Useful, cheap materials not found in hobby shops
- Thread starter Einion
- Start date
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I saw someone selling limestone chippings at a show, and found these on E bay.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-35-Scal...es_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item45ff77f0fa
Pretty obvious where to source these for free,
Another one, camo nets. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-35-Scal...es_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item45fad1c9f2
Gauze swaps from the chemist/drug store.
Carl.
Pretty obvious where to source these for free,
Another one, camo nets. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-35-Scal...es_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item45fad1c9f2
Gauze swaps from the chemist/drug store.
Carl.
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Ron Tamburrini
A Fixture
You can pick up all sorts of stone and slate chippings from builders yards, and good old B&Q also some of the decorative barks come in handy , generally the coloured ones are cleaner
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Dan Morton
A Fixture
Useful suggestions, gentlemen! Keep 'em comin'!
All the best,
Dan
All the best,
Dan
Einion
A Fixture
Free stuff from daily life:
Food packaging
Look for this symbol on plastic food containers
If you see this you're holding a free source of polystyrene in your hands.
Others of the common plastics are also usable, especially if you have a good plastic weld (see below). They may take primer just as well as styrene but test first for your application - if you're getting beading, particularly if the plastic is very glossy, try roughening the surface. Often all that's required for better adhesion is some microtexture to provide a mechanical bond.
Wine bottles are a potential source of two useful materials (in addition to the contents): corks and the foil wrapping at the neck. Both real and genuine cork can be used for low-tech holders for smaller figures and small parts. The real thing can additionally be crumbled to make rock for scenic basing. Although the foils are rarely lead any more the metal/metalised ones can still be usable sometimes - the thicker type for belts and leather strapping, the thinner types for flags, ribbon etc. depending on scale.
Many other types of food containers, commonly dairy produce like yoghurt or cream cheese, have peel-off lids made of aluminium foils. The textured ones are potentially useful either as-is or as texture stamps (sci-fi modelling?)
Dirt, grit, sand
Builder's sand and similar can be sifted for a wide range of particle sizes (use stockings/hose for sifting out the finest grade, which should be like dust). At the large end you'll often find you get tiny pebbles which are good for small rocks at scale; some of the middling stuff makes convincing pea gravel; the finer stuff for earth, sand, dust.
A combination of them with a bit of glue and paint (maybe with a bit of Polyfilla/plaster) and you've got custom mud or earth for any groundwork situation.
Coffee stirrers
From your favourite coffee vendor - decent quality wood, already smooth and of uniform thicknesses. Usually a bit wide to represent planking in a lot of scales but it is free after all so you might as well collect some while you're getting your caffeine fix!
Einion
Food packaging
Look for this symbol on plastic food containers
Others of the common plastics are also usable, especially if you have a good plastic weld (see below). They may take primer just as well as styrene but test first for your application - if you're getting beading, particularly if the plastic is very glossy, try roughening the surface. Often all that's required for better adhesion is some microtexture to provide a mechanical bond.
Wine bottles are a potential source of two useful materials (in addition to the contents): corks and the foil wrapping at the neck. Both real and genuine cork can be used for low-tech holders for smaller figures and small parts. The real thing can additionally be crumbled to make rock for scenic basing. Although the foils are rarely lead any more the metal/metalised ones can still be usable sometimes - the thicker type for belts and leather strapping, the thinner types for flags, ribbon etc. depending on scale.
Many other types of food containers, commonly dairy produce like yoghurt or cream cheese, have peel-off lids made of aluminium foils. The textured ones are potentially useful either as-is or as texture stamps (sci-fi modelling?)
Dirt, grit, sand
Builder's sand and similar can be sifted for a wide range of particle sizes (use stockings/hose for sifting out the finest grade, which should be like dust). At the large end you'll often find you get tiny pebbles which are good for small rocks at scale; some of the middling stuff makes convincing pea gravel; the finer stuff for earth, sand, dust.
A combination of them with a bit of glue and paint (maybe with a bit of Polyfilla/plaster) and you've got custom mud or earth for any groundwork situation.
