Does it count when your friend asks you to make him one of the tools you just made?

I made a few changes to the design. I added a V cutout to enable working with small flat stock and PE and I changed the shape of the rear end of the clamp to match the V cutout.

I know what you mean. However, I have a wife that constantly says "Clean up the Plastic Junk", so de=cluttering is regular around here.

Mike, I have a jeweller's lamp to supplement the glasses (and the old Mk 1 eyeballs) so I haven't progressed as far down the eye support path as you, but a great idea.

Thank’s, guys!
As always, it’s been good for me to peruse the BAT pages for inspiration.💡

BTW: My entire home set-up operates through Apple HomeKit now, especially my office/model building room: Workbench (Smart Outlet and two build/photography Smart Lights); Airbrush Table (Smart Outlet, Smart Light, and spray booth), all of which can be controlled with Siri commands — not to mention, a really sick computer desktop set-up. ... You could say I kinda’ geeked-out with tech in the past year. Now that everything works, I just need to recall how to build models again.🤔

Cheers!🍺
—mike

I like the idea. Congrats on the new clutter-free spot! My problem is I always seen to re-clutter as soon as I gain any ground.

Nice! The floor lamp would just be a tripping hazard for clumsy me...

Was growing tired of all the eyewear clutter on my workbench.🤔 hmmm...


My simple DIY solution:💡‼️
1. Saw an old over-the-door hook in half. 🔪
2. Drill holes. 🕳🕳
3. Run to Lowe's for bolt/washer/washer/lock-nut hardware.🔩
4. Attach to floor lamp and crank it down!🔧

Insta Optivisor hanger. I think that should hold 'em! 🥽🥽 😁

Cheers!😎
—mike

in that case - Mjolnir

Paul, that puts my cocktail sticks, Blu-tack and Styrofoam paint rig to shame....

Yeah, I know. It’s a little overkill, but I had to test out the new digital readout setup for my mill that my wife got me for my birthday.

As I said, It’s fairly heavy, but If it turns out not to be stable enough, I’ll turn it upside down and take 1/4” off the bottom to lower the center of gravity.

Paul,
You should name that base 'Thor's Hammer!' That thing ain't tipping — no way, now how! 🥴🔨

Cheers!🍺
—mike

Hah! Definitely not that! If the hobby shop in Lubbock had the appropriate base for these clips I bought from them, I would have bought it and been done with it. Unfortunately, they didn’t and I didn’t want to have to figure out how to weight what they did have to prevent it tipping over. We’ll see how this one works in use before I declare victory...

Cheers,
Paul H

Well, now you're just showing off, Paul!

Latest tool project. It’s an aluminum base for painting clips. Made from 6061 so it has enough weight to be pretty stable.

*bump* been busy with a new "tool" in the shop (not homemade), an Anycubic Photon 3D printer..... still need to take pics of the other stuff built since BAT IV.

Another Magnetic jig option.....

Use a good quality Magnetic sheet glued to a piece of particle board or Cabinet grade plywood (magnetic side up) and most Iron/steel objects stick to it pretty good.

I think the idea came from an old Finescale Modeler issue (sometime in the 1990's)

Brilliant! I have a collection of small magnets in the basement that I was wondering what to do with.

Thanks Paul.

I find that you can add magnets on one side to change the plate angle so you can also set up various angles for two sloped pieces like the join in the Hummel front armour, etc. The post-it leaves between magnets make any angle or height adjustment a possibility as long as the paper is not too thick to prevent a strong enough grip.

I've even clamped the plate to the bench so I had room for parts to hang down, like you suggest with raising it.

I showed this to my club members a while ago, and they also liked the idea. A 'why didn't I think of that moment' for a few of them.

Peter,
I really like the idea. I think micromark sells something along the similar thought path, but doesn’t use the magnets and angle plates in same fashion. Additionally, I see that you could elevate the base plate on magnets or other brackets and allow tubing or framework of the correct size to drop through and be held on both sides if needed. Using the steel parts also means that the assembly can be used as a ground for resistance soldering as long as the brackets have the labels removed and the magnets aren’t between the brackets and base plate. Tremendous possibilities...

Well done!
Paul H

Hi Guys

Here is my humble idea. I have been using this for a few years. My do it yourself photo etch and soldering aid...

If you are like me, you never have enough hands or a stable enough tool to help out until:

Flat steel plates, angle brackets, mini super strength magnets and large button magnets.



Need to push brass together and it just doesn't want to oblige?

example


Pop in a mini magnet against the metal angle. Sit that on four button magnets. Put button magnets on another angle and push it up to close the gap. Make sure the edge sits out from the angle so you can solder the edge (just take care the mini magnets strength does pull on the solder tip)



Use it to hold separate plates together at whatever angle you need:


Adjust the height by adding more magnets or slipping Post-it notes between magnets.



The positions you can use are limited only to the size of the etch piece - you have to have something to hold down! Use other shaped plates, etc.

I hope this kind of fits the bill for a home made tool.. its is something to make modelling easier ..

Sorry guys, Fighting simultaneous respiratory and sinus infections, I haven't been online much the last few days.

Anyway... Any tool, jig, fixture, whoseit or thingamabob that makes the hobby easier is good to me.

Personally, I would classify all of those items as tools. Fixtures built for specific purposes and customized for your individual needs qualify in the same fashion as a paint booth or a work bench or a jig for rigging biplanes.

Regardless, they are great ideas! They spark thoughts of how I would tackle similar issues in my work space.

None of these are tools per se, and none as cool as Paul's drilling fixture, but here are a few things I whipped together to kick my paint station up a notch:

1. Lazy susan in the spray booth
2. Airbrush hose hanger under the table
3. Airbrush holder clamped to the table
4. Compressor pad to keep the compressors from walking around
5. Paint shaker (down on the floor waiting to be mounted.

Robby,
We can see that your light box works well! Congrats! The most effective ideas are usually the simple ones. I wish I the had room to have a full size light box that didn’t need to be assembled every time I want to use it. Unfortunately, I end up having a tiny one that has to stay broken down most of the time.