My Supplies Part II Here's a few more items that I forgot on the last post.

Using a lathe demands that you locate the center of your stock. A Center Finder is also useful for locating the center in dowels


Craft Picks are really great for applying glue or putty or mixing small amounts of paint. The flat surface works much better than a round tooth pick.


The Contour Gauge is a great tool for matching edges that have to fit together. It's especially helpful for organic shapes.


Mechanical Pencils always keep a nice sharp point. I get 3 packs at a Dollar store. At that price, it's almost not worth re-loading the lead when they run out (but I do anyway).


I don't know if there's a big difference between Wood Glue brands. I've used Tite Bond and Elmer's and both apply smoothly and grip within a minute.


CA Glue is commonly known as "Super Glue". It comes in various thicknesses: thicker glue for filling gaps and thinner for running down seams. I buy the smallest bottle available as they tend to dry out quickly. Pour some out on a piece of cardboard and apply with a toothpick.



A Buffing Wheel inserted in a drill press, hand drill or dremel tool can remove scratches from sanding. I use it mostly when smoothing acrylic gems.


I use painter's Blue Tape for masking areas when painting. It makes a nice tight seal and doesn't peal up any paint it's covering. At least not yet.


In addition to sanding sponges, I like theses Sanding pads for smoothing round or organic shapes. It's good for tight areas too.


If you're doing any work with resins, it's good to have a Digital Timer to keep track of cure times. I also use it to keep track of how long it's been since I glued Part A to Part B.


A holdover from when graphic design was done on a drafting table, the Drafting Brush has second life dusting off my table, props and occasionally me.


I use a Hack Saw for cutting anything to big or unwieldy for the bench tools. Great for metal, PVC, wood...anything that won't yell and run away.


A Coping Saw is used when you need to make tighter turns than the hack saw will allow.


The Jeweler's Saw is for even tight turns. Great for sheet metal and tubing. The blade snaps easily so saw carefully and prepare to replace the blade often.


The Razor saw usually comes with a little miter box so it makes trimming styrene and wood a breeze.


A Shop Vacuum is almost essential for cleaning up all your "work residue". Plus it can be used to power your vacuum table.


Another refugee from my drawing table, I still use a Circle Template for marking parts for cutting or gluing.


I pick up Paper Plates at the dollar store and use them for mixing glue, Bondo or paint.


I'll add more items as I think of them. If you have any suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments!  ¶ 2:43 PM