Coffee stirrers
From your favourite coffee vendor - decent quality wood, already smooth and of uniform thicknesses. Usually a bit wide to represent planking in a lot of scales but it is free after all so you might as well collect some while you're getting your caffeine fix!
Einion
Einion
A Fixture
Re-purposed stuff/alternate uses:
Ultra-cheap plastic weld
Most of us know the rule of thumb: don't buy something packaged for the hobby in a tiny bottle without looking for an alternative first. Works for plastic weld - instead of a commercial product look for a liquid paint stripper or brush cleaner that contains a mixture of organic solvents, more than likely it'll dissolve styrene. If you have some of this stuff anyway consider it a free bonus feature!
And further plus, unlike some of the commercial types these can work on a range of plastics instead of just a single type.
Artists pastels
Scrape or rub against abrasive to make your own pigment powder. Same rule of thumb as for the plastic weld - should be way cheaper and they're also available in a far wider array of colours (literally hundreds).
Oyumaru, Polymorph, Utile Plast, Friendly Plastic
Alternatives to Instant Mold. These are reusable thermoforming plastics (softened in hot water) useful for making moulds, texture stamps etc.
As a rough guide to the price to aim for, before shipping you can find half a kilo of Polymorph for about ten quid; 17.6oz for about $17 for those on the other side of the Atlantic.
Einion
Ultra-cheap plastic weld
Most of us know the rule of thumb: don't buy something packaged for the hobby in a tiny bottle without looking for an alternative first. Works for plastic weld - instead of a commercial product look for a liquid paint stripper or brush cleaner that contains a mixture of organic solvents, more than likely it'll dissolve styrene. If you have some of this stuff anyway consider it a free bonus feature!
And further plus, unlike some of the commercial types these can work on a range of plastics instead of just a single type.
Artists pastels
Scrape or rub against abrasive to make your own pigment powder. Same rule of thumb as for the plastic weld - should be way cheaper and they're also available in a far wider array of colours (literally hundreds).
Oyumaru, Polymorph, Utile Plast, Friendly Plastic
Alternatives to Instant Mold. These are reusable thermoforming plastics (softened in hot water) useful for making moulds, texture stamps etc.
As a rough guide to the price to aim for, before shipping you can find half a kilo of Polymorph for about ten quid; 17.6oz for about $17 for those on the other side of the Atlantic.
Einion
Wendy
A Fixture
For basing, you can either find slate if it's naturally found in your area. If not, you can buy (for less than $2) a slate tile from a home improvement store, or better, find a broken one (don't break it yourself...) and they'll most likely mark it as a sample and give it to you. Just break it up. One tile will last a looooooong time. Also, find moss. Great stuff, it is.
Painters Tack rag, used for the netting on my 200mm US soldiers Helmet 
sand / emery paper for road type surfaces, one of those roll on correcting pens that use a tape for adding lines on roads etc.
Gravel you get for protecting felt roofs, is same as that shown above.
sand / emery paper for road type surfaces, one of those roll on correcting pens that use a tape for adding lines on roads etc.
Gravel you get for protecting felt roofs, is same as that shown above.
Hans
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Messages
- 148
Nail polishers from the drugstore as sanding and polishing sticks. Fine dental cleaning brushes for airbrush cleaning. Window cleaner for thinning of water based acrylics, ethanol for thinning/cleaning alcohol based acrylics. Household aluminium foil for masking jobs. Cheap DIY acrylics for basement paint jobs. Fine styrofoam from DIY shops (insulation plates) for bigger and smaller diorama bases and buildings.
theBaron
A Fixture
Geez, where to begin?
Wooden coffee stirring sticks, which make great planking material in various scales. You can buy them at the store, or, if you're like me, you work in a building with a coffee service, and the guy who runs it is a nice guy and generous
Clear plastic packaging from food packages and blister packs, yes, but also, I save the clear plastic used in packaging dress shirts (make the collar stand up in the package). Good for windows in various scales, and also, I've made templates for scratching other parts.
