Ever have "I can use that" Idea

[Kaleb]

I will post some of mine later but here are a few things

The cap that goes on a tube of caulk for cone shape air filter.

Some plastic thing that I found on a house for fuel line, hose, etc.

Plastic Straws from Capri-sun for the connectors for air intakes and the pointed tip for exhaust.

wd40 straws etc etc

Post yours here it may help others to get a project done.

I looked for another post but did not find anything.

[seeker589]

Great thread!

I have found blister packaging from variety of products useful. It is a plastic. I have used a curved piece of this packaging to make some hood scoops on a kustom '49 Mercury hood.

I have seen scoops, fender flares and other various body parts in the shapes of blister packs. If you wanna see what could be possible - wander around Wally-mart.

blister packs are clear - the very clear and flawless blisters can be used as glass.

Edited November 19, 2010 by seeker589

[Dragline]

I use the clear acetate from pasta boxes for my drag car windshields.

I even have my Mums saving them for me....

She cooks more pasta than I so......

Bob

[Railfreak78]

Great topic! I use a lot of things for models. I'll have to add as I think.

Floral wire: ignition wires and misc lines

Beading wire: Brake lines and fuel lines

Telephone wire: spark plug wire boots (insulation only)

Wheels from Tech Deck skateboards and heat wrap: Airbags

Spray in bead liner: Vinal tops,interior floor, and bed liners

Chain earings/necklaces: Trailer chains

Guitar string: Antenna

I have a lot more but I'm not thinking right at the moment

[Dave Ambrose]

• Cat whiskers (the four footed variety) are also good for antennas.
• Wire wrap wire for ignitions
• Dipping windshields and anything else clear in Future to make them look very real.
• Using a #12 blade for trimming bare metal foil. It gives much better control than the popular #11 blade.

[Kaleb]

Something else for you HVAC guys is the thermostat wire its 18 guage and good for something.

I also picked up the string/twin that bricklayers use for rope

like someone else had mentioned resistors from electronics make fuel filters.

I just about forgot they have some type of tubing in the craft or jewelry section of walmart that you can use for hoses.

**Edit the box binder is the white strap that goes over crates and stuff to stabilize it seems small enough for grills

Edited November 19, 2010 by Kaleb

[Agent G]

I use "Tiger Tail" beading wire from Michaels. It's a fine braided wire coated with clear nylon and does a good job of replicating braided fuel lines, cables and such.

Same with nylon beading wire, it can be painted to replicate almost anything.

Ball headed straight pins for shifters, flat heeaded push pins for rivets and connectors.

G

[1320wayne]

Springs from old dried up ballpoint pens for coil over springs.

The silver tapered cone shape from used up ballpoint pens for either exhaust tips or the ends of zoomie headers.

Something already mentioned above but a different use. The wheels from Tek Dek skateboards for wheelie bar wheels for drag subjects.

[Junkman]

Fuse wire to make spokes for spoke wire wheels:

Plastic strapping/banding for pallets to make car transporter or trailer boards and ramps, walkways on tankers, etc.:

It comes in various widths and there is a multitude of uses.

Q-Tips are exhaust pipes, roll cages, radiator hoses, axles, raw material for headers, zoomies, whatever, there are so many uses for them.

Wire coathangers from the dry cleaner's are axles for old Jo-Hans, exhaust systems, roll cages, reinforcements, whatever.

Old telescopic car antennas are hydraulic rams for tipper lorries.

The wooden coffee stirrers from McPuke or Tarbucks are pick-up floors, woody wagons or actually even paint stirrers.

Peeled skins from boiled potatoes are seat covers and drag-chute wraps.

Rubber 0-rings are hoses, same goes for wire insulation.

Silicone molds for cake frosting are molds for resin cherubs, angels, scrollwork, flowers, crosses, etc. for ornate hearses.

Wedding cake columns are columns for column hearses.

Kinder Eggs are 1/8th scale headlamp buckets.

European style pins are door lock knobs, column shift and turn signal stalks, pull switches, rivet heads or convertible boot fasteners.

Drawing-pins are dog dish hubcaps.

Springs inside of oil seals are carburetter linkage return springs, etc.

Edited November 20, 2010 by Junkman

[Kaleb]

Wow, now that's what I am talking about.

Many uses from different materials. The banding for pallets is what I was talking about for grills in cars. It seems small enough in scale to do so

[Junkman]

The nicest thing is most of that stuff is free. As in rubbish.

[runsw/scissors]

The other day I got my old phone charger cord wrapped up in the vacume cleaner, it pulled the ends off of it, but inside were a black and red wire perfect for battery cables. didn't have to make a trip to the hobby shop.

Edited November 20, 2010 by runsw/scissors

[Aaronw]

Frying pan grease screens are a good source for fine screen or expanded metal. Some have a fine square mesh like screen door screen which is less useful, but some brands actually use a very fine expanded metal which makes good 1/25 expanded metal for about 1/4 the price of similar screen sold by hobby suppliers.

Electric guitar strings are a good source of stiff steel wire, I use the .008" ultralight "8 gauge" E strings for aircraft rigging, but it would also work well for radio aerials and such.

A walk down the electronic do dads aisle at Radio Shack provides all kinds of possibilities from wire to lighting.