Here's some of the basic tools I have.
1. two scalpel holders, one with straight blade one with curved and one exacto holder. 2. sprue snippers. 3. I use the Tamiya tapes for masking, and some general taping. Cheap stuf otherwise. 4. I just got this for panel lines and love it, costly. But I used the end of an old airbrush needle for a very long time. 5. Humbrol cement, just changed to it and it holds like the devil himself. 6. This little multi pro works a treat, cheep as chips, but has a cord. 35 bucks but you have to go to eBay and get a set of chuck inserts to use with Dremel bits as this one is advertised for nail work. The slowest speed is fast enough. 7. Mr. Surfacer for seam and dent filling. Various degrees of finess, this one is 1200. 8. If you go to Micro Mark on the web you will see this red packet of drill bits, they have shanks that are Dremel size! You can use your fingers for these. The blue packet is standard drills micro size but you need the pin vise for these. The red packet has basic sizes, the blue duplicates some of the red, but has some inbetween sizes from the red. 10. The pin vise. Comes with different size chuck inserts. 11. Clamps these two styles will get you by for 99o/o of what you need. 12. Exacto saw, comes in very handy. 13. Tweezers, Sometimes the ones from a two dollar shop in the womens section are better than the expensive ones from hobby suppliers. 14. Files, these little needle files are in the Micro Mark catalog. Again, I have tried and dislike the diamond ones. That little bigger flat one is used for most of my file work. The needle files for finer filing.
I also use the thin and medium Super glues. I have quit using the little tubes from the grocery store. Get the better stuff from the hobby shop or Micro Mark. Super glue can be used to fill little dents as well, and for photo etch parts is a must. The little stick has a stiff wire stuck in the end with the smallest loop you can make. I touch a tiny puddle of super glue with the loop to apply the glue where I want it. The lighter I use to burn the dry glue from the loop, it's flamable. It's the only way to clean the loop.
The Humbrol Cement works on white styrene to styrene and to the kit plastic. It bonds tight.
Dremel tools, get the high speed set, NEVER the diamond tools as they load up and are too difficult to clean. They're crap as far as I am concerned.
My story, and I'll stick to it. Hope this helps.
Bill