10 modeling tools every modeler should have

[martinfan5]

I have been looking for a punch set and have not been able to find one, where are they sold at?

Edited February 22, 2012 by martinfan5

[charlie8575]

  On 2/22/2012 at 4:34 AM, martinfan5 said:

I have been looking for a punch set and have not been able to find one, where are they sold at?

Any quality hardware store should have them. Also try Micro-Mark if you're looking for really small ones.

Charlie Larkin

[heatride]

  On 2/22/2012 at 4:11 AM, Danno said:

LOL thats a fact Danno got to have that ! ......

[sjordan2]

  On 2/22/2012 at 7:01 AM, charlie8575 said:

Any quality hardware store should have them. Also try Micro-Mark if you're looking for really small ones.

Charlie Larkin

You can also find them at leather crafts stores. Speaking of which, a couple of tools I find useful are a Leatherman multitool and Swiss Army Knife.

[moparmagiclives]

I've been tool and gadget freak for as long as I can remember, it wasnt untill I found some patience, that I was able to use all those cool tools...But i doesnt hurt to have a good place to keep all those tools in order, so that they can be used for the right job.

[Junkman]

  On 2/21/2012 at 4:08 AM, Harry P. said:

And a fully functioning brain/central nervous system to operate them.

Not sure whether this is essential. A lot of people who don't have a fully functioning brain/central nervous system use modelling as therapy. Furthermore, look at all those plain mad lunatics turning out the whacky stuff.

[A.R.C.]

Patience is the best tool of all.

[Jon Cole]

Besides what I see are the more obvious, which several have covered here already, I really couldn't do without my moto tool (yes, I know someone already mentioned it already), and my gooseneck magnifying lamp. Worth every penny.

[whale392]

1) Passion for the subject

2) Desire to replicate the subject

3) Reference materials to accurately replicate desired subject (unless accuracy is more of a second-fiddle to attention)

4) Ability to recognize areas that will need work and attention to detail

5) Thick skin, as not everyone will like what you are doing

6) LOTS of GOOD light (Never underestimate this, as it is the most important of all 'work' tools)

7) Good selection of cutting utensils (all sorts for various jobs)

8) Quiet, clean work environment (clutter and disorganized just doesn't work for most)

9) Good selection of quality paint brushes and paints/glues

10) Determination (to see a project through to the end, even if you are unhappy with the way it is turning out)

Edited February 22, 2012 by whale392

[charlie8575]

  On 2/22/2012 at 9:04 PM, Junkman said:

Not sure whether this is essential. A lot of people who don't have a fully functioning brain/central nervous system use modelling as therapy. Furthermore, look at all those plain mad lunatics turning out the whacky stuff.

Both of these, particularly the first point, are well worth consideration.

Charlie Larkin

[Ragnar]

The most important tool is your eyes. so always protect them, by using the right lighting, and wear eye protection when you sand, file, use caustic cleaners, grinders, and when you do any spraying. I lost the sight in my left eye about four years ago, due to a tumor that was putting preasure on my optic nerve. My Doctors were able to shrink the tumor with a drug, that I now have to take for the rest of my life,and they saved my right eye, but the left one was blind. It took me a long time to get used to the change and teach myself to be able to work on my models again as my depth perception was all messed up. It has made me think about taking care of the sight I have left. I now need very strong close up lenses to see the detailing on my models, and I can no long work on them for long periods the way I used to do. I now have to take a break every 20-30 minutes to let my eye rest for an hour or more before I can start working again. I know that my detail work is not what it was before I lost the eye, but I am determined to get bak to being able to do as well as I could before!

So take good care of your eyes and get regular eye exames!

Edited February 23, 2012 by Ragnar

[mp_101airborne]

could not agree more about the eyes Ragnar... nothing like the feeling of hot plastic flying off the Dremmel tool... lol

tell you some of the things i havent seen mentioned and i know i couldnt live without:

1) Q-Tips... great for everything from laying down decals to buffing and waxing paint jobs (sold at walgreens as a makeup applier... with a tipped end and flat end)

2) Soft tip cuticle tool... the soft tip is great for pressing BMF into the nooks and crannies (again at walgreens)

3) Toothpicks... you could start an intire post for the use of toothpicks

4) Tape... more sizes the better and great for holding things in place or masking off paint jobs... also saw a girl on tv who was addicted to eating it... haha

5) Right cement for the job... Clear is great for windows and a tiny tip makes getting the right amount easy

Last but not least a little bit of $$$ doesnt hurt either... this hobby isnt a cheap one and can get expensive if you want to sink a ton of money into it... i was joking with a friend who collects guns as a hobby... he said "i paid $200 for a mossberg shot gun"... i laughed and said "i have over $200 wrapped up in 5 tiny cars i can never drive"... haha

[jonno356SC]

I can't live without my Optivisor and LED lights attachment.

Pin vise with mini bits

CA glues

Sanding sticks

Assorted tweezers

Jeweller's vise

Air Brush & compressor

0000 paint brushes (and larger ones too ;-) )

Micromesh

Assorted pins (I use these a lot to move small PE parts)

Spray booth

I could go on!

LOL

Jon

[Mike Kucaba]

A lathe,a mill, 3d printer...... and the beat goes on.....

[scalemodeler]

Weld-on, and my Touch 'n Flow. Rarely use anything else these days.

[Wagoneer81]

There are a lot of great ideas here, and a few more I'd like to add... A regular sized, fine cut file. If you've ever had to true up a long cut edge or a good sized body side/rocker panel, a regular sized file is a lifesaver. I have one that's marked to use only on styrene. Also, a good set of small or micro-files. When you do get a new set, mark them somehow (I paint my handles Zinc-Oxide Yellow) and DO NOT use them for anything but styrene! Have another set for brass, aluminum, metal, etc. This will keep them like new for years to come and not contaminate the styrene you're working on with foreign material. Also, if you get metal shavings embedded in the file teeth, it will make the cut surface raggedy and uneven. A mirco-saw or two will also come in handy. I have a couple that look like #11 blades but instead of a cutting edge, they have very fine saw teeth. (See Micro-Mark.com) Between these and my razorsaw and files, I don't even use a Dremel anymore... I haven't used a Dremel in at least three years and have done some pretty decent modifications on several models.

  On 3/11/2012 at 3:26 AM, Mike Kucaba said:

A lathe,a mill, 3d printer...... and the beat goes on.....

Got the Lathe and the Mill... Great investments if you have a nice DRY non-humid place for them. There's no worse feeling than hitting the garage and finding a thin layer of oxide (read: RUST) on every un-oiled surface... Ain't man enough to pony up for a 3D printer yet...lol!