Tools of the Trade

[redhorse]

Originally Posted by willygoat

You guys all have me outclassed. I just use Aleene's Quick-Dry Tacky Glue, toothpicks for applying the glue, a 15" steel ruler, an old hobby knife for scoring, an EXCEL knife for cuts, and a pair of Fiskar sewing scissors that are very short and pointy :D Occasionally I'l break out my wire cutter/plier combo tool for straightening paper clips and my CA glue for stubborn parts.

You know, that's pretty much exactly what I use plus some knitting needles and wire to roll parts on. Except I've found I like a bamboo skewer better than toothpicks for applying glue.

[264ARM]

Thanks for sharing, I'll try the seam ripper. Of all things, I can't seem to find a scorer that feels just right.

[dansls1]

Originally Posted by 264ARM

Thanks for sharing, I'll try the seam ripper. Of all things, I can't seem to find a scorer that feels just right.

I score my parts using a method that every tutorial I've ever read says not to do - I use my exacto blade. Sometimes I'll use a duller blade in a second handle, but often just the same blade I'm cutting with. I have tried all the other tools recommended for scoring and just end up with ripped lines that don't fold well. I basically just let the knife do all the work. I punch holes from the front to score from the back (no matter of direction of fold), then I take my straight-edge between the 2 lines and just drag the knife between the 2 punches.

[lancer525]

Fellow modelers:
I apologize for the necropost, but I was going to start a new thread, before I realized I had already posted this. So, I just updated the photo with a detailed representation of what is in it.

So, here is an update:



1. A “click” eraser. This is a darn near indispensable tool, because the polymer eraser can gently remove partially-dried glue and smudges from the surface of a model.

2. A small container of toothpicks for glue application.

3. A roll of good painter’s tape. For holding together parts, without worrying that it will permanently stick to the paper!

4. A small magnifying glass taped to a piece of 2x4. My eyes are grateful. I also have a jeweler’s headband magnifier, not pictured.

5. An 8” long steel billet, 2” in diameter. I use that for weight and also as a tapper for the hole punches.

6. Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue.

7. Beacon Adhesives Quick-Grip All purpose permanent adhesive. It dries slow, and can be messy, so use carefully.

8. Tombow Mono-Aqua liquid glue. One of the very best I have ever used. Dries medium slow, so you can reposition, with a really good, solid bond.

9. Aleen’s Original Tacky Glue.

10. Loctite 60-second epoxy. A great all around epoxy for heavy bonds.

11. My old erasing shield from when I was a Draftsman.

12.A drafting triangle. Useful for several things.

13. After many broken tips using X-acto blades, I switched to Excel blades, and am much happier. They last about 12 times longer than X-acto, and stay sharper without the tiny point breaking off.

14. A standard protractor.

15. A small ink brayer. Comes in handy when you need to laminate two parts together.

16. Batteries. They’re great little cylindrical objects I’ve used to help form paper cylinders.

17. A draftsman’s lettering guide. Available at just about any office supply store, in the drafting department.

18. An empty pudding cup. These things are excellent tools to use as glue-pots. What I do is put a small dollop of glue on the bottom (with the cup upside down!) and it keeps the glue off my workspace, and puts it at a convenient height for picking up a small drop on the end of a toothpick or craft stick like those shown at (32) in the photo.

19. A couple of white plastic bowls that had heat-and-serve meals in them. These were from the Hormel meals. Good for holding small tools and other uses.

20. I colored a paper clip with red, yellow, and black Sharpie markers, so that I could use it as a blade-cover, and immediately see where it is on the workbench.

21. Some large nuts and washers at a hardware store for holding curved flanges against flat parts. Some guys use coins, but I don’t have enough spare change laying around to be able to do that... LOL!

22. I took apart a wooden clothespin, and use the two separate pieces as pressing tools. Very handy.

23. A set of six hole punches that I bought on eBay. They are actually leather hole punches. They came in six sizes: 1/8”, 5/32”, 3/16”, 7/32”, 1/4", 5/16”. I’m sure they come in other sizes, but these were the ones in the set I bought.

24. I picked up a really cheap hole punch at Michael's craft store. It has three cutter heads: 1, 3, and 4 mm. I think I paid about $4.95.

25. A cheap little screwdriver I picked up at some hardware store for $0.50. It is a “regular” flat blade, but it’s tiny, so it has many uses.

26. A set of wooden clothespins, with the angled tips cut off to make them square.

27.A good mechanical pencil and another click-eraser.

28.A Rolly-Styk. Shrike made this most excellent tool, and it is great for rolling out strips into curves. It has a bunch of other uses, and you can get them directly from him here: http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/tips-tricks/1724-new-forming-tool.html

29. S seam ripper. I got this at a fabric store, and it is great for scoring grooves in parts so that you can fold them better. An important thing to know when using it, is that if you press the pointed end too hard, you’ll cut your parts on the score line.

30. Tweezers. I bought a set of tweezers in the jewelry-making supplies section of a craft store.

31.That neat little yellow-and-blue thingy in the bottom right corner of the grey mat is a circle cutter I bought at a craft shop. I have another one, made by “Morn Sun” and it’s their Model # 16100 that can be expanded out to do circles up to 7” in diameter.

32. These are some of those little flat toothpicks, and also some wooden ‘lollipop handles” you can sometimes find in craft stores, where they sell candy-making supplies. Great for spreading glue.

33. I use the Fiskars micro-point and the Dura-Sharp hobby scissors. They have excellent feel, and I could get both of them in Left-handed versions. I’m left handed, and I cut with my left hand, so these are the leftie models.

34. A good metal ruler. Aside from my hobby knife and scissors, its my most indispensable tool.

Good cutting mats. I have two. I got the grey one at a sewing store, and it came with a rotary cutter. The orange one I bought at Wal-Mart on sale, and they’re both self-sealing.

[Mark Petersen]

In my constant search for a cutting guide that does not obscure the work I realized I had the right tool already.Save On Discount Alumicolor Tri-Scale Aluminum Engineering Scale Ruler, 6 in Pocket Size & More Engineering Scale Rulers at Utrecht also available at Hobby Lobby. They come in 6 & 12 inch scales. They also work well when doing bevel cuts as it makes it easy to tilt the blade

[Wad Cutter]

Sorry for asking the stupid question of the day but do I understand that you get all 5 of them in different sizes for that price? That can't be right. wc

[Mark Petersen]

Just the 6" I would imagine. Actually I wish some one would offer these with inch and metric in different graduations. Say 1/16th, 1/32nd, 1/64th, 1/10 (.100), 1/20 (.050) and 1/40 (.025) for inch. With 1mm and .5mm for metric. And as these are extrusions in lengths over 12"/300mm

[Wad Cutter]

I ended up asking Santa for a 6 inch and a 12 inch ruler. Wait and see. wc