Hobby shops-brick and otherwise, can be expensive sources for common stuff. In my infinite stingyness I’ve found a few cheaper or free alternatives:
Dept. stores: emery boards, tweezers and cosmetic brushes (for dusting or pastels)-guys, pls avoid the lipstick and mascara.
Hardware stores: Bulk thinner, cleaner, sandpaper, windex (for clean-up after acrylics) and tack cloths.
Fast food: Plastic straws (for holding parts while spraying) and those little condiment cups for mixing epoxy. Plastic knives for putty.
Grocery stores: Plastic and paper plates for mixing and holding parts. Paper towels and Future of course! Small Pyrex bowls for decals.
Hope this saves you enough to buy more models!
Restaurants for cocktail sticks…
Speaking of Future, heard from a guy in Singapore this morning. He found Future floor finish at a local hobby shop and the guy was asking $36.00 US for a bottle and had Windex also for $30.00! OUCH! Ow ow ow ow ow!
Swanny-here’s your chance to make a million-you windex magnate!
How about those clear plastic party plates sold in many super markets and/or party shops? Perfect for vacuum forming canopies. [;)] One tenth the cost of buying thermoplastic from a hobby supplier. [8D]
Pete
All the Mexican resteraunts around here have litte 1-1.5 oz plastic cups with snap on lids. They are great for mixing paint or mixing washes in. The lids are tight enough that you can seal them for a night and have mixed paint in the morning to work with without having to keep your mixed paint in a glass bottle.
Also coffee stir sticks for mixing small ammts. of paint work well.
Yogurt cups and lids are great for mixing stuff on. And don’t forget to hit up your dentist for old picks/scrapers. Great for scribing or whatever.
makes you think of the rip-off…
Here in Kansas nearly every town has a Dollar General Store - If you can find one check it out - and the local “Dime” store (think I just dated myself) has a lot of usefull stuff that is a lot cheaper than a speciality store - also a lot of larger towns have a hospital or medical store which has a lot of neat items that you can find uses for (other than what they were origionally designed for) - ya gotta thing out side the box [^]