Your best quick tip/technique/diy

andrei383 said:
...to make application easier and more precise, i looked to the pastry world and realized i could make a "piping bag" to extrude a bead of the putty. so i took a small ziplock bag and snipped off one corner and filled a small amount of putty into the bag...

Great idea! I think I'll try this on one of my Maschinen Krieger kits, too, it's popular to add weld beads for a rougher appearance.
 
if you're trying to buy a kit on the internet, and want to see what it comes with.. i.e what sprues it has, pe etc..., i find 1999.co.jp really helps... just search the model kit on google and add 1999 on the end, and choose the website which says www.1999.co.jp (btw do not go directly on the website, and just scroll down to see the images, they do images for every sprue and every page of instructions
 
ahmed malik said:
if you're trying to buy a kit on the internet, and want to see what it comes with.. i.e what sprues it has, pe etc..., i find 1999.co.jp really helps... just search the model kit on google and add 1999 on the end, and choose the website which says www.1999.co.jp (btw do not go directly on the website, and just scroll down to see the images, they do images for every sprue and every page of instructions

Yeah, I have done that for certain Asian made car kits, like Fujimi, or Aoshima, just to see if the kit is a curbside or not (won't buy it if it is a curbside), really helps with determining stuff like that.
 
I like to use kebab wooden sticks instead of toothpick, longer and more confortable...I usually cut them in half with 1 pointy end and scuplt the other end as a spatula to use to old smaller piesecs or move them.

I also use carboard boxrs (the thin glosy stuff like cereal boxes) cut about the size of playing cards to mix paint or to put glue to dab with the kebab stick.

I always keep small ziploc bags to put away smaller pieces when i'm done working for a while so i dont loose anything
 
nice trick a buddy of mine gave me while we were grcery shopping, go to your pharmacian and asj them for ORAL SERINGES, they are great for measuring ratios and usually FREE!!

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FlipFlop said:
I've got another one - if you are using glue with needle like Revell Contacta Professional or similar and if the needle gets clogged just take a lighter and heat the needle for a few (6-7 max) seconds...

I use the Testors Liquid Cement with the metal needle applicator. I found that magnetic winding wire fits in the needle tube perfectly and will prevent clogging completely without having to heat it up. I just take a bit of the wire and wound one end for ease of grabbing, and then melted a bit of spare sprue on that end. Then straightened the other end out and feed it down the tube. I've been using the same bottle now for the past 20 years so it has gone a longggggggggg way and it is still half full!
 
Some of the best tips I can think of off the top of my head have probably already been discussed here but I have found them extremely helpful in my building...

- BUY A GOOD DREMAL - I can't stress this enough. Don't get a cheap knock-off, get a true Dremal tool... you don't need alot of bits, but the main tool is the most important. Make sure it has the screw-off end. This is where the Dremal tool shines over everything else. It will allow you to connect to various other tools that come in sooooo handy. I've gotten so many knock-offs for Christmas from family and friends. I always find myself using the Dremal all the time. I also suggest getting the corded plug-in kind over the cordless rechargeable battery kind. Simple reason being, the battery after awhile will tend not to hold a charge for very long and you'll be in the middle of a piece and it will crap out on you. With a corded you don't have to worry about that ever happening.

- Get some good quality brushes - Don't just rely on those plastic throw away hobby brushes you find at Walmart. Go to an art store or order some online. Get all sizes from broad to extra fine. Clean them out after every use. Get a set for different kinds of paint (enamel, acrylic, etc) and keep them only for that kind of paint. Most good quality brushes come with a plastic tube to protect the bristles. If yours didn't, use a drinking straw cut to fit over the bristles to protect them and store the brushes with the ends down until they are dry and lay them flat when they are.

- Buy a good set of X-ACTO knifes - You can find these just about everywhere these days, but get yourself a good set of them and then get replacement blades (Especially #11 blades). It always helps to have a sharp knife at the ready and with X-Acto's wide assortment of different blade styles, you'll always have something you can use.

