What to hang on to

[Darrell Gwinn]

What every day items should I hang on to that could be useful parts in model building?

[m408]

Heck Darrell, if it's every day stuff, don't worry about it. "Every day" stuff is always there.

[Darrell Gwinn]

I know, but i meant like what items can be turned into something on a model, it wont be any good if i have all this random stuff that i dont know what to do with lol. lets say i have an ink pen, what can i do with all the parts its made up of? Ive used the tube part where the ink is for shocks and stuff but what else can be done with the rest of it? Get what Im saying?

[m408]

I know, but i meant like what items can be turned into something on a model, it wont be any good if i have all this random stuff that i dont know what to do with lol. lets say i have an ink pen, what can i do with all the parts its made up of? Ive used the tube part where the ink is for shocks and stuff but what else can be done with the rest of it? Get what Im saying?

I know that some have used pen parts for velocity stacks and exhaust tips. Some electronics have multi color wires that could be used. I don't do that much detailing, so have not tried any of the above. Closest I have come is using sewing pins for chrome dash knobs and tarp snaps.

[Spike]

i use the ink tubes of pens for part of the hinges. on LIL some people use the springs in em for the rear coil springs

[ismaelg]

Hello,

Among many other things, I'm always on the lookout for cheap (read FREE) sources of styrene like plates, products packaging etc. I also keep an eye for any scrapped aluminum that may be used in the lathe. Plus any other item that may ring a bell at the moment: Hmmm this could be used for......

Thanks,

[Chas SCR]

You can also use the body of the pen to make the new style motor covers, I use two of them for the one on my Concept 36 and also the center section is made from part of a pen. The spring can be used for the rear and front springs on street rods and so on. For other stuff I use tin foil to put in head lights in the Testor kits like Coupster and Smoothster stuff when the head light bezels are just flat, Trim it out so a 37 ford head light bucket fits in and then take the tin foil and put in around the back of the bucket slid it into the hole and glue from the inside the fender. Then take putty and fill in the inside the fender wall where the buck is to its flush so you can not see the work done. Take out the bucket after all is dried and you have a head light bucket made into a model that did not come like this also the new bezel will fit right inside with the head lights when you are ready for them. I use thread, needles for shifters, old shirts and sweaters for interior work. There is a ton of stuff if you just think about it that you can do.

[RJWood]

Electronic devices are loaded with useful stuff. circuit boards, use the resistors for fuel line filters.

use the wire for under the hood, heater hose, radiator hose, battery cables.

I recycle a lot of things, not only to use on models, but to use in making my models

small containers for mixing paint and washes. plastic packageing for window glass,

when I go to Chineese restaurant I get the chopsticks for doing chrome foil, or paint stirer.

After awhile you just get a knack for finding things that are useful for modeling with or to use on

a model. Use your imagination you can find lots of stuff.

Ron

[samdiego]

I've cut down the retractor in 4 ballpoint pens and mounted them where the coil springs go to make a positionable ride height. Pushing on the hood and trunk to click the pen innards. I could go low all around, rake to the front, rake to the back, or high all around. Anything is fair game when it comes to things that can be pressed into model duty. Once you get into that mindset, it's easy. The only drawback is the amount of stuff that I can't bear to throw away.

[Darrell Gwinn]

awesome, lots of useful tips right there, thanks guys!

[Spike]

i forgot to mention toothpicks. and the great thing about em is they are reuseable. i use em to stir paint in the lil testors bottles, use em to apply paint to detail, and use to help put foil/chrome tape on in lil creveses (sp)

[Darrell Gwinn]

i forgot to mention toothpicks. and the great thing about em is they are reuseable. i use em to stir paint in the lil testors bottles, use em to apply paint to detail, and use to help put foil/chrome tape on in lil creveses (sp)

yes, the toothpick was a tool i learned to use early on. its amazing how useful that little splinter can be. lol

[torinobradley]

I am always looking for goodies from everywhere. In addition to the pens, toothpicks, electronic parts and the like, I pretty much collect almost everything. Lighters are a great source of various springs, tubes, o-rings and assorted gadgets. Some care must be taken when taking them apart. The flint is spring loaded and can take out an eye, not to mention the fact that it contains butane under lots of pressure... Some of the other parts on circut boards look like cool cans or other parts, there are all kinds of nuts and bolts, some small enough to work in models, all kinds of wires, leaders, motor wrap wire, guitar strings, etc... The bubble packs for many of today's products are great for glass and such. Made cone shaped bezels for a 69 Torino with a punch, bubble pack plastic and a candle. I also and a regular searcher of model railroad supplies. Their nut and bolt details are perfect for adding those missing from kits. Not to mention an infinite of other tid-bits of just the right shape or material such as plastic bread ties, wires out of toy packaging, cigar pipe screens, computer parts, copier parts, electronic parts, fishing supplies, solder, aluminum house wire (made a nice set of headers from this and tubing).

Parts are where you find em. Just keep your eyes open and they just show up...

[jeffinvt]

Try quilting pins (the ones with the little color ball on them) for floor shifters, coulumn shifters, etc... Printers have some tiny little belts that can be used to do blowers with. Also keep an eye out for cheaper sources of styrene like: for sale signs, election lawn ads... Paper clips make nice bumperettes. This topic could go on forever, great stuff.

