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Tools & Supplies
Discussions on the latest and greatest tools, glues, and gadgets.
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Favorite Tool or Hand-made contraptions
staff_Jim
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Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 06:53 AM UTC
Do you have a favorite tool that always makes the job a little easier? Well besides your x-acto blade.

One such tool for me is my small hand drill (the kind that's like a small screw-driver). I can drill out gun barrels and other detail orientated things with it.. I really couldn't have done that effect with out it.
Sabot
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Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 08:12 AM UTC
Got a couple, one is that X-acto knife with the black rubber handle. I got one as a gift, and the grip is designed not to roll. I still have the regular ones, but my main, fresh #11 blade is on the comfy grip one.

The other is an artist's box that opens up and allows the three-levels to be accessed. Very handy way of having all my stuff at arms reach.
HunterCottage
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Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 10:13 PM UTC
To move paint from the container to my airbrush jar, I use a straw that I have cut down.

My wife likes the way I made my compressor less noisy (even though she won't admit it)!. I took a sponge and put about 10 holes in a 4 x 4 cm section and cut it to the correct thickness. After doing that I put it in the opening in the crankhouse. It took away about 10 - 15 Db, now I can work inside when everybody's sleeping.
Kencelot
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Posted: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 - 11:13 PM UTC
Mine would have to be the one I discovered about 20+ years ago out of necessity. "Toe" nail clippers! Yup, you read correctly. While I do own a pair of Xurons, I prefer to use the "toe" nail clippers. Just have to be careful because the blade is curved (concave). Work great for removing parts from trees.
Sabot
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Posted: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 07:34 AM UTC
I've been using fingernail clippers for many years before I discovered the purpose-made sprue cutters (and could afford them). Same with pin vise and micro drill bits. Until I could afford one of those, I had to use the tip of a sharp blade as a drill to put holes in the ends of machine gun barrels.

May be we need to come up with a recommended beginner's tool box full of useful common, inexpensive tools. Like Emery boards from the nail care department, toothpicks, straight pins, needle files, etc.
staff_Jim
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Posted: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 10:10 AM UTC
Rob,
Excellent idea. And for the people who have the means, perhaps a picture to accompany each tool. That way a real newbie will know what he is looking for. If anyone wants to submit a list (and images if possible) I can start putting the suggestions together into an article for the Tips and Tricks area.

Jim
Sabot
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Posted: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 - 07:27 PM UTC
I'll warm up the digital camera and scanner and start taking some pictures this holiday weekend.

Once the "tool box" is complete, you can just link it to a gallery of the photos. I just remember seeing hints & tips in the old Military Modeler magazine and saying "why didn't I think of that"?

Another more advanced tool: a regular sewing needle stuck on the end of a thick piece of sprue (with the eye end facing out) makes a great superglue applicator.

I use good pieces of sprue for all sorts of tools. I collect up many 5" sections to use as paint stirrers. Some of the larger ones off of tank kits I whittle/file the ends down to make spatulas for applying putty. When the ends get nasty, just snip and reform another end.

Rob G
still thinking up uses for long, smooth, straight pieces of sprue
Kencelot
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Posted: Thursday, December 27, 2001 - 04:30 AM UTC
I certainly wished there was some sort of "beginners tools" list when I took up the hobby. Aside from nail clippers I used popcicle sticks for stirring paints, tooth picks for applying glue and for painting tiny dots. Raiding mom's sewing box for tools was not uncommen. Rubber bands or hair bands for holding parts while the glue dried and if the parts would not accommodate a band I grabbed "bread ties" wire and used it as a turnacate of sorts. Hmmmm, got me remembering...
Kencelot
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Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2002 - 06:26 AM UTC
Just wanted to mention a tool of sorts that can be found in most homes. Yogurt cups. They work great for holding small pieces. Because the tops are clear, it makes it easy to locate those stored pieces. The tops are great for mixing paints on, because the paint when dried can easily be cleaned off, and reused. Also good for shaving pastels onto.
staff_Jim
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Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2002 - 01:54 PM UTC
FYI - I posted Rob's Toolbox article in the Basic Training area.

Thanks again Rob.

