Neat - Ideas For Unusual Modeling - Materials

    Hey - This Ain't Rocket Science!.....  But these materials I'm about to mention, just might save you from a long wait - for the right material to arrive from your local hobby supplier.    So go ahead and use your imagination, lets see - What Else, you can imagine being used to model a boat made from scratch with ideas like these?

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#1 ... Window Screen's - On Scale Models ... Try cutting a pair of the wife's "Old Used Panty Hose" to make screens for a models - windows or doorways    When stretched over a "Wire Coat Hanger " - as its Paint Frame, You can spray paint the stuff with Chrome, Gray or Silver or even Flat-Black Paints.    Let dry and removed from the frame, it stays stretched and is very easily cut - with scissors.    And looks just like very fine scale - WINDOW SCREEN Material.    And its Also great for making - Aluminum Screen Doors and Fine - Deck Grating & Ventilation Covers - Or Grill Works Too, depending on the materials pattern - shapes!

#2 ... Emergency - Parts Clamp ... Why not use Old Wooden or Plastic - Spring Loaded "Cloths Pins!"  The Wooden versions, can be have each arm reversed in position, to the spring, making a wider spreading - Clamp!    And so do those spring loaded - wide faced "Paper Clamps" work for this too!

#3 ... PLASTIC EGGS / LEGGS PANTY HOSE CONTAINERS ...  Make great parts for making Radar Systems, or other details like a - Bathroom Sink for example, in a fully detailed models interiors.   Craft Stores offer a wide assortment of these egg shaped - containers and other things in all sorts of shapes & sizes.

#4 ... Plastic ... Bacon & Meat - Pads ... Yeah, that little square plastic pad the meat man puts under the sausage & bacon, with one side - smooth, the other side - Rough.  Makes great material to make a Rug, deck - pads, and also looks like a walk-way "Ice Sand Strip" if cut to shape.  Painted in whatever colors you need, the stuff usually gets thrown out in the garbage - Right .... Well Quit-It, and from now on, save the dang stuff!   

#5 ... Various Sizes of Insulated - Solid Wire ... Make great scale" Water Hoses & Steel Pipes", for models that need guttering - for example, among other items.

#6 ... Plastic Model - Kit ... Sprue ... Yep! ..... That frame works that kit - parts are molded mounted into, coming right out of the box, is great stuff to save.    It makes = Water Pipes, with bends and its easily bent - or shaped, with a small candle or cigarette lighter.    Shaped into all sorts of things, which it can even be stretched and made into a Plastic Replica of an Antenna too..    Heated and stretched to its limit, this stuff - can be pulled, about any shape, with your imagination, the only limits!

#7 ... Plastic Model Kit - Leftover Parts ... Steering wheels, Scale tools, Fuel Tanks, Fire Extinguishers, Exhaust pipe, Batteries, Pumps & Other Parts - Work Great.   Even modified a diesel engine from a truck kit, for example, easily makes a Generator - Power Plant.    There's hundreds of uses for those extra parts - left over from a model kit, limitless ideas.    So use those extra parts from  model cars / trucks / ships & airplanes and put them to good use.

#8 ... Throw - Away Cigarette Lighters ... These make great parts for all sorts of things, like the Thumb Roller - itself.   It can be used as a "Winch Drum" with a few wraps of black nylon thread added, it looks like the cable & drum on a Deck Winch .... Great for 1/48 scale Models.    And the Lighter - Itself, if all the butane is removed - carefully, can then be cut and shaped into small Exhaust Stacks for Generator Systems on a Boat, or made into a Lifeboat - Fuel Storage Tank!

#9 ... Bare Aspirin - The Plastic Boxes or Tins ... Make great "Sliding Hatch" Covers for hidden switch controls in models, that can look - like a Hatch, for example!

#10 ... Life Rings ... Craft Stores carry assorted sizes of "Plastic Rings" and some work great and even look like - real - Life Rings, on model boats.    Just use "Automotive - Trim Tape", in Red or Orange, Or Yellow colors, to make life rings, adding a small amount of "Black Thread" for the throw - line.   And by the way, in some scales a simple thing like a plain old "Candy - Life Saver"  when painted to seal them fro moisture, can also make a great -  Life Ring. ... "Just save the Cherry Flavored - Ones ... FOR ME!"

