random household object tools thread. PLEASE READ!

Did someone already mention contact lens packaging? The little cups are great for mixing small amounts of paints. When the sample lenses expire, yup they are dated, they just chuck ‘em. I asked my eye doctor if he had any and he gave me a big stack. The really tiny ones from the multi-packs that my kids use are great for those… one dip in the paint/one dip in the thinner/for one little detail jobs.

Here another... as of today. I was grilling some veggies to have with Jamican jerk chicken wings... yes the COMPLETE WING_NUT... build 'em, eat 'em, just as long as I don't get them mixed up...and looked at the bamboo skewers. A perfect fit in the hole for the prop and a nice long, sturdy, reusable handle for painting.

As I near completion on my Hasegawa P-40N I realize that couple of tools that I used most often were nail clippers. The little "thing" that’s still on the part after cutting from the sprue (I know it must have a name but heck if I know what that little piece of crud is called) on the kit are big and in many cases poorly placed. Quality fingernail clipper, nice and sharp, with the concave edge for round parts and toenail clippers with the convex edge for the flats parts. They get in darn near flush most of the time minimizing clean up.

I use wooden silverware trays for my paint racks.

Some great ideas folks. How many of you receive countless CD's from people like Earthlink and AOL? The metal cases that come with them are a secure place to put partially spent decal sheets. They keep them from getting scratched, bent and fraying the corners.

Toothpaste lids. They hold the right amount of super glue and when the glue dries, it pops right out for the next batch.

Chopsticks - sort of like the bamboo skewers. I've saved them from take-out meals. They're useful for holding some tank road wheels for painting, among other things - I'll stick the wheels on hard enough so that I can airbrush both sides of the wheel at one sitting. I've trimmed some of them down so they fit in smaller holes, too.

Thought of two more - styrofoam blocks and that fuzzy foam stuff. Not really household objects - usually packing material to just throw away - but what the hey I'll toss it out there. I'll use the styrofoam blocks to hold stuff on toothpicks after painting, or the chopsticks - I'll just punch the stuff into the block. The fuzzy foam is great for masking canopies/intakes/interiors etc. - I'll cut a piece a bit larger than the opening and then work it into place with toothpics or tweezers.

I save the metal lids from frozen juice containers. Just chuck them in the dishwasher and you have a perfect palette for glues, paints etc.

Dont know if its random or not but for the guys that have computer parts laying around its random. Ok those little covers that fiull the space where the cd-rom gos you know the blank cover on the front they just pop out. Well the ones i have just happen to have 9 little squairs that work great for mixing a small amount of paint they work great.

I can't believe Y'all forgot the Candle and Flame! How else would we make antennae?

I just thought of one that might work, a pennie for making circles! A nickel for making slightly larger Circles!

I make an extremely fine point with a toothpick by whittling it to an extreme point with my xacto knife (#11 blade). This is useful for close quarters glue application and super-fine painting...and its wicked cheap$$

QUOTE: Originally posted by pnawrocki I make an extremely fine point with a toothpick by whittling it to an extreme point with my xacto knife (#11 blade). This is useful for close quarters glue application and super-fine painting...and its wicked cheap$$

I do this also and have found it works quite well to an extent.

The toothpick is too porus to allow a good paint flow that transfers easily from toothpick to piece. A sharpende chicken bone works even better, just be careful.

not a tool as such....

a lot of my kiddies toys (the toys of my kiddies I should say) come fastened into their boxes with thin wire covered in clear plastic tubing. The thinnest of this is perfect for using as fuel tank breather hose on model bikes. And the wire in them makes them bendable to whatever curve you need - and they still look clear.

Refrigarator magnets, pick up metal parts, hold pictures up by you workbench, and to throw at the wall when you just can't take it anymore!

Hello all;

Recent project on the bench is a full re-work of the original issue of Dragon's Firefly Vc. I wanted to complete this kit first before working on the latest re-issue. With the completion of the hull changes and turret changes etc. I wanted to add a complete scratchbuilt interior using no aftermarket kits, photo-etch etc. A true return to modelling skill if you will. I was proceeding along fine and then I was blindsided by the turret basket. How to make the perforated skirt material.....hmmmm I puzzled and puzzled.

I checked out a number of shops and venues. Nothing. Then while going through the medicine cabinet to get a remedy for my headache I saw the solution.

The screen on top of my battery operated razor!!!! It was perfect round holes, flexible, takes nothing to attach to the styrene and takes paint. It worked fantastic. So next time you think you need to buy photo-etch don't use your brain and save your money. I bought new screen for my razor for .30 at the local drugstore and I have enough for a second turret.

Now I have to make the turret fittings and the breechblock.....well I need to end and get back to the bench.

Cheers;

Gregory

My workshop is in the basement. There is a steel I-Beam overhead. When my computer hard drive died, I pulled out the magnet. It will stick to the I-beam like nobody's business. Plus it has a neat bracket attached to it so you can hang stuff up there out of the way.

" that fuzzy foam stuff"---what would that be called if you went to shop for it? There are a lot of good ideas here. I use bamboo scewers and poster putty to hold parts while painting. I will be trying the rubber bands for braces to mask bomb stripes. I'll try fish bones too. This is not a household item as such, but I'm a builder/remodeler and have recently built a spray booth out of a discarded range hood. The back is made for a vent duct and a flexable duct can be attached and routed where ever you need.

rbrantly:

"That fuzzy foam stuff"? do you mean FLORIST FOAM it comes in green or brown blocks. However, it is not as sturdy as insulating foam that is used in home construction. If this is not exactly what you're asking about, please provide some more detail and if I can I would be happy to assist.