Wire from old electrical appliances, like the cords on old lamps or other appliances. I salvaged some old speakers and got some very nice wire, plus big magnets. For that matter, guts from old radios (for us old-timers) or computers. I saw a very interesting scratchbuild of a futuristic tank, using an old computer mouse.
I have a stash of foil from candy wrapping, like from those miniature Reese's peanut butter cups. Folded in quarters, and laminated with CA glue, it's almost the perfect size for Prussian infantry flags in 54mm. I also use that, and old kitchen foil, for strapping, seat belts, etc.
Lead foil from dental X-ray blanks. Ask your dentist, they throw the stuff out, and it's becoming more of a pain to dispose of it. Mine gave me a bucket full of the stuff. Ask your dentist, too, if he's getting rid of any old dental tools, he might be willing to give you some.
I've taken to cleaning my used-up paint bottles, eg, Model Master. Cleaned and dried, they're great for storing other paint mixes (duh!) but also other things (chalk mixes, little bits of plastic and resin, very small rocks, etc).
I get rubber bands from the occasional newspaper that I get, and really thick ones that are used to bundle fresh vegetables (eg, asparagus, broccoli).
I belong to a theater, and we build flats (the walls you see on a set) out of pine stock for the framing, skinned with luan plywood (very thin, around 3/16), and we also use luan all over the stage. I come away from set construction and tear-down with a pile of scraps, good for bases or construction in small scales (eg, the walls of a house in 54mm). I also salvage some thicker plywood there, too.
Also from the theater, I work with stage lighting. New lamps (light bulbs, to the uninitiated) are packed in foam, which I use to pack figures into boxes. And we dress cables using zip ties, cable ties. They make very convincing .50 cal ammo feeds in 1/48 and 1/32 scale.
Landscaping materials come from the backyard, like roots dug up when I moved some bushes around. Dirt from the backyard, sifted and sterilized. Sand from the Jersey shore.
I save old candy boxes, ones that are around 2"x3"x6" or thereabouts, for packing/storing my 54mm figures. I've been experimenting with re-covering the lids with foil wrapping paper, to dress them up.
The Chinese takeout places started using these excellent plastic containers a couple of years ago, for their entrees, consisting of an opaque bottom and a relatively clear top. They come in both oblong and round shapes, and make great sorting/storage containers on my shelves. I also salvage the wire handles from the rice boxes, good stock for pinning parts to figures, and other uses where you need relatively stiff wire. The soup containers, by the way, I use for storing soup
Old twine, cut into various lengths and unravelled, makes good grass in various scales.
Old rust makes good....rust. One of the guys in our club is a machinist, he cleaned some machine at work and came up with a large can (around a half gallon) full of fine rust powder. We all filled as many containers as we could (like the old black plastic photography film canisters).
That's as much as I can think of, at this point.
Wooden coffee stirring sticks, which make great planking material in various scales. You can buy them at the store, or, if you're like me, you work in a building with a coffee service, and the guy who runs it is a nice guy and generous
Clear plastic packaging from food packages and blister packs, yes, but also, I save the clear plastic used in packaging dress shirts (make the collar stand up in the package). Good for windows in various scales, and also, I've made templates for scratching other parts.
Wire from old electrical appliances, like the cords on old lamps or other appliances. I salvaged some old speakers and got some very nice wire, plus big magnets. For that matter, guts from old radios (for us old-timers) or computers. I saw a very interesting scratchbuild of a futuristic tank, using an old computer mouse.
I have a stash of foil from candy wrapping, like from those miniature Reese's peanut butter cups. Folded in quarters, and laminated with CA glue, it's almost the perfect size for Prussian infantry flags in 54mm. I also use that, and old kitchen foil, for strapping, seat belts, etc.
Lead foil from dental X-ray blanks. Ask your dentist, they throw the stuff out, and it's becoming more of a pain to dispose of it. Mine gave me a bucket full of the stuff. Ask your dentist, too, if he's getting rid of any old dental tools, he might be willing to give you some.
