5 Cheap Hobby Tools Every Mini Painter Needs

[@Ninjon]

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[@batou1468]

as with the lacquer, safety should always be promoted when it comes to using resin. even the ones claiming "eco friendly" or "low fumes" are still toxic to skin and lungs.

[@jamesbryan1371]

Ninjon please just buy a reverse osmosis filter. It will give you distilled water at home and is easy and cheap to install. Save yourself the trouble of lifting gallons of water everywhere. Please....

[@moedark4390]

they retain vlaue until they become old and inferior sculpts

[@Dewoy1]

*Blutack* is definitely something i can´t live without anymore. Its like a non hardening sticky clay. Its got infinite applications, from dry fitting your models/being able to play with them and still sub assambly paint them later, to storing my brushes upside down after cleaning, fixing models on a paintpods as a handle, making a base for a bottle of glue that would otherwise fall over easily. Its just a versetile product to have! And the longer you have it, the more usecases you´ll find. It´s a must have for any hobbiest in my opinion.

[@Xanthelei]

One caveat is, make it the real stuff. I'm working through a pack of knock off grey stick tack, and it's just terrible. Plenty sticky with none of the hold, thins out way too easily, sticks in crevices when I'm trying to remove it. Never had those problems with actual Blutack.

[@hodolski]

Found dedicated tool called Tamiya masking clay at a local shop, but was a bit costly. I'll stick to Blutack.

[@Ultimateprototype13]

Just a word of caution with lacquer primers and paints, as someone who has airbrushed gunpla with them. I'd recommend not just a half faced respirator, but a full faced one instead. Or half faced with proper goggles. One painter I follow who uses them fucked up his eye once, due to not using one. They're stronger than enamels and can have a strong smell as well, so may be a bit much for bedroom painting. Stay safe friends, happy painting, and much love to ya Jon!

[@Matt-bh3gb]

Yeah, do not underestimate the power of lacquer fumes! I was brushing on some metallic gold lacquer years ago and almost fainted. I had to move everything to my driveway to get enough ventilation.

[@rolling-roadkill]

I gave a small jar of sprue goo to my mom and her husband a while ago. They had bought a caravan which had small cracks on the panels and I told them to try that on a small area to see if it does the trick. Now I've had to make more goo since it worked so well and was so easy to use, they wanted to have a bigger batch at hand in case of other repairs needing done. 😄

[@comradedangerfield]

tamiya extra thin cement is almost exactly the same as tamiya airbrush cleaner, both being a roughly 50/50 mix of acetone and butyl acetate. the cleaner comes in a 250ml bottle for about 10 bucks while the cement is about 5 bucks for 40 ml. the cement bottle is handy for the little brush attached to the cap, but when you are running low, just get yourself a bottle of cleaner and top up your cement bottle

[@doomsakari0]

Your videos have genuinely helped me grow so much as a painter and generally as an artist. I've never had a lot of people around with shared interests but watching your videos feels like I'm taking advice from a friend. Keep being awesome.

[@Ninjon]

Thanks man, that means a lot. Really!

[@EggyBreadWorkshop]

For filling larger gaps with UV resin: Mix your resin with baby powder to make a paste. Easier to control than the straight liquid resin. Easily sandable. We've been doing this for years in the 3D printing hobby.

[@greyhaunt8121]

Does it interfere with the curing at all since it limits the transparency of the resin? Asking as I've used UV in jewelry and we do run into that problem when adding color to UV resin sometimes.

[@Gwenx]

That is very worth a try!

[@rogthepirate4593]

@@greyhaunt8121 I would assume so, honestly. It's likely something you won't notice since the outer shell will cure fully, but it may very well result in some uncured resin in the gap. Which is likely not as big of an issue if it's in a paste form and contained by said hard outer shell, but also still not great because it's still uncured resin, and that can ruin a model even years down the line. In conclusion, I wouldn't risk it. It's an issue you can't really see but it can ruin things a long time after you're done with the model. Not worth the risk I think.

[@photonfartsqueeze6694]

Or don’t, and it doesn’t need to be sanded.

