I went to HobbyTown over in Mobile today…The owner gave me a pack of micro-brushes(the same ones in the FSM that was sold on news stands). Well while the jury is still out…I can say this using the X-tra fine one sure beats using a toothpick. However I did notice you have to be careful how much paint you load onto the brush or else youll wind up with more paint in your cleaning jar than on the actual part.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I used the fine and extra-fine brushes from the pack that came with the last issue of FSM. I like 'em. I’ve used them when I needed to touch up paint due to bad masking. They were also helpful when I needed to paint the seams (which I filled with white glue) between the canopy and fuselage of my model.
Regards,
-Drew
I"ve found them useful for a few things, but like any tool they have their uses and their limitations. You can’t beat the right tool for the job!!
Eric
I love em. I use mine for applying the liquid glue. I also use em for applying the liquid masking on canopies or small areas. Havent used em for paint yet.
I like em. I mainly use them for white glue and placing my diluted white glue/water mix under decals. I doubt they will ever replace my good brushes for painting.
I use an extra fine one to clean the tip of my airbrush and it works perfectly. I use them for liquid cement sometimes too, but haven’t tried them with superglue yet. I have also used them to remove excess smudge wash from hard to reach areas, but not to paint yet.
I’ll stick with the tooth picks
Like maddafinga, I use them for cleaning my airbrush, removing excess wash residue and the occasional paint splatter. They are good for small scale scrubbing. I think the title of “extra-fine” is somewhat of a laugh. The smallest brush in my inventory is an 18/0. Even a 10/0 brush makes the 'extra-fine" look like a clumsy Q-tip.
i used the littlest white one so much the bristles all are gone. it holds more glue than a toothpick so its nice. but then again, its not as precise as a toothpick, and i cant clean my teeth with it. 
You mean toothpicks actually go in your teeth?[:0] I thought they were invented by a forward thinking man hundreds of years ago after Nostradamas predicted men agonizing over how to apply glue to tiny pieces of plastic.[wow] I always wondered why glue applicators were called toothpicks.[banghead]
The first set of micro-brushes went to applying glue to my kits. The second went unused until I bought Tamiya’s WWII German Elite Infantryman (36303) http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/plastic/models/36303.html. Then they went to applying the M44 Pea Pattern. It was made just for this application! After using them for painting and gluing, they have found a home on my tool bench.
The two things that I did not like are how they soaked up my Tamiya acrylic paints like a sponge and that they were a bugger to clean.
dss902
Thanks for the tip I too have the same kit and was wondering HOW AM I GOING TO DO that!
but how much a 18-0 brush cost?
these microbrushes are well…free…never look a gift horse at the teeth…
They’re cheap enough that if they get too messy they can be thrown out. At $1.39 for a pack of 10, they’re very cheap and if I had to toss one I wouldn’t care.
I used one last night for applying glue. It worked out great!!
I love 'em, for brush painting and small parts, I use 'em for everything.
I use them quiet a bit for shading, panel lines and similar stuff.
Now I just have to try the new range of Copic marker that everyone is raving about. 2 different size tips to each brush.
My Wife swears by them as they were originally used and designed for artists over here.
I find them quite a handy item, use them for applying glue and applying paint.
Even have used them, dare I say, to remove mistakes while hand painting.
I tried one today to apply some Tenax to the afterburner control rods that I am building on this F-15E. I thought they worked very well.
Mike