Unusal Stuff You Use For This Hobby?

I have found a sledge hammer useful at times....

A very fine black marker.  (0.3mm)  Great for eyebrows and other really fine lines.

I use the thick brush that comes with woman's make-up to remove dust off of my models

John

I keep a number of items of "supply" that I pick up at places other than hobby shops. I go through a lot of paper toweling. I also use a lot of toothpicks, q-tips, business cards and other items of card stock, and plastic wrap and plastic baggies. I also, like Colin, keep a supply of felt marking pens handy.

Hairspray, Windex, Klear,  etc.

all sorts of stuff from the art & crafts shop, like tiger wire & irridescents

hi :

   I sometimes use those .Mostly my odd stuff is jewelry chain (very small ) slip rings ( Again , very small ) and other stuff that has me going to the beauty supply store .The " Big " brush (Blush Brush ) is very useful for bathing a dusty model too . I haunt my Home Depot and Lowes as well as " the " hardware store which is HENNE'S In New Braunfels . This place has been around so long they still know the names (proper ) for ALL the little woodworking files that are super valuable to a model builder . Then I make a trip to the local medical supply place for tweezers and things like that . This is where , believe it or not I got replacement air hose for my old compressor .It works great on the new one too .I can see if I am getting a moisture buildup and blow it out .             Tanker - Builder

Chrisk-k

Well, I use an "Always Women's Pad" for removing paints for dry brushing.  A single pad absorbs a ton of paints and lasts for a year for me. 

Fingernail files-polish-remover, makeup brushes, sponges, powered makeup is one thing. Sanitary napkins? NOPE!!!!! I guess I'm just too "old school".

Speaking of paper toweling earlier this summer the wife picked up a new product (new to me) for a road trip.

Its called "Viva-on the go paper napkins". They work like a box of Kleenex. Same material as Viva paper towels and about half the size.

I've been using the remainder of the box and so far I love them!!!

I use plastic knitting needles for shafting and piping and other round stock items. They come in millimeter sizing which is a direct conversion to 1/25th scale. They machine very well in a mini-lathe.

Carl

I made a set of ship rigging tooks from knitting needles.  Took two needles. On one I clipped out a section of the side of an eye, making a hook for hooking threads and pulling them back outside existing rigging.  On the other I sawed the eye in half making a fork, to push a length of thread inside of existing rigging.  Sometimes I use them consecutively, pushing a thread through with the fork, then hooking it with the hook to pull it back out on the other side of an existing thread like a stay.

Were those knitting needles or crochet hooks? I don't remember any of my mom's knitting needles having eyes, or crochet hooks having them neither.

Lee

When I built model cars as a "yout", I fabricated funny car chassis from Pick Up Sticks.  I cut off the pointy ends and they made acceptable substitutes for steel tubing.

Gary

I use guitar string for springs on 1/48 scale aircraft such as a tail wheel retracting spring. The strings come in different sizes so theres usually a size for the application. Paint em a steel color and apply a wash is all that's needed!

Hi , Texgunner !

Youse did dat too ? I useta take dem pick-up stick tingys (ya no da roun ones ) an use dem for piping on Tanker decks , worked great too . He ! He !     Tanker - Builder

Gee, I don't remember exactly.  They were needles with eyes, not hooks. I made the hook one myself by cutting away the eye in part.  Both had very large needle eyes on end. Bought two of same needle. One for hook, one for fork.

I use those cheapo make-up sponges that you get by the bagful at dollar stores. The most frequent use for them is wiping the brim of the paint bottle after opening it, or wiping up small paint spills. I'll also use one as a cushion for small painted parts I don't want to scratch up. (I even used about five of them to silence the rattling air-conditioning vent in the living room and others to silence the plastic drip tray under the refrigerator and keep it from "buzzing.")

Years ago, a respiratory therapist buddy of mine (who works in a hospital) gave me one of those vomit trays (clean, of course!), certainly as a joke, but I soon learned its unusual kidney shape fits around small or multiple sub-assemblies that I want to keep the dust off of, so the tray sees frequent use as a dust cover. 

I used the plastic sticks from cheap q-tips (just cut off the ends) to fabricate the missing tube structures on my Eagle 1 model. I got it used off e-bay and it was missing a lot of the original ones. I also use a ton of the triangular makeup sponges for all kinds of things.

I use straight pins to assemble Fruiels, small tapered dentil brushes for air brush cleaning and my 10# boat anchor to take my frustations out on an crappy kit.     acceses5     ON BENCH CYBER HOBBY 1/35 JADGPANZER IV A-O            

You Do Know :

That boat anchor has a modeling use too ? If you are building a large model (say the 1/350  Enterprise carrier) you can actually use it carefully to hold down the deck while gluing it .Yes ! the plastic will support it . Just make sure you have a piece of 1/4 inch plywood between it and the model !

I use quite a bit of those plastic things that keep the bread bags closed.  Not sure of what they are called or really made of but it gives me an almost endless supply of small scrap plastic.  Works with cement you use normally on your kit.

Lessee-----Baby Powder, Hand Cream, Toothpaste, Cold Cream, Nail Polish Remover, Clothes Pins, Asst. electronic parts, Change of Clothes, Vodka, Pack of Smokes and a Mossberg for when things REALLY go south.

