Your Favorite Tool or Technique?

-Tamiya acrylic paints. No nasty fumes like the testors enamels I grew up with (twitch twitch cough cough :))

-Testors dullcote to seal everything in and protect the finish

-using a sharpened brush handle for cleaning up canopy frames. Slop the paint on, then carefully scrape it clean to the edge of the framing.

-Plastruct liquid glue

I think many of the 'tools' mentioned in this thread are ones which I think are necessary for use in model building, whether type of glue, sandpaper, knife, saw or whatever. Though I have and use most of those mentioned, my favorite tool is my little Unimat 3 lathe. It's great for making small parts or drilling small holes etc. I'm not as good as the individual in the following link, but have a look - he's a model builder:

Unimat in plastic model building

The link only goes to machining but have a look around some nice models.

I work wtih a guy that I think is a tool...but I wouldn't classify him as my favorite.

Finn....I almost NEVER use Tamiya tape for canopies.....I ALWAYS use Bare Metal Foil for masking canopies....awesome stuff

I'm sure it has already been mentioned but bare metal foil for masking canopies is one of my best tools.

True, Jim....very true.

I also like the cheap fingernail files (sanding sticks) you get in the cosmetic sections of pharmacies and supermarkets....LOTS of different grits....some padded, some not....and about HALF the price of a sanding stick made for modelers.....

Those little cosmetic sponges you buy by the bag real cheap at dollar stores have become my favorite. Cut in half, they're great for wiping off the rim of the paint bottle after opening--and easier to deal with than using a piece of paper towel. They're also great for wiping up small paint and glue spills.

They make great little cushions for small parts with paint jobs you don't want damaged.

I'm even using them to silence a rattling wall register in the heating/cooling system. They don't look great, but they work, and for me, ugly but functional and practical will always beat out pretty but useless.

Raualduke

If I'm not mistaken tenax is essentially m e k. Might be some other additives but it sure behaves the same .

It is.. Tenax and Testor's pink label liquid cement are mostly MEK.. 

If I'm not mistaken tenax is essentially m e k. Might be some other additives but it sure behaves the same .

Nathan T

Does Eduard's painting masks count as a favorite tool, or is it cheating.

Yes Nathan they count, at least the pre-cut ones....good call!  I've become lazy in the canopy masking department as of late and these are God sent.  They came with the Eduard Dora I recently built and I was so pleased with the results, I used them on my Hurricane, which took all of about 20 minutes to mask.  Normally this is process takes me hours.  Thats a worthwhile cheat all day, twice on Sunday.....

Joe

I'll have to pick up some MEK to see how this stuff does. How does it compare to, say, Tenax or Tamiya? I saw those referred to as water-thin, but I thought MEK was thin, too?

My bottle opener.

What is my favorite tool?

Nail Clippers.

Why?

1.  New ones are very sharp.

2.  They work fantastic for cutting parts from the sprues

3.  They are a fraction of the cost of those plastic snips.

MEK on order :-)

Oh...yeah.....I admit.....the hardware store MEK - the primer for plumbers who mess about with PVC pipes.....that MEK stuff absolutely kicks it.....hard.  Brilliant stuff....sticks styrene together like NOTHING I've ever seen......and it cleans brushes better than anything I've ever used before.

Guys....Girls.....whatever.....this is awesome!!!!  You guys (and gals?) ROCK!  Keep them cards and letters a' comin!!!!

There's some GREAT ideas here - some of which I have not come across before.....but I will now!!!

Remember  .....   Keep an open mind - I've learned so much simply by LISTENING to others.....you can ALWAYS learn if you just put your lips together and keep them there......I've improved my skills incredibly just by reading FSM and seeing the stuff you guys post on this website.

In the past, there were so many things I'd read about....and never tried.  I have some favorite things that I read about....and then tried....and the results improved my builds more than I can say!

Brilliant stuff....like I said.....you guys rock.

Anyone else?  I'm listening......

Eduard canopy masks. Greatest thing to happen to modeling since the iPod dock with a remote control.

One of my favorites hasn't been mentioned yet, so I cast a vote for the Dobson Mitrre-Rite.  It's got the perfect combination of consistency and versatility for cutting settable angles, and it uses standard replacement blades which are easily obtained from most hobby outlets.  I think it's available from both MicroMark and ModelExpo-online.

For glue, I go with what autocar1953 said, and I will swear by hardware-store methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).  Give it a try and you will NEVER go back to name-brand water-thin solvent glues.  Plus it costs about $8 a quart.

--Spike

Right now its the one that works.  Later when I get more experience maybe I can choose....  No I cant lie,  I love all of it!!!! 

Easy Off (yellow can) for removing chrome. tried coke and bleach, but neither seemed to work as well (or as quickly)  for me.

Favorite tool?  12" bamboo skewer, with a alligator clip on the non-pointed end...About 12 0f them.

Adhesive? Hardware store MEK  in a plastic squeeze bottle with an .015 dia tube or smaller.

primer?   Walmart cheapie, decanted into an airbrush bottle, and thinned about 20%

paint? i like Model Master thinned with testors airbrush thinner..30-50%.

Airbrush/compressor? Badger 200 single action internal mix/ Sears pancake with regulator watertrap 15/20 psi to spray.  I also have a Badger 100/150 with a built in color cup..

Jim A.

1. airbrush

2.tamiya extra thin

3.promodeller wash

Tuco-I've always thought about buying Floyd Werner's dvd, but opted for Swanny's series instead. I should pick his up just to watch the 109 master build some 109s..So you're saying its worth the $50-60 price tag?

.012 Beadalon for cableing on ww1 biplanes looks awsom, Tamyia bottled glue green cap, Tamyia paints, Modelmaster paints, last but not least my seam scraper from MicroMark.           ACESES5  FINISHED 11/26/12  DRAGON BERGPANTHER IV          

I've recommended this before and wiil do so again. The Master Class Model Building #1 DVD by Floyd Werner has made the most improvement in my model building by far. I learned about things like using Mr. Surfacer and EZline just to name a couple of things. I went from being frustrated and not completing much to building models I am very happy with. No connection to Floyd, although I did make a point of finding him at a show to thank him personally.

Heck, some of my favorite tools or techniques have already been covered but I'll add a couple more:

1. Mr. Super Clear Gloss and Mr. Super Clear Flat.  I will use Mr. Super Clear Gloss instead of Future whenever I can.  It puts down such a nice gloss coat.  Drawback:  Price.  Stuff ain't cheap.  But one can should cover 3 1/48 models.

1. Novus Polishing System.  Using this on canopies will make them crystal clear.  No more dipping canopies in Future...which is one less thing that can get screwed up on the model.

Most have been mentioned already, but the key "milestones" in my modeling toolbox:

1.  My first X-acto knife with a #11 blade.

2.  Testors liquid cement

3.  Tweezers.

4.  My Badger 350 airbrush and compressor (30 years old and still going strong).

5.  Wet/dry sandpaper

6.  Testor Model Master paints (including metalizers).

Mark  

Toothpicks....for propping up parts, mixing paint, fixing a spot of glue

waxed paper:  makes a great pallet and covers the cutting mat.

Hey I ditto Lawdog. I re-use my old Tamiya cement jar, cause its bigger and nice and flat, only the Tenax seems to evaporate fairly quickly...Guess I need to build faster. Does Eduard's painting masks count as a favorite tool, or is it cheating...I'd say gunze paints and my airbrush. Painting is a  breeze and I have far less screw ups do to the quality of the paint.