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Old 10-16-2018, 04:06 PM
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Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!

Hello gang,

I'm always down to learn more, so I figured I'd share the stuff I use to put paper models together.

I'm curious to see what other folks use...so I can steal them!

Attached are thumbnails to clarify the text.

BLADES: I almost exclusively use X-Acto X-Life #16 "scoring" blades. They are superior to the less expensive x-acto and other brands as they make them out of spring steel. Bonus, you can resharpen them if you so desire. I do use other style blades to chop out greeblies, mostly the chisel type blades. I NEVER use the "standard" #11 style blades. The tips break off in the cutting mat, and one never uses the entire cutting edge...wasteful and dangerous in my opinion!

GLUE:
I've tried them all, but for cardstock and paper I found these brands and types most useful. I never use superglue anymore. Ruined far to many paper models with it. Elmer's brand, I use the thin, CHEAP, fast drying school glue ONLY for laminating cardstock to cardstock. Thats where the plastic drywall knife in another picture comes in. Spread it thin so I win! The Glue-All extra strong is for most tab and edge to edge construction. I use it most. The Avery Brand Glue stick is for greeblie laminations and and long edge tab joint. As stick glue goes, this one is the best! The Weld Bond is for corrugated board infrastructure, the others are too wet. The Loctite GO2 is for really tricky joinings that need LOTS of strength, like railings and frameworks. I also use a drop on the threads of my knife handle chucks to keep them from slipping loose causing me to over tighten and warp the locking tube!

DISSECTION NEEDLES I tried all different sorts, but these, from this supplier, are the best. The Spear point is the PERFECT tool to crease folds without cutting through the card stock. The straight and bent needles are excellent for moving small parts around. With a bit of practice they are great for creasing too. Because they are one-piece stainless, they are washable and you can resharpen them. And, I checked. You CAN buy these through the Carolina Bio website, or through Amazon. They DO sell most items to individuals. Other sources, I don't know. I wasn't able to find these ones anywhere else.

Guides, Rulers, and Cutting Edges
I have tried all sorts of straight and curved edges over the years, but to date, old, vintage drafting tools are the best. You can get them super cheap on auction sites as no one does hand drafting anymore. Perfect, thick, 90 degree straight edges guide your blade perfectly on one pass. That doesn't happen with regular rulers. If you can find them, drafting/cartography curves come in handy for the same reason, particularly when scoring dog-tooth tabs on curved parts. Bonus, they make handy tools to reach inside models to hold that pesky tab in place till the glue sets.

Tweezers and Forceps I use a bunch of different types, but have found the smooth, non-grippy types are the best. I really only use them to hold tabs till glue sets. Honestly, the cheap dollar-store type sets you get in the automotive aisle work great! I do use some fancy science types too, like the paddle tip and curved grip, but rarely.

However, my personal favorite tip is one I learned from a guy that builds ship-in-a-bottle from scratch. Rain-X. I kid you not. Treat all your rulers, tweezers, and your cutting mats with Rain-X....glue never sticks to them. Wet, it wipes off clean, dry, it easily peels away.

What yinze use?
Attached Thumbnails
Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!-img-3609.jpg   Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!-img-3608.jpg   Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!-img-3614.jpg   Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!-img-3612.jpg   Tools and Glue- all my go-to paper stuff!-img-3611.jpg  

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Old 10-16-2018, 11:29 PM
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Kevin WS Kevin WS is offline
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All very similar to what I use, though I have dental probes instead of dissecting needles.

The Rain-X tip sounds like a great idea. As I have half a bottle I never use now, I am going to have to give it a try. Thank you!
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:56 AM
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Good information. Always a help when someone shares what tools they use for which purposes.
And glue, so much has been written on it but it’s still good to get a wide range of opinions and uses. Never know what can help another modeler.

Thanks!

JoeG
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:26 AM
Ckendzierski Ckendzierski is offline
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To late for the rain-x on my mate
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ckendzierski View Post
To late for the rain-x on my mate
Most of mine too, but I recently got a new one, and I gotta admit, it is awesome at keeping the glue and ink building up. I clean mine with Dawn dish detergent, but of course super glue and epoxy is a lost cause.
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jagolden01 View Post
Good information. Always a help when someone shares what tools they use for which purposes.
And glue, so much has been written on it but it’s still good to get a wide range of opinions and uses. Never know what can help another modeler.

Thanks!

JoeG
Yeah, talking glue on paper models is like talking about which Star Trek Captain is best, but it's always interesting to me to see who uses what and why.
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Old 10-17-2018, 09:35 AM
ebf2k ebf2k is offline
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I use Elmer's glue as well. Sometimes I use the clear glue for small fiddly bits as it has a little longer working time before it starts to grab.
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Old 10-23-2018, 01:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sludge View Post
Most of mine too, but I recently got a new one, and I gotta admit, it is awesome at keeping the glue and ink building up. I clean mine with Dawn dish detergent, but of course super glue and epoxy is a lost cause.
For super glue or epoxy try lacquer thinner. That will dissolve just about anything.
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Old 10-23-2018, 07:03 AM
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The Rain-X is a good tip. I'll have to try it. I've used many glues over the years, but the best I've found is also the cheapest: Office Supplies brand White Glue. A dollar for a 250 gm size bottle. I buy mine at a local Ocean State Job Lot store, but I bet they also carry it at Big Lot, Fred's, and perhaps even some of the dollar stores. I like it because it dries very matte and is virtually invisible. For cutting I use the very economical 3/8" snap off type blades with plastic handle. I buy mine at Harbor Freight where you can often get them free with any other purchase. My straight edge is a stainless steel one with inches on one side and points, ens and ems on the other side. I used it when I was a journeyman linotype operator and printer back in the very early '70s. I score with the thin end of a chemical spatula that I picked up somewhere many years ago. I have a pair of fine pointed tweezers, and a few tweezer style smooth jawed clamps. For rolling, depending on the need, I use either a length of 3/16 brass dowel, a round pencil, or a 3/8 inch wooden dowel.

My thinking is that the modeler's patience, accuracy and, most of all, experience are far more important than the tools used. The tools, although they do contribute a bit, don't make the artist or skilled tradesman. You could give me Davinci's brushes and paint, or Michaelangelo's chisels and marble, or a cabinet maker's full set of tools and I would turn out garbage. Give any of them cheap brushes, paints and tools, and they would still be able to turn out a piece of fine furniture, or a beautiful work of art.
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Old 10-23-2018, 07:48 AM
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Quote:

My thinking is that the modeler's patience, accuracy and, most of all, experience are far more important than the tools used. The tools, although they do contribute a bit, don't make the artist or skilled tradesman. You could give me Davinci's brushes and paint, or Michaelangelo's chisels and marble, or a cabinet maker's full set of tools and I would turn out garbage. Give any of them cheap brushes, paints and tools, and they would still be able to turn out a piece of fine furniture, or a beautiful work of art.
Agreed! I generally don't care about brand, but when I find a tool that treats me well, I tend to cherish it.

Last edited by rickstef; 10-23-2018 at 10:04 AM.
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