[@kennyvanlimbergen7409]

Could you use the uv resin also for filling layerlines and sanding it

[@christopheralto]

My favorite cheap hobby extra is a deck of cards. You can get like 2 for a buck at the dollar store and they are amazing as little disposable palette, especially for like glues and other creams/epoxies/resins etc. Anything you don't want to clean up, just use a card and toss it when you are done. Just picked up the UV resin because of this video (like 20 bucks all in at Michaels), and it is life changing!!! I always knew it could do water and stuff, but using it for gap-filling is a game changer. I love the 2 part epoxy in the video as well, have been using it for a while. Going to pick up the primer you recommend next! Thanks for the great content.

[@timwells8359]

I bought 6 of the tattoo squeeze bottles... And have zero regrets that I have 2 of those spare. I believe I bought them from a previous video of yours and I 100% agree that this pickup is so much worth the money. For the UV resin, you can "gloss" areas selectively. Trick I learned from the KZbinr "North of the boarder" which is not Miniatures, but really enjoyable craft videos to watch.

[@ModernSynthesist]

Huzzah! Continue spreading the gospel of Nivea for sculpting! Glad you gave it a go when I randomly dropped it in your mailbox. And so happy to see you using Apoxie Sculpt as that's another big brain sculpting move!

[@vinberube136]

Would it leave a greasy residue preventing primer adhesion?

[@Mallsoleum]

@@vinberube136no, thats the advantage of using it over vaseline. It evaporates like water but lubricates like an oil. Personally I buy the really big bottles of nivea unscented lotion and have never had to replace it going on about 5 years now

[@ellearmstrong-cochrane4049]

50/50 mix of Apoxie Sculpt and Kneaditite (greenstuff) is my preferred sculpting medium. It retains the tackiness and a bit of the spring of fresh GS, it's sandable and carvable after curing, and it retains fine detail like good GS, plus it can be cast in conventional vulcanized rubber molds. Another sculptor tip: get an empty brush pen (Molotov makes a great one with an ultra-fine tip), fill it with 99% IPA, and use it to clean the surface of the model before trying to add putty. I also use it to remove any leftover residue from tool lubricants while sculpting, and you can use it to smooth any polyclay-based sculpts you might be working on.

[@Senor_Elegante]

Do we all know that tamiya extra thin is EXACTLY the same product as the tamiya airbrush cleaner but about 4 times as pricey? That’s been one of my biggest money saving tip. I learnt it from Juan Hidalgo miniatures. Amazing KZbin channel if you’re in the hobby! Also the tamiya XF white (needs tamiya thinner) is the smoothest airbrush paint I’ve ever come across. This one I learnt from cult of paint - and another incredible hobby channel. (Edit a typo)

[@utakuryukko2023]

And even cheaper would be to buy a bottle of Butyl Acetate and a bottle of Acetone, both available in any good chemical supply shop, and mix them 50/50 (in volume). With a 1 litre bottle of each, I got nearly a lifetime supply of glue. No dangerous reaction will ever happen, that's just 2 solvents. Just wear a standard organic vapor mask when doing it, but if you're airbrushing enamels/lacquers you already have one (I hope so).

[@4_am]

You lie sir, one is a 50/50 mix the other is a 49/51 mix totally different product. I didn't even think of buy the base cemicals and mixing it myself!

[@Senor_Elegante]

@@4_am yeah I believe a company must change the proportions to legally denominate something as a different product…

[@4_am]

@@Senor_Elegante hehe, I think I heard the same.

[@photonfartsqueeze6694]

This blew my mind. A friend told me about it the other year.

[@Gwenx]

I know people think its a little wack to use one of those fidget poppers for painting but, seriously, i love to use it for all the things that is a no no on the wet palette! Its so easy to clean!

[@sasserine]

Finding them in white or clear is the harder part.

[@charlesnunya2347]

good video, thank you Jon. I really like the UV resin! It is so strong I feel like it is better than glue sometimes when I put things together or reattaching something really quickly that has broken off. I have also printed some models like a beholder where the big pupal on the eye is concaved and I will paint the iris color then use the resin to add the clear cornea above it in a few shallow layers making sure not to have any bubbles. It looks really good and because of how viscus it is you can get it to have that slight bulge that an eye normally has. Or put a tiny bit at the end of scopes to make a realistic lens effect. Or on wrist computer screens for certain space marines to give the screen some depth when you look at it.

