Archives: Tips

Take yourself to the local pet store and price aquariums. They are cheaper than display cases but get the same job done.

Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty is an excellent one-part acrylic filler that goes down smooth and is easy to work with. Even when dry, it can be removed with a damp cotton swab or paper towel.

If you invest in a jewelry cleaning machine ($19-$49), you can easily wash several items on your workbench.

Need to make a mold? Use your kids’ (or your own) Lego blocks.

I find that warming a can of spray paint under hot tap water makes the spray smoother and creates a better finish. However, it’s tiring having to wait for the faucet to run hot again each time you need to rewarm the can.

A common problem with poorly-prepped figures was a kind of corrosion that would, after a year or two, bubble the paint off. The solution was simple: Soak the metal in a bath of white vinegar overnight. Next, prime the figure in enamel or lacquer (not acrylic). I always preferred the now-unavailable Floquil primer, but any…

Most dentist’s offices give patients a going-away kit with floss, a small tube of toothpaste, and a toothbrush. Often, these brushes are molded in single color of plastic, such as blue, green, red, amber, and clear.