Tools of the Trade

Regarding Harbor Freight:

check your local advertising flyers and magazine advertisements for Harbor Freight 20 pct off coupons. 

I would ask in the Armor forum.

If you have a Harbor Freight Tools store near you, then I suggest you pay them a visit. You can pick up several tools like tweezers, files, forceps, blades etc very cheap. Hobby Lobby is another store to visit and use the 40% coupon for savings on sanding sticks, needle files, etc.

If I was told that I was going to spend the next 6 months on a desert island and could take only a basic modeling tool kit, I would probably take the following:

Exacto knife w/ pack of 100 blades, flush cutters (sprue cutters), a tube of 1 body putty, 1 set cheap kneedle files, 1small Zona saw, 1 straight nosed tweezer, 1 angled (45 degree) tweezer, couple of sheets each of 360,400,600 & 800 wet/dry sandpaper, 1/2 doz cheap paint brushes, 1/2 doz really good paint brushes, glue (mine would be liquid, CA and epoxy), pair of good small scissors, a 6" steel ruler, paints and thinners of your choice and of course a fishing tackle box of a sufficient size to store all the above.

The above is pretty much what I used for the first 10 or so year is was in this hobby.  I think that most of this stuff can be found w/in a 30 minute drive from my house.

Hope this helps a little

Acctingman

Your basics are sprue cutters, a scalpel and a set of files. You can get all for not a lot or you can spend a lot. Make wise Xuron make great sprue cutters and price wise are middle of the road. Scalpels I use Swann Mortons but you can get hobby knives for less. Files you can go from nail files to jewellers files again pay your money and take your choice.

If you find something you like the look of post a link on here and people will let you know

Phil