[@judgementalseagull8905]

Between the AK paints, Mr Thinner and Tamiya Extra Thin, Ninjon gonna start painting a Panzer tank

[@funTimesInTheSun]

Regular Tamiya 87012 Plastic Cement is actually better for most applications. I can’t wait for him to paint a tank though.

[@Eyefornow]

A tank tank?

[@MrCorychbbs]

I find it absolutely insane that I can watch this video and already have 9 out of 10 of the items you are showcasing, lol. I think those of us who are completely invested in the craft are always on the lookout for what can be useful to us in the hobby. I have so many things that I found on clearance at some hobby store or just by walking by and something caught my eye and my brain screamed, "That would be a great container for your paint washes." The tip on using UV resin for the gaps is great. I have epoxy sculpt and try to use that when I can, but the UV resin is way more efficient on small gaps for sure. Keep up the great vids, I am glad I can watch one of your videos and not have to go spend 100 bucks and make the wife angry for once lol.

[@TheRealCeeJai]

An arm-mounted magnifying glass light is a MUST for anyone in this hobby. Not only will you no longer have to worry about bad lighting, but it helps a lot when doing small detail, especially for newer painters. After more than 20 decades of hobby modeling, I still have one near-permanently mounted on my painting/modeling station.

[@M.Melnick]

As someone new to painting I think a brush nearby that I can use to get rid of mistakes is a great cheap hobby tool.

[@asafoetidajones8181]

I have three sizes of eraser brush, ready to scrub wet mistakes. They're the cheapest, stiffest kid's brushes, with black synthetic bristles. The stiffness helps them erase better. Whenever I paint, I keep them in water with a stack of 2x2 paper towel squares. The corner of the pt square is for absorbing the excess. I've even got to the point where I'm confident enough erasing that I might dip an old cut down natural bristle brush in acetone and get right in there scrubbing down dried paint.

[@jimfarmer2356]

John, please please PLEASE start wearing gloves on both hands when you work with UV resin! Speaking as someone who has been resin printing for 4 years, they're not joking when they say you can develop a contact allergy. I have one now, and it means even incidental contact with partially cured resin results in hives up and down my forearms for days.

[@ryan4197]

Oh jeeze, is that what this is? I've been using nitrile gloves when printing, but I've been a bit lazy every now and again when picking up pieces that have been cleaned with iso to put them in the curing machine. Every now and again I get these really itchy bumps going up my wrist, reckon that's the cause?

[@jimfarmer2356]

​@@ryan4197 seems likely. Start being super careful about gloving up for a bit and compare results. Fingers crossed for you!

[@eggpassion]

YES. it's the same thing that is used in gel nail polish that a lot of people develop allergies to, happened to my wife. its also what they use in tooth fillings and some hip/joint replacement surgeries. it's fucked

[@jimfarmer2356]

​@@eggpassion Just so you know the one used for filling (and some crowns these days) is actually a different formulation that's hypoallergenic. I looked into getting some for my own printing, but it's ridiculously expensive and not really appropriate for making minis 😂

[@scottyboy6269]

Wtf, I’ve been printing longer, sold 50k figures and never had an issue.. but I uv cure it if after wiping it off me to make sure it’s not sitting on me…do NOT do it with visible resin on you, can burn.

[@jacobstrong1494]

The mini hobby really needs to get on board with more tools and products that the Gundam community uses. The gundam community has soooo many high quality products that are perfect for miniature/warhammer painting. These two hobbies should be married together, not seen as enemies like they are now.

[@jaredfinkenbinder]

The same goes for regular plastic modeling hobby too. I have been trying out some Gundam tools and recommend many of them to the members in my modeling club. It's also worth looking at the model railroad layout builders, their craft has a lot of useful ideas for terrain and basing.

[@evilpeachesofdoom]

@@jaredfinkenbinder Totally agree with this statement. My local hobby shop has many different departments, all with different "guys" who know a lot about products. They always always tap into the knowledge base of each other to solve a problem for the best price possible. They have even sent me to different stores to get products they didn't have in the quantity I needed instead of selling me multiple small items. The Gundam guys are a wealth of knowledge on modeling, also, railroad and historical guys have crazy work around ideas.

[@HerrDoktah]

Any standout suggestions?

[@jaredfinkenbinder]

@@HerrDoktah Glass Files. I got the set from Steadi on Amazon. Also, almost ANY tool from Dspiae. Their vice (any of the three versions) is a super tool to have in your toolbox.

