Sanding Blocks

[The Wooksta!]

Just nabbed a pack of four for a quid at Everything's a £ in the Grainger Street store in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Hmmn, needed some new blocks so sees them and decides to give it a spin.  Intended for women's nails, each block is foam, with each side a differing grade.  Step by step: Step 1 File, Step 2 Remove Ridges, Step 3 Buff, Step 4 Polish and shine.

Wow!  A quid for FOUR!  These would cost a small fortune for just the one at a show.  And yes, these are worth it.

Tried out on a Hasegawa Beaufighter fuselage and came up nice and shiny.  Hmm.  Need more of a test, so how about a glue scarred canopy?  Okay, couldn't get into the recesses but the main hood came up with a glass like finish and almost optically clear, so a dip in Kleer could sort it out. 

Next, a PM Fury sprayed Halfords Aluminium.  Now, PM kits have that odd pebbly surface.  Not now.  Glass.

Final test.  Aeroclub Sea Fury u/c door.  No messing, with this block, it comes out with a stainless steel finish.

I'm going back tomorrow to get a few quids worth.  Given that they're that cheap, might be worth cutting them up to make some smaller ones.

Definitely recommended.

[PR19_Kit]

Similar ones that I use sometimes are even cheaper, I 'borrow' them from Mrs_PR19. 

And I agree that they're very good, the varying grit grades are very good for smoothing and polishing, as Lee says. 

[kitnut617]

I've been using SWMBO's nail polishers for years --- thought it was common knowledge around here --- 

[The Wooksta!]

These aren't the files, more yer actual blocks.

[kitnut617]

Yep! use them all the time, way cheaper to buy them at Shoppers Drug Mart than at the Hobby Store

[Go4fun]

Probably old hat but someone clued me onto a wind-up microwave carousel for painting and displaying models.

[kerick]

I've been using SWMBO's nail polishers for years --- thought it was common knowledge around here --- 

I'll be getting strange looks at the make up aisle again........

[kitnut617]

I've been using SWMBO's nail polishers for years --- thought it was common knowledge around here --- 

I'll be getting strange looks at the make up aisle again........

I just ask SWMBO to pick me up a couple of them when I need to replace ---   

[NARSES2]

I have to top up the cleaning shelf in £1 Store tomorrow so I shall take a look. Cheers Lee 

[Rick Lowe]

I've used the same for something similar; polishing up a piece of clear plastic I'd heated and bent, then filed to shape - the system works really well, needing only a bit of elbow grease and keeping at it until the job's done (not thinking 'close enough' as I often do...).

BTW, some of the Nail Polish colours are apparently great for custom cars - don't know how well they thin, or what with, but the idea has some merit.

Cheers

[Rick Lowe]

OWWIE!! 

What about some of the cheap import stores?

[Dizzyfugu]

BTW, some of the Nail Polish colours are apparently great for custom cars - don't know how well they thin, or what with, but the idea has some merit.

Acetone, or nitrous thinners. Nail polish removers are typically based on this stuff, too, but heavily scented in order to cover the fumes... Thinning nail polish is a tricky thing (tried it, for a mother-of-pearl effect on a figure on top of a light basic tone), because the stuff is rather gooey - and then it's hard to apply with a brush. I guess it is most easily and evenly applied through an airbrush, but viscosity management could turn out to be tricky, because the thinner tends to evaporate quickly.

[zenrat]

Thin nail polish for airbrushing with general purpose thinners.
This is painted with nail polish over white undercoat.

Try keeping an eye out in servos for cheap polish Brad.  I've got all mine from that source for about $2 a time.