richb1492

My Feedback: (4)

We all like to save money so lets post items we have found that we can save on.

Why pay more just beacuse it says hobby on it.

1) Field box- I use a box I found at Walmart its a 2 part tool box the bottom is big enough to hold a small lawn tractor battery. 25.00

2) Battery for my fiend box 12 volt lawn tractor battery from Advance Auto . Easy to charge small and tons of power. 19.00

3) Hobby knives 3.00 at the hobby shop. 1.00 for a pack of 4 at Dollar Tree

bigedmustafa

My Feedback: (2)

Dollar Tree is great! I've bought sand paper, micro screwdriver sets, and pliers there. They even carry little bottles of CA glue that are 2 for 1$ and they seal up well enough that I keep a pair of them in my field box. I've saved the day for many a club member with my little bottles of thin CA from Dollar Tree.

Flying freak

#11 exacto blades can be bought cheap at home imporment stores look for the 100 packs [)]

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Wal Mart carries aluminum knitting needles that can be used for all sorts of things...tail booms on small helis, push rods, tubing, you name it. Variety of dizmeters, rarely more than a couple bucks.

jeffie8696

I am all for saving money. I use a car battery jump starter booster box in my field box. It is cheap, rechargeable and powerful enough to start a V8. I think I got mine for $20 at Menards.

Roc5tar

I buy my epoxy brushes at Harbor Freight. They go on sale monthly. 36qty for $2.99.

jester_s1

Wooden dowel rods, thin CA glue, assorted screws and fasteners, all kinds of tools, paint and brushes, tool box/field box, soldering iron, the list goes on.

jeffie8696

Forgot, My favorite after run oil. Wal Mart spray break free lube, in the blue can in the automotive section, just says 'Lubricant" . Oh I can just hear the flaming start now about how it aint compatible. I use it , I have no problem with it. No it ain't WD 40.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

Home Depot sells a putty called Paint and Patch for filling the balsa dings. A good sized tub is about $4.00. Nothing better. Good Luck, Dave

Jetdesign

My Feedback: (8)

I went to Dollar General and got this corkscrew looking thing to tie your dog up to it's about 16" long with a handle at the top and a ring to hook the leash up to and screws into the ground: $2.00. I got a 4' dog leash for $3.00 and use the two in tandem to tie my plane down while tuning/starting.

overbored77

My Feedback: (11)

Michaels and AC moore craft stores sell all kinds of glues, balsa, foam and also razor saws and all kinds of exacto blades.

Dollar stores are great for cheap tools and cleaners. epoxy brushes, and wire ties. I also buy popsicle sticks for epoxy mixing.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Almost all of the above!! I have that nice big rolling flight box, put in A 12v battery, power pannel, fuel pump and A gallon can for the fuel. I use A car jumper for my starter. I always have a small tube of CA from the dollar store, use once and toss, three for A buck. I buy acid brushes by the gross at Harbor plus clamps and too much to mention. This week I'm heading there for A new HVLP spray gun. For 20 bucks if you clog it up it's cheaper to get A new one then fooling around with the old one.
At the dollar store I also look at the plastic or rubber bowls. Some of them are great for A mold for glassing up A new cowl. Makes no difference where I go, I'm always looking for model items.

Missileman

Never buy screws, bolts, blind nuts ect.. at a hobby shop, any local hardware store will be a fraction of the price.

gboulton

My Feedback: (15)

Must agree with the multiple Harbor Freight mentions. They are a modeler's toyland, and their prices are always cheap cheap cheap. Granted, I wouldn't go there if I wanted a long-life or heavy-duty tool, but for the small stuff like mentioned above, they rule. Besides the things above, I've found deals on:

Big tub of zip ties for $3. there's like...300-400 in there or something.
Huge tray of 100+ dremel bits, $11.
Giant drawer thing of eleventy-bazillion screws, nuts, etc - $19

The list goes on and on. Harbor Freight rules.

Flying freak

Don't want to hijack the thread but heres a tip

For all the small dings balsa gets while your building just get a little cup of water a q-tip and the small monokote irons (the ones for cornors and tight spots)

Turn the iron on high and let it warm up
wet the q-tip and wet the small wing in the balsa
when still wet put the tip of the iron on the wet balsa the steam will pop the grain back up

No wight and VERY cheap and probably faster than any putty

Steven

Charlie P.

