Seeing the medicine cups thread, I thought “Why don’t we have a thread dedicated to just our tricks and tips for the hobby”? You know, what we do to make the hobby a little easier monetary/labor/time consuming. For example. I got a whole sheet of NMRA labels, and it says in the paper included that members have used those labels on their tools,trains,etc
Some of mine:
I use an old Fishing tackle box for my tools and paints (Note to self: get more paint-out of Conrail blue, and need some more cream,need gray, and some more red)
Friend of mine has suggested using the glass plate from an old microwave to work on models. The raised edges keep stuff from flying out.
Purchase a high quality square. Save you tons of headaches
I use a cardboard box outside for spray painting my shells.
I;ve been thinking about turning an old chocolate milk container-one of the one serving ones- into a roadside store/attraction.
I choose my battles carefully. I’ve learned that I have a limited amount of time and money, so I have to balance the two to actually build a layout. Hence, I don’t build locomotive kits, but rather buy them RTR. I build freight car kits, though, and enjoy that. I don’t hand-lay track, either. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time on scenery.
My benchwork tip is to get a frame clamp that holds two pieces of wood at 90 degrees while you drill and screw them together. That work also goes a lot faster with 2 drills. I use the plug-in one to drill the holes, and the cordless to drive the screws.
I use a plastic fishing lure box for storing small parts like couplers,wheels etc.
I have 2 tool boxes.One is large and one small.The small is for my regularly used tools and the larger box holds tools like track saws,rulers,square,cordless Dremel etc.
I keep decals in two cigar boxes-received free for the asking.
I have a large plastic jar I keep scrap parts in.
I use empty pill bottles for screws,washers,KD springs etc.
Not my original idea but I use #11 surgical scalpels rather than Exacto (or other brand) hobby knife blades. They are thinner, much sharper ans seem to hold their edge at least as long as hobby knife blades. I purchased a box of 100 through Amazon for less than $7 including shipping.
I use baking sheet trays as project trays - keeps all the stuff together and the shallow sides keep parts from rolling/sliding off. I can store it on a shelf when I need/want to work on something else.
I use an old fishing tackle box with plastic tray insert that lifts up and out when opening the top as a tool box.
I use a 2x4 1/2" plywood panel with felt glued on to one side as a work surface on a desk. It keeps the desk surface from getting paint/glue/nicks.
I use an old oak drawer divider as a cutting board.
I use 2 desk lights on the workbench/desk to have lots of light.
I use an old silver ware tray for tools that don’t fit in the tool box - I seem to accumulate lots of tools as the years go by.[:)]
Jimmy you a cardboard box outside to paint. Do you sit the model on top or spray it inside the box? Also I use a old jewellery box to store tools and extra parts inside. Most of the time I airbrush models on a shoe box in the garage or patio table. rambo1…
Yes, they fit in an Exacto handle although the tang is longer than a #11 hobby knife blade so it sticks out a bit farther. That has given me no trouble.
I have enough trouble sweating the X-Acto blades - just what I need, something DESIGNED for stab incisions. I rather not be opening any coronary arteries or aortas, thank you very much.
If you can find thin wall tubes of 3/8" to 1/2" dia, 3 or more inches long, put 8 or 10 together (I did 2 rows of 6 apiece, epoxied together), and use them to store art paint brushes, paint stir sticks (I use pieces of cut up thick wire coat hangers), and other small round handled objects like seam scrapers, jewelers files, mirror handles etc.
No brass tube scrap lying around? OK, glue 2 short lengths (~6in) of 2x4 on top of each to get a block of wood ~3.75 inch thick (x ~4 x 6 long), drill 2 parallel rows of 1/2 - 3/4 holes to a depth of 3 or so inches. Sand (definitely sand), finish if you want, plenty of storage for many paint brushes etc (there are many potential derivates of this, all cheaper than Micro-Mark equivalents). While you have your scraps of 2x4 out, drill out some 1 3/4in holes to hold Model Master, Testors, Cermacraft etc bottles - I got fancy and routed out a 3/8 slot to hold paint brushes.
