Allan-found this handy item in Adelaide in a dollar shop

[Allan]

shouldn't be hard to make in the garage, but the wood will have to be heavyish so as to not blow over when the part gripped by the alligator jaws is being spray painted..on this occasion I've sprayed my Raiden canopy interior green before attachment to the fuselage
Allan

[PR19_Kit]

I've got a couple of those too, exactly the same but with my old employer's logo on the cube. My secretary found them in a corporate Christmas gift catalogue and we bought a couple of hundred. Not sure how many actually got to customers though. 

I find it very handy for doing things just like you have, holding small items for painting or spraying when you find you need three hands

[CANSO]

I'm using these too, but 1$ apiece comes a tad pricey to me. On the other hand the steel clamps are "alligators" and have teeth which can damage a nice detail or a fine surface.
What I found some time ago are another 1$ store-products:mini clamps+party sticks.


Glued them together

and received nice holders for bigger or smaller details. More of them can hold even a whole model.

The pressure of the wooden clamps is firm enough not to let the detail fall down and soft enough not to damage it.
As a base I'm using different pieces of foam (in this case packaging material from electronics), the size depending on the detail.

It's not heavy but the footprint is large so even with bigger details attached, the whole "structure" remains stable and doesn't move.

[Weaver]

Just got some wooden skewers and clothes pegs to try this one out - cheers CANSO! 

[CANSO]

Just got some wooden skewers and clothes pegs to try this one out - cheers CANSO! 

Just be carefull with the clothes pegs - their springs can be pretty strong for plastic details. Mine are 1/10 of the size of the real ones and were from the scrapbook-department of a Dollar store.

[Allan]

real fine idea there Canso---good thinking
Allan

[Weaver]

Can I just commend Canso's idea to everyone?

I've made and used a bunch of these out of meat skewers and both full size and miniature clothes pegs now. I just carved a rough flat on the end of the skewer so that the peg sat more positively against it and then glued them on with a hot glue gun so the bond is really strong. Other than burning myself with the hot glue gun (which I honestly can't recommend as a fun experience) it was really quick and easy and works a treat.

Nice one Canso! 



The skewer through the base of the block is stopping it from over-balancing when there's a lot of weight on the end pegs. I cut the skewers down to various lengths so that you can put them really close together in the block without the parts touching, and I use the offcuts as paint stirrers!

[kerick]

I made a bunch of these not long ago. Very useful. If you leave the stick long enough you can hold it in your fingers as you spray and not get paint on your hand.

[dumaniac]

good idea - seen it before and never got around to making those

[NARSES2]

Must admit I use small crocodile clips (I picked up loads very cheaply a year or so back) attached to various lengths of wooden skewers.

My other fav for holding flatter pieces whilst painting or assembling are the small 2 sided sticky pads available in the £1 store. They are very sticky and last for ages even when painted over. I attach them to old business cards (I was made to get 3,000 new ones 2 weeks before I retired  ) The sticky pads comes together with a roll of double sided tape. It's thicker then normal tape and white in colour. About the same thickness as the accompanying pads. I cut small pieces and attach them to coffee stirrers from Costa (other coffee shops are available but the girls in Costa are nicer  ). I then attach emery paper to this and trim to the width of the stick. Makes great and cheap sanding sticks for getting at those awkward spots.

Chris