Masterpiece models jig

I find as I grow older, and loose manual dexterity, I find it helps to work with my hands, not my arms.  This means holding the model in my left hand and the part I am attaching in the right hand, or tweezers and part in my right hand. Then I need to touch my hands together lightly.

It does indeed help to touch the left hand to the workbench to stabilize, even just very gently.  I sometimes stick out fourth or fifth finger to touch bench.  You want to minimized the total length of the muscle chain between model and part.  So sometimes I use the little fingers to touch each other.  These fingers do not generally get called on to do fine work, but it only takes a few hours and they will catch on.

I notice too that the old eyeballs no longer work as well. 

I got a magnifier on a stand that has arms with clips on it (4), and LEDs on the back to shed some light on things. It was $14.00. It makes painting small parts much easier.

wpwar11

...Long story short has anyone used Masterpiece models airplane jig?  I’m considering buying one. 

To your specific question, no, I have never used Masterpiece Models' airplane jig.  Do you mean this one?

https://masterpiecemodels.com/product/scale-model-jig-32-24-scale/

At $35 bucks (before shipping), it seems like it might be a bit much.  On the other hand, it looks like it's of good quality, and if it helps make things easier, it'd be worth it.

In line with the other replies, I do use something akin to a jig for holding items when spraying. It's basically a small wooden crate, about 6"x4"x4", open on top.  It was the package for a large ceramic mug someone gave me.  For my 1/48 and 1/72 airplanes, it serves well.  For things like priming figures, I put a piece of cardboard over the top and place them on that.

And like you, I made myself a set of holders with alligator clamps, for holding small pieces.  Though I used bamboo skewers.  I originally stuck them in a piece of styrofoam to hold them as the paint dried, but over the winter, I made myself a holder out of strips of corrugated cardboard, stuck into a box lid.

All of these things make it easier for me to hold a piece when spraying.

I hear you. I don't have this jig, I bought one from Vertigo. Put it together yesterday so I haven't actually used it yet. It appears to be very similar to this one. Two differences I see are the L brackets that the cradles attach to and then attach to the base. And the Vertigo jig uses little arms on the wing cradles to hold the model in place where this one uses rubber bands.

On the Vertigo you have to assemble those L brackets with 3 pieces each. You have to glue or epoxy them together. Not a big deal but, something you have to do. Its a little hard to tell from the picture of this jig but it looks like in addition to the bolt that holds the L bracket to the base there is a pin that sticks into the slot in the base. That will keep the brackets lined up and square. The Vertigo version doesn't have that, when you loosen that bolt the bracket will swivel all around and you have to line them up and hold them in place as you snug the bolt down. 

Rubber bands vs little arms to hold the model in place when needed? I don't know if it matters other than when you are painting that area. The little arms are kind of fiddly. Small fasteners and you have to loosen and tighten to use them. 

I didn't know about this jig or the differences. If I had I may have gone with this one. Either way, I'm ready for an adjustable stand that can hold the model for me. Whether it's during assembly, painting, decaling or weathering. Obviously it can't do everything but I think its worth the cost. I don't have the wings on my current project yet but when I do I'll try to update this.

Don Stauffer

I find as I grow older, and loose manual dexterity, I find it helps to work with my hands, not my arms.  This means holding the model in my left hand and the part I am attaching in the right hand, or tweezers and part in my right hand. Then I need to touch my hands together lightly.

It does indeed help to touch the left hand to the workbench to stabilize, even just very gently.  I sometimes stick out fourth or fifth finger to touch bench.  You want to minimized the total length of the muscle chain between model and part.  So sometimes I use the little fingers to touch each other.  These fingers do not generally get called on to do fine work, but it only takes a few hours and they will catch on.

 

 

 

^this. 

This technique should be taught to anyone entering the hobby. 

When I try to apply paint or glue or a part to a model and don't do what Don suggests, all I do is make a mess. 

Steady breathing and a beer helps too. 

T e d

Yep, the beer helps a lot