Welcome To My Tools Page.

This page is to show some of the tools that I use in making up my figures, these are not all of them as I have amassed a few other useful pieces over the years. But these are the most common tools that I have been using with my 1/6th scale figures. I have numbered each item and given a description below on how I find them useful.

Note: A lot of this may be very familiar to a lot of modellers, but I do hope that this page can help you in some way.

1 - Wire Cutters - These are useful for cutting the wire that hold the figures and pieces in place in the boxes, also for trimming belts, webbing ends and any thin wire cutting. 2 - Curved End Scissors - I use these for cutting out insignia and any fine cutting work. 3 - General Use Scissors. 4 - Pointed Pliers - These are very useful for holding any wire that I want to cut up, also for folding the clips that hold the US equipment onto a webbing belt. 5 - Razor Saw - This is used for any fine sawing work I have to do.

6 - Emery Boards - These are used for fine sanding work. 7 - Long Steel Ruler - Mainly used for measuring webbing straps before any cutting to length. 8 - Modelling Knife - This is my trusty knife that I use for almost all the cutting jobs I have to carry out. 9 - Angle Nose Tweezers - Mainly used for getting into tricky spaces under equipment on a completed figure to fasten any loose clips. 10 - Dental Probe - This is mainly used to make any small holes in material. 11 - Flat Nosed Tweezers - Mainly used when the pointed tweezers cannot grip the piece I am working on. 12 - Reverse Action Tweezers - These work by pressing them to open them, I have found these very handy at times when I am working on small parts which need to be held in place, while I am using the pointed tweezers. 13 - Pointed Tweezers - This is my main tool that I use for my figures, as it helps immensely to undo straps or clips without damaging them. They also come in handy for enlarging the holes in the DiD US helmet liners, where the pin for the webbing strap goes.

14 - Smaller short Pointed Pliers - These are very used again for holding any wire that I want to cut up. 15 - Pointed Circlip Pliers - I have used these to open up any wire parts I am working on, plus I also use them to shape circles in the wire. 16 - Short Steel Ruler. 17 - Small Flat Screwdriver. 18 - Locking Forceps - Useful for holding wire ends, rather than have it stick into my fingers. 19 - Long Nose Fine Pliers - These are mainly used for fastening clips on equipment on the finished figure, and they give me a bit more leverage than the tweezers. 20 - Needle Files - Used for any filing or heavy sanding work I have to do. 21 - Cotton Buds - I use these with the Tamiya weathering powders, because the pad that is supplied in the pack tends to split and I find it hard to use so these are a replacement for it.

22 - Small Model Knife Set - I bought this set as it was cheaper than buying the replacement blades for my model knife, plus I also have two heavier handles for any awkward work. 23 - Angled Dental Probe - Again used for making holes in material. 24 - Angled pointed Tweezers - Used for fine intricate work with clips under the assembled equipment.

25 - Large Model Knife Set - This again was bought for the blades, as I have found that over the years you can never have enough knife blades. And at the time this set was for sale, the cost of it was about the price of 4 good sets of single pointed blades, but with this set I have a variety of types.

26 - Variable Speed Model Drill - I have had this for a good few years now and I have found it useful for a variety of uses, especially with the speed adjustment on it. 27 - Various Model Drill Bits - This was another sort of lucky find which at the price was just too good to pass up on, the only things that I have added to it are the very fine drill bits.

28 - Pastel Chalks - I bought these to use on the uniforms on my figures, I have used a few of them mainly the browns and greens and I have found through experience that a lot of them will be wasted. So it might be better to buy the chalks individually instead of in a set like this. Above the chalks is a foam sanding pad, I have used this for about 2 years to mix the ground up pastel chalks on, I also sometimes add some water onto the pad, then mix this with the chalk to get the 'blend' for the pastel washes I give my figure's headsculpts.

29 - 'The Third Hand' - This I have found very useful when I have painted my rifles, as I can use the clips to hold the rifle secure without me having to move it around to paint it. This has the benefit of making sure that I don't smudge any paint with my fingers.

30 - Humbrol Liquid Poly Glue - This is the main glue I use for any plastic repairs on my figures and weapons, although I do also use Superglue at times. But I prefer to use this type on any plastic parts as it 'melts' the parts together making a stronger bond.

31 - Poly Glue 'Mix' - This pot is a mix of the poly glue and scraps of plastic such as sprue added to it, the purpose of this is that the glue melts down the plastic over time to make a liquid plastic.

I found out about this many many years ago and it has helped me enormously with my 1/35th and 1/48th scale models, because when it is brushed onto a joint seam and smoothed down with the normal poly glue. Once it hardens it becomes part of the model itself, and I have found that with 1/6th scale weapons if I have broken them in some way this glue can repair them far better than Superglue ever could.

32 - This is the new packaging for the Humbrol glue, whereas the other smaller bottles are one's that I have had around for years.

33 - Tiling Grout - This tip was passed onto me by Terry and I have found it very useful for adding a dusty look to my figures, plus I have found that it mixes well with the ground down pastel chalks to give a variety of different colours. Note: This creates a very fine dust so a face mask is advised if you are using it, or use it in a well ventilated area.

34 - Mains Adapter For My Digital Camera - This is one of the most useful items I have for making my models, because before I had this I found I was using up a lot of batteries to take the pictures for this website. It took me a while to find this particular adapter because the camera needs a 3.3v power supply, and it was only by pure luck that I found a shop that sold this one with a selectable voltage rating.

35 - Paintbrushes - With these items I have found over the years that it is best to go with the natural hair types, and stay away from the nylon type as they are too rough for any real model painting work. Altogether I think I must have over 20 brushes of various sizes and with the smaller one's it is always best to pay that little bit extra, especially with painting the 1/6th scale weapons. With the larger type like the Fan brushes which I use for dusting the uniforms with pastels these have over time become quite worn, but to continue using these for this rough work I have found that all I do is just cut the bristles level at the end and they can still be used. I have also found as the bristles on the large brushes have worn down, I can get a better scrubbing action with the pastels and the grout I use.

35 - A4 Cutting Mat - I have had one like this for some years now and is very handy for cutting items on, as it is self healing and it protects my desk top from any damage such as knife blades and paint.

36 - Superglue - This can be very handy with my models, but to hold anything together it is a last resort method. The best use I have found for this over the years with my modelling, is a means to stop any bleeding from any cuts I have if I slip with my model knife. As all i do is clean up the injured area, dry it and slow down the bleeding and drop some of the superglue over the cut, press down with a finger to seal it, remove the finger and wait for it to dry.