i broke it... i needed to double post because my response was too big...
Your too good at this XD i love the detail work, i think it's what makes a decent helmet something spectacular. That being said what kinda tools do you use for detail work?
thanks Tenebrus. i don't know about being too good, but i guess i get by. i think it kinda helps that i've always been interested in art and exhibitions (the free food at those things might have had a small part in that when i was younger), what with having a watercolourist for a mother who encouraged me to be expressive, and so i have done it on some level or form since i was a child.
as for the tools i use. well, the best one isn't something you can buy or pick up from example from someone else. i would have to say my imagination would be my best tool when it comes to detail, and i guess i never lost that little pearl of light that kids get when they draw monsters and elven creatures and such. i used to draw a lot when i was younger, and i still have somewhat of an inquisitive mind so have no problem spending a few hours dwelling on a problem, figuring out the best way to go about something.
as far as physical tools go, i use a wide selection of stuff...
this is just a small selection of the more commonly used ones that i have... i start to plan details out at the pep stage if i want to change something, or even before then if i can help it. having all possible scenarios pre-thought out in advance can save a lot of time later on down the track... anyway, i'll show you all some of the tools i use during a build
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Micky here is pointing at a basic selection of knives and scalpels. i use both a fair bit in the beginning stage (obviously during pep, but even during a resin stage as a sharp blade will even cut through thin layers of matting and resin with the slightest of effort)
hot glue... i'd never used it before starting this hobby, but i've loved every burnt finger moment of it since...
ooh... rulers, uh rule? straight lines are easily thwarted with 'em and getting details symmetrical are a breeze too. i've got a sewing tape around somewhere, but couldn't find it for this photo.
on the left is some epoxy glue, the 5 minute variety because if i'm building something i want to build it, not sit around waiting for glue to dry... on the right is some tape. i use the blue stuff for masking off while painting, but also for doing alterations during the pep stage as the resin will stick to it and it sands off really easy... behind that is a small selection of spring action clamps. i've got a few different sizes in these, but i find the small ones best for tight areas. also, that there's a small benchtop vice, for doing small jobs. i've got a slightly larger one with a suction base and plastic teeth so it doesn't bruise my projects, but i've shown it in the MkV build. i use it mainly during the electronics stage...
groovy little Gro Yap here, who tells me is an excellent climber, is standing on a few of my favourite brands of builders bog. depending on the amount of hardener you add, you can get this stuff to dry pretty damn quick. again, i don't want to wait for stuff to dry...
Gramps here is keeping some foam sanding blocks company. i use these for blocking in some hand sanding where using a orbital sander just wouldn't be practical or the aggressive nature or a flap disc on a grinder is just over kill... that's a flap disc to the right with a ultra thin cutoff disc (both used with an angle grinder) and in front of the old boy are a few flap wheels (used in a drill). because the drill rotates at a lower speed than a grinder i have more control over how much excess comes off at a time. however, it's at the expense of time... i use what's best for what scenario at this stage, time really shouldn't be an issue with details. in fact, the more time spent on something, the more likely you are to get it right...
and of course some files. i've got a few more, but these are the ones i use most. there's a round and flat file in both bastard cut and fine tooth, and a milling file for a smoother finish as well as a small selection of needle files. all are handy for basically any project and i wouldn't consider a build without them...
i didn't mention it earlier, but use a respirator. in the resin stage and in the sanding/detailing stage. there's a gas filter in the respirator in this photo and a dust/particle filter sitting next to it. get both... they are both designed for a specific job and both are bad at doing the other ones job, so get both... also, safety glasses. i use them for every stage of a build, even while painting... clear, tinted, smoke or mirrored. whatever, just get a pair... when a large chunk or resin flies off your helmet and bounces off your safety glasses instead of going in your eye and blinding you, you'll thank me...
that's Jack and Jane. she's a bit of a hipster if you couldn't tell. she's holding a few of my favourite Dremel bits. they are part of the high speed cutter selection by Bosch tools. i just can't say how handy these suckers are, i've used them for every build now except my first one. i didn't own a Dremel for that build, so i stuck it out with chisels and the files... however, having the Dremel definitely makes a build a lot easier... the ever quite Jack stands watch over a few drum sander bits, also for a Dremel... they make sanding in tight area's a breeze, and there was a huge amount of shaping done on my EVA with these babies...
standing up in the packet in the background is a rotary file. it's a coarse toothed drill bit that rasps large chunks out in a circular motion... it's not a tool i use a lot, but it did help with the rebreathers on my MkV...
"ya tha bee's knee's baby, daddy sure did miss ya..." this is by far the most used tool in my collection. it's a 300 series Dremel, and i wish i had bought one ten years ago... i cut, file, sand, drill, router and whatever else i can think off with this thing... i'm not gonna tell everyone to go out and buy one, i know that they can be expensive and not everyone has an open budget, but for those that have an opportunity to acquire one, do so... i promise you won't be disappointed... i have connected to it the flexible shaft attachment, because sometimes, as small as the tool itself is, it is just a little too big for tight area's. the only time i've taken this off was to do some routing... on the end of the shaft is a small Dremel chuck. with it i can use other brands rotary bits without having to purchase other collets (the grip inside the tool that holds the bits) to fit them... beside the Dremel are two sanding heads. if i need the Dremel to be held at a right angle or forty five degree's exactly then i'll remove the shaft and chuck one of these on. not a real commonly used tool in my collection, but i've got them anyway. so far i've only used them on my M6b...
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