hey guys. I just bought a few kits to get me started on craftsman building kits. I’ve been thumbing through my last Micro Mark catalog, trying to pick out what I might need.
One of the things that jumped otu at me was this magnetic gluing jig thing…
I opened my Bar Mills kit and it has this modelers helper FAQ thing, and it talked about priming and glues and stuff, but not much anything about actual tools. I was at walmart today and picked up some Color Place Equipment Gray primer, which is what they used on their kits (the color of their Twin Utility Sheds), so I can at least get started with priming.
Also, do you guys recommend building laser-cut/craftsman kits on some sort of sturdy base? or like, at least on some basswood or balsa, like maybe half inch thick?
For me, laser-cut kits and craftsman kits really fall into separate categories. As the name implies, laser kits are precisely cut for better fitting pieces. Most of the time, you only need to cut the tab(s) to remove the part from its holder.
Craftsman kits, on the other hand, may come with all the materials that you need to construct the particular structure that you’re building. However, you still need to accurately measure and cut it to the correct length.
With that said, I’ve found a small machinist’s square to be an invaluable tool for me. It can be used for both checking for square of two walls or for marking and/or cutting perpendicular lines to the long side of a piece of wood or styrene.
A long, straight edge is another handy tool. And I’ve found that the metal adjustable shelving U-brackets make a nice straight edge in an pinch. They may bend up and down but never side to side. (Unless, of course, you make a concerted effort at it. [(-D])
If you don’t already have one, buy yourself an X-acto knife handle and 3-4 packets of #11 blades. The chisel blades are also good for scraping and cutting thicker stock.
Lastly, find an old pop (soda, coke, etc.) bottle, a 1/2" OD wood dowel rod, and a piece of stiff cardboard for a painting platform. (A piece of ~9 x 9" should work just fine.) Find the center of the cardboard square and use a broad head nail (like a roofing nail) or a screw to attach it to one end of the dowel. (A screw might work better if you are wanting to either replace or use different size cardboard squares from time to time.) You can either hold the dowel in your hand in order to rotate the cardboard as you paint or place it in the pop bottle so that it’s more hand’s free.
Don’t know if that’s what you were looking for, Greg, but hopefully one of those ideas will be of help.
Tom’s got it pretty well covered. However, I do have that magnetic jig, and I use it constantly. As the sides are already 90 degrees, I’ve found that this works well on it’s own without any additional squares (but you do need a square for cutting - Micro Mark sells a nice one with a dropped shoulder, so you can lay it on your stock and cut).
As long as I’ve been modeling, I’ve been trying to purchase 5-10% of my hobby budget in related tools - mostly because I like tools. Things like this jig are not necessary, but they can make things go a bit smoother. Same with the chopper, the duplicator, etc.
I have the ‘magnetic gluing jig’ - It is OK, but I am not sure how ‘square’ those metal bars with the magnets are. I use some precision metal alignment setup jigs(similar to the angle plates) in conjunction with the magnetic gluing jig to make sure I have a square alignment.
The ‘Right Clamp’ devices are very nice - I have the ‘original’ and the ‘splice’ versions. They are great for working on resin freight car kits and structures.
Another item you may want to look at for laser kits are sanding sticks. I also use my NWSL ‘True Sander’ a lot.
Many times I will build a ‘base’ out of ‘foam core’ or ‘gator’ board for structure projects. This is very helpful where there are multiple structures in the same scene. I have used bassword or aircraft plywood as well for structure bases. I would think that balsa might be too soft. I use 1/8" to 1/4" material for the base. The 1/4" material is very nice. It is about the same thickness as cork roadbed/Atlas tie strip material and brings the structure ‘up’ to the track. Half hard Masonite works very well.
Don’t forget single edge razor blades. You can get a box of 100 for a few dollars in the paint center of the one of big box home centers. Also, a selection of 1/8" x 1/8" to 1/4" x 1/4" lumber from a craft store is useful for bracing your walls and roof.
I’d forget about purchasing the Original Right Clamp item. I have one of them and could never get it to clamp correctly. I don’t know what I was doing wrong, but I could never get it to hold the corner tightly at both the top and bottom; there was always a gap somewhere.
The magnetic gluiing jig is a good thing to have.
I don’t have the angle plate, so cannot answer your question about it.
Wow, thanks for all the replies guys!!! This is the kind of stuff I was looking for… its hard to know what you need for building wood/craftsman kits when you’re only 22 and haven’t even done it yet… haha
I already know about/have x-acto knives/blades and razor blades and tweezers 'n whatnot; i’m at least haflway there with those things. Im just trying to see if theres anything else that would really help make these kits go together easier/smoother/better, haha.
not sure i get what you’re trying to say here dude… haha
It is a little but it’s not bad. You could add some kind of adhesive (double-stick tape or hot melt) to tack down the base of the bottle. Sand inside the bottle would also make it more heavy and more stable. Most of the things I spray paint are small so tipping over is not an issue.
The spindle in the picture is 3/8" square rod. 1/2" OD would be better. The bottle neck ID should take up to a 3/4" OD rod.
two things i use a lot that i would recommend for you to get are a GOOD pair of tweezers, i use the style that clamps tight on it’s own and releases when you squeeze it. takes a little getting used to but worth it.
the other thing is a pack of emery boards, like women use on their finger nails. most have one coarse side and one fine side. good for taking the fuzz off strip wood and cleaning the little sprue nubs off of plastic parts.
I haven’t had any experience with cutting tweezers, but Xuron cutters do a good job. I also have one of these cutters that make a perfectly clean cut, but they’re not cheap. CAM-ACTION SPRUE CUTTER
Do you tack the bottle down with some double-sided tape or some hot melt to make it stable?