100 replies to this topic

[Tom Geiger]

I'm not disabled but my frugal German upbringing won't allow me to waste money!

 

I agree on the Michael's 50% off coupon. They stock Zap-A-Gap and I've even used the coupon for that!

 

While I do have a good stash of interesting kits, much of what's on my bench right now is being made from scraps in my junk box. My Dodge Van Camper for instance.  The van body is the section left over from another project and I completely scratch built the interior.  Supplies like basswood are cheap.  Cheap to free supplies are all around us.  Heck, I just did seat covers from free Taco Bell napkins!

 

 

Take apart that old VCR before you toss it. There's always small parts like wire, springs etc that can be used on a project.  I have a open flat box that sits on the corner of my work bench called the "Bit Box".  Anytime I am working with Evergreen, basswood, wire or even cut parts off a model in modifying it,  those pieces get tossed into the Bit Box.  That's the first place I look for material before I grab a new piece of anything.  The last several things I scratch built came from materials in the Bit Box.

 

For instance, the coffee maker I made for my camper. Everything in that piece was from the Bit Box. The coffee maker itself is a combination of Evergreen sheet scrap on a basswood base. The pot is a short length of a clear drinking straw and the handle is half a large staple.  The bottom of it is a scrap headlight lens and the top is some round thing from who knows where, but it had the right indent etc on the top of it.  

 

Print things off the Internet.  The floor in my camper and carpet in my '34 Ford rat rod were printed from Jim's Minis website for doll house builders. It also can be cheap to print your own decals.

 

Joe Cavorley was a disabled modeler who built some of the most amazing commercial vehicles. They were all built from junk box bodies and supplies.  He once told me, "I can't afford to buy an aftermarket broom, but I can make one!"

[Erik Smith]

So much has to do with mindset too. Instead of thinking "I need this aftermarket piece" or "the new <insert car name here>", think about making it yourself. I am always brought back to reality when I see a completely scratchbuilt part or model - "oh, I guess I could just make it myself!"

Buying in larger quantities on some material is cheaper - and you save on shipping. If you have a club or nearby modeling friends, get together on a purchase of paint, decal film or BMF or ? - no need for three people to pay $8 for shipping and handling when you can ship all three for the same price.

Clearance area at big craft stores - HL had MM lacquers here for $1.12 or something. I don't buy much "hobby" paint though - save and buy a big can of regular paint - three times the paint for the same or less money.

[Sixties Sam]

I use ebay for most of my kits. I sort the listing by ending soonest, and often find auctions with an hour or less left and no bids. I got a 59 Corvette kit recently for just the 99 cent starting bid plus about $5.00 shipping. I've gotten some restorable glue bombs for around $1.50. I use Krylon and other cheapie paints from Walmart instead of "model" paints to save money. I've used insulation stripped off wire for radiator hose, and the classic sewing thread for plug wires trick. I'm not disabled, but I'm on a modest Social Security income, so I watch the dollars.

 

Sam

[Kaleb]

Something I found for a little larger scale kits. Is the cable for tv or other stuff like that, if you cut the insulation off and pull the center out, you have braided line. Ill post a pic later.

[southpier]

http://www.themodelc...is/shuklis.html

 

i can't get too hung up on labels.  some folks who appear to be physically challenged have extraordinary talents!

 

 

Edited by southpier, 18 January 2013 - 07:14 AM.

[Scale-Master]

So much has to do with mindset too. Instead of thinking "I need this aftermarket piece" or "the new <insert car name here>", think about making it yourself. I am always brought back to reality when I see a completely scratchbuilt part or model - "oh, I guess I could just make it myself!"

 

While I have the aches and pains of getting older I am not disabled, but I have always been one to not waste materials. 

Part of why I make instead of buy most of what I want is cost.  Even if the time investment is far more than an equitable trade off, isn't the enjoyment of building and the reward of accomplishment the reason we build?

[Futurabat]

It seems alot of folks are getting hung up on the term "disabled". Maybe I should have left that part out and just said budget or low income, or worded it differently alltogether. From here on out lets just focus on low-buck tech for dressing out our models.

 

Harry- could you help a brother out and remove 'disabled' from the thread title? I've never been able to alter a thread title. Thanks.

[sjordan2]

It seems alot of folks are getting hung up on the term "disabled". Maybe I should have left that part out and just said budget or low income, or worded it differently alltogether. From here on out lets just focus on low-buck tech for dressing out our models.

 

Harry- could you help a brother out and remove 'disabled' from the thread title? I've never been able to alter a thread title. Thanks.

 

Go back to your original post and click on Edit. You'll get the Edit box; at the bottom of the box is a button called Use Full Editor. Click there, and that will bring up a revised box with your title in a field at the top, which you can edit.

Edited by sjordan2, 18 January 2013 - 07:57 AM.

[Futurabat]

Thank you Skip! That was mind meltingly simple...and I am now just a little embarrased.  

[sjordan2]

Not so simple. I found it by mistake, and it's a feature that can only be used by the original poster (The title part; for everyone else, Use Full Editor works just like More Reply Options).

Edited by sjordan2, 18 January 2013 - 08:09 AM.

[Draggon]

I have been diabled for 12 years. if it wasn't for the drug store bill l would not need a budget. Thats another forum post.

 

...

As have I, since 1997. Cant go without medication, cant go without models, gotta keep up on home maintenance and the property taxes, so I cut corners elswhere, such a clothing, video games, "techie" stuff, heck, even my TeeVee is a used 12 year old Panasonic. 

