Thanks to FSM for doing this. This has been a needed forum. I’ll start the ball rolling. What materials and supplies do you use that do not come from the hobby shop.
My list includes card stock, plastic water pipe from hardware store as far as materials.
My most common Supply item is a pack of toothpicks. I use a LOT of them. On one bottle I went through half a box! I also use coffee stirrers, straight pins, lots of paper towels.
Old electronics devices supply wire or just interesting shaped items for Sci-Fi “greebly”.
I also check surplus stores for interesting metal screening or pierced brass.
Packaging such as clear vac formed packaging on medicines or electronics can provide useful bubble canopies for vehicles.
Old VHS cassettes provide interesting textured plastic for Sci-Fi builds.
Anyone find a suitable replacement for 35mm canisters yet?
I’ve been using the ones I still own for paint mixing.
Haven’t purchased film for quite a few years, though.
I still have plastic spools from 120 and 220 film rolls I processed long ago…may yet make some use of them
I get mesh from various sources- old screens, tea bags, decorative ribbons, etc. I have a bunch of empty containers from when I used to wear contact lenses that make great little wells for mixing paints or holding CA glues for me to dab a toothpick into. Empty Altoids tins make great holders for various odds and ends.
Indeed, I find magnet wire hard to find in electronics catalogs nowadays. No one seems to wind their own coils any more. So whenever I throw away any electronics that has transformers or coils, I pull those out and strip the wire from them. Magnet wire is nice because it has a coating of Formvar varnish on it, which takes paint very well- no priming needed.
I have found some pretty fine wire, in a myriad of colors, at Michaels in their jewelry section, though nothing as fine as #36 magnet wire.
I have been regretting that I threw away ( many years ago during my first move ) all those old Lindberg kits I built as a child .
I have purchased a couple of old Lindberg kits for $2 each at a swap meet because of the varnished wire Lindberg included for that electric motor kit.
Everyone in my family wears contacts so I horde all the little plastic “bubble” containers to mix small amounts of paint. I have hundreds of them. I also like Radio Shack for wire and very fine solder.
Here goes q-tips, hardware store thinner(cheaper than Testors brand) hair nets ( for camo nets) tooth picks wood and plastic. Emory boards for sanding straight pins to assemble Fruils tank tracks, black majic markers for painting rubber tires on tank wheels. ACESES5 [2cnts]
Wet Ones for wiping hands of paint.
Hopefully, previously unused by any moms…[whstl]
Clothes pins, Future, blue tack, yellow frog tape, dental picks, monofilament fishing line, human hair, corona wires (from a laser copier), OHP film, medical forceps, those cool little containers you get with your mashed potatoes at KFC…
Oh, and a flashlight to find all those bloody PE parts that fall on the floor.
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I’m diabetic; the small containers for the test strips might work for this too. and they would seal it too
I put just put this in another thread but will include it here too. A great substitute CA kicker is Baking Soda
I found that the wooden coffee stirers are a perfect match for a 1:25 scale 2x6 they work great for a model Tractor Trailer.especially the flat beds
The shield wire from multiple conductor cable make great 1/35 scale tow cable. Toile’s from Walmart, Target, etc. make a convincing 1/35 chicken wire. Wire strands or striped off wire insulation make good hydraulic hoses. Old solid guitar strings can also make good rigging. Cardstock makes a good concrete tarmac, as well as a pizza roller to form concrete pressure joints.
I was looking through the jewelry section of my local craft store recently. They have a bunch of various types of fine wire I keep supplies of. I noticed a new wire that is sort of embossed with a pattern on it. It may be useful for small scale models to represent the braided metal hoses used in aircraft and race cars. Haven’t bought a roll yet but considering it. I previously bought, from them, a silver thread that I use for that purpose but it is a larger diameter useful only for larger scales. This wire might be usable for 1:72 aircraft and very small cars.
Some dollar stores carry bags of those little make-up sponges of various sizes and shapes. I’ve used them for cushioning small painted parts I’m working on, for wiping up small glue and paint spills on the workbench; cut in smaller pieces, they’re great for wiping paint off the brim of the bottle before putting the cap back on. I’m even using them to silence a wall grate for the heating and cooling system–not modeling related, but they work.
Salvaging magnet wire from electric motors has already been mentioned.
Another source of wire that can usually be had for free is from Cat 5. You know, the stuff used to network computers. Each cable will have 8 wires inside. I just designate the solid color wires as positive and the striped wires as negative. The electrons don’t care about the color. It comes in solid core (stiff) and stranded (flexible). It is however thicker than magnet wire. But on the other hand its a bit easier to handle.
My one complaint about magnet wire from motor windings is it “may” be the type where you have to strip the varnish off the ends, a huge pain if you haven’t tried it. They do make something called “solderable” magnet wire that heat from the soldering process strips it off. I’ve never used it before and have recently acquired a spool I plan to try on my next lighting project.
Other sources would be all the other kinds of cables associated with computers and cell phones that most of us have an abundance of. Like USB, video, audio, monitor cables, etc.
I doubt few of us would ever have to actually buy any wire for or projects as has been pointed out there is plenty of free wire out there.
Also keep an eye on childrens toys and seasonal decorations as a source for LED’s and fiber optic.
But the varnished wire is great if you are not using it for electrical connection. The varnish is an excellent primer, so it paints easily if you need any color besides what it is naturally.
Very true. I just assumed you were using it for lighting.
OK , You Rascal You !
Now you get to know my secrets . Nuts , bolts , screws ( teensy ones ) salvaged electronics . Springs ( I make my own . ) Other stuff - well there’s a place that is a business supply place . I get so much from them they know me by name !
Now here’s the kicker . My Doctor turned me on to a medical supply repair outlet .They will sell very little things like nuts and bolts that are less than 1/16 in size ( Those used in Pacemakers etc. ) .Also tubing ( metal and plastic ) Glass slides . The very thin ones for window glass in trains ! Cars Too ! .Beads for my eyeglass heat bending machine etc .
I plank my wood models in two sizes of coffee stir sticks , because when heated and wet they bend like rubber ! A stove supply house lets me buy special sized and shaped Microwave Knobs .( great for Big Rig Wheels ! ) And of course I cannot fail to mention all grown humans , favorite hobby outlets Lowe’s and Home - Depot !
Last time I was there they had a Lithium - Ion powered drill that goes very slow to very fast -8 Volt - and conveniently smaller than my Dremel ! And it has a built in LED work-light ! Of Course I took one Home !
There’s another few places I get stuff .Stained Glass supply catalogues . And of course last but not least . Want Free Plexiglass ? for making Frames , Keels , Wing Spars and also Display Cases . The discards from a framing shop . Dumpster Dive to success ! With their permission of course !