Cheers;

Gregory

I'll throw out a couple of more items

Legos - they're great for making molds if you make your own resin parts and can be very handy if you need a jig to hold a model at a certain angle while you work on it.

Butter/Margarine tubs - I've used them for years for parts storage, as a water container when I'm sanding and the tops are great for mixing epoxy on.

Another item I've found very handy for storage is the round plastic container that electricians tape comes in - they're great for storing the uninstalled parts on a particular model and don't take up near as much room on your desk top as the origional box does.

Another thing is, don't think you have to buy everything you use at an LHS or Web Store. Take a look in the crafts section of Wally World or K-Mart. Browse around in other sections of Michaels or Hobby Lobby (you can find some really nice camo netting in the fabrics section). I buy my enamel reducer in bulk at the local auto supply store ($20 a gallon vs about $48 for the same amount in the small bottles at the LHS). I just bought a set of very fine nosed flush cutters at an electronics store for $5.98 - they were on close out. Check out flea markets and yard sales - you'll be amazed at what you will find in kits, tools and supplies at reasonable prices. Even go dumpster diving (try and get permission) - I managed to salvage a piece of safety glass that went on top of a very large desk (it had one corner broken off of it) out of the dumpster at work - cost me 10 bucks to have it cut into two 24 x 30 pieces w/the edges flamed to round them - one is on my work surface and the other is in storage as a back up. The stuff is out there, all you have to do is figure out what and where.

beat the carpet and concrete monster! I take the oldest sheet in the house (kids, get your mom's permission, adults, get your wife's, batchelors, buy another sheet) and lay it under my work space. If when something falls on the floor it is a simple matter of picking up two corners and folding the sheet. Everything will fall into the center where it is easily found.

My pet hate in modelling is stirring paint. Usually just use a bit of sprue to stir but recently tried this:

"Liberated" a small hand-held cappucino-frothing-whisk-thing from the kitchen, taped a bit of sprue to the shaft - a great battery-powered stirrer. 'Er indoors suddenly wants a cappacino ? Just take off the sprue and you wont get an ear-bashing.

One major point: only use nearly-exhausted batteries or you'll be cleaning XF-1 off the walls/yourself/the cat for days !!!

Hello again to all;

I "stole" this idea from somewhere. I just made a jeweler's apron (jeweler's use them to keep precious stones from being lost on the floor) (or so I have been told). I made mine from some tiger striped material I had in the house. I simply drew and outline, cut it out and then sewed it into a simple apron.

I then folded the bottom edge to form a box shape when worn and attached velcro to the bottom edge. I then used double side tape and the other half of the velcro strip and attached this to the underside of the workbench. No more lost parts to track on the floor. If I drop a part I just look in my lap and there it is in the box shape at the bottom of the apron.

If you have the time and material, make one or ask nicely of someone who has the skill. Or if you have one of those "what do I do with this?" father's day gift aprons that say Kiss The Cook on it, you're way ahead.

Best household item this week that I have found (IMHO) I really like the fact that there are no more on your hands and knees searches for that piece.

Cheers;

Gregory

SARAN WRAP. A small square stretched on the top of the your bottle of paint before screwing on the lid cuts out stuck caps. In fact I haven't had a bottle I couldn't open by hand since I started using this trick.

Assuming there is an insulin using diabetic available (aka Mom), syringes make great glue applicators. I use MEK and what I do is rubber band a wing or fuselage together and take the MEK, suck some up into the syringe and slow squirt it out and let it flow along the inside seems of the model.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tominator heres one LEGO!!! lego makes a great work area to hold ur project... i have a lego tile (green, thin flat piece, bout 30cm x 30cm) the little 'nobs' on the tile will hold small parts while ur painting them, or working on them.... and using lego blocks, u can make a stand any shape, with supports where u need it.... ive found it to be a great addition to my work bench, just because of the versatiltiy of it all!!!

Besides that, you can always build stuff out of the LEGOs if you need a break..

How about Coke (or Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc, ) cans? You can use the dished in bottom of them for disposable mixing bowls. I use them for epoxy, etc, when building and/or repairing R/C aircraft.

Glad Press 'n' Seal makes an excellent masking medium. It's a little tricky to use at first, but you will soon get the hang of it. Especially useful for masking off large areas after the edge has been taped, but it will leave a pretty clean edge itself if burnished properly. Also great for masking off the painted inner surfaces of a body shell while painting the exterior surfaces. Most easily cut with a sharp exacto knife, on a clean hard work surface or in situ. It's a pain to cut with scissors.

Just thought I'd toss this out there.

I needed to hold two large pieces together for glueing and in desperation I grabbed a roll of packing tape. This was a roll of Scotch Tear-by-Hand Tape. It tears off the roll easily but holds like a gorilla.

I was resigned to cleaning off a bunch of tape residue. When I removed it 5 hours later it peeled off with NO RESIDUE remaining!! It didn't even take off any paint. I may have to buy a case....

Those sponges used between the toes for pedicures...they fill in and cover open hatches and the like really well when airbrushing the surrounding surface. They work better'n taping and can be re-used!