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Discussion That One Tool You Never Expected to Love… But Now Can’t Live Without it!

Jimsky

Jimsky

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Greetings friends,

Let’s take a small detour from ship specs and planking debates, and talk about something we all use: tools. More specifically, that one tool you never thought you’d need, but now couldn’t imagine building without.
We all start with the usual basics: a hobby (#11) knife, sandpaper, maybe a pin vise, but somewhere along the way, something odd or unexpected finds its way onto the bench. Maybe it was a tool someone recommended, or something you picked up on a whim, thinking, “I’ll probably never use this.” And now? It’s glued to your workflow (hopefully not literally).

So here’s the question: What’s that one unexpected tool that quietly became indispensable for you? No need for a long explanation, just share your story, and if you like, a photo of the tool in action. I’m sure many of us will recognize our own favorites in each other's stories… or maybe even discover a new one to try.

Looking forward to seeing what’s in your toolbox that surprised you. Fair winds and happy modeling!
 
Lately, I've been looking for ways to improve comfort and precision at the bench, especially when working with small, delicate parts. And I think I may have found a real gem worth sharing. Some of you may already know it, but for those who don’t, meet the Omnidirectional Spherical Vise.

It’s not just a pretty piece of engineering (though it definitely has the look of sci-fi hardware). What makes this vise stand out is the incredible freedom of movement it offers, thanks to its spherical base, which can rotate and tilt in nearly any direction, making it much easier to find the perfect angle for carving, sanding, or assembling. The clamping system is adjustable and precise, and it holds even irregular parts securely without damage. And yes, it is really heavy, about 2 Kg, it holds firmly and stays firm at the base.

For those of us doing fine work, it’s a quiet but powerful ally. I know many of us improvise with clamps and third hands (I still do), but this tool surprised me in a good way. Just wanted to share, in case others are considering upgrades to their workbench setup. What other vises or clamping solutions do you all use? Would love to hear what’s working well in your shop.

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Survived years with razor saw, exacto knife..as time ,experience, space and budget evolve ,so do our tools..couldn't be without my Byrnes saw , thickness sander. and my hand held plank cutters .I enjoy reducing a log to dimension lumber. So now the dilemma is "too much lumber and so little time"
 
manning16 said:
Survived years with razor saw, exacto knife..as time ,experience, space and budget evolve ,so do our tools..couldn't be without my Byrnes saw , thickness sander. and my hand held plank cutters .I enjoy reducing a log to dimension lumber. So now the dilemma is "too much lumber and so little time"
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Among other tools, what is the tool you would never expect to love, but now you cannot do modeling without it?
 
This little guy. Lee Valley Miniature Spokeshave.
PXL_20250606_042855878.jpg
I bought the entire set of Lee Valley mini tools about 5 years ago or more in the hopes I would find something useful for modeling but mostly figured I would be buying them for the novelty. I was very pleasantly surprised to find many of them were very useful in wood ship modeling. There are several tools in the set I use all the time, but the spokeshave is probably the most used. Second would be the wood chisels and third would be the block plane.
 
My Micromot 60/E from the PROXXON Model Building and Engraving Set, 38515 (real variable speed, not stepping speed) with Proxxon 28622 Micromot Flexishaft 110/BF make my life better. Really, I love it over all my Dremel tools I have. Better precision, lower speed if required. Then my Hakko CHP-170 Micro cutter which is better cutter and sturdiest than the Xuron series.

I agree with RTWPSOM2 too for the Veristas series miniatures. Great quality.

20250606_103028.jpg
 
When I started out on my Syren build I wanted to be as accurate as possible in the general construction. I purchased a caliper to help with the accuracy I wanted but also found, more and more, that I was using the scaled readout by switching between fraction inches, decimal inches and mm. I found it helped since the kit was designed in the imperial system and I am used to primarily working in mm. It is a fast way to convert between scales and again it satisfied my need for personal accuracy.

As I progressed with the build I found myself changing out the kit wood to pear and AYC because I preferred working with it rather than the basswood. That meant obtaining billets of the replacement wood, milling, cutting and sanding to various sizes and checking constantly for repeat accuracy. Further build progression saw me scratch build more and more parts, including brass work, and discarding kit supplied wood and fittings. I did that to learn new skills and most importantly because I was enjoying challenging myself. The smaller the replacements became the more I needed and used the caliper. So much so it is beside me on the workbench constantly.

Initially this “tool” was a “nice to have”. Now it has become a necessary “cannot do without”.

(Edit: changed word micrometer to caliper - thanks Phil @Philski :D)

IMG_0988.jpeg
 
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Forgot the Proxxon mini sander , mini chop saw, Micro Mark mini drill press , but the real beauty of our hobby is one can do it all with exacto knife, mini miter box on the kitchen table..the other stuff just makes it faster. Most of my power tools I got second hand.
 
