Another quick something

In sorting out my paintbrushes I found a few that could definitely be thrown away. But before I did, my mind went through several minutes of trying to figure out what I could do with them. Some were kept for possible use in weathering, but others were just completely shot. I did, however, have these pretty paintbrush handles that could surely come in handy for something.

Here's one thing I did:

I cut the bristle end off:

On the top shelf of my work bench I drilled a 1/4" hole about half way through the shelf. My paint brush was about 1/4" in diameter, yours may differ. Measure twice, drill once. I didn't want the hole to go all the way through the shelf, but I did want it deep enough to hold the handle sturdy. 

I did this for two paintbrush handles so now...

I have a handy place to store my threads. On the left is black and metallic thread, on the right is black and white nylon thread. Nylon thread, by the way, is awesome for doing rigging where tautness is required. You can glue it between two points and use a hair dryer or wave a soldering iron nearby to shrink it. I used this a lot on my USS Missouri model. 

I'm trying to think of other ways to use the remaining paintbrush handles and I'm looking for a little inspiration. Any thoughts??

I am also thinking of starting an additional project to work on along with my P-51C Mustang, 1: to give a little variety to my blog postings and 2: to give me a little reprieve from when my brain gets to racked by the Mustang. I have plenty of kits sitting round to chose from:

1/48 P-39 Airacobra

1/48 P-61 Blackwidow

1/48 B-29 Superfortress

An old MPC X-wing and Shuttle Tydirium 

1/48 F-15 Eagle

1/32 F-104 Starfighter

1/48 F-84 Thunderjet

I've toyed with the idea of picking up a 1/32 He 163 Volksjager, but haven't yet

I'm also trying to figure out if I want to do another crazy detailed model, a straight-kit build, maybe build a model for beginners to get some instruction and tips (since the Mustang is handling the Advanced stuff) Which one should I dust off and bring out?

Quick Paint Brush Organizer

Since I've been trying to get adjusted to a new city and a new job, I haven't been able to work on my Mustang model. I figured I would take the opportunity to reorganize my model desk and make things a little more easily accessed. I came across one problem with my paint brushes and the plastic bags I've been storing them in for months. Nothing wrong with plastic bags since it keeps the dust off the bristles, but it does make them a little more annoying to get to. This is my current setup. 

While unpacking I came across a pack of 100 or so sheets of 4" x 6" photopaper that someone have me a long time ago. I have no need for printed photos(I already have enough of them floating around not in albums anyway). So the task of what to do with it began. I figured I could make use of this by making it into a grid for a paintbrush organizer 

I started by cutting what would be the horizontal pieces to length. 

For the space I had, I chose a pattern of 3/4" squares. I marked the sheet so I could cut slots. 

Now you can't simply take scissors and cut along the lines. When you go to slide the horizontal and vertical pieces together, they won't sit perpendicular. They will want to slide all chaotically and annoyingly. So you have to cut a slit that is the width of your material thickness. This is paper. That's a thin little slot. I could have tried to freehand it with scissors, but that would be a major pain. So I made a nifty little tool by taping two X-Acto blades together. 

The distance between the cutting surfaces was the perfect width for the slot. 

I used a steel ruler to make sure the blades stayed straight and started the tedious process of cutting the slots, but they came out pretty good. 

Once all the slots were cut, I slid the pieces together to form a grid pattern. 

Since the slots were cut to the proper thickness, everything went together perfectly. I dabbed a little superglue into all the corners to give it some rigidity and set it in place. 

Fits like a glove. 

 

And the brushes have their own little spots and the bristles won't get all squished and messed up. Eventually I will actually organize them on this little rack, but for now this works. 

Hopefully in the next couple of days I'll be able to get back to my Mustang and will be able to post some more blog entries soon. Stay posted