Essential kit

[The Corinthian]

My wife would save the family photos, and I'd a hazard a guess that most of you guys would grab your tried and tested conversion toolkits. But what goes into one of these? I've seen a few ingenious examples on other sites of unorthodox items being put to novel uses for conversion projects, but never seen a substantial compendium of these. Off the top of my head, I imagine a stiff old toothbrush would be good for emdedding mud texture onto greenstuff on tank tracks and chassis. What other improvisations have worked for you guys? I'm all aquiver to see what secrets you have to share.

[Dave the Twisted]

Toothpicks. Toothpicks have always been a real staple of my more unorthodox conversions. I've built banner poles, servo-arms, weapon hafts, and at one point used them as replacements for the green tubing on Necron weapons. Heck, on more than one occasion I've used them to pin metal and plastic parts. They also make great paint stirs and fine-point glue applicators ((for when it's not in a small tube)) and GS sculpting tools. And if you have fat fingers and have trouble putting a bit onto a model, glue it to a toothpick with the smallest drop of glue you can manage and place it on with that. Toothpicks are seriously some of the most versatile things you can have in a modelling kit.

 

Some photos of my models with toothpicks highlighted. Not shown is the Drop Pod which got so brutally trashed at UB Con that I had to replace all the door hinges with toothpicks, as well as pin the wings to both the floor and the engine block with them. Toothpicks literally saved my drop pod's life.

 

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz37/braintick42/SDC11088.jpg

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz37/braintick42/SDC11087.jpg

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz37/braintick42/SDC11085.jpg

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz37/braintick42/SDC11084.jpg

http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz37/braintick42/SDC11083.jpg

[TheBobulator]

BITZ BOX: anytime you finish a project, dump all your extra bitz (and bit fragments) into a well-organized bitz box.

Mine is organized by bit type: heads/helmets, arms, weapons, weapons w/ hands/arms, chest fronts and backs, legs+random pieces (SM players almost never have extra legs), Shoulder pads, and random wargear/tank accessories bitz.

ALSO-Hoard those extra bases that usually come in every kit-as soon as you have enough parts to actually make something, you'll have some. Also they're pretty useful as backup capture points.

[Lestat]

Dentists tools - the double ended ones with a hook at either end that the dentist uses to scrape your teeth with. Absolutely great for sculpting small detail.

Old tooth brushes/nail brushes - great for making long grass on bases.

Paper clips - ideal for pinning.

Paint/clay shapers - a little expensive but allow you to get a smooth finish on GS.

[Brother Anvilus]

I use the stronger ones of these :

 

http://www.mkclocks.com/as heck-oiler-set-p-660...tkr5anclaeapnr0

 

I got them at work and have to say they are the BOMB for detail sculpting ( fur, ribbed armour, etc ) in greenstuff :P

[Ash Tekka]

My kit:

Large Bitz box.

Toothpicks.

Paperclips.

3 types of glue.

Old Toothbrush.

Glass Jars.

Card board box of stuff(my wife hates this box):

-powdered quickcrete

-drywall spackle

-baggie of pebbles

-baggie of shale

-jar of sand

-baggie of scavenged stuff(springs, screws, pen parts, etc)

-misc wire of all types and sizes

-styrofoam

-egg containers

-1/4 inch copper tubing

-1/4 inch plastic tubing

-various pieces of pvc tubing

-anything else small enough to possibly be of some use in the future...