Check Out These Top 11 Revolutionary Miniature Hobby Tools

Miniature Hobby Tools

There are some items that are left off of these lists because they are a little different from the list of miniature hobby tools for wargamers, miniature painters, model makers, and hobby terrain producers that we have all seen.

Since I was nine years old and got my first model train set, I’ve been involved in model-making as a pastime.

I’ve had a wide range of model-making experiences, including working in commercial design, architecture, the theater, and, of course, miniature wargames.

And these are some of the essential small hobby tools in my opinion. Although not all of them will work for everyone because we all have our own routines and work areas, not to mention various processes, they may give you some new ideas.

1. A Drafting Brush

A work area might become cluttered with fragments of sprue and basing material all over the place, but occasionally you need a nice, clean surface—but you don’t want to harm anything! The drawing brush is useful in this situation.

These are plainly designed for drafting (architectural drawing) and are used to remove dust, eraser parts, and shavings from pencils.

I find these brushes to be absolutely ideal for both cleaning my work surfaces and dusting off models because they are really soft and were created for paper because the last thing you would want is to destroy your plans.

And they’ll last you for years if you obtain a good one. Since I was in college, which has been more than 20 years ago, I’ve had the one I currently possess. To purchase a drafting brush from Amazon, click this link. A drafting brush is a tiny hobby item that will seriously level you up.

2. Citadel’s Outil Tool

There needs to be a better name for this object since “outil” is basically French for “tool,” in my opinion. In essence, this serves as your texture spreader for bases.

I’m aware that a coffee stir stick or toothpick would work just as well, and I’m not suggesting that readers run out and purchase odd Citadel items just because they like Games Workshop (I won’t even suggest their spray paint handle).

However, the outil is a tiny hobby instrument that performs its task quite well.

Given that it is created by Citadel, it should be ideal for 28mm scale models and it gets into all the right nooks. The firmness and flexibility are just great.

The smaller poker end on the other side of the bigger spatula side is used to precisely press the texture paste, PVA glue, or other material you’re basing with into place.

Given how costly Citadel products are and how frequently I use this item, it ought to cost significantly more than it does.

3. Pipettes

This brings back memories of chemistry class. It’s remarkable that these pipettes, which are designed simply to slurp up water and deposit it somewhere else, are so handy. But I frequently employ these.

I use a pipette to both perfectly wet my wet palette and to drip drips of water into the palette if I need more water in a certain area. You should do the same. I have one that simply rests in my clean water jar.

They’re also fantastic if you use Citadel paints (which I often do, especially for washes) and want to avoid using a pointless paint pot and instead have the convenience of a dropper bottle.

They’re ideal for grabbing a drop of Contrast Solution, Lahmian Medium, or whatever you wish to blend in.

Additionally, if you find yourself needing to transform your Citadel paint pots into dropper bottles, you might accomplish it the difficult way (as I initially started doing) by using tiny funnels.

Use pipettes instead, which is a million times faster and simpler.

Additionally, you can buy 100 pipettes on Amazon for around $6, so there is no reason not to.

4. Tupperware

Since we all use Tupperware, I realize this may not seem like a great idea. But I use a lot of a very particular kind of Tupperware.

I make sure that all of my Tupperware (I’m using the term generically—I’ll give you a link to exactly the sort I use below) has clips on the sides to ensure that I can flip it upside down, kick it, or knock it off the table without it spilling, which is Use #1 for Tupperware for base materials.

Since they aim to offer you a set that will fit anything, Tupperware regrettably doesn’t typically come in many of the same sizes, but this set from Amazon is what I’m referring about.

I keep all of my models in Tupperware on the shelf in my hobby room. Now, you may go completely berserk with your model storage systems, and I’ll admit that mine are mostly designed for storage and NOT transportation.

However, these from Amazon are a good choice for storage. They are all gone. These are comparable. As you can see, I have purchased quite a few of these, and I still have more that I haven’t yet utilized.

5. Micron Pens

Despite what you might have assumed, these are not for labeling all of that Tupperware. Writing on masking tape is considerably too sensitive for micron pens.

I utilize Micron pens to add precise details to my models. You require a few minuscule, wavy lines of text for a purity seal.