Don, I remember seeing those kinds of needles at my grandmother's house when I was a kid (around 65 years ago). She was a seamstress, and made wedding dresses for a living. I don't know what she used them for, but they were always sitting right on top of the sewing machine so I guess she used them a lot.

I use the "blush brush", all types of nail sanding sticks, Q tips, plastic "credit cards" sent in trash mail, various pieces of material from electronics before they go out in the trash, and anything that looks like something I could use.

Jim

I wanted to try syringes for modeling needs but a.) not sure what the laws are and b.) too embarrassed to ask for them.

I also use:

Q-tips

Sponge tip make-up applicators to help tamp down decals

Sewing needles-scribing

Pipe cleaners for my air brush- would you believe they lock them up here?

Toothpaste-polishing

Glass necklace beads- paint bottle agitators

Pump hair spray-dump out the hair goo and use the bottle for spraying water on my model railroad scenery. This always made them wonder: Why is this bald man buying hair spray?

Vaseline- I attempted to copy some parts using epoxy and modeling clay- it was recommended as a release agent.

Formula 409, Simple Green, brake fluid-paint strippers.

I'm not sure where you live but here in Ontario they seem to be over the counter no prescription needed. If you ask for insulin syringes they shouldn't give you any funny looks. I doubt it's illegal to buy them anywhere, what's the worst they can ask, do you have a prescription or what are you using them for.

I just made a joke and said it was for gluing models not heroin. He laughed and gave me a pack.

Sorry did you say they lock up pipe cleaners? Why? Cant you  buy them at art supply shops.

flaver 2.0

Sorry did you say they lock up pipe cleaners? Why? Cant you  buy them at art supply shops.

I found the art supply ones tend to be too large and are often made of synthetic fibers. Regular pipe cleaners are cotton.

As far as the other part, they have become very anal around here as far as sales to minors. They have signs up saying they card under 40 and things like that. Many retailers do not stock pipe tobacco and related supplies, unless you go to a so-called "smoker friendly" shop. Oddly enough, the check stands are loaded up with all sorts of Bic lighters and such. I think you do have to be 18 to buy lighters though.

Jim

I'm always looking for stuff that could be useful in the hobby:

discarded electronic parts- great for cylinders and engine parts

discarded electrical cords and electronic wiring- useful for armor tow cables, engine and aircraft wiring and plumbing and even aircraft seat belt buckles.

paper coffee filters- great for polishing

wood coffee stirring sticks- my go to tool for stirring and mixing paints

ladies emery boards- from the Dollar Store or Wally World, in multiple grits and some are padded.

discarded ceramic tile- used as the support cutting surface for pe.

discarded plastic tops from water bottles- used as disposable mixing palettes for paints and washes. Turn them over and use the other side to place a drop of any type glue for a precise gluing application.

left over kit's parts tree numbers- can be carefully shaven off and used as casting numbers on armor.

wood popsicle sticks- great for making wood fences, wood slats, and just about any king of diorama setting.

discarded plastic pill bottles- great for holding small parts and there are types with a double screwable top that will allow a figure to be temporarily secured to it, making a great handle to use while painting, and allowing the figure to be in the bottle until it's completed.

plastic food trays- I save some of the small Jello plastic cups to be used as disposable cups for decanting spray paints, holding small parts or mixing diorama terrain materials. The larger microwaveable disposable food trays can be used as temporary holding bins for a project's parts such as holding all those wheels for German armor subjects.

Cheap hair spray from the Dollar Store- great for the 'hairspray weathering technique'.

metal strainers from the Dollar Store- used for armor and aircraft engine and vent screens.

dried flowers and moss from the craft store- useful for diorama settings

wine bottle foil- great for making straps, belts, tarps, fenders and a ton of other things.

beer, soda, tea cans- for manufacturing parts such as certain aircraft seats, Schürzen for German armor, etc.

Kitty litter- best material I have found to use as rubble, sandy, or rocky terrain. Crush the material as fine as you like and is easily colored with craft acrylics mixed with water and white glue.

dried roots from the backyard- these make excellent trees. trim to size, spray hairspray on it and sprinkle ground foam to build up the foliage.

spices from the kitchen- spices like dried oregano, parsley or any leafy type will make great ground leaf debris.

sewing needle- I use one in my hand held pin vise with the eyelet slit open as a super glue applicator. The eyelet will hold the right amount of thin ca than can be precisely applied to the most difficult part to reach.

window cleaner from The Dollar Store- Huge bottle for a buck and works the same as Windex at a fraction of the cost. Great for stripping off acrylic paints from plastic parts, cleaning the ab, and it even works at cleaning glass! 

3M Nexcare waterproof tape is fantastic to masking camo demarcation lines.  Cut it into thin strips and mask away.  It's extremely flexible and is great for masking compound curves.

I bought a few cheap picture frames at the dollar store simply for the glass.  I use them when cutting decals or Tamiya or Nexcare tape with a straight edge.

A friend who used to work in a hospital gave me a bunch of unused disposable plastic haemostats from ER room suture trays.  Great grip on them.

Small spinning carousel (lazy Susan type thing) for a microwave oven.  Place the model on it ans spin away for hands free painting.

Accordion file for storing decals.