[@ninjatango]

Not much has any use in miniatures. I cringe when I see people ruining high quality side cutters on GW sprues for instance.

[@thisrsrsnamect5599]

Shoutout to Mr Hobby. Excellent tools and paints - I recommend them to anyone that builds and paints plastic

[@FlesHBoX]

For gap filling with UV resin, you can mix some baby powder into it to make it easier to manipulate and place precisely. This is a very common trick in the resin printing community (though we use our printer resin since we already have it, but it is essentially the same).

[@huranku98]

I'm so jealous of his modeling room. I must have one sometime soon.

[@McVilla1N]

As a tattoo artist of 20+ years coming back to the hobby/Warhammer after being quit since 6th edition. I smiled when you pulled out the green soap squeeze bottle 😂😂😂.

[@gleggett3817]

As a model aircraft painter the appearance of Mr Finisher and sanding sticks ought to have been less of a surprise.

[@SamuraiMujuru]

As a BIPAP using hobbyist I've got a better recommendation. A perfectly serviceable water distiller runs about $75, so for a little over the price of two of the linked 12 packs you can have unlimited distilled water.

[@cartilagehead]

I’ll do one better: for $200-300 you can get a full RODI setup and then you’re ready to go for when you decide to take up the hobby of reefkeeping

[@tollietime]

@@cartilagehead Ill take your offer and raise you, got an A/C unit in your home?? that poops distilled water by the yard everyday! collect it, run it through a paint filter and boil that sucker up boom instant free SAFE distilled water (gotta boil it to avoid legionnaires disease if you're gonna put it near an airbrush!)

[@ChuckShwallon]

or you could just boil water, then let it cool.. then boil it again.. and poof you have distilled water.

[@utakuryukko2023]

@@ChuckShwallon No, that's not what distilled water is. Although a lot of what is sold now as distilled water is now just deionized water. Boiling water twice will get rid of all bacterial/viral contamination, will remove a bit of the minerals but not all.

[@pariahzero]

Distillation is a solution that works well for those of us who live in a desert, where water is a scarce resource. RODI wastes about liters of water to produce liter of purified water. Distillation wastes almost none. (The tradeoff being distillation uses electricity; but solar energy is more plentiful).

[@Manuel-zp7cl]

Tip from my barber: put a bit of Nivea cream in your hair to give it some structure and moldability. Those squirt bottles are my favorite cheap hobby item as well. They're invaluable when airbrushing.

[@gamer7138]

Spray bottles on hard spray are also nice for airbrushes, the squirt that has a bit more pressure behind it cleans up a lot really fast

[@paulburrow5178]

Be doing that for years

[@Randaddy87]

I like to use UV resin as an alt adhesive. To hold things together or down. Exp, magnets under the base. Gorrilla Super Glue for intial stick, let dry, then let resin surround the magnetic and reinforce the hold.

[@kris220b]

those tiny crocodile clips on steel sticks ( with and without rubber sleeves ) they are so handy for holding subassemblies and small parts for priming and painting, and they are cheap for like 20 of them

[@FerretGuyBooks]

Been using MR Surfacer for years and you can thin it with laquer thinner just fine. Maybe the enviro friendly stuff is different but regular laquer thinner works great, no leveling thinner needed. Best primer out there.

[@greyhaunt8121]

Another use for UV resin is making spit drop or slime streaks, etc... You put the UV resin onto a silicone mat in the shape you want and then cure it. It will peel right off the silicone and then you can glue it in place on the mini using a touch more UV resin.

[@samueltyler889]

Digital calipers. Mostly for making terrain, but I haven't run out of uses in the miniature hobby for a cheap digital caliper.

[@wikyWargaming]

I reduce my sprues down to goop with acetone in sealed glass jars. Makes a good terrain substrate, and you can cast with it.

[@greyhaunt8121]

I have also made jewelry in the past so when I picked up using 3D printed minis (after being out of gaming for years) I found instant purposes for my UV resin! I use it as "glue" all the time to repair broken minis. The only possible issue doing that is unlike glue which you put inside the break you work more around the break because if the resin cannot get contact from the UV light it won't cure and you end up with an uncured wet patch were light didn't get. Very rarely a problem and if there is too much you just sand it down. A total life saver when reattaching small bits. Always great when you find a new use for a different hobby tool!