If you don’t have water close to your work area, a mouthwash bottle that you squeeze to get a measured amount is a good clean water supply for rinsing water base paint from brushes. Fill the bottle with water and squeeze up a cup full. Rinse the color of the brush, dump the dirty water into another container, refil cup to wash the next color out of the brush.
As mentioned in the other thread, a parmesan cheese containers make great scenic foam shakers, as do other larger holed spice containers.
EDIT: To add to the above response that was being posted as I wrote, I have seen 3/4" PVC pipe used for similar applications. The one I saw had several different lengths of tubing glued together, a number of rows wide, used to store different sizes of wood or plastic strips.
I posted this on another thread related to epoxy but it’s worth repeating. I use small “post it” notes (sticky notes) about 2" x 2" for mixing epoxy or for putting a drop of CA on when doing fine work. No clean up of your mixing surface required!
I also have a rectified power supply screwed to my workbench right beside where I sit. It will put out between 1.5 and 12 volts. It is very handy to have it already set up and available when working with LEDs etc.
You can never have too many clamps. Right angle clamps and so-called rigging clamps (cross latching ones that look like tweezers) are essential, as are miniature Irwin-type clamps and at least one frame clamp.
An OTC pair of reading / magnifying glasses and a camping LED headlamp are a good Optivisor substitute.
Empty cooking spice containers make great shakers for scenery material.
3 15" pieces of 1x3 lumber screwed together in a U shape and lined with foam rubber make a great work cradle.
Mount a desk lamp with a flexible neck or moveable arm on to a spring loaded clamp. insert a 1500 lumen CFL bulb. Now you have light wherever you need it.
Save the fake credit cards you get in the mail. They work really well for mixing and spreading adhesives or paints.
Double sided carpet tape will hold two flat surfaces together like crazy. Perfect for “wedding cake” stacks of foam board.
Someone mentioned reusing those gimmick credit/debit/phone/affinity/etc cards that come in the mail. Together with strips of Blue painters tape (either tacked flat to the card, or a small loop of tape) these make excellent bases for spray painting/air brushing small to medium parts, easy to clamp, handle, and spray. Obviously larger parts need different mounting methods, and very delicate parts even Blue tape is too tacky - perhaps post-it-notes taped down to hold the delicate parts (I’ve had limited success with the cling wrap - peel and seal method).
If you have a coupler missing the knuckle spring, use it in your coupler height gauge. It still lines up, but won’t lock it on if you push the knuckle on the gauge open first. Great for when your checking multiple cars, as you don’t have uncouple them every time.
Never replace knuckle springs over a carpeted floor, they will end up in never-never land. As in never-never going to find it again. Same with other small (okay, tiny) parts and pieces. ( honey, I need to borrow the counter in the kitchen again…) And while replacing them, have more than one to fix, because you will not want to do it again for a LONG time.
Skip the cheap soldering iron. They are not worth the trouble.
When I used to build car models, I just used a bent wire clothes hanger to hold the bodies when I painted them. It was bent to also act as a stand while the paint is drying. This kept the lower edges from making contact with anything while drying. I use the same method for painting RR cars and locomotives.
A paint pallete for mixing multiple colors for brush painting to get that ‘just right’ effect - a cheapo plastic ice cube tray cut down to 4 or 6 little wells. Reduces clutter and won’t tip over like bottles can. Then apply to a sheet of Evergreen .005 styrene to test before applying to a plastic model.
That same sheet of .005x6x12 goes through my desktop printer trouble free for making signs. Print then cut to size. Used Google Translate to make bldg signs in Chinese for the Chinatown section of my city scene. 保羅
A piece of coat hanger wire between 2 eye-screws inside a paint booth or any prop for suspending ladders, etc for spraying. Can also slip the wire through an office supply binder clip for holding a building side by the mold sprues.
I use a 9V battery to test electrical connections on HO passenger cars for lighting. Just place the terminals in between the two rails on a piece of track and make contact. It’s quick and easy.