louiex2

I cut a small block of foam rubber to cover my SW blades. Tip based on personal experience: Make sure the foam is sufficiently long enough that the tip of the blade doesn't poke through. Lou in California.

Those are Flex-I-File Sticky Micro Stix. They are still manufactured and come in three levels of tackiness. You should be able to find them on-line. Microbrush also makes a version in their dental supply line. I bought a set of the Flex-I-File Micro Stix years ago and found they never would let go when twisted as the instructions said. Now I just use Blu-Tac on the end of an old microbush. Lou in California

When are you going to post the photos of the model? Outstanding work!!!

For gluing styrene my go to is Tamiya Extra Thin. The bottle includes a brush in the cap so you don't have to worry about clogging. Lou in California.

It depends on what I'm painting. For the most part, I only sand areas with orange peal but if the primer went down smooth I just move on to the next coat. The exception is for anything requiring a smooth surface such as bare metal or a shiny car body. In that case I sand between every coat until I get to the final gloss. With the colour coats, I sand with progressively finer sandpaper, sometimes up to 12000 grit. Lou in California

Not sure about square bottles, but Mr.Hobby sells a round empty 18ml Mr. Spare Bottle. https://www.mr-hobby.com/en/product3/category_5/175.html You should be able to find them on-line. Lou in California

Model railroaders use white vinegar to etch brass. After rinsing the vinegar off a second rise with IPA will make sure the brass is completely clean and ready for primer. Lou in California

@Aku The Proops Brother's Mitre Sander looks great and will do the job for you just fine. Let us know how it works for you. @psdavidson I forgot about the DSPIAE unit. I have seen several reviews that give it high praise and the Meng unit is the same tool, just rebranded. Also, it looks like the price as come down- it used to be around $100 USD (≈£70) Lou in California

I don't know if these are available in the UK but If you need something for small pieces of balsa wood (up to 4" x 1") there are at least tow available here across the pond. - NorthWest Short Line makes a tool called The True Sander (https://nwsl.com/collections/true-sander/products/the-true-sander) or - Micro-Mark offer a very similar Sand-It (https://www.micromark.com/Sand-It?gclid=Cj0KCQiAuP-OBhDqARIsAD4XHpen2pL4E6lA1TPDtHhETaAQL9g712mZYDuOIc_adPhX8KFLCGDNOMEaAvH_EALw_wcB) Both include angle guide for sanding at 30, 45, 60 and 90 along with a protractor guide for any angle. Either will do the job for you. Lou in California

@PhantomBigStu I've been a fan and have used Mission Model Paints for over four years. I brush with them all the time with no issues. Brushes clean just fine with water but I usually use MM Airbrush Thinner to give the brushes a final cleaning at the end of a paint session. They also airbrush just fine but be sure to follow their instructions and use the their poly additive. I will add that they do take a bit of getting used to so toss out your book on how you use other acrylic paints. Most of the complaints I see in forums about MM paints is by modelers who didn't follow the directions. Mere's a link to their FAQ's https://www.missionmodelsus.com/pages/tips-and-tricks-faq Bottom line for me is, depending on the project, Mission Model Paints and Vallejo are my go-to paints. I do occasionally use Tamiya and Model Master but mostly to use up my stock of special colors. Lou in California

Sorry I’m late to the party. To answer your original question, Tamiya 74123 side cutters are thinner, have a longer taper and have a bit more curve than the 74035. I have a a Xuron sprue cutter that I like for general use but as so many of the new kits have a lot more small parts on the spruce I will probably get a 74123 for the more delicate work. Lou in California

@dogsbody Chris- You are correct. Thank you for pointing out the confusion; I should have clarified the link was to the main Ottlite UK website, however Ottlite does make a magnifier version. - I've update the post. Your magnifying swing arm looks like the same one I use (and have had for about 30 years.) Last time the incandescent bulb died, I replaced it with an LED bulb- what a difference. Lou in California

If you want the best- one word: Ottlite. https://products.ottlite.com/c-192-craft-and-sewing-magnifiers.aspx Update- I've corrected the link to the actual magnifier pages of the Ottlite UK page instead of the main page. Scroll down the page to find the gooseneck clip-on one. Lou in California

You might try jewelers abrasive cord. It comes in several diameters and grits. On our side of the pond Micro Mark carries it but you may be able to find it at a store that specializes in handmade jewelry. Lou in California

“And now for something completely different...” Outstanding work- the model belongs in a museum. I really enjoyed the history and backstory. Thank you for sharing Lou in California