[Spike]

great job bringin up the pins, i forgot all about the,,and i have a lil box of em lol. they also work good for antennas with the lil balls on the end. also the regular pins (with just the lil nub on the end) work good for oil dipsticks

[Steven Zimmerman]

I have used 'Q'tip tubes for air conditioning ducts in dashboards. I mount photo/etched duct covers right to them,then drill a hole of the same size in the dashboard;easier to mount that way. I've used McDonald's stir stix and straws as masking aids when painting something long & thin; I just used this when painting a hood with struts attached,just slid the stirring tube(actually a very thin straw) right over the strut. All my braided lines are elastic thread from Jo anne's Fabric; A C Moore and Michaels are another good source for cheap scratchbuilding supplies and Pat Catans is even cheaper/better stocked.....At work we are required to wear earplugs, one type is joined by a braided cord(read 'braided hose in 1/25) Also at work we use a lot of plastic shim stock sheet in sizes ranging from .002 up to .030, what they throw out comes home with me and is superglue compatable (YES!!!....grin) I've 'educated' my fellow employees to the point that they bring me any bits n pieces(read JUNK) they think I might be able to use..... I've made wheel trim rings from aluminum tubing I've cut from old junk lawn chairs................'Z'

[FordRodnKustom]

The lids from plastic butter tubs and the like make great pallettes for mixing epoxy, 2 part putty, just about anything. I have a drawer full of them and use them a lot.

[oldcars]

The lids from plastic butter tubs and the like make great pallettes for mixing epoxy, 2 part putty, just about anything. I have a drawer full of them and use them a lot.

Add Pringles lids too.

[billd64]

CD jewej cases can be used as mixing palettes for paint /bodo,

pen springs can make flexible wheel spings or coil over springs

sewing pins can be used as valve stems or the caps to the pins for many things, similar to grommets/hold down pieces on bed liners / tarps

god i cant think of more

how about girl friends/moms emory boards from nails for filing sprue pieces/cleaning them, or sanding.... use imagination

i grew up ina day whwere you had to use imagination to accomplish things, thats why i can think outside the box

like painting a body, when i use a low enough stand, i seal it in an upside down cake display from local grocer

[Spike]

if you got straws you can take a hole punch and punch out circles from the straws to make headlight "eyebrows". also if you use super glue,and bondo, save your clumps off bondo and when you use super glue you can sand down the clumps of bondo and put the bondo dust on the super glue to get it to bond instantly

[Spike]

oh ya and if you have a new born, baby wipe boxes work good for storein parts in, or to chop up for styreen (sp)

[Bainford]

The telescopic antennas from old radios make great thin wall steel tubing with a variety of uses, including hydraulic cylinders for truck models.

The element from automotive light bulbs (tail lightd, brake lights, signal lights, etc) make great throttle return springs.

As others have mentioned, electronic devices have a ton of model parts hidden inside. Often there is black wire with very small white lettering on it that makes nice rad hoses. If into trick models, there are gears etc in VCRs and CD players that can be used for scratch building, or painted with rust paint and used to simulate a load of industrial junk. And of coarse, a wide variety of fuel filters, cool cans detail wiring. You are limited only by your imagination.

The grills of some old radios and tape players sometimes have screen that can be useful.

Some product packaging has shiney rigid mylar that can be used for mirror glass. Because it is cut from a flat sheet, it usually looks beter than kit chromed mirror glass.

In my house, any type of device from a pen to a VCR is harvested for model parts before it hits the curb.

[Harold]

One thing I keep in my arsenal of stuff are emery boards, nail sanding sticks (I get weird looks when I'm in the cosmetics section at Meijer's, but screw 'em), Q-Tips and toothpicks for foil work (the toothpicks are also great glue applicators and for holding parts during painting), masking tape (I throw a fresh piece on my cutting mat for mixing bondo and epoxy) and a box of straight pins (for making things like poseable steering).

[FactoryStock54]

Bottle caps of every imaginable shape and size for glue pallets. The plastic caps from 1 and 2 liter pop bottles are great to hold paint thinner for hand-brushed touch-ups or to use as replacements on MM or Poly Scale bottles. (Don't you just HATE those cheap-o paper gaskets they use???)

The large caps from laundry detergent bottles are very useful as multi-purpose pallets/brush wipe-off surfaces when hand-brushing. Some caps (from the 5 gallon tubs) have graduated markings on them and are very useful for paint mixing.

Q-Tips, tooth-picks, cable and wire harvested from computer and electronic components (harvested a life-time's supply of fine copper wire from an old garbage disposal unit!), emory boards, make-up applicator sponges, and even some scraps of the ex-wife's old panty hose (for straining paint when needed)!

The plastic trays from micro-wave dinners make great storage units for all kinds of projects; especially nice for holding bits and pieces needed during airbrushing; I also use them to hold thinner when I need to clean my airbrush. these are especially nice as they nest together and you can keep them neatly arranged when not in use.

Every year I get several extra-large calendars at the bank; each month I tear off an old sheet and use the blank side as a blotter on the workbench.

I like the tiny 8-oz pop cans; you can harvest the aluminum from these for all kinds of easy-to-work metal projects

Craft (popsicle) sticks for stirring paint

I have bags full of old wood (balsa and basswood) and soft metal scraps; if I can't use them for specific detail parts on larger-scale models, I can make scale-size junk and debris in smaller scales!

Heck! I never throw anything away!

Edited May 8, 2008 by FactoryStock54

[Paul Payne]

cut a pen barrel in half lengthwise and use it for a drive shaft tunnel