Lowe's carries piano wire and Elmer's wood filler putty ( a balsa filler as mentioned above).

My field box is a Kyosho that Tower had in a "scratch & dent" sale for $5 and was crushed - easily fixed with epoxy and a few brads.

Speaking of epoxy - West System is available at Lowe's or a boat supply center for 1/2 what it costs in the little bottles. Better grade epoxy, also. It has almost unlimited shelf life (which the little bottles don't seem to).

Epoxy brushes are also know as acid flux brushes to welders, but they pay $6 for a gross instead of $1 for 8.

Dextron III or IV is a superb after run oil. I haven't used 10% of a pint in six years.


Any time you need to reenforce a bulkhead (like in the case of EVERY ARF) you can drill 1/8" holes into the edges of the ply through the fuselage and insert epoxy or Titebond covered shiskabob skewer pegs (made from 12" bamboo dowels from the picnic isle at the grocery store - $1 for 100).

Titebond II is a superior balsa cement and relatively cheap.

Make your own clamps from clothespins. Turning them "inside-out" makes an even better parallel jaw clamp.



Two angled "T" pins and a rubber band are better than a magnetic building board.



Electric hinge slitting tool? Why? When a retired & dull hacksaw blade will do the same job with a little modification? As is for CA hinges or with a "Nibbler" for a few bucks for the thicker pinned Nylon variety.

richb1492

My Feedback: (4)

My local hobby shop sells Sub c batteries for 8.50
Hummm I will be looking elsewhere

kid chuckles

I drive two steaks into the ground and wrap them in foam for a starter and tuning station. I still have not found a better deal than the Hanger 9 Epoxy bottles from the LHS. It just seems to last forever. Good to learn about the acid brushes I did not know that. I alos have lawn batteries for my starter and keep them charged with my 200amp charger about once a week for a few min. is all it takes to charge fully. Be carful and not leave long it will blow up a lawn battery if not careful. Man some very good ideas here and like the man said Harbour Freight rocks. I own an Excavation company and i use them alot for business. Thaks fella's this was a very good post for everyone. Needs to become a sticky.

wings

Don't forget Ebay!

You can almost always get a steel if you have enough patience...

Cyclic Hardover

My Feedback: (3)

McDonalds!!!! They have the little plastic containers for ketchup and coffee stirs for free! Great for mixing up epoxy

Campgems

Stop by a resturant supply. They have sleves of 100 of the little 3/4oz and larger plastic cups for $2.00 or less. geat for mixing epoxy. No chance of a bit of oir sticking in a corner and contaminating a batch. They also make geat small parts cup. Tearing down and engine and a couple of these cups will keep the screws and gaskets rounded up. When through, pitch them. At less than 2 cents each, you can't aford to clean them.

As mentioned before the local hardware store is a great place for small nuts and bolts. The problem is they usualy stop at #6 and a few #4 ones. There is a supply on the web that has the real small stuff, but you need to buy in boxes of 100 so it may not be very cost effective. They do have small threaded rods and tubing.

http://www.smallparts.com/


Striping, Kragan and other auto parts stores stock 1/8" and 1/4" wide vinal striping tape. Only comes in red, black and silver, but it is way cheaper thatn the hobby shops. I understand that some automotive paint shops have other colors.

Don

jeffie8696

I am very lucky . There is a Fastenall dealer down the street. They get stuck supplying all my odd nut and bolts needs. Usually with a lot better quality than OEM!!

Mayday!Mayday!

A good money saver I found is Blenderm 3M tape used for hinges on foamies. Hobby shops sell it between 3.75 and 4.50 a roll in my neck of the woods. So I order directly from a medical supply warehouse. I order 1-2 dozen at a time and pass on extra to people I know who needs it. 1 dozen is 4.56 + 1.99 for shipping. Thats $0.54 a roll.
A big, big savings on a small item.

jeffie8696

I'm a Duct Tape kinda guy. Red Green is my hero. [)]

richb1492

My Feedback: (4)

T-pins to hold parts together as you build 4.25 at the LHS
Regular pins 1.00 at Dollar tree