Where to get a hypodermic needle (or alternative) without looking like a crackhead?

[bigbluesd]

I often find myself with the need for a small needle to apply thinned paint to crevices like the recessed parts of grilles, panel lines, etc. I try to use toothpicks, etc. but the paint makes a blob on the end that is either too big to get into the crack without getting it all over the adjoining surfaces or too small to properly fill the crevice. It has occurred to me that a needle would be ideal for filling these lines so I naively went to CVS and asked if they sold needles. As you can probably imagine, she gave me a look as if I had asked her for a pound of meth and told me in no uncertain terms that they did not sell them. Fast forward to a few weeks later as I'm standing in line at the feed store and some rough looking individuals are in front of me relaying a long and convoluted story about immunizing puppies to the old lady behind the counter. She eventually sells them several needles and as they walk out she looks at me and says "Puppies my #$#...". It was at this point that I realized how I must look when asking a pharmacist for needles to help paint my models with. While I could certainly obtain them from the aforementioned elderly lady, it's probably not a good idea to do this in a town of 2,000 people where I am relatively well known.

Has anybody else had success in obtaining a needle for this purpose without ending up on a list somewhere? Is there any way of purchasing these while bypassing the moral judgment stage of the transaction? Or is there a viable alternative that I'm overlooking to apply thinned paint in really tight spaces?

Edited December 21, 2015 by bigbluesd

[Pete J.]

I can give you to internet sources that deal with a lot of stuff that you can use. Amazon has an industrial supply store which use to be called "Small Parts". Apparently Amazon bought them out. They sell a lot of really handy "raw" materials. I would suggest that you search this site for hypodermic tubing. This is the very small diameter tubing that they make the needles out of and it comes in lengths up to 5 feet long and diameters of as small as .010". You can cut it to length but it takes a dremel ceramic disk to do so. Lets you make what you want. They also sell blunt or "dispensing " needles in packs of 100. Here is the site and lock up your wallet before you go there. https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=as_int_default?ie=UTF8&node=16310091

[bigbluesd]

That is PERFECT. Didn't even think about Amazon. And I see that they use the blunt needles for ink refills, I think I might have an ink refill kit laying around somewhere from years ago, THANKS!

[Harry Joy]

I once DATED pharmacist, and even she was squirrely about giving away needles to me for modeling. I now manage pharmacists and know better than to even ask. They inventory needles pretty strictly.

[Russell C]

Dental surgeon, it's where I got the needles to make the exhaust stacks for my 1:250 scale Mack, but I had to explain to him what I was up to with the needles.

[Skip]

Yes, but the ridiculous part about this is that law abiding citizens are made to feel like carp if we even ask about getting a few hypodermic needles for hobby use.  Yet tweekers get handfuls of the things, no questions asked,, just for the asking, then toss their used ones everywhere!  Used to be we hardly ever found sharps on job sites, now nearly every D.O.T.  contract carries a Bid Item for "Biohazard Cleanup", yes your tax dollars pay someone a lot of money to pick up and clean up those used needles!  But no way can you get even a couple to build models with.  Makes a whole lot of sense doesn't it, lawbreakers have more rights than you do!

[Greg Pugh]

Know anybody that's diabetic? I just recently asked my sister-in-law (who is) for a couple and it was easy as can be.

[Yenkocamaro]

Although the needle is no where near the size of a normal medical type, I found this in either my local hobby shop, or Hobby Lobby. Its been awhile, so trying to remember, but I think it was Hobby Lobby(crafts store). When I purchased those Tamiya weathering kits, I thought this might come in handy for application mixed with water.

Happy Holidays!

Cheers,

Lance

[StevenGuthmiller]

Know anybody that's diabetic? I just recently asked my sister-in-law (who is) for a couple and it was easy as can be.

That's what I was thinking!

I Have psoriasis & use an injectable medication called "Enbrel" which is a twice weekly injection.

I have more syringes laying around the house than you could shake a stick at!

But before any of you get any ideas, my syringes come pre-loaded & it probably wouldn't be a great idea to start shipping dirty needles all over the country!

On a more useful note, I just picked up a 3 foot long piece of stainless steel 21 gauge hypodermic tubing on Amazon for a little over $8.00.

My plan was to use it for antenna bases but I think it might be just a hair too large.

Amazon has all different sizes of hypodermic tubing.

The trick is getting the size you want.

I'm not real good with gauges & math makes my head hurt!

 

Steve

[Dave Ambrose]

Whatever you do, don't go rummaging through medical waste to get them. That used to be the advice in some model-building magazines. <facepalm/> You stand a good chance of getting skewered There are a lot of diseases you won't want to have on your medical resume and you have a good chance of contracting one if you're looking through that stuff.

[Foxer]

I'm diabetic and use at least 5 needles a day, so it's not a problem for me. Mine are 29 gauge which is too small for most "glue injections" I've tried. Those 25 gauge monsters I used 40 years ago would be perfect.

