Show and share your favourite tools for making models

[JIM BAUMANN]

In response to a question in my WIP thread for Cruiser Zhemchug in 1/700; I thought it may be pertinent to show what I am using for specific purposes.

As I am now 48 yrs old-(!!) -and my close-up eyesight has deteriorated somewhat ( until 4 years ago I did everything with the naked eye--supplemented with an Optivisor

I now wear the Optivisor in conjunction with my reading glasses.

I find the Optivisor indispensable!!! I use a DA-3 and DA-05 lens--it has really sharpened up my modelling.

Cutting PE.
------------

I do not like blades for cutting PE-- bits fly everywhere and the cut is not always perfect.

I much prefer using high quality scissors with a really good edge--
==> one can 'feel' any protrusions--however slight -- and tune them away-- works best with brass--stainless steel will wear the blades ( albeit I do replace the scissors every 3 months or so--the old ones get demoted to such functions as cutting brass or Nickel silver rod - even stainless steel wire for making masts and yards

The best so far that I have found --cost to blade ratio are the Fiskars embroidery

For longer runs or cutting railing I use Fiskars needlework

Apropos cutting...

I have always found modelmaking knives and scalpels just too flexible for my liking.-- not enough precision when paring or scoring

I use Stanley blades- hand held in my fingers--rigid and have a good edge--excellent for paring and scraping

- I frequently change to a new blade ( 3-6 blades per session )
as a result I buy them in packs of 100

No seeing or cutting is any use if one cannot hold the tiny parts

My favourite tweezers are the Swiss made RUBIS-- not cheap at all-(!!) -but oh so precise and sharp!-- no twist and no slipping on the points--alas like their cheaper sisters they also do not like being dropped point down...

I have also recently ordered some low stress -to-hold tweezers

For handling very soft and delicate GMM Gold-Plus or WEM ultra-fine 1/700 railing I use stamp collectors' tweezers-- this has no sharp contact points and this results in kink and dent free hand-railings

Tweezers stamp collector.jpg (6 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

For clamping masts or sub-assemblies which are having more bits added I use sprung cross action tweezers...

So as to be able to match drill bits to metal rods accurately--or indeed different mast materials etc I find a digital caliper simply indispensable-- they are not expensive now--mine was � 14.75

Apropos masts-- I like using tube wherever possible ( also good for making funnels)I prefer cutting the tubing with a tube cutter--( also useful for creating indents--ie plates on funnels

I de-burr these with a set of Rifler files

I use a pushpin to start all portholes--and also mast and vent locations .

Having a small indent also means that gluing is made easier--as there is more glue top form a 'plug'.
I often attach non structural parts with wood glue--high grab and dries clear.

white glue wood adhesive.jpg (10.03 KiB) Viewed 1766 times

[NukeMM]

[s4usea]

I've found my fly tying tools to in indispensable, to include the vise for supporting builds and holding parts.

Along with that scalpels, proportional dividers, calipers...

[ComfortablyNumb]

For cutting photo etch, its hard to beat a sheet of black acrylic. The visual contrast with the brass pe makes making nub-less cuts (and stub-less parts) much easier, plus your blades will last much longer than if you use glass.
The cutting guide is of great usefulness as well. No flying parts!