#11 ... Rivets ... Depending on the scale you need, you can use "Drops of CA Glue" dabbed into place, or use pins and needles - as rivets.    Or just use metal Pins, drilling tiny holes - for them, to represent steel plates, held together by Rivets!

#12 ... Door Knobs ... Plastic Beads or Standard - Push Pins, used by women in making clothing, with a small amount of shaping make great door knobs or cabinet knobs.  They can also be shaped and made into Throttle Controls, Level Controls and Other detailing items for a helm or deck equipment, depending on scale needed and the size of needles or pins used!

#13 ... Door & Window Frames ... Can be made from Plastic & Wood - as the rule, but why not try - Thin Brass Sheets?    It can be cut easily and makes a smooth material - that stands out, as Doors &  Window Frames.    Or can be used to build other items too.  Try very thin plastic or brass - sheets, available in hobby and arts & craft stores.

#14 ... Ladders or Mast - Hand Rails ... Can be made from Paper Clips and Staples out of a Staple gun, if cut and shaped properly,  to look like scale "Steel Rod - Steps", going up a Mast or Side Structure!

#15 ... Plastic Playing Cards ... Cut to size or shape - required, can be used to actually make thin looking  "Hull Plating" on a model, or its Structures.    It looks like a Patch Plate, if painted to look like such items, made over a damaged area like a shipyard has made a quick repair.   Add a few pin heads to look like rivets, and your older ships - hull, begins to really look like its realistic!!

#16 ... Wood Paneling ...  Why not try "Contact Shelf paper" that comes in varied styles of Wood & Grain Patterns.    Its easily purchased from local hardware or Dime stores, and makes great - wall paneling, for a model boat.    Or can be used to make a "Dash Board" for instrument panel on a Helm too.    Placed over a plywood or plastic bulkhead, and looks very realistic! ... Also great for covering scale wooden furniture, in models too!

#17 ... Extra Plastic Sheets For Building Materials ...  Next time the wife - uses those throw-away wipes, to clean the baby after a diaper change, have her save the plastic box, those wipes come inside of.    Its great plastic, for making all sorts of model parts and takes paint - very well, once its wiped with paint thinner or denatured alcohol.

#18 ... Heavy Tarp - Materials ...    Next time the wife unwraps a stick of butter or margarine, have her save that thin aluminum wrapper.    Once its washed in soapy water to remove all residue, smooth out the sheet, so it can be used in whatever manner you want?    Makes a great - Tarp, if you want one to look rolled up - Ready For Use, on the deck of a boat.    And also looks great = if used as a Tarp Cover, after its painted to the proper - Flat Colors of Green, Brown, Blue or Whatever Color You Want!   

#19 ... Thin Metal Sheets - With Textures ... Try removing the aluminum cover - off tubes of - Cream Cheese, or Blocks and tubs of Philadelphia Brand - Cream Cheese.    Once its washed and cleaned, the material can be used for all sorts of things, because of its duel - textured looks .... So it can be used for many purposes = like Ceiling Tile - in Helms, or for tarp covers - over something, to give it more texture, interest and realism!

#20 ... Tinted Windows... Try using some old rolls of Camera exposed film, cut to match the shape of windows in doors or structures like the helm. where tinted windows are commonplace.    Even some transparent plastics that are lightly tinted with the proper colors = Blue, Gold, Orange and even Green in very light shades, make great looking tinted windows.

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Handy Items For Yer = Workshop!

    Acetone .... Great stuff for cleaning parts and tools, when working with resins and fiberglass, and should be kept in a safe place, and used with plenty of ventilation.    Caution - No Open Flames round this stuff, unless ya like having a = "Charcoaled Look!"

    Denatured Alcohol .... To cleans "Electronic Parts", Paint from Tools & Brushes and great for wiping down hulls, prior to final applications of primers and paints, to remove all dust particles.    Can be found in most hardware stores, Wal-Mart and others, in Qts. or Gallon Cans.    Also Flammable, so use with caution anytime its used!

