Cheap tools/recycling

[nitrojunkie]

This may be an old idea but here goes.After using a micro brush lay it to the side and allow to dry then snip off the end and you have a reusable applicator for picking out painted details and light burnishing.I also go to the medical supply house and buy the plastic medicine cups for mixing small amounts of paint and clear 100 count sleeve for $2.99.I buy mixing sticks from the craft store a box of 1000 plus for $4.00 vs $3-4 for 50 or so in a bag labeled paint mixing sticks and its the same thing. Mixing pipetes can be bought at the medical supply house 500 for $16.00 or less.Now I need to find a source for inexpensive paint storage bottles.

[B_rad88]

nice tips!

i use the testors 1/4 oz bottels. after i empty one i wash it 5 times and i reuse it as paint storage.

also just a thought. if you mix the paint in the little cups, try to get some of that glad press 'n' seal palstic wrap and place that glad plastic wrap over the edge of the little mixing cups.

[B_rad88]

ohhhhhh. ok thanks for that, i was just an idea. thank you

[nitrojunkie]

The cups I use are not effected by solvents.I have let pure lacquer thinner sit in em till it has evaporated with no ill effect to the cup.They even hold Acetone well.

[Olle F]

I recycle some household stuff too. One of my favorites is the lids from peanut cans, they make great mixing palettes and are not affected by solvents (also gives me a great excuse for eating peanuts). Another thing that comes in handy sometimes is the kind of plastic tray you get with TV-dinners. I don't use them much for model building, but they make great parts bins when you, for example, disassemble things like carburetors, guns or anything else that contains a lot of small parts. Once you're done, you can either clean it up or just throw it away. Yet another favorite is tackle boxes, they are pretty cheap, come in all kinds of different sizes and configurations and they sure help a lot to keep the itty, bitty stuff organized. I have several of them, containing everything from model building tools to electrical connectors. It sure beats having everything stuck in a drawer or piled on the workbench.

[Tommy Kortman]

nice tips!

i use the testors 1/4 oz bottels. after i empty one i wash it 5 times and i reuse it as paint storage.

Why not wash it 6 times

[Tommy Kortman]

My appologiesfor the above post. This is what happens when your computer is left alone in the presence of a mischevious, latino trouble maker.

I wont give any names, but his initials are ARIEL.

[B_rad88]

lol i know i am a smarty pants my self. and i wash it so many times to make sure there is residue( sorry if i missed spelled, i am being distracted right now!!!!!!!)

[FujimiLover]

I haven't done so yet, but how about useing a nice round turn-table spice-rack for organizing your bottles of paints? I'd like to do that for my Tamiya paints. Will have to see if the paint bottles will fit in the spice-rack. It would be much nicer than those crappy little plastic ones that Testors put's out with their itty bitty bottles.

[B_rad88]

I haven't done so yet, but how about useing a nice round turn-table spice-rack for organizing your bottles of paints? I'd like to do that for my Tamiya paints. Will have to see if the paint bottles will fit in the spice-rack. It would be much nicer than those crappy little plastic ones that Testors put's out with their itty bitty bottles.

there paint rack might be crapy, but mine has lasted me for the last 7 years! and i am still using to this day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited April 10, 2009 by KUZTOMMODELS88

[pstreet]

have an old playstation controller laying around?

dog chewed mine up so i cut the cord off and stripped it

plug wires galore! plus some threaded line and some stranded metal rip line.

after all is said and done you net about 6' of each color wire,

more than enough to wire quite a few models.

[diymirage]

i use cad 5 wire for my models, ever since everyone went wireless cad 5 is obsolete

[pstreet]

i use cad 5 wire for my models, ever since everyone went wireless cad 5 is obsolete

well not exactly since cat 5/6 cable still has to be run from the servers to the wireless devices.

only thing that stinks about cat 5/6 wire is youre limited to blue, orange, green and brown.

if you have access to telecommunications cable i would try finding some 25 or 50 pair cable.

it will get you white, red, black, yellow and violet. plus combos of those colors mixed with your basic blue, orange, green and brown.

[modeltrucker]

pop and water bottle lids work well as mixing cups