 

You know there's "something wrong" when the pharmacist knows your name 

[Tom Geiger]

 I use Krylon and other cheapie paints from Walmart instead of "model" paints to save money.

 

Krylon and other cheapie paints actually have some decent paints I prefer. The flat and satin black are great tones and dry quickly.

 

Last year I went to Ollies and they had Duplicolor auto paints in the big can for a dollar!  I bought all the flat black, clear and primer they had. Then I went through and bought all the primary colors like bright red, white etc, then any color that would look good on a model. All told I bought 25 cans and I doubt I'll need to buy at retail for many years!

 

There are other things that if you buy once, you'll be set for years.  For instance I was just on eBay and one seller had a big lot of engine wire and boot material.  There must have been 10 different colors of wire, all new in the packages.  Minimum bid was $17 plus postage.  That's near wire for life!

 

Probably 20 years ago I bought a package of diodes at Radio Shack for fuel filters.  I still have a drawer full. Same with model ship rigging string,  

 

Another great purchase was a huge plastic bag full of small model car parts I bought at a show last year for $10.  Literally thousands of small parts.  I had a lot of fun sorting it all into my parts drawers. I will never again want for a steering wheel, shifter, air cleaner or carb!  And there were loads of useful bits and pieces.  

[Johnny]

I wear my shoes until they fall apart and patches on my jeans to save for models!

Seriously though, I use ebay, and do a lot of trading to get what I am after.

I will trade for stuff I know I won't build that I figure will be easier to trade for what I do want.

I will even sell or trade things I want to keep to get something I want more if I know I can replace it reasonably enough later on. That does sometimes have it's down side when it turns out you can't.

Back when I was detailing I used waxed thread, and telephone wire for engine detail.

Used aluminum from soda cans to aid in body work along with melting sprue in liquid cement to use to fill gaps.

 

 

Just to say, don't know why people would get hung up over "disabled"???

I've been for years first as a DAV and then permanantly from a fall from my truck step. The title does not bother me in the least, what is is what it is!

[Agent G]

Get some "For Sale" signs at the dollar store. I found they are styrene, about 010 thick, and a heck of a lot cheaper than plastic stock in the hobby stores. Another is use sprue. Keep the long straight sections, strange curves and various bit and bobs for you scratch building projects. Heat it and stretch it for throttle linkages, wires, etc. Real cheap! Shop for paint in the home improvement aisle. Wally World, Targette, Home Despot, Lowers and the like will have house brands cheap. Why pay more for a little hobby can of say flat black, when you get a large can for less. I go to auto parts stores and buy Duplicolor and such. as well. a bit more pricey, but again you get a lot more.

 

Go to Sally's Beauty Supply for all the sanding boards blocks and such you will ever need when there's a sale. Tweezers, clippers scissors and nail polish as well.

 

G

Edited by Agent G, 18 January 2013 - 11:04 AM.

[Darren B]

Sometimes you can find kits for next to nothing at yard sales.

indoor flea markets, outdoor flea markets and outdoor swap meets, i have found a ton of very cheap and good completes there, in fact i need to get my butt back there to go check em out.

[Futurabat]

So many excellent tips here. I know that under one thread title or another this same thing keeps popping up, but like some other threads I think it's important to go over these things every now and then. Not only to showcase new finds, but as a way of helping new members and new modelers who may have budget concerns of thier own. Keep them coming guys.  

[Shardik]

Here's one that might seem a little counter-intuitive:  Antique malls for vintage kits or even non vintage.

Examples:

1:12 MPC Bentley;              e-bay=$100-$200,         Antique mall= $30

AMT '56 Crown Victoria;     e-bay=$30 - $60,            Antique mall=$2.50

 

I've also picked up several small aircraft kits for 50 cents each that I use for breaks from more intense builds.

[Johnny]

Here's one that might seem a little counter-intuitive:  Antique malls for vintage kits or even non vintage.

Examples:

1:12 MPC Bentley;              e-bay=$100-$200,         Antique mall= $30

AMT '56 Crown Victoria;     e-bay=$30 - $60,            Antique mall=$2.50

 

I've also picked up several small aircraft kits for 50 cents each that I use for breaks from more intense builds.

We used to have a big one here. The guy would call me every time one of the customers added a model or models to their booth/area.

Then the city forced them out of their building so they could tear half of it down for a parking lot that a developer said he needed for a building he was rehabing.

In the 8 years since there has never been more than 2 cars in that lot at any given day or time!!!

[Ace-Garageguy]

For the past couple of years, most of my builds have been re-works of cheapo ebay gluebombs. It wasn't intentional at first, but as my income has plummeted recently, it's become helpful. It's also a great skill and imagination builder, as it often engenders creative exercises I wouldn't have dreamed of with virgin kits. I also used to buy multilpes of particular kits to get specific parts, like a dropped front axle or a QC rear end. I've been casting some of these things recently instead of buying entire models to get them, and I'm doing a lot more scratch-building, rather than raiding complete kits for other parts.

Edited by Ace-Garageguy, 18 January 2013 - 01:25 PM.

[Craig Irwin]

I didn't used to be a budget builder, and sometimes would spend well over $100 on a model build if it was a subject I really wanted that was only kitted in resin or was OOP. I also bought any new release that interested me in the least.

Well, things have changed. I pass up most new kits unless it's one of my Holy grail subjects, as a matter of fact all of my buying is done that way now.

But yes, Radio Shack wire, fishing line and craft store finds are the rule of the day, along with bulding what I already have and the Hobby Lobby 40% coupons when I can.