The Ship Model Forum

by **Hallogen** » Tue Dec 27, 2005 8:57 pm

Well just figured I'd add a little. I'm an Emt so I've been using needles for barrels and glue for years and I actually use blood draw and medication vials for paint storage, but some other Ideas for glue if you can't get your hands on the needles is to take a sewing needle and cut the thread ring off just at the tip of it. The resulting horseshoe void will hold just enough gleu for those small parts or hard to reach areas. Also gauze is great for helping to shape water. Soak it in diluted white glue and shape it and at your gel over it. Easier than doing it by gel layers. Also makes great cammo netting or packs if you do Armor or dioramas.

by **les** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 10:21 am

Check out the Harbor Freight website. They have all kinds of tools at good prices. Some of the things I've bought there are punches, extra hands, moto tool, small table saw and files.

by **ScottBono** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:40 pm

Almost forgot, you can pick up any number of disposable scalpels (with handles) to use for super fine cutting, positioning, etc. And a handful of tongue depressers can be cut and shaped for a dozen different uses - even aas a small mixing palette for paints.

by **ScottBono** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:56 pm

Just read through all the tips and wanted to add a few I have found worthwhile and real inexpensive:

Run thru the aisles of WalMart or the store of choice in the 'cosmetics' aea and check out all those 'instruments' the ladies use on their faces - tweezers (20 types), various brushes (great for final surfacing), and also collect and experiment with your wife's (or significant other's) eye shadow 'equipment' for applying finishing touches on surfaces. I always ended up with glue splotches until I talked to my local doctor who gave me a bunch of diabetic needles w/empty syringe barrels which are incredible for application of minute points of cement. The same trip garnered me a handful of plastic surgical clamps great for...clamping...as well as handling parts without touching them. One of my all-time great 'finds' was a magnifying lamp a doctor was replacing for a new model. Of course, emory boards are good and while some guys use monofilament line for rigging and wires, ask a local doctor for a couple packs of old suture material (un used of course) in the smallest size. So much of the stuff is going to get tossed anyway due to dis-use, most professional ofices are glad to give 'samples' if you just lt them know why. I inventoried my workbench prior to writing all this and counted about 20 different items available for literally pennies - stuff for fine working, etc. It just takes imagination and some scouting.

by **richter111** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:13 am

Another paint that responds well to it's thinner is the Model Master acryle, the model master thinner is a giant jump forward in quality, especiallywhen airbrushing.

Ric

by **Francisco P. de Nanclares** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:48 am

Rob J wrote:Tamiya's website says there paints are water bassed so I can only asume that they can mix with water, but there is only one way to find out.

My experience is Tamiya paints and water don�t go along all that well. Better use the thinner.

by **kennylibben** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:18 pm

by **les** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:18 pm

Going Canadian on me Kenny?

by **kennylibben** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:15 pm

by **les** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:14 pm

After it's set, it should be fine. You have to strip or sand it off then.

by **kennylibben** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:09 pm

hope it doesn't ALL clean up with water... im using it on my R/C ships!

by **les** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:06 pm

Tamiya makes thinner for their paint. If you're going to thin it to use in an air brush, I would use it to thin the paint. The paint will clean up with water and also alcohol.

by **Rob J** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:34 pm

Tamiya's website says there paints are water bassed so I can only asume that they can mix with water, but there is only one way to find out.

by **Timmy C** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:19 pm

If it is, yes. Although I'm not sure. The only acrylics I use often are Gunze's Aqueous(<===='in water') line.

by **Rob J** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 5:09 pm

So if Tamiya is water based can you thin it with water?

by **Timmy C** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:45 pm

Some acrylic paints. Some are alcohol-based, some are waterbased.

by **Rob J** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:37 pm

I have heard that you can use water to thin acylic paints, is that true?

by **Mike C** » Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:27 am

Gun shows are a good source for tool bargains. Most of the ones that I've been to have vendors that sell all sorts of esoteric stuff. I use hemostats (scissor tweezers with locking mechanism) for grabbing small bits of sandpaper to get into tight areas. I've also found small dental tools and drill burrs to use for shaping, scraping and scribing. Jewelry vendors have small chain for bracelet clasps. Spools of trip wire will yield thousands of small masts and yardarms. Brass blackener, a liquid sold for touching up uniform buckles and buttons, also works on copper anchor chain and photo etched brass.

I almost never throw away any electronic device without opening it for goodies. Speakers and motors often have windings of very small diameter copper wire for rigging. Allen head set screws are great for making bolt heads (heat plastic sprue until it melts or catches fire, usually both, blow it out and press into the hole).

I drill small holes in the bottoms of small parts for inserting toothpick holders for painting. Use a chunk of florist foam to hold the toothpicks.

by **Francisco P. de Nanclares** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:12 am

A very interesting thread. Thanks RNfanDan an the others!

by **Vlad** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:54 am

MichelB wrote:Some other chap mentioned using Blue-tack as a erzats putty for blast bags

yep, I do that, works great.

also try getting some different sized beads, schartchbuilt radomes anyone?

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