    Paint Thinner .... Cleans Parts and Enamel Paints from Tools & Brushes.    Great for wiping down hulls, prior to painting, or priming, to remove dust particles.    Available from hardware stores and Wal-Mart stores and other sources, in Qt or Gallon Cans..

    Shop Towels .... Cloth - Throw-away Types of hand towels - garage mechanics use, that you can purchase cheaply and toss in the trash.    Found at most Auto Parts or Wal-Mart stores, coming in large bundles, costing a couple dollars - at most.    

    Paper Towels ....  Color unimportant, for clean-ups, where cloth towels - can't be used.

    Magnets .... make great clamps to hold plans, drawings or photos on metal, while building from their details.    My workshop has old metal kitchen cabinets, that I rebuilt and I have a pile of old Magnets around - just for this use.    Available from most any Electronics' - Parts Store, or other sources

    MEAN GREEN - Cleaner .... Is a "General Purpose" cleaner that's only sold at retail "DOLLAR STORES" and costs a couple bucks for a large bottle of the stuff.    Believe-It, Or Not .... This stuff cleans grease and oil or tar, off of anything, even black tree sap and grime off of Vehicles & Camper Shells and great for cleaning other items.  Mowers, Lawn Tractors and tools and is great for cleaning interiors on vehicles too, but it isn't meant to be used on glass windows of any kind!

    Emergency CA - Glue .... If you can't get to the hobby shop to buy fresh supplies of Hobby CA Glue, then drop by any Wal-Mart store, Or any that might sell common "Super Glue", in small tubes.    Its basically the same stuff - we use in modeling, except its a thinner version and costs less..... BUT IT WORKS ---- In A Pinch!

    Polyester Resin ....  Try BONDO ... its a brand available at most any Wal-Mart or Auto Parts store and mixes like the usual hobby brands, with a few drops of its own -  Hardener, per Oz. of Resin in mixtures.    Polyester, Fiberglass & Marine - Resins, are all basically about the same, in how their mixtures work with their own hardeners - I mean.    The drops of Hardener = More or Less Drops, per Oz. of material resin used, is basically all that may be different.    But always use the same materials - throughout a project, and never mix them, it can cause bad reactions that ruin the whole project.    Because mixing different types or brands of Fiberglass Resin, may cause the hull to melt, wrinkle and may even work until you apply the paint, then you discover the unseen mixed = application problems!

    Fiberglass Cloth .... If you can't find "fiberglass Cloth" at your local hobby store, or hobby supply source.    Try the local - Auto Body Shop and Auto Parts, ask them for a small amount of the thinnest material - they may have.    It should be about 2 to 4 Oz cloth, and allow you to clearly - SEE THROUGH THE MATERIAL, almost like a White = Silk Scarf.    Or you can try SILK - for that matter, by shopping for such materials at cloth stores, asking for their FINE MESH materials or Silks & Nylon - See Through Cloth materials.    Who knows, what's you might discover, until you give it a try with a small piece and see what happens?    NOTE! ..... "Fiberglass Window Screen",

    Fiberglass Resin.... They make several types of Resin - Fiberglass, as well as Marine grades & Others.    Its a thick clear material, similar to "Polyurethane" but must have a "Hardener Agent" added to it, before it will harden.      And may take only a few dozen drops - of hardener, in some brands of resin, to be ready to apply.   While others may require a 50/50 mixture to harden properly, usually in about 15 to 30 minuets before the stuff starts to set-up.    Most all brands work about the same way, but don't try mixing brands, it doesn't work.    And always sand between each applied coat, over the glass cloth, in order to bond them to the hull.     NOTING = that it requires  several coats of resin to create a thick - smooth hull surface that's water tight!

    Rubber Gloves .... These are great for working with chemicals & paints, where your hands may get messy and ruin a job, and their always something you need to have on-hand.    Surgical Rubber Gloves are available at many Hardware stores too, in small / medium & Large sizes and are great, when you need to stay clean, while working messy stuff!

I'll Post More - Later, So Check Back Often 

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Last Updated On 06/29/23 . With