Mini-Project Time! The Cheap Paint Station

Welcome. This is going to be one of those modelling related, but not an actual model update post. 

Problem: Painting and holding little tidbits.

Previous Solution: Toothpicks and skewers with alligator clips in some sort of foam or the plasticky foam stuff.

Issues with this solution: The foam is flexible, things flop around, the skewers are too long, it's difficult to stick things back in the foam while painting especially if you're using the blunt end.

New Solution: Use cut corrugated paper strips similar to the Mr. Hobby Paint Station. Why pay $13 when I always have cardboard and glue?

I started with the nicer flaps of a cardboard box.

I figured the dimensions I was looking for. One inch deep and six inches long.

Cut cut cut.

Stacked, the dry fit I suppose you could say. I actually used four inches wide.

Time to use some Tacky Glue and assemble.

Nice even coat.

Stuck together. Forever.

Added a bottom.

I now use one sided tooth picks, the kind that are pointy on one end and blunt on the other. I attached the alligator clips to the blunt end. This is a future project I have not yet posted, what could it be?

I made two of these over a couple of evenings. They work really well and are a great fit for toothpicks. If you want to use anything thicker than a toothpick then it may be tight. Corrugation sizes may vary.

For future versions I will create a jig to make sure that all the pieces are exactly the same in length and depth. Adding the bottom piece was a bit challenging because the depth wasn't flush on all the pieces.

One last item of note is that the Mr. Hobby Paint Station appears to use a wider corrugation. Thanks for stopping by!