Blunt syringes I never heard mentioned before ...  but, this is a perfect solution for the hobby use we would need. I searched Amazon and they are available. Most were 15 or 18 Ga but would work. They are expensive, especially considering they are almost uncleanable unless you are using a slow cure glue and can flush out with solvent.

[snacktruck67]

You can purchase a set of glue needles and syringes on Mega Hobby:

http://www.megahobby.com/pinpointsyringekitdeluxematerials.aspx

Edited December 22, 2015 by snacktruck67

[Skip]

That's great that there are dull points available that the hobby user can get.  For all the control on hypodermic needles intended to curb I.V. Drug use, it hasn't stopped or even slowed the tweekers a bit!

A year or so ago I asked nearly the same question, looking for just the needle portion to use on a liquid cement bottle.  I was met with a couple of really snide, uncalled for remarks questioning my legitimate use for the needles.  There are often too many comedians on here, and other sites, it's  easy to hide behind a keyboard and make cutting remarks at people you don't even know! 

I was able to find someone who was trusting enough to give me a pack of syringes and really small needles, I would have gladly paid for them.  They work great for applying liquid cement, my intended use.  Though the sharp point was a pain to use, so I filed it off blunt it works even better that way.

if you look on eBay, I know you can get old glass bodied syringes and needles which are sold as medical antiques or collectors items.  The glass syringe would work great with liquid cements, but they're somewhat pricey for us hobbiests to find and use.

[Tommy Isbister]

You can purchase all sizes of syringes cheap at almost any feed or farm supply.

[Miatatom]

Our cat is diabetic so I have quite a supply of insulin syringes. They are 29 gauge with a 1/2" length needle. I can draw Ambroid into a syringe, apply it and return the unused glue to the bottle. Makes application very accurate. I built a small tool to hold them and apply the glue slowly but I've gotten fairly good at just squeezing out what I need. Afterwards, give the syringe a few in and out pumps to clear the needle and it's ready to reuse. They eventually become unusable but I get an average of 4 or 5 uses from each syringe.

My suggestion is find a friend that's diabetic. Insulin syringes work great.

[Lunajammer]

My experience is needles were unsatisfactory for detail painting. I too tried to get into grill crevices using one but the heat from your hand expands the air and pushes the paint out when you don't want it. When you push the plunger slightly a large drop comes out so you dab the excess off then you don't have any left for your task, so you push the plunger, etc, etc. Seems to be in constant opposition to what you want. If you use it without the capsule and plunger and just count on wicking action to draw paint up into the needle, then it won't come out in your grill, but it will on anything that sucks it out, like a paper towel.

But if you have to see for yourself, variable sized needles can be found in the veterinary section of stockman supply stores that serve farmers and ranchers. Grind the tip off, they're crazy sharp and get in the way.

[BubbaJoe]

tractor supply had packs on the shelf....i actually commented to one of the employees about it... I own a horse farm and every feed catalog has them listed in many sizes ...if you have a dog or cat .i'm sure the local vet would give you a few if you told him or her what you were using them for.

[jrherald420]

Im diabetic and all i do is go to the counter and ask for the size (gauge of needle and the MM length). They can not ask for proof of me being diabetic but i tell them i am anyways. Never once had a problem at Walmart or Kroger.

[Art Anderson]

I've been using the Touch N Flow liquid glue applicators for years now!  They are a glass tube about 1/8" OD, with a BLUNT ended stainless steel capillary tube at one end.  I simply fill the applicator from bottle of liquid cement with the same method I learned to use in HS Chemistry Class with glass pipettes.  I can simply touch the tip of the stainless tube to my work, and the liquid cement flows into the joint, right where it's needed.

Flexi-File:  http://www.flex-i-file.com/adhesives.php

 

Art

[CometMan]

You can get a set of three different sizes from a woodworker's store, they are used to shoot glue into the seams of tables and chairs when the legs get loose.

[MrObsessive]

If you want a really good source of hypodermic tubing, I've found this place here to have what you're looking for. Interesting enough, I stumbled on their site kinda by accident, as I'm looking for something very similar to use for my two/three stage antennas in 1/24/25 scale. I tried Small Parts as I had them bookmarked, but they've been bought out by Amazon. Well, I then went to Amazon, and of course the size that I need (.025" OD) was "out of stock" with a notice that said that they have no idea when or if it would be available again.

Soooooo I went to eBay, and I ran across an ad for MicroGroup. I click on it and bingo!............They have just what I'm looking for and plenty of it!

Hope this helps!

[426-Hemi]

-I'm Diabetic.... SO, I have a supply whenever I need a single syringe. BUT those who are complaining, yes, its dang near impossible to find a needle for glue application, or thinned paint application, if you have no "need" to even have a syringe!

Doesn't make sense, as I have what seems to be the perfect types of them for glue and in some cases oil application (my Machine center) use! -I've got some really interesting ones too!