That task is ideal for a 005 Micron pen. They work well for little letters.

A symbol or emblem can also be drawn on with a pen and then filled in with a brush if your brushwork isn’t quite fine enough to do so. It’s likely that you have better hand-eye coordination when using a pen than a brush tip.

Here is a starter set of inexpensive Micron pens.

6. LED Task Light

For me, this was a game-changer. And since you might object, “but I already have a lamp,” I’ll show you this image of the two lamps I have on my desk instead.

I thought I was so cool when I purchased the ring light on the right since it had a magnifying glass in it and was a large, brilliant desk lamp.

But that bulb’s color is quite yellow, as you can see. When a result, you won’t be able to see your miniatures accurately as you paint them.

Although it might not seem like much, an LED task lamp’s yellow and pure white light differ drastically from one another.

The most expensive item on this list is the LED Task Lamp, but given that light is a must for the hobby of miniature painting, it makes perfect sense.

7. Chisel

Now this is strange, and it might just be me. It’s likely that you will drop super glue when working on a lot of hobby projects, especially if you’re creating a lot of terrain or other items that are less precise than a single model.

Additionally, it’s possible that the superglue will condense into drops, and occasionally sand, grit, or grout will become entangled in the superglue.

Although I am aware that not everyone is as fortunate as I am to have an excellent hobby desk (mine is a massive desk from the 1950s that weighs about 400 pounds and is practically indestructible), the capacity to remove small bits of glue and grit from your work surface is, if not necessary, still crucial.

And I’ve discovered that a little dull chisel is the best tool for cleaning my desk.

Despite the fact that it has lost part of its sharpness after being in my toolbox for 25 years, this chisel still serves as the ideal scraper for getting rid of practically everything from my work table, including glue, sand, and even spilled paint.

This new chisel is available on Amazon, but I advise you to locate an older one.

One of the most enjoyable cleanup tasks I perform on Saturdays is chiseling the desk down. It’s just me, though.

8. Kicker

Again, if you’ve been using kicker (super glue activator) for years, this may sound like a no-brainer, but if you’re not familiar with it, it’s a completely game-changing tool for tiny hobbyists.

Super glue, also known as CA glue (cyanoacrylate), is excellent for joining objects together, but it does not provide an instant bond, and there are occasions when you really need one.

There are several various types of kickers, with baking soda being the most popular. However, baking soda has the disadvantage (or advantage) of leaving a little amount of a gritty clump.

On some jobs, this might be advantageous, but most typically, you just want a clean bond.

Kicker will instantly freeze the glue in place once it has been used to secure something in place. I use this Mitre Apel, which I’m not entirely sure won’t give me cancer (I kid), but any kicker will do.

9. Tape for packing

This isn’t something I use frequently and isn’t typically thought of as a “miniature hobby tool.” In actuality, I hardly ever employ it.

However, not having any on hand in the office is a pain when I do need it. During the spray priming process, I use this to cover the little clear plastic stands that support the flying Games Workshop miniatures.

Are there any other types of tape that can be used? The fallback option is Scotch tape, which is also very easy to remove. However, you should never use masking tape or duct tape since those tapes leave behind residue that will damage your attractive transparent plastic stand.

Is this a hack for micro hobbyist tools? Actually, no. However, it’s convenient to have on hand so you won’t have to wipe masking tape grime off your plastic when you need it. Visit Amazon by clicking this link.

10. Slanted Tweezers

Once you’ve curved, there is no turning back. In addition to being able to insert a grass fluff between two objects’ legs that a pair of straight tweezers cannot, curved tweezers, in my opinion, simply fit into the hand more comfortably than straight tweezers and simplify ALL tweezer tasks.

What is the issue? Unless you purchase a large set of ten various types of tweezers, it is difficult to obtain curved tweezers (most of which you will never use). What is the remedy? Purchasing a pair of tweezers that you will use frequently is not actually a waste of money because large sets of several varieties of tweezers are still really affordable.

Since I lost my old pair of curved tweezers (not it’s like tweezers wear out) I recently purchased this set, but if you can locate another set, they’re probably just as fine.

Those are my revolutionary small hobby equipment. What am I missing from the list? Do you employ a secret tool that is never discussed? In the comments, please!

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