Waterline Type VII C / Atlantic

One of the first things to do when making a waterline model out of a full hull model is to determine where to make the cut.

This is the Revel Type VIIC / Atlantic 1/72nd scale U-Boat. I use tape to mask off the line where the hull will get cut.

I use a mini-table saw for the cut I got at Harbor Freight Tools.

The saw cuts so fast it actually melts the plastic. I use an X-Acto knife to clean up the edge after I am done.

The blade on this saw looks like it could cut off your arm, but probably only a finger. I am trying to avoid finding out for sure what body parts it can remove. A big cut with the table saw does most of the work in only a few seconds. The rest is just trimming by hand. I got the saw for about a hundred dollars a few years ago. I don't use it much, but it is well worth the money for what it can do.

Household Hobby Tools

Recently I was asked about household products that can be used for hobby purposes. Here's a bit of a list:

1. Gauze is good for camouflage netting.
2. EZ Off oven cleaner removes paint from plastic models, test a spot first!
3. Future Floor Polish is a good gloss coat.
4. MinWax wood stain is a good sealant for army men, painted or not.
5. Dixie Cups are good for mixing paints and glues and such.
6. Makeup brushes are good for dusting off dusty models.
7. BBQ skewers are good for mixing and applying paint and glue, as are toothpicks.
8. Zip Loc bags can hold troops and model parts.
9. Tupperware type plastic boxes are good for troop storage.
10. A nut cracker can be used to open jars of paint that are stuck.
11. Cotton balls can be used as smoke or fire in a wargame.
12. Rit dye can be used to dye cotton balls or gauze; cotton balls red for fire, black for burning vehicles, etc.
13. Aluminum foil can be used to protect surfaces and to mix epoxy glue.
14. Guitar strings can be used to pin together figure parts when making conversions.
15. Used tooth brushes can be run through the dishwasher and then used to clean model parts.

There's fifteen for you. If you have anymore, leave a comment!

Tools

Good tools make for better modelling. I have tons of model tools and sometimes you get them in odd places. The top tool is a dental pick and the bottom tool is a awl.

As you can see from the closeup of the tip this is a pointy cylinder that tapers back from a very sharp point. I find these very useful items and pretty cheap as tools go. I only paid a couple bucks for each of these and they are well worth the price.

Many discount tool stores sell dental instruments, often in a big bin. I have several different ones, but the one with two pointy ends is very helpful. It is very sharp and has a good handle so it can be held well. The tool is pretty strong, but I have broken them, so as always wear eye protection when using tools.

I have used the little tip to apply glue into hard to reach places. Afterwards it can be wiped off or even scrapped off the tool with a knife. I have used them to scribe plastic to make patterns, like a bare wood grain for example. They are very good for expanding the holes on the hands of ring hand figures. Sometimes figures will have a ring hand to allow them to carry either a sword or pole arm or even a flag. Frequently the holes are just a bit too small and by inserting this tool you can expand the hole enough to make the weapon fit. I often use these for conversions too, take a fist and drive this pin through the hand and then insert a weapon or model tool into the figures hand.

The awl is for the same type of work, but being thicker it is better for the heavy duty jobs. Sometimes when you have horses with pegs that go into a hole in the base or other similar job the awl is very good for that because it is much thicker than the dental tool. Having good tools makes modelling easier.