Modelling with non-modelling tools ...

[Miko]

My sisters make up brush, a big floppy soft bristled brush for applying the stuff that gives a girl rosey cheeks! I borrowed this in the later seventies from they then teen sister, It's excellent for pre paint dusting, along with an orange handled Swan Morton craft knife it's the oldest tool I have in my kit building box!

Miko (I think my little sis stopped looking for this brush forty years ago but I may have to return it one day?!!?)

[Peter Gillson]

here are couple more ideas for paint palettes:

the first is the plastic which pills come in:


the second is a little plastic filler/spacer used by carpenters anc especially window fitters:



Peter

[Scratchbuilder]

Here are a couple of my 'tools'

My track building tool

C/A applicator and bowl...

And finally which can be seen in a lot of my build photo's - the clean it brush and behind the spare - just in case....
I do have more 'tools' but at the moment the bench is blocking the tool drawers....

[stona]

Thought about using one of these a few times.[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1220102[/ATTACH]

Ain't that the truth!

[Peter Gillson]

Here are a couple of my 'tools'
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1224518[/ATTACH]
My track building tool
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1224519[/ATTACH]
C/A applicator and bowl...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1224520[/ATTACH]
And finally which can be seen in a lot of my build photo's - the clean it brush and behind the spare - just in case....
I do have more 'tools' but at the moment the bench is blocking the tool drawers....

I like the CA applicator - very neat design.

Peter

[vizenz]

A "tool" that I don't want to miss anymore - a Toffifee packaging.
The good thing about this color palette is you don't have to clean it, just eat more candy when you need a new one. :tears-of-joy:

[Ian M]

The only crisps/chips I can still eat are pointless. I save the lids, great for glue, paint, as a decal bath..loads of fun things.

[minitnkr]

I use the wifes' nail care stuff, sanding/buffing/polishing foam blocks & sticks. The polishing grade is excellent for canopies.

[A_J_Rimmer]

Cocktail sticks, cotton buds - very useful 'tools'.

Pringles lids make very good palettes for paint, glue and filler, and also you get to eat the Pringles.

[Waspie]

I use the wifes' nail care stuff, sanding/buffing/polishing foam blocks & sticks. The polishing grade is excellent for canopies.

I'm not brave enough for that step up to improvising yet!!!

[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:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1229527[/ATTACH]
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:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1229527[/ATTACH]
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.