Strange things to buy and places to get them...

Well, anybody who's done some scratchbuilding or modifications has bought some strange stuff for different reasons. You go into the store and look for something, knowing full well it won't be used for anything even remotely close to what it was intended for.

So, what have you bought that's unconventional? This should also help give some people ideas...


My most recent thing was a good mesh. I wanted a little bit of a heavy mesh to detail the back of my Revell Spider, which now opens, but opens to a big hole (I kinda jumped the gun on the project). I originally went to the store looking for mosquito netting that I could cut up, but they didn't have any. Then I thought of an mesh emery cloth used to polish metal, but couldn't find any of that either. However, it led me to a sanding mesh that is used to coursely sand drywall mud. This stuff is very dense, with little holes in the mesh. Comes blackish-brown. Bought 2 sheets of the stuff for $2. Misted black spray paint on it, and got the exact effect I was looking for. Very happy! For silver mesh, I've also noticed that wire strainers used for straining gravy would work well...

Others - engine detail wiring. Still haven't found a good substitute. Have to try some of thread and guitar wire I'm hearing about. My bro plays guitar and breaks strings from time to time......


Just keeping it cheap, peeps!

Any that you use, ever?

small aluminum tubing i use for hinging a car.
umm lots other stuff, just useless stuff i buy in case i need it

Radioshack has some thin diameter solder wire I've been meaning to pick up for engine wiring. I've tried using speaker wire, but it just doens't conform the way I want to - solder is much more pliable.

Pipe cleaners to detail the interiors of lowriders, thin wire to replicate fuel and brake lines. Body tattoos to do custom graphics, fingernail decals to do custom graphics.:)

I used mesh gift wraping ribons for the airdam of my ITR, the stock one is too fake looking.

Brake fluid for a model car body... everyone knows that.

I had alot, I can't remember very well :p

Originally posted by daggerlee
Radioshack has some thin diameter solder wire I've been meaning to pick up for engine wiring. I've tried using speaker wire, but it just doens't conform the way I want to - solder is much more pliable.

Very cool! I'm going to have to check that out...

What's a good scale engine wire size? I guess with the wire being approximately 12 mm, we need ~0.5 mm wire. Does it get that small? Do you think it can be painted easily?