Have you noticed this?

[Dave Ward]

I've just ordered some paint clips ( long stick with crocodile clip on the end ). I normally stick these in plasticine, but my block is getting a bit tired - so I cast around & found these

Mr Hobby paint stand - I looked at it closely - it reminded me of something - then Eureka!

It's the wall of a cardboard box! I imagine most people have a few cardboard double wall boxes around - slice them into strips, glue/duct tape them together - paint stands at no cost!!
OK I may be a bit late to pick this up - probably most of you already know this!, but it's new to me!
I've posted it in this forum, so only supporters can see it ( I hope )
Dave

[Mr Bowcat]

Yep, made one of these a few years ago. Just get a flat-ish box, cut the middle out and pile in strips of cardboard. A guillotine would make this easier as cutting out strips of cardboard to the same size is tedious..

I also made my own paint clips, crocodile clips and wooden skewers, cheap as chips.

[Jim R]

I also made my own paint clips, crocodile clips and wooden skewers, cheap as chips.

Me too. Just had a bit of difficulty finding clips with non serrated jaws so the parts weren't marked.

[Mr Bowcat]

Me too. Just had a bit of difficulty finding clips with non serrated jaws so the parts weren't marked.

Heatshrink.

[Gern]

I made something similar using a thick block of polystyrene. I pushed some holes into the block using a small screwdriver then fixed a piece of thick card to the base to stop the sticks falling through the holes. I used the same method as Bob to create the paint clips.

[adt70hk]

Hi Dave,

I've done that previously. Works very well. I think I nicked the idea from an old member who left us a while ago.

ATB.

Andrew

[PaulTRose]

i got a bit of wood.......6" bit of decking......drilled lots of holes in it....works a treat

[Ian M]

I have a bit of expanded poly insulation that I have saved from various floor projects. Got enough to out last me.
I think its better than the cardboard job. As the cardboard collects all kinds of junk. Dust, filler, ash (not anymore though). Oh and even the odd spider. lol

[Jim R]

Heatshrink.

Whose a clever boy then :thumb2:

[John]

We have another brand and that looks like they have cut up a load of card and put it in a box, at least the Mr Hobby one looks a bit better, but ultimately it is a piece of cardboard

[Tim Marlow]

I’ve used golf tees and blue tack for years. As to croc clips, I found they could mark the surface, and never thought about heat shrink, so went over to aluminium hair grips. Cheap as chips and easy to bend into any shape you need. Never bothered too much about the stand part…a blob of blue tack and a melamine offcut works just fine. I have half a drawer full of wood offcuts, strip woof, skewers, old biros, etc that do duty as paint stands when required.

[Airborne01]

Certain types of plastic 'clothes pegs' also work really well -soft jaws, correct size, and sit well in a lump of Plasticine (or similar)!
Steve

[rtfoe]

I have been rolling my strip of carton and stuffing it into empty cans. Stays in place because of the added weight.
Dave...another use for corrugated card board can be found from biscuit tins. It's laminated on one side and the other is the exposed corrugate. Good for zinc roofing.
Besides the corrugated cardboard I use honeycombed card filler sections from left over IKEA flat packs and stick my sticks into them.

Cheers,
Richard

[Dave Ward]

Warms my heart to hear how many of you use everyday items, and recycle others! :thumb2:
It's not just cost ( but that counts as well ), but the immediate availability! No waiting around for that vital tool to be delivered!
It makes you wonder how much is spent on these 'convenience' items, that could be spent on models?
One of my purchase items I regret in hindsight buying, is the PE bending tool - it's nice to have, but for the times I've actually used it, hardly cost effective, far better to have bought decent pliers.................
Dave

[Tim Marlow]

It’s also down to tailoring the home made tool for the job. If you make it yourself it will do precisely what you want. No matter how good a purchased item is there will always be some task that eludes it….so you might as well learn to bodge it yourself from the off…..
As to PE, I am old enough to have had to learn to use PE before the bending tools were around. For small bends I have always had to make do with a good set of smooth jawed box jointed pliers (lindstrom are the best if anyone is interested) or a decent small engineers vice from Record. For long folds I have a couple of cheap six inch steel rules that I grip in the vice. For curves I have a variety of tubing and round stock offcuts, which can be used alone, or with a set of engineers V blocks I picked up cheap from a boot sale. I have been using these for over thirty years and have no yearning for a folding tool…..I must admit to thinking good proper tools are more useful over all.