Global Scale Modeller

I must have a dozen pairs of tweezers in my model tool kit, and they all have one thing in common.

They all allow me to pick up the tiny-est bits of plastic and get them to within a few millimetres of the blob of glue.....

BEFORE THEY GO PING AND THE BIT OF MODEL GOES FLYING OFF INTO THE CARPET MONSTERS MOUTH.

It doesn't seem to matter if I use the ones that squeeze them selves shut, or the traditional sort, they all do it. You know you've hit rock bottom when you need to ask advice on using something as simple as a pair of tweezers! But please, how do I stop this???

If it's any consolation I have the same problem. I have parts now from three different kits laying on the floor somewhere. It's not so bad if you drop the bits, you usually have some idea of where to look (although it's surprising how even a straight drop onto the floor can disappear); it's the 'click' of a part that flies off under pressure that usually spells doom.

I bought some new tweezers the other day and they seem to be doing well. They are the Italeri precision ones, although they are probably just a rebranded pair of ordinary tweezers from Boots.

The only solution really is to do your modelling through small slits cut into a cardboard box, then when things do go flying off at least you know they will be in the box somewhere. Probably.

Instead of moving the tweezers towards the model, how about reversing the action and moving the model towards the tweezers?

Now that is genius, move the model towards the tweezers
Tom

I know what you mean!
Three bits of advice:
1. Get some reverse action tweezers - I now have six or eight I think - they are brilliant for locking the part in for not only gluing but also for filing/sanding/cleaning up and of course, painting. I buy mine from gntools.co.uk (Neilsen CT 0580) free shipping for you Poms...
2. Get some very high quality tweezers from Tamiya or U-Star, Paul has done a review on them. Expensive, but extremely good quality.
3. Pick up pencils? I havent got these but will try them soon

This is also one of my bugbears, along with not having a steady enough hand to hold the tiniest item in place whilst the glue cures, even CA. Then there is the problem that the item decides to stick to the tweezers instead of the model. Grrr.
With regards to the carpet monster. I have tried, with moderate success, the simple idea of trapping a bit of A4 paper under the edge of the cutting mat and resting the other edge against my chest, so if a piece does fall it might at least slide down the paper and back onto the bench. Not ideal, but, as mentioned above those vertical drops are the most infuriating - valuable cave time lost fumbling around in the folds of your shirt, trousers, socks, shoes...

One reason that you're losing the parts is because you're squeezing the tweezers too hard. You only need enough pressure to hold the part, not grip the part. The part of the tweezers that we use to hold parts is very thin and flexes easily. When you put too much pressure on them they bend and the part goes ping.
It takes a crap load of practice but developing a more gentle touch will save you a lot of PITA.
I've been working on it for years, I know it works, I'm no master though haha. I do lose less part though.
Really good tweezers helps a bit as well.
Like the other fellas mentioned Tamiya, UMM-USA, U-Star, Mirco Mark all make decent sets of tweezers that will last for decades.

Thanks Coen, I thought it must be something to do with changing the pressure, although I get the same problem with the tweezers that hold themselves shut.

Sticky pencils now on my xmas list!

Whats really annoying is that I win a prize every year at the my kids school fete. They have a stall where you have to pick up as many marbles as possible using chop sticks!

I still like Mikes little idea of the cloth pinned to the underside of the table and then draped over his legs (saves embarrassment if flies not done up from trip to bog ).
I must admit that due to not having carpets in MC, we have left carpets up in MC as (eventually) we need to run some pipe-work and cabling in that room (God knows when this house will be finished).
The floorboards though are from 1881 and the gaps are expansive to say the least.
The problem I have, is that as my steady hand is poised with tweezers and I move in for the kill so to speak, my hand / finger movement becomes more twitchier.
Then I lose the piece .
The other day I lost the top of a Vallejo paint pot and could not for the life of me find it. For Gods sake it fell between my legs and I heard the noise as it hit the floorboards.......it got up and walked, it had to, as it was no where .
I know when our Electrician did a first fit under the floor-boards in that room, we dragged out all sorts of accumulated hundred years and more crud.

John

I'm the same as John, I pick the piece up with the gentlest of pressure and then as the part gets nearer to it's destination, the anticipation just gets too much and in the excitement I squeeze just too hard and - PING! Gone! I also have wooden floors and dang can those small parts bounce!!

Mike's right about the practice bit though as the more you do it, the more you're able to over-ride that part of your brain that's telling you that to grip it harder is better. Being a ham-fisted old lunk, I only had two grip strengths when I first started out - too loose even to hold a playing card and tight enough to crush a house brick! Now though I can crush the playing card as well!!

Happy tweezing!

How about trying a bit of white tack or foam tape on the tweezers? even if the pressure is a bit too much it shouldn't fly away.

Foam on the tweezers sounds like a brilliant idea! I've got a pair with wide flat ends which are useless but with foam attached

Donkeywalloper wrote: The other day I lost the top of a Vallejo paint pot and could not for the life of me find it.

