household objects

[charlie8575]

Some interesting ideas here. Dryer sheets as polishing cloths? I might have to try that sometime.

Charlie Larkin

[Jantrix]

Try plastic style medical tape as floor mats. 4x4 Shotgun cleaning swatches are great for making Mexican blankets.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Great thread. Learned some interesting tips from it.

bobthehobbyguy

[SlotDaddy1963]

Also remember using a .5mm or .7mm mechanical pencil, beveled on the end as a "Rivet Punch"... small amount of pressure onto bare-metal-foil picks up a tiny little disk of foil... and the lead point as it's placed, makes a neat little indention in the center.

[FASTBACK340]

This is a box of neck ties in the back of one of my trucks. I built it with logos from a favorite old restaurant. It was a casual place in Denver whose gimmick was that if you came dressed up, they'd cut off your tie. Then they'd buy you a drink and tack the tie on the wall with a card you filled out with your info. So people wore throw away ties there for the experience. So I decided that a box of ties was needed. They are made from masking tape.

Not to hi-jack, but Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona did something similar when I was last there 12 yrs. ago. My Father-in-law gave me a cheap tie to wear into the restaurant. As you walked in, the waitress was cutting your tie off as you were seated. It was a goofy tradition as they'd staple the tie to a ceiling beam as your sitting down. I also stapled my cousins NYC Police PBA card to a doorway. It was "that kind of place…" and it was fun. They had personal memorabilia all over the place. Remains of neck ties hung from the rafters like icicles and every flat surface had a business card, student ID, or sticker on it. Too bad the Steak wasn't that good…..

Everyone is posting some really good tips. Thanks!

Edited March 3, 2014 by FASTBACK340

[crazyjim]

I'm really liking these posts. Lots of interesting ideas.

[disabled modeler]

Those old left over clear parts trees can be used to make soda,etc. bottles like the ones in my 64 Chevy junkyard pickup build in my photobucket here. You just take and heat the parts tree stock and once its starting to melt carefully pull to the desired shape or size and hold blowing on it till its cool...then you cut it to the desired bottle neck size and sand or trim to your liking.

[Tom Geiger]

Not to hi-jack, but Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona did something similar when I was last there 12 yrs. ago.

Hey John, since you mentioned it, mine was the Trail Dust Steakhouse in Denver. Here's the rest of the model. I built this before computer printed graphics. I did the logo on clear decal stock I ran through a Xerox machine.

[FASTBACK340]

The door graphics look great Tom! Nice to find inspiration in the obscure.

It's funny how a conversation goes from detailing models, to neck ties in steak houses, and then back to models!

[Baugher Garage]

Cheapo necklace chains readily available at most garage sales, spray painted dark gray and misted with red oxide primer make great tow chains.

[astroracer]

Need something to simulate seat/interior fabric? Look at the peel off lids for most Yogurt containers. Also look for some that are "quilted". I think Folgers red plastic coffee containers use these. Real easy to cut and fit on a bench seat. Paint a flat or semi-gloss and you have a nice custom seat pattern.

When I did the master for the "Aztec" '55 Chevy for R & R I used a Klondike bar wrapper to cover the seat. It was VERY thin foil over paper. The yogurt covers are nicer to work with.

[Tom Geiger]

Cool Mark-

I used to save the covers for restaurant butter patties because they had a neat honeycomb pattern on them. Too small for seats but I used them for vents and such.

But here's my tip... old business cards... I have a box of an old card of mine that has a nice soft pattern on them....

[SlotDaddy1963]

Hey Tom,

I like the subtle grain on business cards for interiors... some of them are SPOT ON for 1/25 scale leather!

Awesome idea man...

Chuck

[Q tip]

telephone wire. cut the outter casing off and you have four different colors of small gauge wire for airlines,plug wires ect.

[vypurr59]

Excellent tips. I'll add mine. Foil from a discarded "BOX" pack of cigarettes can be glued to the underside of a car, to replicate heat shields, by exhaust components.

The shotgun patches also make good underhood fabric.

[ChrisBcritter]

This used to be a good idea I came up with: I needed a lot of scale broken glass for a junkyard diorama, and I hit on the idea of used flashcube bulbs. They were very thin glass with a plastic coating; all I had to do was crush them with pliers until the glass crumbled, then cut off the top of the bulb and sprinkle the glass where I wanted it.

It worked well 35 years ago, but who knows where you'd find used flashcubes now...

[FASTBACK340]

…... who knows where you'd find used flashcubes now...

Flashcubes….. wow, there's a word I haven't seen, said, or thought about in 25 yrs. Very cool tip, but flashcubes……

[Tom Geiger]

It worked well 35 years ago, but who knows where you'd find used flashcubes now...

Flash cubes? Weren't they used with that stuff they used to call FLIM or something like that?

[Art Anderson]

This used to be a good idea I came up with: I needed a lot of scale broken glass for a junkyard diorama, and I hit on the idea of used flashcube bulbs. They were very thin glass with a plastic coating; all I had to do was crush them with pliers until the glass crumbled, then cut off the top of the bulb and sprinkle the glass where I wanted it.

It worked well 35 years ago, but who knows where you'd find used flashcubes now...

Not exactly "household" items, but you can use the very thin glass "cover slips" used to cover sliced specimens on microscope slides!

Art

[Modlbldr]

Excellent tips. I'll add mine. Foil from a discarded "BOX" pack of cigarettes can be glued to the underside of a car, to replicate heat shields, by exhaust components.

That foil is also good to glue behind taillights to give them that prismatic look.

I recently bent up one of those jumbo paper clips to make the rear sway bar in my 66 El Camino. I have bought some cheap computer speakers from a thrift store and used my cut off wheel in the dremel to cut the metal screen off and use it as a grille on a Mustang.

Later-

[disabled modeler]

Well they come with the kits but you can make your own soda or pop bottles from the clear or other plastic parts trees left over from builds for free. Take them and carefully heat and gently pull to desired shape...blow on them till cool...cut to the shape you want and done....I have one or two of the ones I made in my 64 Chevy junkyard pickup build under my profile here in my photobucket photos. A lack of any real budget to work with makes one learn to be very creative.

[vypurr59]

My wife purchased these crackers for snacks. I found that the little plastic spreader is great for scratch-building and for mixing epoxies, resins and other things.

It measures 2 1/8" x 3/8" x 1/16"

[slusher]

Cool Mark-

I used to save the covers for restaurant butter patties because they had a neat honeycomb pattern on them. Too small for seats but I used them for vents and such.

But here's my tip... old business cards... I have a box of an old card of mine that has a nice soft pattern on them....

Great tip Tom..

[Danno]

Flashcubes….. wow, there's a word I haven't seen, said, or thought about in 25 yrs. Very cool tip, but flashcubes……

No kidding!

[slusher]

Flashcubes….. wow, there's a word I haven't seen, said, or thought about in 25 yrs. Very cool tip, but flashcubes……

I wonder if they could be found on ebay.