Alligator Clips for airbrushing by Steve Bamford

Here's a handy dandy little item I have seen a few modellers using and thought it would be a great little item for the ARC Tools N Tips section. The beauty of these is their relatively cheap cost.

To make these takes mere seconds. You can use tooth picks (round tooth picks are stronger, but I didn't have any of those). Another option is to use piano wire or copper wire (such as a small piece of copper wire left over from a home wiring renovation).

Look Ma'.....no more airbrushed fingers!!!

Then you can use some plasticine to hold the parts after they are painted for safe drying of the paint. For the clip on the left side I used the plastic rod from an old used Q-Tip cotton swab. The plastic rod is very flexible and won't break as easily as a toothpick. The part is stuck to a piece of scotch tape, which was taped to the bottom of my spray booth during painting, then hung on the alligator clip to dry after the painting is complete.

Plasticine is a oil based modelling clay used by young kids.....similar to Play-Doh.

Another option instead of plasticine would be Silly Putty which you can find at some toy stores....including Toys R Us.

Here's my variation on the parts clips. Instead of using toothpicks or Q-Tip stems, I crimp the clips to the end of an old, used up, wooden paintbrushes. Clip off the remaining bristles and crimp it too the metal ferrule. The other end, I run through a pencil sharpener to get a good point, and instead of sticking them in a blob of clay or putty, I push the sharpened end into a block of balsa wood. I've been using the same clips and block of balsa wood for about 10 years now, and it is still sturdy as ever. For as little money and time as I invested in this little set up, I could never have hoped for a greater pay back as I've gotten. I've used it for every model that I've done.
"Danger Atom"