I've taken to cleaning my used-up paint bottles, eg, Model Master. Cleaned and dried, they're great for storing other paint mixes (duh!) but also other things (chalk mixes, little bits of plastic and resin, very small rocks, etc).
I get rubber bands from the occasional newspaper that I get, and really thick ones that are used to bundle fresh vegetables (eg, asparagus, broccoli).
I belong to a theater, and we build flats (the walls you see on a set) out of pine stock for the framing, skinned with luan plywood (very thin, around 3/16), and we also use luan all over the stage. I come away from set construction and tear-down with a pile of scraps, good for bases or construction in small scales (eg, the walls of a house in 54mm). I also salvage some thicker plywood there, too.
Also from the theater, I work with stage lighting. New lamps (light bulbs, to the uninitiated) are packed in foam, which I use to pack figures into boxes. And we dress cables using zip ties, cable ties. They make very convincing .50 cal ammo feeds in 1/48 and 1/32 scale.
Landscaping materials come from the backyard, like roots dug up when I moved some bushes around. Dirt from the backyard, sifted and sterilized. Sand from the Jersey shore.
I save old candy boxes, ones that are around 2"x3"x6" or thereabouts, for packing/storing my 54mm figures. I've been experimenting with re-covering the lids with foil wrapping paper, to dress them up.
The Chinese takeout places started using these excellent plastic containers a couple of years ago, for their entrees, consisting of an opaque bottom and a relatively clear top. They come in both oblong and round shapes, and make great sorting/storage containers on my shelves. I also salvage the wire handles from the rice boxes, good stock for pinning parts to figures, and other uses where you need relatively stiff wire. The soup containers, by the way, I use for storing soup
Old twine, cut into various lengths and unravelled, makes good grass in various scales.
Old rust makes good....rust. One of the guys in our club is a machinist, he cleaned some machine at work and came up with a large can (around a half gallon) full of fine rust powder. We all filled as many containers as we could (like the old black plastic photography film canisters).
That's as much as I can think of, at this point.
Dan Morton
A Fixture
Some great suggestions - polymorph - never heard of that one and I'm gonna look it up.
How about 35 mm camera film acetate, clear and/or see-thru tan? Easily cut to fit for lenses like gas masks or flying helmet goggles, etc., etc. The lenses in gas masks that I've seen are tan or brown and not clear - surprisingly.
Acetate is not much used anymore in consumer goods, but you should be able to get camera film.
All the best,
Dan
How about 35 mm camera film acetate, clear and/or see-thru tan? Easily cut to fit for lenses like gas masks or flying helmet goggles, etc., etc. The lenses in gas masks that I've seen are tan or brown and not clear - surprisingly.
Acetate is not much used anymore in consumer goods, but you should be able to get camera film.
All the best,
Dan
Jamie Stokes
A Fixture
A pack of $1 drinking straws, cut down to about 2 inches... I use these when transferring paints in small amounts from screw top bottles.
Dip the straw into the paint. Place finger over the end poking out of the bottle, and you have a make do eye dropper for that colour.
Lead thread was the starting point, I have used solder for fine cords, leads....I'm planning a project that has flat, modern type nylon weave strapping, so I'll just flatten some length of it, then press a file down onto it to replicate the weave pattern.
While using lead solder, leaving it round, I rolled it between my bench surface and the same file, ended up with that cross hatch pattern. Bit uncommon on most figures, but was recommended for use as an air hose on a fire fighter figure from a few years back.
HTH
Dip the straw into the paint. Place finger over the end poking out of the bottle, and you have a make do eye dropper for that colour.
Lead thread was the starting point, I have used solder for fine cords, leads....I'm planning a project that has flat, modern type nylon weave strapping, so I'll just flatten some length of it, then press a file down onto it to replicate the weave pattern.
While using lead solder, leaving it round, I rolled it between my bench surface and the same file, ended up with that cross hatch pattern. Bit uncommon on most figures, but was recommended for use as an air hose on a fire fighter figure from a few years back.
HTH
