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Most Unlikely Tools You Use To Build Or Finish

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Ok so I was wondering. What is the most unlikely tool you've used to build or finish and gotten the best results? For me, it's a pair of nail clippers for clipping off the extra bits from the tree of plastic parts. I've found that I hardly ever need to file anymore when I use this invaluable tool. What do you guys use for different aspects of building or finishing?

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Probably most of you use this, or atleast I hope Im not the only one. Cordless drill and cordless sc rewdriver and a 102 piece bit set. Id be lost without them both. I also have a magnetic parts bowl hands when I build or repair. Not that they are odd tools, but a necessity.

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Not really odd tools... But I'd never be without my side cutters for cutting parts from sprues, my body hole reamer for body post holes in lexan, and my Tamiya E-clip tool.

Oh, and a hairdrier for conforming decals to curves.

- James

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got all that... but the most unlikely thing sitting in my toolboxes is disposable takeaway chopsticks

don't break them apart, leave in pairs together

i tape small parts eg spoilers to them for painting handheld

hold your shocks whilst filling... and you can clamp them in the vice "mar free" to screw the eyelets on

use the tips to plug fuelline

someone even used 1 to replace a EvoIV driveshaft i believe...

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Yeah, that's what I'm talking about Willy. I might just have to employ those sticks. That is one unlikely tool.

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i've got something like a plastic dental pick with one end pointy and the other kinda split in half. kinda like the end of a dart shaft where you would slide the plastic fins into.

i have no idea what it is or where it came from, but i use it to prod things into place, rummage around in my screws and nuts boxes, pull stubborn body clips, pry tiny stones & rocks out of hard to reach places, etc.

don't know what i'd do without it.

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a pair of nail clippers,

the usual needle nose pliers,

the usual screw drivers,

electric drill n bits,

some take away chopsticks for painting -with gum-tape on 1 end,

a lighter,

a buffer -electric drill attachment to polish the alloy chassis with,

a slab of knife sharpening stone to soft sand the alloys with and make sure they're flat -useful to resurface the block's gasket mating surface

a ball point hammer

a roll of duck-tape for those trackside body repairs

a roll of weatherstrip foam to butt-up the foam bumper to the body

a flat head sharpie to highlight the letterings on the wheels

a plastic bag to bag up the chassis when running in the rain

a can of Mothers' mag n aluminium polish -there's no shine like mothers :lol:

a slab of glass to check chassis tweak

Red prematex to seal oil filled diffs with when the gasket can't be found

a junior hand saw

a b.a.s.t.a.r.d file (apparently TC cencored the word *******)

a roll of medical cloth tape -use if cannot find the usual belted rubber tyres, otherwise to hold parts together while the shoo-goo dries

a circle cutter (Olfa)

and lastly, a modelling knife (Olfa)

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the dishwasher is my odd tool. i use it to clean old bodies, rims, chassis, ect.

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the dishwasher is my odd tool. i use it to clean old bodies, rims, chassis, ect.

Will lexan not go into a big wobbly mess?! And can you put it in with your normal washing up or a cycle all to itself? And do you still put a tablet in?

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Will lexan not go into a big wobbly mess?! And can you put it in with your normal washing up or a cycle all to itself? And do you still put a tablet in?

Lexan is fine I even put it on the super heat function. I do not add a tablet. I put all my bodies that don't have decals in on a cycle of there own.

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Nail clippers are king for removing the bits left over from the tree, I tend to you vice grips a fair bit, best you don't ask what for.

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Well, I did the other way around and took an item from my toolbox and started using as a household item - my lexan sissors is now my only used hand- and toenail clipper...works better than anthing I've ever clipped a nail with :(

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Plastic toy spoon from a packet of coco pops.

Useful for jobs that your thumb just can't do, and good for scooping on grease. :(

I've also got a super long screwdriver extension, which is perfect for getting at the awkwardly placed screws on a tamiya txt-1 transmission. :P

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Most unlikely tool for delicate kits...

Claw-hammer , for mounting large bearings into tight spot.

( usually in combination with a adapted blind-wood-bolt. )

Baby-behind-cleaning-paper, cleaning abs body's < only the mega-soft is good enough for the big rig's > :(

Paper-tape, for mounting onboard camara's , firm enough for 1x use, but does not leave glue remains .. don't use in wet weather :P

Fish tank + fish tank air pump, for good break flued body cleaning

Custom size pully-puller, made full metal horse shoe

Ear cleaning sticks , for odd painting jobs & weathering & grease aplying

Proberly some more, but i find them logical already ;)

Stefan

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MacDonalds wooden tea stirrers - i use them for cleaning and poishing .They can be dipped in polish and used in corners creases etc as they dont scratch, then wrapped in cloth to polish up with .They can be carved ,shaped etc to fit anywhere .I also use them for mixing epoxy resins and filler / stopper - the best part is - they're FREE :)

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I use a large spring clamp for holding motors

Set with the motor below centre so the can is the front 'leg' and the two handles at the back, it means the whole thing 'tripods' and doesn't wobble whilst I'm soldering

img169_27052008225033_1.jpg

img169_27052008225033_2.jpg

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Its not a tool but i used an old sock before to dry my shell after i stripped the paint :)

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I suppose the tools i've used that wouldn't immediately be thought of as useful for 1/8 - 1/10scale stuff are the oxy acetylene welding torch and full size angle grinder. Welding rod is very useful stuff too, and copper brake pipe.

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the dishwasher is my odd tool. i use it to clean old bodies, rims, chassis, ect.

:)

i have a friend that once tried this with a british carburetor dripping with solvent. his wife nearly killed him even after he had replaced the unit. fyi - carb cleaner melts dishwasher plastic. duh. ;)

you're braver than me comrade, my wife would kill me if a tamiya ever found its way into the dishwasher.

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Grass. If your tires are muddy do 2 quick passes on medium height grass and your tires will be scrubbed clean. (Works better on MTs.)

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i have a friend that once tried this with a british carburetor dripping with solvent. his wife nearly killed him even after he had replaced the unit. fyi - carb cleaner melts dishwasher plastic. duh. :)

sorry, your friend is stupid or totally mislead

never put SUs into the dishwasher, the caustic salts will corrode the potmetal & brass

and the jets & linkages will go all wonky - you'll never get a good tune afterwards.

Plus all the leather/cork/rubber seals will need replacing.

No... the only thing the dishwasher is good for is the Lucas Dizzy Cap & Leads ;)

Gets all the grease off those evil things, shows up any cracks in the bakelight

and dries out all the moisture from the 'bumblebee' wiring which can leak spark.

Or one can replace said components with BOSCH items (if you don't mind German infiltration).

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