wonwinglo

There used to be a TV programme called 'Scrimpers' which was full of money saving hints and tips,the adage that if you save cash on the simple things then this will leave you with more money to spend on the expensive bits and pieces is true,after all everything we purchase really has two uses 1/ the original application and 2/ what you can use it for afterwards,to this end this little corner is devoted to those people like myself, who use resourcefull and thrifty ways to subsidise our hobbies,we throw away far too many bits and pieces that can be used in model building,here are a few ideas,no doubt that you will have more,come here and share them with us,we want to know your uses for everyday items in modelling !

Dont throw away old rolls of masking tape,a quick zap in the microwave will quickly restore them for further use.

How many use pop wrap for protecting delicate models in storage or carrying in the car ? you can buy it for 90p a small roll, but why bother when supermarkets just throw it away by the ton ?

Old lollypop sticks are great for stirring up paint.
Walk any street and you will find enough elastic bands dropped by our post men to keep you going for ages.
The plastic film containers have lots of uses for storage of small screws etc,you can even use them for keeping liquids such as small tins of paint that have become unuseable,make sure that you label them up so that you know the contents.

Strapping from packing cases makes a great substitute for the mylar hinge making material.

Visit your local pound shop and you will be surprised how many goodies are on the shelf ideal for our hobby.

Ceral boxes makes great card for cutting out templates.

Cereal boxes with one corner cut off at an angle make good storage containers for your magazines,just add the year on the end in marker pen.

When building balsa models,economise by buying balsa bundles for internal pieces of your model,the bargain wood may not be as well finished externally but can be ideal for internal areas.

Look out for the lead weights that drop off car wheels on our roads,you will not only be protecting our environment but they make great ballast material for your model.

Always be on the lookout for broken domestic items that you can pull apart,they can yield useful parts and materials.

Large biscuit tins such as sold at Christmas time are ideal material for making up fuel tanks and other scale bits and bobs.

Car boot sales are a treasure trove for modellers.I have purchased complete kits and discarded materials,but make sure that plastic kits are not bodged or incomplete,unless they are cheap enough to buy for spare parts.

Many of our nations refuse tips have small shops that sell off discarded items,do not overlook them but dont pay fancy money.

Skips are well known for treasures,look for timber for work benches etc and anything else that is useful.

Plain wallpaper or shelf paper is ideal for drawing up plans.

Come on fellow scrimpers or tightwads as our American cousins call us,we need your valuable ideas.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

adzam

Alarm system standby batteries are normally lead acid type,
i beleive they are changed on a regular basis whether functioning or not and due to teh make up of teh battery it costs companies too discard these bateries, so a vist to one of these companies warehouse/workshop may pay dividends to looking for this type of battery, some gladly giv e them away for free, some might charge a small amount for a batch.

__________________

wonwinglo

*** Any idea what voltage these are Adz ? I did have some 12 volt starter batteries once that were from alarm systems,they were of the gel cell variety.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

Uncivil Serpent

"Skips are well known for treasures,look for timber for work benches etc and anything else that is useful."
Just a little legal note on this one. If you are caught taking anything from a skip you could be charged with theft!!
Items being put in the skip belong to person throwing them away, however, they become the property of the skip owner once in the said container. Best thing is to ask the person ditching the stuff first.
Regards
Chris

adzam

normally 12v barry, but i tink it depends on the system they are backing up .

__________________

wonwinglo

[quote=Uncivil Serpent]"Skips are well known for treasures,look for timber for work benches etc and anything else that is useful."
Just a little legal note on this one. If you are caught taking anything from a skip you could be charged with theft!!
Items being put in the skip belong to person throwing them away, however, they become the property of the skip owner once in the said container. Best thing is to ask the person ditching the stuff first.
Regards

*** Valid point there,I think that these TV programmes convey the wrong impression about this when you see people salvaging things,apparently students consider skips fair game for lucky finds in London,but probably still best to check with the people ditching it,the same applies to refuse tips where you just cannot take anything without permission,most of the tips these days have shops that sell unwanted goods,not sure what the situation is in other countries ?

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

new to trains

well i often 'skip raid'..................( i can hear the police sirens already !!!)
i usually get the permissions first !
perspex is often found in skips near sign makers, this makes great material for turning when making up your own fittings, i have also got plenty of decent timber offcuts from skips, - offcuts to the building trade are ideal for building models
also as stated before security alarm batteries are often ideal for model use, usually 12 volt and sealed lead acid type, but also look at the other items like emergency power supply batteries for computer systems, these also usually contain high capacity lead acid cells inside too- as they are constantly trickle charged until they are needed they are usually in tip top condition......

also look at the flourescent strip lights from commercial buildings, these often contain 4ah nicad D cells as standby power in the event of a power cut, these often have to be repalced on a date basis irrespective of the battery condition.....I now have over 60 of the D cells in regular use, - they are fantastic.... so keep you eyes peeled....

there are treasures out there in those skips ! ( dont tell the wife i go skip raiding !!!!)

__________________
just gotta keep building !

wonwinglo

You are a true Scrimper Guy,amazing what you have found to date,what about those pieces of correx that you seeing blowing around in the wind ? you can build models with this material,someone actually made a trainer model aircraft with it.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

wonwinglo

As mentioned previously a visit to your local £ shop ( we even have a 99p one !) could be kind to your pocket,one thing that I discovered yesterday were large bundles of barbecue sticks,these have endless uses in model building apart from aplying adhesive and stirring tinlets of paint,they are strong enough to become part of your model when you need thin round dowel,I would imagine they would be also ideal in boat modelling for all those little fittings etc,the material is not only easy to cut but glues with ordinary woodglue.
Keep your eyes peeled for interesting items,and above all let us know here of your discoveries.

__________________
'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
www.wonwinglo.scale-models.net/

duncan

Check-out S.P.A.D (no not the WW1 planes) this one stands for "Simple Plastic Airplane Designs", more than just trainers ! Tons on the web, mainly U.S.