I lost the top to my superglue and eventually gave in looking for it, my daughter found later………. stuck to MY BACK!

Put a rough sanding stick in between the jaws of your tweezers and Rough up the inside of the points...
to give them a Texture to grab your parts with ??? just a few slips and Voila!

I do that to all my tweezers... and it works for me !



Good luck !

Same here, the first time I did that I was just cleaning them. Then I realised that it also added a texture that increased the grip slightly.

At least once a session I fling something into outer space and onto the floor
Thank god I have tan engineered floor now, easier to find stuff

There has to be a business opportunity here. Maybe some kid of enclosed tweezer box, or tweezers with a small box around the tip to minimise dispersion. One side could have a flap on it that you put the plastic bit in, then you close the flap and offer up the part to the model.

Mrs DW was sat next to me in MC yesterday, and started laughing at comments on this subject.
She listens to Radio 1, and Scott Mills the DJ has something on his show called "Innuendo Bingo" (apologies to you all if Radio 1 is swear word).
Can't say I have ever heard it.
I think he has guests in who have to hold water in mouths, and then audio clips of TV,Radio are read out on any subject but the piece is filled with innuendo.
1st to laugh, loses.
Water all over floor and guest (think they sit facing each other?).
You get it...its childish but we all do the innuendo from time to time.
Kinda of Frankie Howard, "Oooh missus" stuff.
She sat reading the thread (should not be allowed ) and just said it sounded like a lot of men talking about holding their penises (blimey will that get censored , should have said willy).
"Hold it softly".
"Don't squeeze it to much".
"how hard can it be.....".
"stuff shooting off on floor"
etc......
She is killing herself laughing, but as you read through, and I admit we had had a couple of glasses of a very good Shiraz, it all started to get ridiculous.
Women eh..cant live without them.......shouldn't be allowed in MC
So...back to tweezers action then, I prefer to use my soft touch and try not to get the shakes
John

Donkeywalloper wrote:Mrs DW said it sounded like a lot of men talking about holding their penises

schweinhund227 wrote:Use a rough sanding stick and Rough up the inside of the point

Not sure exactly what it's meant for, but Asda sells foam in sheets about 2mm thick. It's in with the kids craft stuff, and it's about the density of a mouse mat. So last night I glued small strips of it to the ends of 3 pairs of tweezers. Early results look great!

CJSomerset wrote:

Donkeywalloper wrote:Mrs DW said it sounded like a lot of men talking about holding their penises

schweinhund227 wrote:Use a rough sanding stick and Rough up the inside of the point

Hehehe, I know childish but made me laugh.
Thank you for making me giggle after a very wet ride home on bike.

John

Hehehe, I know childish but made me laugh.
Thank you for making me giggle after a very wet ride home on bike.

John[/quote]

Touche

Twokidsnosleep wrote:Hehehe, I know childish but made me laugh.
Thank you for making me giggle after a very wet ride home on bike.

John

Touche[/quote
No Scott, this is all silly now.
Should we not be acting like grown ups.
Imparting our wisdom and helpful tips on to those that are asking?
Now what was the topic?
Ah yes, tweezers and how to use them without bits pinging off.
I find if I get myself tight to surface, and hold it gently and delicately it won't come off in my hand".........
Oh damn it!
John

No Scott, this is all silly now.
Should we not be acting like grown ups.


Errr, Why? if you want to hold something delicately and tight to a surface; there are (I've heard) special clubs that cater for that sort of thing.

Daishi12 wrote:No Scott, this is all silly now.
Should we not be acting like grown ups.


Errr, Why? if you want to hold something delicately and tight to a surface; there are (I've heard) special clubs that cater for that sort of thing.

Oh okay.....have you a number or contact address for this "Club", you know for research purposes.

John

Donkeywalloper wrote:

Daishi12 wrote:No Scott, this is all silly now.
Should we not be acting like grown ups.


Errr, Why? if you want to hold something delicately and tight to a surface; there are (I've heard) special clubs that cater for that sort of thing.

Oh okay.....have you a number or contact address for this "Club", you know for research purposes.

John

'Fraid not mate, the membership fee was too much for me to join......you know, to "research" diorama settings

Along time ago in a galaxy far away I posted this thread and judging by the comments,I'm not the only one who can't use tweezers.

UNTIL NOW!!!

Because today I found the solution!

I'm not sure how or why this works (for me at least) but it's been like finding I had a third hand! I can now pick up the smallest part and place it exactly where I want, hold it till the glue drys and then let go without anything pinging into oblivion.

The answer has been staring me in the face all along, literally this tool was sat on my desk for years! But I have never used it before because it looked like it would be totally hopeless.

It's a pair of tweezers! But these are HUGE! At just over 8 inches long they look I'm holding chop sticks but they are small enough at the point that they will pick up tiny pieces and put them into tiny spaces. But I have complete control over them to the point that this is going to be a game changer for me.

So if you can't get on with tweezers, try bigger ones - the biggest you can !

Get a glue gun and put a small blob on each end and let it dry.