Model Work Stand I created this to hold many differently shaped models. Used 3/4 birch plywood for the frame and combined with a Craftsman vacuum base bench vise. The t shaped model pads can be removed and any shaped holders can be added. Also the vise can be removed when not needed. The pictures below will show how versatile this tool really is, I also added the actual plan which can used to create your own if you choose to.
Alligator Clip Tools Easy to make and cheap to buy. These tools are a must for anyone who air brushes. Keeps your fingers out of the paint stream.
Topic Under Construction
Static Grass Tool Made from an Electronic Fly Swatter
Model Holder for HO Railroad
Chalk Pastels
Chalk pastels are by no means new and innovative, but I wanted to show how organizing them will help in visualizing and picking the correct color for your project. Originally I bought a jewelry or bead container to give to a friend, so he would have a beginning point to use Pastels. Picked basic chalk pastel colors and ground them up and put them in the small screw top jars. I included some rust colors, shades of grays, reds, yellows. greens, black and white, and some earth tones. As i was finishing, i saw how easy it was to see the colors and to notice subtle difference in shades. So I picked up about 8 of these containers at AC Moore and began putting the chalks already ground up into the jars. Each tray would be a particular group or color. The rust tray would have all the necessary colors to do rust whether it had a duplicate color from another tray. The earth tone tray was set up the same way, so when it was time to do earth tones all the colors were in that tray and I did not have to hunt through multiple trays to acquire all the colors needed. Pastels are very similar to paint, colors can be mixed to make other colors. WHEN THEY ARE GROUND INTO A POWDER THEY MIX EASILY. Yellow and blue make green. So any color can be made, or shades of the same color can be made.