[@yobtar]

I switched to the Me Hobby stuff after your first video with it. That stuff is so good its crazy! Its so good you cant even ruin detail on the models its so good!

[@JackDespero]

8:15 Oh boi that sounds like a much better option than my current way of doing it: Just blasting a bunch of superglue.

[@haraldhenning897]

Generally looking around and re-using "trash" or stuff you'd throw away anyways makes for great hobby products. for instance my tip for airbrush cleaning (instead of the tatoo bottles) is re-using an empty cleaner bottle... you know, the ones with a trigger you get window cleaner in and such. The water comes out dispersed and with higher pressure, so it "showers2 the paint out of the cup.

[@GrayDGunpla]

Gunpla Builder tip, you can prepare a pre thin bottle of Mr Surfacer to speed up the paint process, it should last you a couple of months depending on your use xD

[@vincentilott3503]

Great video, John love the channel. Awesome list of items, one thing I never see on any channel, but I use at the end of every session is good old hair-conditioner for my brushes. Been using it for years and my brushes are always in great condition. Stands to reason, we use it on our own hair so it’s perfect for the hair in our brushes, plus everyone has some in the shower right now! After you’ve washed your brush twirl in a little conditioner, form your point and put it away.

[@Rayanaminge]

I’ve mixed some coloring into the resin to create viscous or liquids. Like water, lava, ooze, and so on. It’s a cool application

[@HamyHaxxor]

Just getting back into the hobby after 20 years and all of this information is super useful. Thanks!

[@racerdeth]

Oh thanks Jon now we're never gonna be able to get Mr Surfacer/Mr Levelling Thinner any more - it's hard enough for it to stay in stock at places already! 😅 Though I'd like to say for everyone who is tempted by it - Jon is being almost a little blasé about the precautions you should take with lacquers. A purifier is not enough, you need a good *extractor* that moves the air outside. The particulates are no fun but you need to get rid of the fumes primarily, and it's real nasty stuff. Still, the last few years I've been scale modelling more than mini painting and I'm fully a lacquer convert when it comes to those.

[@sadiesnail]

If you want a UV resin that gives a matte finish, I use gel nail polish top coat. Gel nail polish is the same as UV resin, and it's also cured with a UV light. I would do some testing first though, as some brands say they are matte but are really more Satin. I use beetles gel polish, and so far they haven't let me down with any yellowing or bad finishes. UV resin is also great for creating effects like drool. Though I have to say as a Resin artist, make sure you are using proper protections when pouring/curing. It's not as strong as 2 part epoxy, but it is still quite toxic before cured.

[@Hermentotip]

Those japanese gundam paints and inks from Mr. Hobby are just freaking magical... and if you're into actual gunpla, the color matching with bare plastic is absolutely unreal

[@bretts2356]

Great vid! I saw the copper weights on your wet pallet and, while I would not stop using those if i were you, I would recommend to others to just use old pennies. As long as they are older than 1982, they're copper. Hard to beat $0.04 for a full set of pallet paper holder downers!

[@ikjcaboose935]

reminds me of when i started playing, we used to glue pennies to the bottoms of bases to stop the top heavy metal minis falling over all the time.

[@ahillamon]

The blue tinned Nivea cream is an absolute godsend when you've got a cold and you've been blowing your nose so much that the skin around the nostrils is becoming raw and painful. Dab some of that cream on and be amazed at how much it helps protect and soothe the skin (the reason it works better than most regular hand creams and skin lotions is to do with its "fattiness", it creates a protective barrier and stops the skin from drying out so much from all the friction when rubbing against tissue paper).

[@asafoetidajones8181]

I've never tried it but a gentleman I knew who spent a great deal of time in his own company insisted on recommending Nivea for... alone time. 🤨

[@kensaiix]

1:50 tap water, boil it. bonus points if you do it in a pressure pot. 10:09 empty jars of taco dip (the short variant obv.) 13:40 vaselin or petroleum jelly

[@dodgersfnshepard8673]

Dude I can't give you enough props here. 6 or more of my biggest questions answered!

[@DockZock]

As a Gunpla builder I was already in my head yelling at the screen "use Mr.hobby surfacer" when you talked about priming. Welcome to the party, try some Mr hobby clearcoat next!

