Accessory items on your bench

[Wildbirdcarver]

I would be interested in the various "accessory" items that you have on your bench, both for carving and for painting. By accessory I mean those items that you have made or borrowed from other hobbies and crafts.

One thing that I did to hold my reference photos out of the way and still be close to visualize. Insert a clip 8 x 11 inch clip board (board is 1/8 inch thick) into a 1/8" slot in a 6 X 8 x 3/4" board. The slot is about 1.5" from the front of the board slanted backwards about 10 degrees. (Used a table saw with 1/8" thick blade.) Now clip the photo in place and it is out of the way and won't get damaged. Happy carving Dick

[Callynne]

I use an ice cube tray (the kind for making ice cubes that fit into a water bottle) for holding the carving tools I'm using at the time, keeps them up and out of the chips (easier to find!!). Not an original idea of mine, I got it from here on the Message Board.

I also use one of those to hold my paint brushes, it's awesome for that, holds a ton of brushes! I did put rubber bands around both trays, to hold the bottoms on. Learned that the hard way, when I picked up the one with paint brushes, the bottom fell off and all the nicely organized by size brushes fell out on the floor!

Another thing I use is a nutmeg grater, perfect for grating my stropping compound onto my strop. Oh, and an old butter knife to 'butter' it on to the strop with.

Hmmmm, figure that's about it, I'll be interested in what ideas everyone else has! Deborah

[Wildbirdcarver]

Neat ideas Deborah. I haven't seen ice cube trays that the sides were high enough to hold paint brushes. Live and learn.
A couple of things on my bench: 1 inch (diameter) PVC pipe about 3 inches long each (8-9 of them), glued together (with PVC cement) standing up, on aboard, with the PVC cement. Have 3-4 sets full of "stuff".

Also have a magnetized metal dish, about 4 inches in diameter that I put the burrs that I'm using. After I'm through power carving for the day put them in small blocks of wood that have 1/8 and 3/32 inch diameter holes.

The PVC holders that have paint brushes in them are covered with the gallon clear plastic bags to keep any dust off the bristles.

Cheers, Dick


'

[Dan S]

I use an old Lazy susan for a painting platform. It makes it much easier to paint. I also use cheap metal flux brushes to coat my carvings with linseed oil. I just throw them out when I'm done.

Dan

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

I also use the tall ice cube trays like Deborah, they sell them at Wallmart, I think 3 or 4 bucks.

Dave

[Hugh-P]

I've got an old tupperware container, with a lid. the inside is divided into pie shaped sections. I use this to store my glass eyes in (eyes for the birds Dave), Use film containers to hold the eyes, and put some in the tupperware container loose, each section supposedly for a different colour. Makes it simple to find the eyes for a specific project.

[xsailer]

For my acrlic painting I use an rubber bulb ear syringe. It will measure one drop only or squeeze a whole bunch at one time.

[Thor]

My disposable oil paint pallets are tin can lids removed with one of those new fangled "lid removers" instead of the kind that cuts the metal. They are a good size for mixing some nice oil washes and stains. Then, I can throw them away.

I had to come up with something new, because the plastic yogurt tops have been replaced with aluminum foil tops.

I like the idea of pvc tubes glued together to hold "stuff" that Dick mentioned....gotta try that.
Christina

[catbird]

I use styrofoam plates for my paints. Kinda slick like a pallette, cheap, and recyclable.
I am definitely going to dig out my lazy susan and I like the pvc idea too.
Good idea for a thread!

[cut up]

I use a lazy susan (like Dan) but sometimes I put a porcupine board on it, if I have to paint or finish the underside.
My Porcupine board is basically a piece of plywood about 12" square with roofing nails drove through it about 1 inch apart.
I place the project on it and it allows air to move under it and there are no marks on the piece when its dry.
Michael