trekprops.de » Tools & Supplies

Tools & Supplies: Sandpaper

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:56 +0000

Sand paper is a daily companion during any kind of model work. Therefore you should always have several different grit numbers ready. One rule of thumb is: Everything from 100-grit to 1000-grit can be useful. 100 grits are used to remove a lot of material, 1000 grits are good for achieving an ultra-smooth finish. This is actually more like polishing than sanding. You will have to decide for yourself what grit numbers you really need the most.

I can recommend to get “Wet&Dry” sand paper, which you can also use under running water. This has the advantage of seeing more of your work piece because there’s no dust in the way. Also, the finish will get a lot smoother!

You can adjust sandpaper according to your need. You can for example fold it to create edges and you can roll it to avoid them.

Modulor direct link: Waterproof silicon carbide paper, black

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Tools & Supplies: Styrene

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:50 +0000

Styrene is the typical material to build models because it is very easy to handle. It is a kind of plastic which is available in different thicknesses (0,3 to 5 mm), colors (even with effects like “mirror”) and shapes, for example sheets, pipes, profiles, structured sheets (i.e. ribbed) and many more.

Styrene can easily be sanded, split (if it has been scarified along the desired line), drilled, sawn, etc. It also can be easily and permanently joined using plastic glue.

Modulor direct link: Polystyrene white, matte

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Tools & Supplies: Disposable Latex Gloves

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:49 +0000

Work safety is one of the most important issues when handling chemicals. Your skin shouldn’t be exposed to resin for example. That’s why you should always wear gloves to keep your hands clean. They can also help you avoid dirtying your modeling clay or other materials you have to shape with your hands. Latex gloves are suited best because they are skin tight (you can always buy a smaller size to achieve that) and don’t interfere with your workflow.

Modulor direct link: Disposable latex gloves

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Tools & Supplies: RTV Silicone Rubber

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:46 +0000

One of the most important materials in the hobby of prop building is RTV silicone rubber (RTV = room temperature vulcanizing). It is used to create molds which can then be filled with casting resin to make copies of your master model.

Silicone rubber is available in many variants of different chemical and mechanical properties. I use an additive cross-linked precison casting silicone with a working life of 25 minutes and a demolding time of 2 hours. The silicone is mixed from two components using a mixing ratio of 10:1 and cures to a translucent light blue color. It is highly elastic, has a good mechanical stability and is suited for molding of complex master models even if they show indentations.

Modulor direct link: Modasil EH 10:1

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Tools & Supplies: Double-Sided Adhesive Tape

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:46 +0000

One alternative to spray glue is double sided tape. It is very easy to work with because it’s so thin. It’s also remarkably strong which enables it to be used in a variety of scenarios.

Modulor direct link: Tesa double-sided adhesive tape (#155479S)

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Tools & Supplies: Spot Putty

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:45 +0000

To fill very small air bubbles or deep scratches in resin castings I use spot putty available in automotive stores. That stuff is normally used to fill scratches in similar colored car finishes and is ready to use right out of the tube – no need to mix two components or anything. The material is curing very quickly and can be sanded to a very smooth surface. I chose the color red because it is easily visible on beige resin or grey primer.

Tools & Supplies: Cyanacrylate (CA) Glue

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:45 +0000

CA glue (super glue, crazy glue) is a very strong liquid adhesive that cures in a matter of seconds. You can bond almost any material with it as long as it doesn’t soak up the glue. It works perfectly for plastics. Be cautious: Always wear protective gloves to ensure that your skin doesn’t come in contact with this chemical!

Modulor direct link: Weicon super glue VA 8312, low viscosity (#154765S)

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Tools & Supplies: Jeweler’s Files

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:44 +0000

Since prop building means shaping some kind of material most of the time, it is nice to have files in different sizes handy. Sandpaper is not always the best tool to get you going in the right direction, because it is always flexible even if you don’t want it to be. The most common shapes for files are: flat, round, half round and triangular.

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Tools & Supplies: Electronic Scale

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:43 +0000

An electronic scale is very important to measure the components of RTV silicone rubber for example. You should buy one with a gradation of one gram or less to increase precision. Another important feature is the “tare” function to zero the device thus being able to easily add or remove material.

Modulor direct link: Postage scale (#194687)

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Tools & Supplies: Compressed-Air Spray

trekprops.de — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:43 +0000

Dirt and dust are unavoidable when shaping materials. Especially fine dust can be tricky to remove, even more so when it is stuck in a chink of some kind. A compressed-air spray is what can help here. The cleaning flow of air can be directed using the canula and high pressure is applied to remove the dust. As an alternative you can use a small bellow for increased manual control. They are normally used to keep camera lenses clean.

Modulor direct link: Weicon compressed air spray (#175448)

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