Cheap tools!!

Harbor Freight has tools that could be used for modeling.

Files, clamps, dental picks, sculpting tools, etc.

Don't forget Sallys Beauty Supply!!!

Cheap is good. Free is better, huh?

Next time you visit your dentist, ask him to save broken probes for you. They get broke more often than he lets you see. These are the little tools with hooks, curves, points, packers and all other types of ends.

Visit a bicycle shop. Bikes are painted with Enamels and companies often supply thier Dealers with touch-up kits for that years models. Most often in .6 oz bottles with a brush cap. You may want to buy a bike first. You know you need more exercise and it's just good business practice. 

I really don't mean to be the fly in the ointment, but be careful when purchasing "cheap" tools.  Many (not all) of the tools that wind up being such bargains are manufactured in China, and are made with inferior materials with little or no quality control.  I have seen wrenches made of cast pot metal instead of the nicely forged high chrome/moly/nickel wrenches we pay more for, and the first time used they either broke or bent severely.  I've seen flat head screwdriver heads turn into "S" shapes when trying to tighten or loosen a hard-to-turn screw.  These type tools are simply unsafe for use.

I'm not saying to run out and buy SnapOn or Mac tools for modeling, but use a little discretion.  I still firmly believe you get what you pay for.

Gip Winecoff

While I wouldn't recommend those cheap tools for working on a car or a bicycle or anything, they should be just fine working with plastic.  Such as scribers, small table vices, third hand tools, etc.  Sure that 50 cent scriber is going to go dull after about 100 uses, and the 10 dollar scriber will last for 1500 uses.  Really think about it though, it's a SCRIBER!  Sure having one or two of the nice ones is going to be needed for those high precision jobs there you have to have a specific width line scribed in, but for most things, the cheap scriber is going to work just fine.

Using them as tools for what they APPEAR to be intended for(wrenching on a car) is not safe, but when dealing with plastic?  They will work just fine.  Especially with most of the tools we are going to be using, we're not going to need to worry about it.  Good call on posting the heads up, just everyone needs to keep in mind the application.

Michael

styrene wrote:

Many (not all) of the tools that wind up being such bargains are manufactured in China, and are made with inferior materials with little or no quality control.  I have seen wrenches made of cast pot metal instead of the nicely forged high chrome/moly/nickel wrenches we pay more for, and the first time used they either broke or bent severely.

Yep

The orange handled pliers and the clamps seem to be fine for general purpose, but if you plan on really going wailing on something that is going to put a LOT of torque or stress on your tool (like that big boxed set of 1" drive sockets HF sells) be ready for bendage or breakage. Wear gloves, you dont know if they will snap as you are gettin' after it. 

On the plus size, they have a great selection of smaller and micro hand tools that work fine for our uses and things like thier air regulators have lasted me for years.

David

I believe he's referring to more in a model sense of cheap tools. I'm all for cheap crap to pick out dust, sand and file on models. However any mechanic done to anything around here is ither Craftsman or SnapOn.

Hey man, don't forget Mac and Proto.  Good stuff as well.  Although I have learned it's still not too difficult to rbeak the good stuff.  I've broken countless craftsman tools.  Strongest sockets I've ever used though are SK.  Best adjustable wrench by Proto.  Best regular wrenches, Mac.  Best wratchets, Craftsman.  Although I've learned my lesson.  I always wear Mechanixwear M-Pact II gloves now.  Spendy but worth EVERY penny.  Allows one to put more torque on the wrench without hurting ones hands as well.

Michael