- Get a pair of Jewelery Grade Wire Cutters - These come is so handy for snipping small pieces off sprues. However, if you can't find these, a good flat headed toenail clipper works good too.

- Make Notes on your Instruction Sheets - As you're building your model make notes on the instruction sheet about what you are doing, painting, sources for reference, sources for detail kits, and various other things you can think of doing or have done to the model. Chances are at some point in the future you'll end up with that exact same model kit and these notes will come in handy. I keep them all filed for future reference and pull them out from time to time to get inspiration for other builds.

- Get some Epoxy Putty - This stuff comes in handy for doing just about anything... there are so many options available now in this area. Epoxy putty is a two part clay-like substance that you mix equal parts of together. It will harden to rock like consistancy after setting for a few hours (some have longer/shorter working time and when it hardens if you make a couple of cubes they will feel and act just like a commercial grade gaming dice). This stuff has changed the way model builders build anymore because you can use it for not only making parts, but filling seams, creating details, building supports, making diorama accessories. The use of it is unlimited and once hardened it can be drilled, sanded, painted, and carved. The various kinds that I've come across is Magic Sculpt, Aves Expoy Sculpt, and Milliput, but there are many more out there. You can get it in various quanities from just a couple of Ozs to a few Pounds.

- Plan Your Build Before Building - The first model kit I did was a F-15 in the boyscouts. I was so excited to open the box and just tear into it, I actually took all the parts off the sprue and was ready to build. Boy was that a mistake, but I learned a valuable lesson. Slow down and plan what you do before you do it. And most importantly... Keep the parts on the sprue until you need them. Makes it soooooooo much easier to paint when they are on the sprues and so much easier to find the little parts! LOL

- Make a Jewelers Apron - Here's one I learned from a jeweler friend of mine that has saved me more dropped pieces being lost on the floor then anything else. Get a BBQ Apron (doesn't have to be long but it should be manly with a logo like "Kiss the Cook" or "Official Bikini Inspector" on it and sew the fuzzy part of some velcro strips to the bottom edge of it. Then take the hooky part of the velcro and attach it to the underside leading edge of your work bench (velcro strips usually have a sticky backing, but a little extra 5-minute epoxy never hurts the adhesion fator none). Then just before you start working, just slip the apron around your neck and attach the bottom of the apron to the underside of the desk and you'll never lose another small model piece again to the carpet monster! I used to keep it permantently attached to the desk so when I sat down it was always ready for me.

- Keep a Journal - There are sooooooo many different ways of doing the same thing. So many people have different techniques and ideas that it's hard to keep them all straight sometimes. Keep a journal of what works for you. Go back to it often and get inspiration. If you see a tutorial on weathering on Youtube, make notes in it to allow you to reference it later. Try new things. You'd be surprised how many comon kitchen utensils and household cleaning products come in handy for doing simple little tasks (Future Floor Wax, Hair Spray, Table Salt, Easy-Off Oven Cleaner just to name a few). Make note of them in your journal. Heck share them with the rest of the world here! We could always use new ideas and that's what makes this such a awesome hobby.

Well that's my tips for the day. If I can think of anything else I'll post em! Hope these help someone!
 
VHS cabinet turned into a paint storage cabinet. For now I have made no modifications but will add more shelves in the near future. For now I am using foam as a shelf to raise the paints up a level to get easier access when needed.

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I used to have one of those back in the day... but since getting rid of all my VHS tapes I've never really needed it. I think I ended up throwing it away awhile back. I love that idea thou... great for keeping them all nice and orangized!
 
I finally got around to making my 40mm Tamiya tape dispenser. I've seen others do it and always wanted to make one.

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That is a very good idea.
I've often wondered if Tamiya would ever make a big dispenser like that.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Use shampoo to clean your brushes, the ones made of natural hair ofcourse. Cheap easy and good results! ;)
 

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