TIPS PAGE

As you can see in the picture above, I keep a plastic lidded container that I got from a store called the Dollar Tree (everything a buck, ya know).  I use it to keep caps and lids from other containers.  The idea is to have a constant supply of dust free mini cups I can use for small amounts of paint, thinner, decal solution, etc.  The mouth of this container is wide enough to put my hand in easily and can hold larger lids from things like pickle and mayonnaise jars.  Those lids are excellent for thinning small amounts of oil paint for washes.

One problem most of us face is the dilemma of hobby knife horrors.  They roll off tabletops and get easily lost among the paint brushes, model parts, jars and rags on the work table.  And more than one modeler, I am sure, has cut a finger by grabbing for a knife without really looking.

My solution is to take a piece of insulating foam from my scraps in diorama making and keep it handy to quickly drop (literally) and pick up while working.  It is best to use the thicker foam (1 1/2 inches) or double-up slices of foam so that the tip of new blades won't get damaged.

And, as you can see, it works great for toothpicks, pins and spare blades.

Okay, how many times have you been in the middle of painting and need a rag desperately only to find it has vaporized.  Where did it go?  It was right here a second ago.

My wife found some little  devices designed to hold hand towels that make great additions to the modeler's work space.  They are essentially adhesive backed discs with a four corner split that holds the cloth in place.  It is easier to show it than describe it, so check it out to the right.

I put a couple up around my work area so that even if I can't find the cloth I just had, I can grab one hanging really quickly.

I picked up these coasters at Pier One and have used them as bases for busts and small kits.  You just flip them upside down.

They cost $2 each, but they are solid wood and beautifully finished.  This $2 saves me a lot of time and gives me a nice base with a pro finish.  It also lends a sense of continuity to my collection.