Since my birthday is coming up, I'm compiling a list of everything "model" that I'd like .

My idea is for my parents to give me a gift basket full of materials/tools, what I ask of you is what I should ask for them to include...

styrene sheets, rods, pieces, etc.(what sizes)
solder/copper wire (gauges)
lead foil(where can I find this stuff!?)
balsa wood
styrofoam
...the list goes on.

I mostly am just asking what you use most. I'm mostly just trying to super-detail, haven't done too much scratching yet.

You need those things and tools. Dremel, pin vise, lathe... and the like...

Another cheap alternative to brass sheet and is very versatile is aluminum foil, the thickness of the roasting tin or carryout container from take away restaurants.











Another freebie cast off from all plastic kits is the sprue of various thickness that can be stretched, heat bent, and shaped, sanded and carved. I have also found that the centre of the sprue centre can be drilled through easily to make hollow tube and carved to make universal joints or the like.

Plastic and metal mesh from old electrical appliances, fly screens or other strange sources that are cheap, if not free !!!!!!!

Drill, tweezers and embossing tools


Sanding, carving and scribing tools


Circle cutters, wire handle jigs cutting guides and folding tools


Clamps, pegs, wire cutters, metal set squares, metal rulers, scale rulers


Superglues of various thickness, two part epoxy glues, fillers, etc


Fine and course sanding sticks and paper

Digital measuring calipers and adjustable metal compass with one sharpened end (both useful of scribing plastic sheet with a repeatable required cutting size) and calculator for scaling off and resizing drawings to your own scale, leather hole punch, saws, micro saws, cocktail sticks, metal plate and metal plumb bob (useful to flatten aluminum sheet), pliars, cutting mat


Vertical bench drill, saw miter block (marge and small)


Reasonable quality (not necessarily expensive) mini drill and lathe set (Ha ha ha I need to get around to using mine)


You could make a cheap aluminum foil corrugating tool


Painted measuring sticks and a good quality digital camera with plenty memory cards


Books, scale drawings and reference information off the net (often cheap and more often free if you look or ask on here or other forums)

Hope some of this helps, but there are loads of other useful stuff folks will tell you about. Maybe we soon get to see you take on a subject of your choice very soon.

Nige

Thanks Nige!! Exactly what I'm talking about!!

I have a lathe and stuff, but no space to use it... I've got dibs on the shed when the kids start moving out...

Great pics!!

Hi Nige, how goes it mate?

Can you give some more info on the lathe set?

Is it a seperate contraption that you fit a Dremel to?

Where did you get it from?

How much?

Would you consider donating yours to charity? (Mine).

Thanks so much Nige!!!!!!

I have 2 pin vises, all the usual sanding sticks/files/clamps etc... I am just unsure as to what sizes of styrene and gauges of wire are used.

My first scratchbuilding project is hopefully going to be a Quad .50 trailer, as I have an M16 kit with no chassis.

I have no idea where to begin. I know I need Quad .50 trailers specs etc. This will be no easy feat for me...

Hi Murdo

That was a cheapy find on Flea Bay a while ago. Think it cost me a fiver including the p&p.

Not had a chance to try it out as yet cause baby got in the way and stuff.

Took me long enough to find it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, so bugger off !!!!!!!!!!!!!! IS MINE ALL MINE !!!!!!!!!!

Jared

Is this any use to you ?????


From a very useful website called Blueprints.com

So many fantastic scale drawings on this web site and all free to use if you join the forum which is free.

Hope it is the right one and look forward to seeing your work very soon

Nige

Hi Jaredt

I think there are no specific rules about that, it depends on the projects you're going to begin
All the gauges, sizes and thickness could be useful.
Maybe it would be better to prefer the smallest sizes, so for example some hanks of copper/brass wires dimeters 0,3mm 0,4mm 0,6 mm...at most 1mm and some plasticard sheets 0,2mm 0,5mm and 1mm thick. I think you ll' hardly ever use sheets thicker than them

Anyway, if I were you I'd like to have most of all some good tools (pliers, drills, a lathe) because they are more expensive.




This is a very good advise

Look also here:

http://www.smcars.net/forums/tanks/

Anyway I have plenty of references (especially about Russian stuff) Anything you need let me know

Cheers

Nige, thanks for the picture, I just found that image and many others tonight while I was looking.

Thanks Mauro - as always lol.

Jaredt,
Just a few pointers from a long-time hardcore scratchbuilder:
1. KISS- keep it simple stu___
2. For many years I relied on the pure basic tools and was still able to build competition winning models, start with the basic's and learn to use them well.
3. As a self-confessed cheapskate - a lot of household items can easily be obtained (for free) and used eg. copper wire just find an old computer cable or power cord = enough wire to last years. Lead foil - nah, as Nige said alloy foil is a good substitute. Balsa wood - try wooden coffee stirrers, again free at most coffee houses etc.
4. in regards to styrene sheet, check your local yellow pages and see if there are any plastics manufacturers/suppliers as you can buy a large 1200x600 sheet for the price of one pack of Evergreen, also check local signwriters for any offcuts they might be willing to part with.
5. When starting out get a supply of old cereal boxes and practise on this (far cheaper than making a mistake on sheet styrene) also it's a good way to check dimensions/fit as your build progresses and it teaches you the skill of template making.
6. Another cheap method - instead of buying the sanding sticks etc just head down to the local hardware store and get some sheets of wet and dry sandpaper in various grades.
7. Things like Dremels (blah - give me Proxxon anyday) are really a Nice To Have and not an Essential. A good set of needle files and a razor saw will do all the jobs a Dremel does.

Now back to the original question , sheet styrene, .25, .4, .5, .75 & 1mm are all very handy to have laying around.
As you are starting out just get the styrene shapes as you require (you'll break the bank trying to get one of everything).

But the second most important thing(s) on the list should be a healthy supply of blades (including Round, Chisel etc etc) - can't do clean work with blunt blades.
I also include here a well lit work area with comfortable seat.

And the Most important thing is to just enjoy what you are doing

And quickly heading off-topic - Nige that ain't a mini-lathe this is a mini-lathe:

Thanks so much... the sign shop idea is brilliant. There's one 15min from me so I'm going to give that a shot.

Thanks for helping out the rookie...

Bah! Tight fisted, crabit, anti-social auld git. May the fleas of a thousand dogs infest your armpits!

Hey Casper, nice to see you again, where have you been hiding?

Nice lathe, hope Nige is really jealous now!

Jaredt, sorry mate, as I've hijacked half your thread joking with Nige It's only fair that I contribute something for you as well.

This is a really useful item to have. It's a digital measuring caliper and costs around £10... Probably around 15 to 20 canadian dollars? Sorry, lost track of your currency, haven't been to Canada for a long time.

As Casper said

It's not the tool, it's how you use it !!!!!!!!!!!! Well OK, I did say I hadn't used mine in a long time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny, my wife complains often about me playing with my tools and forgetting about her !!!!!!!!!!

I will get on with fettling some more plastic, will I ????

What is that that you use for making corrugations in aluminum foil? There are a few aircraft with corrugations that I wouldn't mind taking a crack at, but the corrugations have stopped me(the ANT-2).

Hi Max

This was the tool I made

Corrugating tool

It makes fantastic riggly tin for sheds, nissen huts, hangers, air said shelters, barns and the like.

Nissen hut

Try at craft shops for card crimping tools also as you might find the size of the corrugations might be different to the paint tube squeezers.

Nige