[@centerededgedesignusa7957]

Apoxie Sculpt sticks well, too! I use it for customizations all the time, its also carveable/sandable/drillable after it cures.

[@ezraho8449]

As someone who is into Gunpla painting/customizing I can't stress enough how good the Mr. Hobby line of products is.

[@42Arcana]

8:35 on minis with BIG eyes: make it glossy AF And if you cut a bit of transparent plastic, you can use it to glue it: super transparent (I made a monocle like that) Works also to make a very flat shiny surface (used it for marble)

[@matthewgroff8468]

Uv resin is the best material for miniature icicles. Put a small blob on a piece of parchment paper, drag a toothpick through to form the pointed icicle shape, and cure. Peel off and add uv resin to the other side, and cure. Adhere it to your scenery with some more resin. Super easy.

[@pinkyysk]

I bought some of the water bottle tube things for my plants they are a pain for that. Brilliant for my craft desk. And the nivea cream is brilliant for day 2 and onwards for tattoos it keeps colour in so well I have not be painting minis very long so this kind of video is so useful. I need yes need some apoxy sculpt it looks so fun Great video Gave fun

[@130n35s]

With UV resin, I use it to build up on a base for characters that are jumping. Removing the ruins off my harlequins is a good example. I use it as the core, then paint in layers of blurring colors and finish with Lexel (a flexible silicon caulking that is clear) Drybrush over it, even add some pieces of iridescent mylar to make it look like the flash of color they would move like. Other uses could be adding flecks of dirt being pulled off the ground, or splaying away from the landing space.

[@theChistu]

You recommended tattoo water bottles in a previous video, I think, and I jumped on the idea. They are SO damn useful around the paint desk! You'll just start grabbing it any time you need water and you'll always get the perfect amount.

[@FallenFoxofSakai]

You can use resin for drool to forms into streaks of saliva, using clear plastic beads can also further aid in this effect.

[@trentblades6668]

As Gunpla builder who just got into minis... I'm very happy about this video lol

[@foreverfornever1124]

Happy to hear some of my favorite miniature painters exploring more of the Japanese market in terms of the modeling hobby. Mr Hobby and Tamiya have some quality products spanning decades and there at great prices. Sadly they arent readily available in many hobby shops as things like Vallejo and Liquitex products are that many use in the miniature hobby. Forntunately theres a plethora of online shops that carry their products. Also wow!! Idk why I have never thought to use uv resin for gap filling. Now thats a couple less products a need to waste on and take up space at my hobby desk.

[@Fox01313]

Good list! Also I recommend going to the craft section of Dollar tree for a lot of inexpensive basing materials, clay modeling tools & they also have a lot of cheap brushes (for varnish, primer, PVA glue) .

[@aurel-tk]

One tool I can't live without now is a handled aspirator / air blower. I use it both for drying mini as it got a led light pointing on the blower that just show you directly where there is wet paint. And the aspirator to clean my desk.

[@GrizGriztofferson]

The UV Resin tip has changed my life. Thank you!! Never using super glue for gap filling again (which I'm NOT sad about).

[@larfeet9869]

We used the squeezy bottles for raising aquarium fish. Immediately saw the use for wet palette. Love them!

[@mateuszsowa174]

Baking soda - you can sprinkle it on super glue, it dries rock hard almost instantly, sucking up the glue. It's rough though, so should be used for strong connections in hidden places, like magnets or pins under the bases.

[@peterjones4763]

I use UV resin to fill the underside of the bases of my Blood Bowl miniatures. Adds a nice bit of weight to the base, and levels it off nicely so that I can then cover it with a felt adhesive base. Well worth the effort for a small number of players.

[@Finallyh3r3]

Hey boss!! I found the same thing with the polyurethane primers…my fix is to dunk/brush all models with 99% iso before priming and then a drop or two of Tamiya x-20a thinner makes it stick so well it won’t strip after. Also resin is amazing for lenses, water and glass

[@MrFraknak]

That sounds like so many extra steps. Just use three surfacer at that point.

