Modelling with non-modelling tools ...

[Peter Gillson]

I found some old croc clips in a drawer in my workshop, combined with some old electrical wire into these:


Great for holding small parts while painting etc.

Peter

 

[Andy T]

I found some old croc clips in a drawer in my workshop, combined with some old electrical wire into these:

View attachment 514814
Great for holding small parts while painting etc.

Peter

I like that!

I use croc clips on bamboo skewers but they sometimes present the parts at an inconvenient angle. At least wire can be bent a little if needed.

 

[Gern]

Rubber tipped clothes pegs make better clamps than the old fashioned wooden ones which are more likely to slip off curved or sloped surfaces.

For folks like me that worry about overspray from an A/B, small sandwich bags taped around the edges - using cheap decorator's tape rather than expensive Tamiya tape - can save an awful lot of masking.

A pair of smooth faced long nose pliers come in handy for holding parts that need a little more pressure than tweezers can give. The first time PJ used my expensive Tamiya tweezers, he squeezed them so hard he bent the tips out by about 30 degrees!

A plain white smooth ceramic tile makes a nice pallette for small quantities of paint. It's also easily cleaned with a single sided razor blade. For larger quantities and washes I use a stainless steel chutney dish (My missus found a set of six nearly ten years ago. I have one in the kitchen where I do my painting and one on my bench.) - also handy for diluting/colouring PVA for dioramas. I use cheapo paint brushes (1/2" and 1") from the Poundshop for that.

 

[Gern]

I found some old croc clips in a drawer in my workshop, combined with some old electrical wire into these:

View attachment 514814
Great for holding small parts while painting etc.

Peter

Particularly useful to hold parts by their fixing pins or tabs. That way you can paint the whole thing rather than having to do them in two goes 'cos your holder has got in the way.