Jim
ArmouredSprue
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Posted: Thursday, January 10, 2002 - 08:55 PM UTC
Hi!
Is cool to see that the tool (for begginners and so begginners) are the same around the world (you onStates and me on Brazil), I started building past 15 years ago and the history repeats...I used the nail clipper, the toothpick and one thing no one mentioned is the razor blade (like from Gillete) I know it´s dangerous to use but my beggining was made using it. The most interesting thing on this hobby is that every one can create the tools for his own use, and sometimes just for an specific model (for exaple: a jig to wire bending)
That´s it, cheers!
BETO/br
Tin_Can
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Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 03:36 AM UTC
When I started my first armor model a few weeks ago I needed something to help me paint the rubber on the road wheels so I took a stick used to make candy suckers (my wife makes candy a lot), shaved the end a little with the old xacto and wala...a road wheel holder that makes painting the rubber easy because you just hold the brush and rotate the stick.
Sabot
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Posted: Saturday, January 26, 2002 - 10:26 AM UTC
I did something similar with my old Dremel mini-mite moto-tool. When it was getting old and slow, I used it with its worn out battery. It turns real slow and I just chuck the road wheels into sprue, old paint brush handles, whatever fits into the hole and change them out.
drewgimpy
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Posted: Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 11:44 AM UTC
I had some paint that had spent a lot of time sitting around so I needed something to give it a good stir. I cut a strip of wire out of a hanger and put a series of "Z" type bends in one end. I left the rest of it straight and when I put it in between my fingers and spin it, it realy mixes the paint well. Just be sure you don't lift it up while your spinning it around
alphasniper
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Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 02:18 AM UTC
one of my favorite tools is a little contraption i made, I set up a variable speed dremmel motor tool so that it actualy holds things and spins them while they dry, or i do what ever else to them. I mainly use this while building diorams. My other tool is a lighter, i melt down the extra plastic and then shapre it to be used in my diorama.
GeneralFailure
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Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2002 - 03:18 AM UTC
For scratchbuilding, a few other tools are indispensable : a caliper and a calculator. Without these, it's next to impossible to figure out the exact size of the parts you need to make.

Jan
GunTruck
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Posted: Monday, February 18, 2002 - 10:47 PM UTC
My favorite tools are long toothpicks - BBQ skewers and little lengths of brass wire that I clamp in a clothes pin to apply superglue. One that I buy are sanding sticks from Sentai Distributors - one works for everything, just love 'em.

The battery-powered Dremel too is an all-time favorite for construction.

Gunnie
NeilUnreal
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Posted: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 02:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The battery-powered Dremel too is an all-time favorite for construction.



I'll second that! After a few minutes off the charger, the battery mellows out and the speed drops just enough to cut and drill styrene easily without melting it. I use my big Dremel maybe 10% as often as my battery-powered model.

-Neil

GunTruck
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Posted: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 02:56 AM UTC
Another tool I have, and can't do without, are clothes pins. I use double-sided tape and mount vitrually everything I'm gonna paint on a clothes pin. Don't even remember when or how I got into using them, but I find them indispensible for mounting parts on to paint.

Gunnie
RufusLeeking
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Posted: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 - 03:21 AM UTC
A trick I use from years ago, is to buy sand paper at a hardware store in various grits. Cut the sheets into 2" squares. One pack will last you years and alot less money than packages sold at hobby shops.

Ron C.
Ashtabula, Oh
GeneralFailure
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Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 - 11:09 PM UTC

... and then there's the punch & die set. It makes perfect holes in plasticard, but even better it supports you with an unlimited source of mint-conditioned cut-out circles to make screws.
There's also a punch & die hex-set, that makes hexagonal holes.... and perfect bolts !

GunTruck
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Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 - 11:14 PM UTC
I agree with Jan - Punch & Die sets are great!

Gunnie
NeilUnreal
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2002 - 08:27 AM UTC
I'm trying to make my own sub-mini punch and die contraption. I did some prototyping on a basic design tonight and now I think I'm on the right track. I'd like to engineer it so that I can use it either with or without an arbor press. The 1/2-ton arbor presses commonly sold by tool stores seem like overkill -- too unwieldy. Has anyone used the "Sensi-Press" sold by Northwest Short Line? It's billed as a 250 lb. precision arbor press for hobbyists and jewelers.

-Neil
Chappy_ju87
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2002 - 09:37 PM UTC
Micro-drill is by far my favorite tool to use. Another little jig I made comes in handy for individual track links. It consists if 2 strips of wood and 2 alligator clips. I line the track links up on the pices of wood (about 8 links) and then clip the alligator clips on each end. Holds them while you can glue them. I use Tenax on the links with a paint brush, let dry for a few minutes and then form them around the sprockets.
NeilUnreal
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Posted: Friday, March 01, 2002 - 12:25 AM UTC
I tend to get caught in "Infinite Tool Regress" -- the tool equivalent of "Advanced Modelers Syndrome." You need to make a tool to make something, but then you need to make a tool to make that tool, but that takes another custom tool...

-Neil
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