No Cost Tips

[Topcat_Ern]

Haven't seen any new tips for a wee while, so here are some of mine.  Make life a little easier without costing anything.  Corrugated cardboard is great for drying parts on cocktail sticks etc.  Roll it up, cellotape and insert sticks to dry the part safely. Where an axle locator is too big for a cocktail stick use two.  And have a selection of coffee stirrers from those abundant coffee shops on the high street.

For airbrushing flexible tracks don't cut off the ends, use then to clamp the tracks over cardboard to which you have cut out a slot.  The clamps mean that the tracks are held off a surface allowing one session with the airbrush for both sides.  

To make airbrushing a vehicle easier use UHU to glue a drinks stopper to the underside and hold that to rotate the model when spraying.

And finally, if you have access to a 3D printer, make some wheel masks to allow the hubs to be neatly airbrushed after applying an all over tyre coat.  By making a sandwich of the wheels both sides can be done in one session.

Andy

 

Edited May 9 by Ratch
Banned word changed

[Sailorman]

Interestng tips.  Perhaps we'll see more of this sort of idea.

 

[Topcat_Ern]

I have added the 3D printed design for the wheel masks to Thingiverse.  It can be used for the Panzer IV, Stug IV and Brummbar kits.

Andy

[Topcat_Ern]

Can't read those numbers on the sprue gates easily?

I always keep a soft pencil (4B) close by.

 

 

Problem solved.

Andy

[modeling maniac]

Nice tip thanks. But what do you do if it is a dark sprue?

[Topcat_Ern]

Rub the pencil over the number and smudge it with your finger, looks metallic and catches the light nicely.  Caveat, only tried it on the classics green sprues.

Andy

Edited May 18 by Topcat_Ern
Photo added

[Nerazzurri]

For removing fine parts from the sprue without damage.

I keep a tea light at my bench. Using that I can heat the tip of my scalpel blade and just slice right through the sprue with no pressure at all.

Don't go too close, take a little of the gate with the part. So you've still got some clean up, but the pressure/tension is right off the part and stops breakages.

Gavin.