I thought I would post some pictures of my favorite tools that I use. Who knows, somebody else out there might find them useful
.The first is a hand held vise. I've seen a version of this in Micro Mark's catalog. I made some modifications that make it more useful to me. First, I made a simple base out of a wood railing cap and a bolt, nut & 2 washers. This allows me to set the piece down without it falling over. The base replaces the handle that comes with the vise.
The other modification was to drill a hole between the 2 halves of the vise. This allows me to securely grab the brass tube I use to mount my figures. For smaller items, the vise comes with 4 pins that fit into holes that are in the top of the vise. These can be placed to accomodate any irregular shapes you need to hold. Here's a picture:
The second is a set of magnifers that clip on to your glasses. They're made for the folks that tie flies for fishing and are available at fishing supply stores. These have been the saving grace for me as my eyes are not what they used to be. Now, I never pick up a paint brush without them. They come available in a variety of magnifications and are not expensive. Mine cost me $10.00 (US). Here's a picture:
I hope somebody out there finds these as useful as I have.