[@Finallyh3r3]

@@MrFraknak For sure, but I’m giving a way to still make your old polyurethane primer work for you. All sprues should be washed in soapy water or alcohol before painting no matter what, I use Tamiya thinner for all airbrush work anyways so it’s on my bench. 5 for a bottle of x20 and 5 for a bottle of 99% is cheaper than buying $20 bottles of the new primer and thinner, plus you can use it after with the mr surface too. Many ways to skin a cat

[@koz1138]

Probably works on the model but doesn’t do anything about the very real issue of polyurethane primer crudding up your airbrush.

[@Rudolf_reindeer]

Thanks for the Nivea cream suggestion! It looks similar to O’Keefe’s Working Hands so I’ll experiment with that first. Some cheap everyday products that really help in miniature hobby are pointed Q-tips (much more accurate than regular kind) and toothpicks (great for placing small amounts of whatever).

[@Rudolf_reindeer]

My weird product suggestion is argon gas spray. It’s used to preserve large amounts of paint, varnishes, stains, and resin over time. It’s probably not cost effective for miniatures, but it would make an interesting video!

[@LoopeeDK]

I use uv resin similarly to highgloss varnish on surfaces, last i used them on my thousand son bases, where i have small blue glossy inlays looking like magical layline stuff, paint base -> lock in paint and mat color with mat varnish -> bring back the shine to the magical bits with a toothpick and uv resin. and bang mat sandy bases with glossy blue magic laylines.

[@Gundumb_guy]

Lol when you started talking about poly primers I came to leave a comment about how the only laquer product I use on my scale models is mr surfacer because it sprays like butter when thinner and it is so thin it’s actually insane!

[@patrickb2736]

For my water cup, I use a salsa jar and cut a silicone pot scrubber to fit in the bottom. The little bristles of the silicone scrubber are soft enough to not damage the brush, but firm enough to dislodge the paint.

[@jaleink2953]

I started with Gunpla about maybe 15 years ago and I used to use Mr.Hobby products exclusively, I don't remember ever having to thin their primers in an air brush though, I used to use it straight out of the jar. I think people have a tough time with airbrush primers because they are not using an airbrush really meant for it. Primers tend to have a larger particle size then paint so if you are trying to cram a primer though your very expensive Iwata with a nozzle meant for fine detail you are going to have a bad time. I actually have a Iwata NEO TRN 2 that I only use for primers as it has a large bore and I shoot Vallejo Black Surface Primer through it like all the time and never have issues with it clogging. They only reason I stopped using Mr. Surfacer as it was just really hard and really expensive to get (especially black). I don't know if that's improved now.

[@Brettoh]

Best thing I’ve found for basing is using wood glue rather than hobby PVA (which is essentially a watered down version of the former). Neat to glue down, 50:50 water to really cement in place once dry!

[@TheHIMULATION69]

After you mentioned everything was in the description, I was hoping to see water and let me tell you I wasn't disappointed. 😂

[@thegamersmanifesto3671]

I use UV resin for pools of ice effects, you can then scratch it up with a hobby knife, it has good surface tension so you can even do cool ice effects inside pauldrons, chaos armour etc.

[@paintfortauva]

Another good use for resin, use resin to help strengthen the ankle joints on Tau battle suits which at notorious for breaking. Sometimes things you would normally pin, can instead be secured with a good layer of resin

[@Zhoyzu]

I use UV resin to also fix some broken bits that glue wont hold. Ive also used it for Ice basing and water since you can harden just the surface with a few quick passes of the light then scramble it like an egg or w/e and you get good water/lava textures

[@MarketResearchReading114]

You find a lot of quality things glad you're still finding nuggets to share.

[@blissfulbadger]

I just use used Manzanilla olive jars for my paint water. Tasty treats, and nice price if I ever want to replace them.

[@Penguish211]

One of the most useful things I've had recommended by EonsOfBattle was 3M Double Sided Foam Tape. I use it all the time

[@dodgersfnshepard8673]

Hope you do get a kickback. I have alot of enamel paints and never got it right. That cleaner and a new primer is EXACTLY what I need to be able to winter hobby. I've got a giant space marine I'm waiting to prime now

[@briansneden2829]

Mr. Surfacer is something i brought with me from my gunpla building. You can actually use tamiya lacquer thinner with it as well. Not sure if its cheaper but its easier to find alot of places.

[@ChaseSecurity]

Perfect timing, I'm headed to the hobby shop later today to buy a new airbrush compressor.

