Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

Here's the tools and a few tips I use when sculpting and working on models. There may be better ways but this is what currently works for me. :)

I will post more pictures and try to create some more in depth tutorials at a future date. Until then,

Here's the basic list of the tools I use. There are a few other things not pictures as in grey automotive primer but this is the majority of the stuff.

My dremel is a godsend. I do most of my rough sanding with it since my hands are frequently too sore to sand for long periods. I only have 2 grades of sanding drums I use with it. Most of the time I continue to use them til the sandpaper is totally caked with gunk. The gunked up drums work great for smoothing some areas out a bit before I graduate to the hand sanding.

The hardest part of using the dremel is not goudging into the material, making it bumpy and uneven. I generally use my finger as a guide with the sanding drum almost brushing my finger as I sand. It may sound wierd, but it makes me pay more attention to the area I'm working on and keeps the dremel more level.

The key I've found is to work slow. Rushing and running my dremel on the faster speed leads to more mistakes and headaches on my part.

Here's my assortment of sculpting tools. I'll use some misc items here and there as well.

The current 2-part epoxy putty I'm using. It's Ace Hardware brand.

Of course you need the needle nose pliers and wire cutters. :)

Mr. Dissolved Putty for filling small holes and the ever faithful Super Glue.

My metallic paint markers. Great for painting metallic details since it's hard to hand paint metals.

These are the different size wires I use. The penny is for size reference.

I use 4 different sandpapers. The grey one is a wet sandpaper. Great for final smoothing.

Little screwdrivers come in handy, though I don't use them that often.

My knife set. This gets used a lot. Luckily I've only almost cut off a finger once. :p

My dremel and small assortment of attachments. It works great for my uses.

Held this way, my fingers act as a guide to prevent myself from cutting too deep into the material.

Bondo glazing and spot putty for small gaps and Blue painter's tape for holding things together.

Pencil (self explainitory) and my dusting paintbrush for when the dust flies. :)

Questions & Comments?
Please email me at
VestachaSiofra@hotmail.com