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A really good side cutter. I thought I had good side cutters until I tried ones like these:

https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/74123/index.htm

Are these the best? Probably not, but they are very good, and available locally. Some say the Godhand side cutters are even better, but I couldn’t find them anywhere close. But if they are even better than the Tamiya cutters, they must be absolutely brilliant. 

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JLC saw with a mitre box

#7 tweezers

Swiss-pattern needle files, #2 & #4, equaling, round, square, crossing

2in machinist square

Mission Models micro chisel with additional tips

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I've found that a sheet of glass provides a flat and relatively warp-resistant surface for sanding. I have a glass "cutting mat" that I got from one of those crafting stores, You could also get a sheet of glass from a hardware store--get a thicker glass and tape the edges if they're sharp. However you get it, these are a good work surface. Glue and paint scrapes right off. I often do lay a sheet of abrasive on it for truing up a part. I don't actually cut on it, though--I use a traditional plastic cutting mat for that.

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On 9/29/2018 at 7:17 AM, dylan said:

you can get some really good flush cutters from an electronic supply store. they are usually as good as the tamiya ones but usually half the price.

 

 

I suppose we all have different needs and opinions. I have never found any electronic store cutters that are as sharp and cut as close as the dedicated modelling cutters.

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36 minutes ago, dnl42 said:

I've found that a sheet of glass provides a flat and relatively warp-resistant surface for sanding. I have a glass "cutting mat" that I got from one of those crafting stores, You could also get a sheet of glass from a hardware store--get a thicker glass and tape the edges if they're sharp. However you get it, these are a good work surface. Glue and paint scrapes right off. I often do lay a sheet of abrasive on it for truing up a part. I don't actually cut on it, though--I use a traditional plastic cutting mat for that.

 

I used to have a glass sheet for that purpose as well. Worked very good, but was a bit hard on the blades. Now I use one of these, and it’s excellent. Very hard, but easier on the knives:

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80233430/

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On 10/4/2018 at 3:07 AM, denstore said:

 

I suppose we all have different needs and opinions. I have never found any electronic store cutters that are as sharp and cut as close as the dedicated modelling cutters.

 

I have to agree with you there.  I used to buy the cheap hardware store cutters until I decided to take a chance and get a couple of those Japanese modeling cutters. I was blown away by how good they are. It's like a hot knife through butter. Very smooth cutting with zero to very little resistance. And they don't leave ugly cut marks.  They are more expensive ( eg Godhand brand) but they're worth the money.  These things make it so easy to cut the part from the sprue. And they are designed to cut very close to sprue part that holds the kit part. This saves you the trouble of sanding away the waste plastic. If you do have to sand, it's usually very little.

 

I highly recommend these dedicated modelling cutters. 

 

 

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On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 10:20 AM, FAR148 said:

A flat sanding surface helps me a lot. I use a piece of 1/4in masonite with a sheet of 320 grit paper Super 77 to it. Can use 1/2 to 3/4in MDF as well.

IMG_9335_1.jpg

 

Steven :wave:

 

Brilliant, I love it!

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On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 12:50 AM, denstore said:

A really good side cutter. I thought I had good side cutters until I tried ones like these:

https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/74123/index.htm

Are these the best? Probably not, but they are very good, and available locally. Some say the Godhand side cutters are even better, but I couldn’t find them anywhere close. But if they are even better than the Tamiya cutters, they must be absolutely brilliant. 

