What is the most recent brilliant tool or model making accessory bought and most often used?

[Bugatti Fan]

I bought a multi medium kit last year mainly in wood that demands a lot of accurate cutting and drilling. I already had a bench drilling machine so accurate drilling was already taken care of.

My son and daughter asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Having seen a Micro Table Top Circular Saw being used in a forum thread I prompted me to put it on my list and suggested that they buy it between them as a combined present.

That little saw has been in constant use since I got it. Absolutely brilliant for cutting things accurately and repeatedly. One of the best tools I have to hand besides my little Unimat 4 lathe regarding usage.

 

[stitchdup]

For me its my 3d printers, or the aftermarket on my bench as i think of it. The initial cost was a bit of a shock but i've definately saved money by having it and i use it often for myself and others

[Swamp Dog]

one of my latest was a DSPIAE  Reciprocating Sander. you can find them on AliExpress or Amazon. comes with case & different grit sandpaper.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Cheap (in my case found) magnifying glasses. Brilliant indeed. And more light...

[bytownshaker]

51 minutes ago, Swamp Dog said:

one of my latest was a DSPIAE  Reciprocating Sander. you can find them on AliExpress or Amazon. comes with case & different grit sandpaper.

Me too

[dmthamade]

Paint pens...

Don

[R. Thorne]

These make my job a lot quicker and easier than painting with a brush.  

[Beans]

4 hours ago, R. Thorne said:

These make my job a lot quicker and easier than painting with a brush.  

Do they come out flat or glossy?

[R. Thorne]

Difficult to tell in these pictures, but most colors are semi gloss to flat.

[NOBLNG]

Lately I’ve been using my rotary tool a LOT! I bought some good quality burrs for it. The quality burrs make a huge difference in what it can do. I also bought a press stand for it and use it for drilling holes.

Edited Friday at 12:00 AM by NOBLNG

[DJMar]

About a year ago, I got one of those clamp on, adjustable, lighted, 12x magnifiers for the bench. I'm surprised at how much I use it. 

[meechum68]

On 7/30/2025 at 4:38 PM, stitchdup said:

For me its my 3d printers, or the aftermarket on my bench as i think of it. The initial cost was a bit of a shock but i've definately saved money by having it and i use it often for myself and others

My wife said she will get me a resin printer sometime this year. So that is one I am excited for. 

But for me it's just a good variety of xacto knifes with a lot of replacement blades. I use both #2 and #11. I also use my portable magnifying glass ... but will look into a semi permanent one to clamp on like DJMar has. 

 

[Cool Hand]

Same as some of the other guys. Paint markers.

Been using these 2 from AK a lot.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 03:54 PM by Cool Hand

[Bugatti Fan]

Some interesting items being featured in this thread following on to my original post.

Keep 'em coming guys.        Great to hear about things that work really well for each of us.

[Ulf]

Crack magnifier, sometimes better than a caliper. Not cheap as measuring instruments are a real material sport but I really felt I wanted one when I saw one. It is millimeters. It's certainly not motivated by my ability to build model cars but the urge was great and I've actually gotten a lot of use out of it.

Edited Friday at 07:16 PM by Ulf

[johnyrotten]

1 hour ago, Ulf said:

Crack magnifier, sometimes better than a caliper. Not cheap as measuring instruments are a real material sport but I really felt I wanted one when I saw one. It is millimeters. It's certainly not motivated by my ability to build model cars but the urge was great and I've actually gotten a lot of use out of it.

I have a great interest in metrology and machining, I find many of those types of tools helpful. These adjustable parallels work well as a small square, and setting frame rails parallel, ride height ect

[meechum68]

Some fantastic tips here! 

[Bainford]

Recently, while making a sizable order from HLJ, I spotted a curious tool called a decal squeegee. It wasn't expensive, so on a whim I put it in the cart. I actually expected to find it useless, and it sat neglected in the tool box for over a year, but one day during a technical decal application, with which I was struggling, I pulled out the squeegee and it saved the day. It has proven useful ever since and is now part of my standard decal routine. I find it particularly helpful when applying long, thin decals. 

[Ulf]

Any day now I'm going to make a fixture in solid Plasticard and install a quality Pin Wise so I can rotate for instance rims when I paint them, any day now...

[Bugatti Fan]

Starrett.   

Now that's a name I remember from the past John.     Good quality measuring/inspection tooling.  An American company who I think had a manufacturing facility this side of the pond in Scotland.

Will have to check them out.

 

[johnyrotten]

1 hour ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Starrett.   

Now that's a name I remember from the past John.     Good quality measuring/inspection tooling.  An American company who I think had a manufacturing facility this side of the pond in Scotland.

Will have to check them out.

 

Their tools are very high quality, and can be expensive. I look for them at swap meets and flea markets. Last year I picked up a three piece pin vise set for five dollars. I've got a collection of around 150 different machinist tools I use for work. Starrett, brown and sharp, and mititoyu are all very nice high quality tools. I live in the northeast, the Starrett company is only an hour drive from me, and this was a very industrial area back in the day. There is a lot of those kind of tools that show up in my area at sales.

[Bugatti Fan]

I have a Brown & Sharpe combination set bought when I was an apprentice back in the 60's.

Still use it frequently. Quality lasts. Misutoyo measuring tools are excellent too having used their in the past.

I would like to mention  two British manjfacturers who also make high quality measuring tools and been around for years.

Moore & Wright.       Rabone Chesterman.  Some of their micrometers, callipers , rules etc still reside in my tool box from.say back.  I also have a small vernier that was made by a Swedish company named Eskilstuna bought as an apprentice. Really nice tool that I tend to use more than anything else. Not heard of the Swedish company in years so do not know if they still exist or not, or trade under another name.

Way back I think that one of my tutors at technical college used a German made  Mauser vernier.

[johnyrotten]

2 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

would like to mention  two British manjfacturers who also make high quality measuring tools and been around for years.

Moore & Wright.       Rabone Chesterman. 

I'll have to keep an eye out for those manufacturers, though probably rare here in the United States. The quality of tools from years ago speaks for itself, as I'm sure your aware.