Review – Westcott rulers

Well, when one is drawing, or drafting especially, it is useful, if not necessary, to have a ruler. And one might think that all rulers are the same. But they’re not. Some rulers have uneven edges, or mis-marked inches.

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A cheap ruler might cost half a dollar, and a good one might cost a full dollar. It’s not much difference and definitely worth it. The Westcott rulers that I have here are very functional, durable, and standard. Then have straight edges and correctly marked inches. One is clear acrylic and the other is steel. I use the steel for inking and the clear for sketching. I would recommend two rulers for that reason. And these are flexible, and the markings are wear-resistant. My only real complaint would be that the acrylic ruler scratches a bit too easily.

This sounds much more like a recommendation than a review, and it is, sort of. It’s a no-brainer to get a ruler. Getting a good one is not much more expensive than a cheap one, and these work great, they’re some of the best I’ve used.

Speak Your Mind 77 #381-385

QUESTIONS

1. In what ways do you think monkeys are like people?

2. Have you ever found the big dipper in the sky?

3. Do you like to use plastic drinking glasses?

4. When was the last time you said something you did not mean?

5. What is you favorite thing to have for dinner (supper)?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. They look like more hairy people, they  have slightly similar social structures, and they are possibly the closest in intelligence.

2. Yes, every night I look I find it.

3. Not really, glass is best for me.

4. Earlier today when I told the person cutting my hair to cut it shorter than I wanted it.

5. I have a soft spot for hamburgers.

Review – Testors Plastic Cement

Do you need to glue plastic pieces? Are you making models, collages, or sculptures? (Why do I always begin these with a question?) Then lets check out Testors plastic model cement.

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This review shall be short as glue is glue. It does what it says it does, binding most plastics, but it has problems with gloss and such as most glues do. It does not bond metal or most other substances, it is purely for plastic-to-plastic gluing. Although it will stick your fingers and paper with it, so be careful when using it. It takes several hours to fully set but hardens in about half a minute. The only real problem with using it is its terrible odor, but that is common to all plastic glues.

In short it is a very good glue, and that is why Testors is one of the most well-known brands in this line. There are better glues, and this is obviously not suited for every use, but that does not change how well it performs for the price. Just don’t get it on any paper products unless you want them to turn to very thin, stiff boards.

Unknown Skeleton Model Kit (Snap-fit)

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So I picked up this model kit from a thrift store and thought it would be fun to do a quick little post about assuming it is all there as it is out of its package. (Spoiler: It’s not all there)

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Here are most of the sprues laid out.

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And again from a better angle.

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I assembled the skull first, it’s made of four pieces and the jaw is articulated.

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Side view. The plastic is surprisingly soft and flexible, making it east to cut and clean with a regular EXACTO blade.

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Simply plugging the spine in. (I did  not use the clippers show to do anything, the plastic was far too soft.

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The ribs are interesting as they slot into each other at the front and also through the spine, not simply into the spine.

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Fully assembled ribcage.

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The shoulder blades have two holes in which they plug in to.

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The arms are three separate pieces and have articulation in all the right places. They also support the collar bone.

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The pelvis is placed almost exactly like the ribs, except it plugs directly into the spine.

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The fully assembled legs have roughly the same articulation as the arms, no ball joints unfortunately. I actually got the orientation on the lower legs wrong at first and had to disassemble them, the soft plastic of the joints tore off almost completely in doing so, but they still held long enough for being popped in on the other side and they still do bend.

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Fully assembled model with non-fully assembled stand, most of which is missing. (I didn’t say any vital parts were missing)

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Hand size comparison, it’s about a foot tall or so, blends with larger GI Joes really well.

The soft plastic is a problem, but is also helpful, so it’s hit and miss with this one, I just wish it had better articulation.