How to hold tiny pieces

[Fellow Hobbyist]

Last month I read a neat trick in a past issue of FSM. The tipster described using a damp tooth pick to hold small PE parts while moving the piece into position for gluing. I found it useful for picking up small pieces of plastic.

Here I have the components for a 1/144th scale AIM-9 missile. I need to be able to pick those tiny plastic fins off the mat and hold them while i position them onto the brass wire serving as the missile body (This is a practice article so please forgive the variation in the shape and size of the fins themselves).

As the FSM tip suggests take a wooden toothpick and trim one end thin and soak it in water.

You won't have to soak the toothpick for very long. I left the pick in the water for less than 40 seconds. What we are exploiting here is the capillary action generated by the water being drawn into the wood of the pick. This will draw the tiny plastic part off the mat and hold it to the pick while I position it onto the wire. I make sure to add the glue to the wire prior to moving the fin.

Capillary action in action!

Now once the part is place onto the spot of glue the bonding action of the glue overpowers the forces holding the plastic fin to the pick, allowing you to move the pick away with no trouble. The key to placing the part where it needs to go is a steady hand and good eye and hand coordination.

As stated before. This was originally conceived for positioning small and thin PE parts. So this would be a great way to wrangle those tiny and fiddly PE parts.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Fellow Hobbyist

[Check Six]

Ah; Cool tip!

I'm going to have to try it.

BTW; Is that a C-5 Galaxy fuselage in the background of the last pic?

[Fellow Hobbyist]

Yes. Unfortunately for the moment it stands as a monument; a testament to what happens when important parts go missing.

[Check Six]

Yes. Unfortunately for the moment it stands as a monument; a testament to what happens when important parts go missing.

Oh; Bummer deal.

I'm hoping to pick one up some day. That was the first plane I ever flew in; A C-5A in 1980 out of Travis AFB.

A dude in the U.K. had two for sale at $100 a piece plus shipping!