I have seen in this site a lot of references for using ordinary things for a wide variety of modeling purposes. For example, buying chain in bead shops, cat liitter for rubble base, lady's make up brush for dusting, etc. Has anyone compiled a list of sources and items they never thought they would buy for modeling? Not only would this be somewhat amusing but helpful for newbies and returners (such as myself). :-)

Roach clips, wire and wire cutters from Radio Shack.
Craft feathers (the kind for making masks like Freakboy Michael makes his kids wear), wood blocks, oils, brass craft wire, beads, and various other things from Michaels.
Small round, wooden flats from Basketville.
Wine with lead foil covers (good package store).
Fabric for displays from sewing centers.
Take out Chinese restaurants for condiment containers.
Yard sales and flea markets have yielded numerous tools and display bases as well as the occasional usable model.

I'll jump in -
The cosmetics counter for nail shappers both the sandpaper kind and the buffing stick kind.
How abour rummaging around the Mrs. Panyhose drawer looking for a pair with runs in them.
Not so strange but I do it all the time - The dried flower section of Michaels looking for the latest diorama foliage.
The the fish section of the pet store for diorama foliage jungle style (strange for me cuz I have dogs!)
How about 'window shopping' in the dental ilse at Target looking for the latest in dental picks.
How about slopping around in the muddy banks of a creek looking for 'the perfect rock'

I'm sure there are more but as I am standing around wondering what others are thinking "I" am doing there I try to pull out the mind block.

Everwhere I stand I look for things that can serve for modeling purposes though a lot of my stuff comes from the hospital where my father works.
Further I look what I can find in the house, at my work, when I`m outside, in the shoppingmall........ name it

Some pretty usefull things came out there

Drugstores/supermarkets for dried herbs (foliage), future floor polish (clear gloss coats), pills blisters (to mix small amounts of paint), and millions more...
Ciao

How about the dentist's office for lead foil?

Rob

Hi,

Some more to the list:
Aluminium from take away food containers;
Plastic or wood sticks from coffee machines;
Gauze bandages;
Wooden matches.

From the dentist:
- broken instruments for dental hygene
- thin abrasive strips (two different grains each - use to file false teeth) ideal to file seams on the guns after gluing the two halves
From a police station:
- the powder used for finger prints to get realistic melallic finish

Well, J-cat and I are at Michaels right?, not really embarassing, but kind of girly. I picked up some beautiful fake plants for my Diorama. She was a little amazed that I was man enough to walk around with some "pretty" fake plants!

But thats that!

Take it easy!

-Chip

Let's not forget the electronics stores such as Radioshack for small wire, LEDs etc

The grocery store has a few items on the spice rack which are useful. Dill weed as grass and oregano as leaves. I'm sure there are more but I have used those two.

Patrick

I love hitting the Everythings a $1 stores for stuff like racks for holding paints, small clamps, spools of wire, solder, etc., organizer boxes, small trays, etc. Every store has a little something different, and it's only a buck!

Harbor Freight for things like dental tools, compressor, clamps, spray booth, and other odds and ends.

Little push pins, for safety pins in bombracks of aircraft. monofilament for rigging on ships and the antennae on various aircraft. Tin foil the thin stuff like on a hersey's kiss to make a flag hold a wavy shape. Cheap jewelry chain for the anchor chains on a ship.

From the fly-tying box:
- scissors
- tinsel (for towing cables)
- lead wire (for tow cables - you have to twist it - or wiring)
- copper wire (the same as above)
- small beads (whatewer you have to with tiny spheres)
- hemostat clamps
- thread and thread holders (antennas bases)
- tweezers

Model builders!!! AHHH! you have got to love our style for being inovative !