 

Try the Gundam Planet side cutters, they eat Tamiya's for breakfast. Here's clear explanation why they cut much more better than all of the other brands.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu7zXOFYTjk

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Lots of good answers above but here are what I find extremely helpful:

  1. The obligatory magnifying light.  MANDATORY for my +50 year old eyes.
  2. Flush cutters from Xuron - got these at Telford last year and they cut so clean and flush there is usually very little clean up.  Here is the link.  I have the angled pair as well.
  3. This Photo Etch Scissor almost makes working with PE parts enjoyable. ALMOST! 
  4. I have a collection of handles with various blades in them:  #11 and #3 (really handy for detail work), two chisel blades one wide and one narrow.  One holding a Glue Looper (has been very helpful when I've used it) and one holding a scribing point.  One has a big angled blade and another a big curved blade I use when I can't get the PE Scissors in to make a clean cut.
  5. I keep them in this tool holder along with my Xuron tools, colored pencils, various toothpicks.  If I was home I would attach a picture.
  6. I have the wood handled micro saw and dual dual sided blades on this page, as well as the serrated #11 blades.  Lots to choose from.
  7. I have two of these - in the back I have a wide variety of paint brushes all easily viewable, and in the front I put my tweezers, pic-n-sticks, micro brushes etc.
  8. Two pair of clamping tweezers - one large and one small.  I actually wrap the tips in Tamiya tape to prevent marks. (also protects the tweezers when I use them to hold small parts when I paint them).
  9. Get the right adhesive for the job if you don't already.  I use Formula 560 to glue PE, PE Instrument panels, canopies and create instrument face dials = very sticky which is helpful at times.  Also have four varieties of of CA, Testors glue in the black square dispensor as well as Gator Glue, which I like because it is a gel.  Sometimes I have to think about which adhesive to use, but when you use the right one, the job is so much easier (oh yeah, and Tamiya Extra Thin glue too!)
  10. These are handy too - pic sticks.

Good luck!

Chris

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  • 3 weeks later...

I ditched my magnifier light for an Optivisor. Still use the light.

 

Flashlight on the bench.  Comes in handy to find that tiny part that just bounced off your lap and onto the floor.

 

An apron that snaps/velcros to the edge of the bench so above small parts won't make it to the floor.   Just remember to detach before you get up. ( I still need this one)

 

Old jig saw with an Erwin micro clamp in place of the blade to use as a paint shaker.  Variable speed saw works best turned down as low as it will go. Cup hand around bottle and squeeze trigger!

 

Padlock to lock myself in my hobby room and no one can get to me.

 

Subscription to Amazon or Netflix so the wife can watch chick flicks and leave me alone.

 

Have the kids come over with Grand to occupy grandma so I can go hide.

 

A yard man so I don't have to waste valuable time doing yard work. (This one is a dream. If yard man was working outside, wife would give me a list for indoors)

 

Cat toys or an empty box to occupy kitty when he wants to spend time with me while in the workshop.  Otherwise he is trying his best to climb to the highest point in the shop, and that usually involves using a model as a stair. And this is why I like brass landing gear!  He had a ball climbing in and out of my Revell 1/32 P-51 box.

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Scott is too funny!  Lots of great ideas there.

 

Also:  

I put a white towel across my lap to catch small parts that fall or launch.  Agree on the flashlight in case pieces make it to the carpet.  Also a small nylon sock to fit over the end of the vacuum hose in case I REALLY need to find small part that hit the carpet.  Amazing how much stuff that will pull up if you don't vacuum regularly.

 

Chris

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  • 7 months later...

Sick and tired of spilling paint, liquid cement, thinner? Here’s an easy fix. All you need as a circle template(or a pair of divider) some foam core and a hot glue gun. First, measure the diameter of whatever jar or bottle you want to secure. Next, measure and cut the base. Make sure it has at least 1 inch of space around the diameter of your jar or bottle for the supports. Then measure and cut the supports, making sure they are tall enough to support but not too much so that they get in the way of opening and closing. Place your jar or bottle in the center of the base and hot glue the supports around it every 90 degrees.  

 

1_1.jpg

 

2.jpg

 

3.jpg

 

 

 

Hope that helps,
Steven
Edited by FAR148
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16 hours ago, dnl42 said:

Dang, that's fancy!

 

I used a blob of clay in a metal tray. I keep other glues and putties in the tray.

 

Same idea, Different execution  :thumbsup:

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I think we all reach a point in our lives(hobby), after knocking over the umpteenth bottle of paint/glue/thinner/etc., when we say "ENOUGH!!!".

