Just a quick one here. Whenever I am hobbying with someone new I always get the same question with the same incredulous tone and look. Have a look at my photo and have a guess what it is...
Why do you have a toothbrush? Every time without fail bar none. I'll be asked the question back to back by two different people. I think I've had it four or five times in one hour at it's worse. Accordingly my answer has become fairly express and economic. It's something along the lines of...
You know how when you clean a model how there's always little bits of plastic stuck on the model? Well I use the toothbrush to get rid of them. Plus I don't risk spitting all over my model (by blowing them away).
I find the toothbrush to be really good at removing those bits of plastic that blowing them off wouldn't get that are still slightly attached to the model. Also you're not blowing around all the bits of plastic already on the desk and avoid the chance of it being blown back into your eyes (I've seen this happen and experienced it). And like I said no saliva.
The pleasant part of this exchange is that the majority of people then say after something along the lines of...
Wow! That's a really good idea.
Followed by some of them then saying...
I'm going to get one too now.
As such, a number of my friends carry or use a toothbrush since I started doing this and it's proven usefully for random jobs such as cleaning up resin pieces and even for terrain building. I've always found it a handy thing to have with me when I'm hobbying. Just don't get one with the rubber bits in it. All bristles is the way to go and is cheaper and easier to clean.
Do you carry a toothbrush with your hobby gear? Or some other tool or item that's somewhat different to the norm? Let me know via comments.
I do this all the time.
ReplyDeleteI got it from my job as a dental technician, I spend my days sculpting full gold crowns in wax & the gold technicians (all the guys who work with metal & wax) have one.
It works so well the only thing that bets it is an air line
I use a shaving brush or one of the old large drybrushes. Good bit of kit ot have.
ReplyDeleteSame idea here! I actually need to get myself a new one, since the old I'd been using has been commandeered by my dear wife in order to make a set of do it yourself brushes in Adobe Photoshop. Thanks for reminding me.
ReplyDeleteOld damaged tankbrush by Games Workshop- awesome for prepping models (less awesome for painting tanks :) )
ReplyDeleteYou carry a toothbrush because you're a smart man! I keep a stack of tooth picks in my tool kit for mixing paints, stabbing green stuff, smooshing glue where glue needs to be smooshed and whatever else is required.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous: An air line? Is that what dentists use to blow air to dry a tooth? I'm pretty jealous of your access to good tools then. Do you use dental tools for sculpting green stuff?
ReplyDelete@ Gotthammer: When you said shaving brush I had visions of my grandfathers old school horsehair brush.
@ Marcin: lol, no problems!
@ Tenzing: Yeah I guess that would draw less comments. Just gotta trash a brush or two I suppose. But I do like having the stiffer bristles of the toothbrush. Do you use it for anything else hobby-wise?
@ Tim P: I'm glad you think so Tim! I've noticed that now you mention it. I also carry napkins to clean up glue when I'm hobbying. So when are we going to see you again? It would also be good to see your blog up and running again since we rarely get to see you these days.
Thanks for the "follow" Marcin and Tenzing!! I hope my blog proves to be worth following.
Yep, those are the ones - also good for dusting painted minis if you get a nice soft one.
ReplyDeleteAnd when they get ratty you can pull the bristles out to make reeds for terrain.
Cool. I like the idea of dusting minis with it and I can see it being really good for reeds.
ReplyDelete