And Micro-Mark table saw, since I cannot afford Byrne's one. I use it even for small home work. But for knife, i love my Olga with their high quality Blade. Well, There is not only one tool I would miss if I was not engaged in this hobby.
 
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RogerD said:
When I started out on my Syren build I wanted to be as accurate as possible in the general construction. I purchased a micrometer to help with the accuracy I wanted but also found, more and more, that I was using the scaled readout by switching between fraction inches, decimal inches and mm. I found it helped since the kit was designed in the imperial system and I am used to primarily working in mm. It is a fast way to convert between scales and again it satisfied my need for personal accuracy.

As I progressed with the build I found myself changing out the kit wood to pear and AYC because I preferred working with it rather than the basswood. That meant obtaining billets of the replacement wood, milling, cutting and sanding to various sizes and checking constantly for repeat accuracy. Further build progression saw me scratch build more and more parts, including brass work, and discarding kit supplied wood and fittings. I did that to learn new skills and most importantly because I was enjoying challenging myself. The smaller the replacements became the more I needed and used the micrometer. So much so it is beside me on the workbench constantly.

Initially this “tool” was a “nice to have”. Now it has become a necessary “cannot do without”.

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Cannot build without calipers! Great tool!
 
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I have a LOT of tools. From woodworking to machining to shipbuilding to fly tying. Not to mention automotive and electronics too. But the one tool I find and use more and more is my WeCheer Flex Shaft carver/drill. Bought a few years ago at Woodcraft and with interchangeable collets, I can cut, drill, sand, grind and buff just about anything. Variable speed with a foot pedal, it makes modelling fun!

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Jimsky said:
Lately, I've been looking for ways to improve comfort and precision at the bench, especially when working with small, delicate parts. And I think I may have found a real gem worth sharing. Some of you may already know it, but for those who don’t, meet the Omnidirectional Spherical Vise.

It’s not just a pretty piece of engineering (though it definitely has the look of sci-fi hardware). What makes this vise stand out is the incredible freedom of movement it offers, thanks to its spherical base, which can rotate and tilt in nearly any direction, making it much easier to find the perfect angle for carving, sanding, or assembling. The clamping system is adjustable and precise, and it holds even irregular parts securely without damage. And yes, it is really heavy, about 2 Kg, it holds firmly and stays firm at the base.

For those of us doing fine work, it’s a quiet but powerful ally. I know many of us improvise with clamps and third hands (I still do), but this tool surprised me in a good way. Just wanted to share, in case others are considering upgrades to their workbench setup. What other vises or clamping solutions do you all use? Would love to hear what’s working well in your shop.

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Expensive here in England.
 
I think I would have gone with violin scrapes if @RickNoyes hadn't gotten to it first. But here's one that surprised me how often it comes out of the tool chest. It's a set of broaches. They were recommended by David Antscherl in his instructions for the kits he design from Model Shipways. A quick twist and you remove any surface material from a drill cut, a very clean look. And they can be used successively to get the hole diameter just right. You'll find other uses as well. As a bonus, they are pretty cheap. I bought round and square ones for gentle to aggressive approaches.
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I would like to put in a quick plug for a cheap jeweler's hand vise as well, another David Antscherl suggestion in a magazine article. It's great for hanging on to small parts while you file, cut, whatever. Dirt cheap too. When it comes to reducing the number of expletives used during model making, it's a force multiplier. I was an aspiring detail carver, but I have used this with way more stuff than that, surprisingly useful.
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ROTF I love this. As we know, for the most part, there is no correct answer to this question. While I completely respect Bryan's talents, I bought one of those 90-degree Dremel attachments, and I could not tell you where it is or that I have a clear memory of using it.

I would have expected more responses, but I have an idea, Jim. If you'd like to see a LOT of responses, ask, "What tools did you think you needed and bought and NEVER used?".ROTF I would guess this thread would still be getting responses to that question when Christmas rolls around.

This gives me an idea. I need to straighten out my shop, to better organize it logically, by function. I will ask myself the question for every item I come across: "Have I used this in the last 6 months?" Everyone, keep an eye on the tools, items "for sale" area of the forums ROTF, seriously.

One set of items I know will be on this list will be my Foredom, cable-driven rotary tools, including multiple handsets.... pennies on the dollar. ;) These are great tools, but with my Foredom micromotor, they are completely redundant.

This brings me to tool quality questions. While not the topic here, some things just puzzle the juices out of me. Here's the question. Why do my no-name $30 calipers have "auto on, auto off" capability to extend battery life, and my $180 Mitutoyo calipers don't? Life is just full of mystery.
 
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