Non Model Related Use Of Equipment, Paint, And Skills

[Mike]

My son's green Power Ranger was looking a bit worse for wear. He's been asking me the last couple days to paint him (inventory at work = no time). So, after I got home from working on inventory, we went downstairs and proceeded to mix green and white to get the appropriate shade of "that's close enough Dad" green and proceeded to put the diamonds back on his boots and overspray the white that was scratched off his belt and shoulders, and touch up the red and black on his belt buckle and chest. Now I'm being told that "he needs gold on his chest".... see you later. Gotta go paint a Power Ranger!

Oh, before I go, has anyone else ever used modeling skills or had "that one thing" on the workbench to fix something around the house or for a significant other?

[Aaronw]

One of the firefighters I used to work with was trying to paint a bondo patch on his car with one of those touch up paint spray cans. It just happend that one of the other FF's on duty also built models so we were out back offering tips and techniques of painting with a rattle can. I guess we weren't to helpful because he ended up telling us to go the BLEEEEEEP back inside and sniff some glue.

[dub]

Yeah, now that I have all kind of adhesives, I get to fix more broken ceramics than I used to. I can think of a few uses for the 5 minute epoxy in the garage too. I haven't painted any thing yet, but I know I won't have any problems with it now!

[old-hermit]

My sons are into the "Warhammer" game and constantly pilfer my CA glue and paint to construct their figures.

[Brendan]

I do touchups on people's cars like scratches and putting bondo on and matching up paints. I also used to paint my goalie helmets for hockey before I injured my knee. I also did it for friends as well.

[mageckman]

Where do I start? I'm constantly using my skills and equipment to fix and repair other things around the house for family and friends.Necklaces are something that show up on my workbench more than anything.Usually they are either tangled and knotted or a link has been ripped. I have also painted my wife and daughters fingernails and toenails for them( I have steadier hands than either of them, or so they say).There is also the occasional ceramic or glass piece that needs fixed with my glues and paints.There are numerous other things that I end up fixing as well(too many to list or think about). Mageck

[James W]

Oh, before I go, has anyone else ever used modeling skills or had "that one thing" on the workbench to fix something around the house or for a significant other?

I've fixed everything from mini candellabra (Polly Pocket I think) to Nextel radios. My sons Nerf double shot gun is a puzzler. I may have to make a new catch out of brass.

It is kind of a pain being the fix it guy, but the rewards are great.

[VW Dave]

When we bought our house, we repainted nearly every room. The baseboard heat register vents had been painted several times over the years, and needed a little freshening.....I stripped them with CSC, shot them with rattle-can Rustoleum, and they look very nice now.

As I'm pretty handy with a rattle can, I get the nod to shoot the non-stick cooking spray on any pans at our house.

My wife has a large collection of ceramic elephants, and she now knows that 5-minute epoxy works great to repair any damaged ones.

[Olle F]

I don't know if my model building skills are all that useful, but I do use my model building tools for many different things around the house, mostly when repairing small things. A few repairs I have made lately have been to my wife's jewelry, my son's toys, my father-in-law's chain saw, some trim work on my Chevelle etc. Those little knifes, tweezers and pliers sure come in handy sometimes, and keeping different kinds of glue in stock helps too.

[Canada Jeff]

Tamiya's flat white acrylic paint does a great job of covering up paint roller goof-ups on ceiling stipple.

Knowing the right glue for the right job can help avoid disaster in other projects.

Many modeling tools seem to also make excellent scrap booking tools, judging by how often my tool kit gets raided.

Years of trial-and-error learning in body work, paint, stance and wheel/tire combo selection make 1:1 car building seem much less intimidating (if only we could learn how to weld in scale too!).

Perhaps most importantly, modeling skills like patience, planning, observation, determination, detail orientation and creative problem solving have infinite uses in all aspects of your life.

[Rob Hall]

I find myself using an xacto knife as a letter opener and package opener...