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| The "Cave" |
All hobbies of the world, they all have three factors in common, tools, space and storages. Tools used for your hobby, Space to use or display your hobby and Storage to store your hobby. Whether it is collecting hobby horses, fixing up RC cars or building model kits. We all have a need to cosider these three commonality factors, in order to enjoy our craft. Today, I would like to share my journey of how I kept and organise tools, space and storage for my hobby.
Living in public housing in space limited Singapore has and is still challenging at times. As a student starting out on building scale models, My craft tools were then a bottle of Tamiya glue, fingernail file and fingernail cutter. (Technically, I only owned the glue). Worked like a charm for a start, enabling to remove the parts and put them together completely. Model kits like Airfix’s 1/72 Sea King, Academy F-4F Phantom II Fighter 1/144 and Tamiya 1/35 Panzer II were notable pieces built and placed in a small corner of my parent’s shelf.Moving to a bigger apartment in 1985, opened new opportunities for the craft. Amid the storage space and my bedroom, I had a table and SPACE to expand. Visiting hobby shops and hobby stores had a purpose with the pocket monies saved. This is when i ventured into painting my built models, firstly with hand brushes and then years later, airbrushes. Tools stayed the same and kit storage went under the bed and displays, above my bookshelves. Typical and quickest way to organise any room.
For others, space will be adequate if one have a huge house or choose to remain single, others are empty nesters with children moving out. All these situations allow the hobby enthusiast opportunities to rethink, revamp their hobby tools, space and storages for them to throughly enjoy their space and their hobby. Ultimately, the message here is to mak the best for any situation to create space for your hobby.
My current hobby cave is located in the garage with all i require to build and paint and store my scale models kits. There seems to be an ever increasing amount of tools for scale modelling. Personally, i think a good set of tools and equipement is and will be suffice to create good built. Some basic but essential tools, that's long term companion for my built.
- Thin Cement
- Normal Cement
- Cutting mat
- Circular cutter
- Utility cutter
- Steel rule
- Pin Vise and drill bit
- Badger Air Brush
- Air compressor and tank
- Spray Booth
- Sets of colours Arcylics
- Lighting
Maintaining, space and storages for my hobby.
Given my situation unlikely to change. I did take steps to cut down on the amount of stash, mainly, donating them to charity organisation to resell them. Other ways to managed the stash included selling existing stashed kits before purchasing a new one? This is a great way to fund a new kit, by selling the one bought out of bad decision.
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| Stash and displays |
Mixing your own colours is also one way to save on space. Using a colour wheel, some many colours can be created from primary colours or base colours. Is there a need to buy the exact colour why not make it your own colour tone and shades for modulation.
Is there a cheaper alternative? There are always alternatives to tools, space and storage. Cutters for example, are also available at stationary stores at a fraction of the price, Display spaces can be re-organise to go vertically up and completed model kit storage be in stackable boxes. They can be then rotated in the display shelves, giving it purposes.
Keeping to a budget can also be a great way to control space and storage. Challenge yourself to dollar figure per month spent on scale models and soon hopefully, it becomes 2nd nature without (FOMO) the fear of missing out.....
Finally, start building your stash- Why wait? Did you buy them to build or to possess it? Build your stash!
Therefore, making the best of a situation through ways of keeping your tools (and paints) to a neccessity, clever display spaces and rotating built models and storage vertically and occasionally de-cluttering them through selling unmade ones can keep the hobby alive without the dilemmas of life.
Essential tools for the 'Trade'
