oops, sorry, Andrew.... South Island beer!) 

George