The Little World

And ’tis even a greater gift when the simplicity comes free…and at the proper time.

I have no idea where the instrument seen in the heading image came from. It has been setting in the odd-tool drawer of my modelling cabinet for years. I suspect it came from an art supply store or was remaindered out of my daughter’s school supplies. It might even be some sort of manicurist’s torture device.

Whatever, it has done nothing until now. But now it does a very great deal.

I build in 1:72 and this small a scale has a number of areas where puttying and smoothing are needed. Of course the putties are better than ever these days, but the basic problem exists after they set – you still have to shape and blend them. The joint between the wing and the fuselage is a frequent point of trouble – particularly with Czech or Russian kits – and I find that trying to push in there with a sanding stick or file is impossible.

For a while I resorted to an old broken dental tool – a spoon excavator. It scraped the area well, but was a little small. I contemplated going out to the dental supply warehouse and trying to get the staff to serve me…

Then the art tool turned up in the cabinet. The steel is hard and the cut edges are precise. And as you turn it in your fingers you can get an infinite number of diameters and profiles to scrape with. Since it is just plastic and putty that is being shaped, this steel end works very well.

Score one for the simple life.