Monday, April 23, 2012 Here are my standard tools for plastic model making. 1 – Clippers, used to remove parts from the runners. The smaller one can also be used to trim excess plastic from parts. I DON’T use these for very small parts due to the breakage risk. There are specially designed clippers for plastic model work available commercially, but, the price... 2 – Exacto knife. This is used to trim excess plastic from parts, and to carefully carve away runner material from small parts. I usually cut the thin end of the part free so it won’t break when I carve the thicker end free. I prefer using the knife over the clippers. I also use the knife’s point to apply glue in small quantities. The knife can also be used to scrape of excess plastic or plastic edges on a part. An industrial raxor blade can also be used. But the part of the blade not used for cutting should be covered with masking tape so you don’t cut yourself! (Sigh... voice of experience!) 3 – Flat jeweler’s file for filing small surfaces where needed. 4 – Round jeweler’s file for widening holes (ie, in wheels). 5 – Tweezers for holding small parts. This is used when applying glue to small parts, and for positioning them properly. 6 – Good ol’ Humbrol plastic glue. The toluene solvent has been replaced with a less noxious one (less risk of headaches, and no more kids sniffing glue to get “high”). 7 – A stirring rod for paint. The one I use is the handle of an old paint brush from 1981. The tape on the former brush end is to make it easier to see and to grab among the brushes. 8 – Paint brush. For small areas, I trim away some of the fibers on a small brush. I have some brushes with only 12 or so fibers for really fine detail painting. 9 – Humbrol paint. 10 – Humbrol paint thinner. I also use polyethylene lids from food tins as a palette for thinning paints or mixing paints. And, for drying brushes and cleaning up unexpected accidents, I use kitchen paper. I use masking tape to tape the runners onto the sink surface so they won’t move when I paint parts or cut parts loose. I use ordinary tape to make the straight edges when painting long lines (as on ship's hulls) or glass canopies. Masking tape is too coarse and porous for this. And, since the models I make are small, I use a 3 X magnifier so I can see what I’m doing! Hope this is of some help to someone! Happy modelling!