And we either buy one of the various bottle holders or construct our own. These items should be on EVERY modeler's tool list. Every new modeler should be instructed to purchase or build a few of these to save their sanity (in my case it's too late :suspicious: ).

Edited by Mstor
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22 minutes ago, Mstor said:

I think we all reach a point in our lives(hobby), after knocking over the umpteenth bottle or paint/glue/thinner/etc., when we say "ENOUGH!!!".

...

Amen Brother Mstor!

 

First time, I spilled Tamiya thin all over the completed interior halves! Completely trashed the model, a Mirage 1/48 PZL23A

2nd time, l learned my wood floor is impervious to Tamiya Thin. Praise Be! SWMBO would have nailed by hide to the wall...

Nest time, lost all the rivets on the starboard fuselage side of a Williams Bros 1/52 or so Lockheed Electra. As I was thinking of sanding all that off, there may have been some sub-conscious action here...

Fourth and last time-I do eventually learn--I spilled some atop my almost-ready-to-paint Kinetic 1/48 F-16D Block 52. By that time, I learned to just leave it alone. Thinned Mr Surfacer 1200 hid that beautifully.

Right then and there, I put a blob of clay in a handy metal tray, smashed the @#$%^&*( bottle into it, and it's been secure since...

 

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On 10/3/2018 at 2:30 PM, dnl42 said:

I've found that a sheet of glass provides a flat and relatively warp-resistant surface for sanding. I have a glass "cutting mat" that I got from one of those crafting stores, You could also get a sheet of glass from a hardware store--get a thicker glass and tape the edges if they're sharp. However you get it, these are a good work surface. Glue and paint scrapes right off. I often do lay a sheet of abrasive on it for truing up a part. I don't actually cut on it, though--I use a traditional plastic cutting mat for that.

 

 

How about a whole glass table?  😄

 

This was not really planned.   We moved into a new place and I did not have room for both my proper work bench and my computer desk.  The computer desk fit better, so I stuck the work bench into storage and now use my glass computer desk for my work bench.   Gonna have to get creative when I start working from home, but that's a whole other topic.   The table is mostly covered with a large self-healing cutting pad, but I do use the exposed part for exactly this... a flat surface for sanding. 

 

 

I'm new to this hobby, but so far, my favorite tool is one that I made myself.  It's nothing more than a wooden stick (from long one sided examination q-tips, with the cotton removed) with approximate a 50 degree angle ground into the tip, then epoxied and sanded smooth (but not quite polished).    It has many uses. 

-Burnishing masking tape.

-Adjusting position of small parts while glue is still wet. 

-Scraping dust out of crevices without damaging or marring the styrene (when a brush isn't doing it). 

-Applying and smoothing two part putty (milliput)... or applying regular dissolved putty. 

-Removing those near microscopic balls of styrene that have oozed out of joints (when you've really got to nuke a joint). 

-Proved very helpful when building a PE cockpit, mostly when trying to adjust some of the bends during a dry-fit. 

-Probably a whole bunch of other uses that I cant remember at the moment. 

 

Literally made this thing in 5 minutes to be used as a putty applicator... and ended up using it constantly.  Even made a second one with a sharp point (basically a giant toothpick), but it's not used as often. 

 

 

Another useful one is a stick just like the above, except with a little bit of blue tac molded over the tip.  Works like one of those grippy tools for holding small parts for painting or gluing. 

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6 hours ago, BaconRaygun said:

I'm new to this hobby, but so far, my favorite tool is one that I made myself.  It's nothing more than a wooden stick (from long one sided examination q-tips, with the cotton removed) with approximate a 50 degree angle ground into the tip, then epoxied and sanded smooth (but not quite polished).    It has many uses. 

 

That's a great idea! Wood sticks with epoxy tips ground into useful shapes. Duh! It's so simple but so elegant. Brilliant!  Thanks!!  :thumbsup2:

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