Ever wondered if you could find a good use for those broken antenna tubes, and scrap lexan left over from cutting out your bodies? Well I always knew some day I would come up with some kind of good use for the stuff, so I have been collecting it in a box for years.
Well today after installing my Pro-Line roof rack and slapping my gas can in it I was left with the feeling that it still needed something else to look right, and buying anything else this week was out of the question. I had already gone over my weekly RC allowance, but not being one to be held down by such trivial things as funds lol I decided to make my own hand tools to mount on the rack.
Here's the stuff needed for the job. Along with some paint of course.
I use Testors acrylics for most of my painting of this nature, and then seal it with a matte acrylic clear coat to protect the finish from wear and tear.
The process is really quite simple. First cut your antenna tube to the appropriate length for your model. Next cut the shape you want for the actual shovel head, and find any good way you can to attach one to the other. For the shovel I actually used a linkage connector, inserted the tube into the end that would normally have the tie rod threaded into it, and then glued the shovel head to the flat part of that.
Once you have it all cut out and assembled, all you have to do is paint it, and voila you have a miniature shovel for your scale or trail rig.
This same concept will also work for many other types of hand tools. I am currently in the process of making a sledge hammer using modeling clay for the hammer head. I'll post pics of it once it's finished.
So there you go guys. Why spend $15 or more on a package of hand tools when for virtually free you can make your own with scraps you most likely already have lying around.
Well today after installing my Pro-Line roof rack and slapping my gas can in it I was left with the feeling that it still needed something else to look right, and buying anything else this week was out of the question. I had already gone over my weekly RC allowance, but not being one to be held down by such trivial things as funds lol I decided to make my own hand tools to mount on the rack.
Here's the stuff needed for the job. Along with some paint of course.
I use Testors acrylics for most of my painting of this nature, and then seal it with a matte acrylic clear coat to protect the finish from wear and tear.
The process is really quite simple. First cut your antenna tube to the appropriate length for your model. Next cut the shape you want for the actual shovel head, and find any good way you can to attach one to the other. For the shovel I actually used a linkage connector, inserted the tube into the end that would normally have the tie rod threaded into it, and then glued the shovel head to the flat part of that.
Once you have it all cut out and assembled, all you have to do is paint it, and voila you have a miniature shovel for your scale or trail rig.
This same concept will also work for many other types of hand tools. I am currently in the process of making a sledge hammer using modeling clay for the hammer head. I'll post pics of it once it's finished.
So there you go guys. Why spend $15 or more on a package of hand tools when for virtually free you can make your own with scraps you most likely already have lying around.