[@slayerking88]

I have been using Mr Hobby surfacer and it is amazing. My thinning ratio for it is 1:1 with the Mr Hobby leveling thinner.

[@WargamerNed]

I second the Tamiya extra-thin cement. I used it to build the Skaventide box and it hardly made a dent. You could probably build 10+ skaventide boxes with just one bottle.

[@brentcox6201]

i use that exact bottle of uv resin I picked up at hobby lobby for not only filling gaps on models but it works great for smoothing fdm prints also, you just use a cheap brush and brush it on real thin, let it settle and level for a minute then hit it with the up light, then wet sand it smooth, takes no time at all

[@stephanecotnoir6334]

I myself tried ( was given to me ) the water pot from Temu that you showed in an other video and totally fell in love with it, since that time i never paint without it.

[@Misterfairweather]

Good list, I have almost everything you listed on my desk. It had not dawned on me to use the UV resin as a gap filler I'll have to give that a try now.

[@lordofhyphens]

8:40 also take care with uv cure resin as it is toxic when uncured. It's also exothermic when it cures.

[@daknalar4716]

The UV resin also makes a great quick set glue when you need it. I glue my magnets to the bottom of my bases with UV resin since it will lock in place super quick with a strong hold.

[@dragonhoarddesigns]

🎶 Lacquer head knows, but one desire! Lacquer head primes your minis like fire! 🎶

[@xcoregamerskillz]

Have you tried the Paint Puck? It's great for acrylic paint brush cleaning. It's not re-sealable, but it comes completely apart, is made of silicone, and has little places to hold your brushes.

[@vee_tinymoose]

I love my paint puck. Did learn the hard way to be careful to not let solvent get in the water (clear tube shattered)

[@TheNavajo0]

I use Uv resin to tie fishing flies, and use many colors added to it as well

[@IshanDeston]

Using a Gherkin Glass jar is also airtight and you can just use some cut off pieces of nylon bug screen, popsicle stick, coffee stirrer or bamboo skewer to brush off your brush. Or some equivalent.there of. Doesn't cost extra, you recyle some waste and if it needs replacing you just dumpster rescue another. And instead of Sanding Sticks but proper Sandpaper, double layer cerealpackaging cardboard with pva and glue the Sandpaper to your cardboard. Once dry cut in desired strip width. If you need it more rigid.. coffee stirrer, wooden spatula or the like instead of cardboard. Apoxie is only cheaper in the USA, Milliput is pretty much the same and dirt cheap in Europe.

[@b.n.7325]

I have a silicoil jar on my desk that is filled with brush cleaner. It was like $5-$10 dollars at hobby lobby/michaels. You’ve inspired me to get a second one just for water. Also I’m putting an old land raider model together and that kit is HORRIBLE for gaps so I’m going to give that UV resin a go. Filling gaps will be an easy way to step up my game.

[@TeaKay_421]

The squeeze bottle is essential! Thank you for this! Great advice here!

[@johnberardi6005]

I do not use a container with a lid as I rinse it out when I am done, but I use a glass kitchen bowl that is used for like Creme Brule and deserts for similar reasons, it is glass and though where the rim of the water is usually stained, it is white so I can tell when it is about time to change the water either due to its colour or if I am using metallics, when it gets the tinge to it it reminds me that I got to replace it when I am doing non-metallics since my space is not big enough for a second one to seperate between metallic and non-metallics

[@jo3kr111]

I like using one of those mini water bottles and poke a pinhole on the top for spraying airbrush and filling wet palette

[@cervelliera]

i've found the exact same box of dark angles veterans from 17 years ago that you had at the start of the video! wild!

[@Aisaaax]

So very true about your first point. I have a policy. I buy every release I like. But I don't open those boxes until I'm done with the previous army. I currently have both Leviathan and Skaventide, Legion of Grief and a few smaller boxes - still sealed and unopened, waiting for me to finish my Necrons. And what that means is that I always have a project waiting for me no matter what mood strikes me. And worst case scenario - I will just re-sell the box several years later when its value on e-bay is double of what I paid for it.

[@DungeonMagister]

I have a glass sugar container that's ribbed on the inside and the outside with a glass lid with a rubber stopper that I use to keep my paint water. Got it at Dollar tree for $1. I also use water based lubricant on my sculpting tools. :)