Argess

Things have really changed. Way back when, there wasn't a lot of car/truck stuff out. It was mostly aircraft and boats, and that meant balsa, mahogany, birch plywood, tissue paper, etc. Some of these things are still useful for wheeled vehicles, but I've left many things out, like jeweler's screwdrivers, allen wrenches, sockets, etc. So please feel free to add your favourite or useful tools. The foillowing are vintage adverts, or pics I've found that reminded me of the days way before Internet and magazines were the main source for an RC education.

My collection started with an X-Acto knife set, like Set 86 in the pic. Everybody needs one.



My next should have been a Dremel, but it was many years later when I finally bought one.



Next came the most useful piece of equipment I've ever owned, a Unimat. This machine can be used as a metal lathe, wood lathe, milling machine, drill press and a few other things. I have made projects from scratch with it, but mostly used it to make parts.



Badger was the airbrush to buy and if you had lots of spare cash, you bought the optional air-compressor and stopped using those cans of propellant.



For plastic models, Testor's paints were common enough, but I always liked Humbrol better with their minature paint cans.

Ttam Says Blarg

That Unimat looks awesome! I have all the others. Whats the size limit on the unimat?

SyCo_VeNoM

I got a Badger air brush about a year and a half ago from the LHS for $25
Good airbrush for the cash IMO. Was made a lot better when I got a 2 gallon air compressor to use with it so I could stop with the annoying compressed air cans

Dremel most used tool I own

Lathe looks nice I've been needing to get me one.

Calipers. Got a pair for $7 from china been indispensable for modifying RC's when measuring to see if parts will fit, and have saved me cash I would have normally blew in experimentation.

Argess

The Unimat's lathe swing (max diameter) is 3", but you there was an optional 3/4" spacer for the headstock so you could turn over 4.5" dia work. Distance between centers is just under 7". Drill press swing is over 6".

There's always some units on E-bay plus a lot of option parts, such as thread turning add-on, indexing head, vice, 4-jaw chuck, etc.

I always went with micrometers for small stuff and a mechanical vernier calipers for larger stuff. Now thay prices are so cheap, I have a couple of pairs of digital calipers around. One for every workbench. Now that I'm getting older, I also have a pair of magnifying glasses at every workbench too!

nitrosportsandrunner

i have a couple of sets of these. i love these. they are soo much better than the "L" shapped hex wrenched you get at walmart. i use them all the time.

The_Shark

THE DREMEL! up unitll last year i worked without one, now i cant see how i did anything! cutting, smoothing, drilling.

dont forget the "grabbit" for stripped-out engine mount bolts.

next tool to buy is a robotic wire stripper, just put the wire in, it grabs and strips right where you want it.

SyCo_VeNoM

You know I have one I hardly use it now.
It worked fine for a few weeks than the wires started slipping.
And sometimes on some higher gauge stranded wires it will pull all the wire strands out.

Argess

Here's some other useful stuff (pics from various web sites):

First is a vacuum based vise. I have an orange version:



Better yet is the larger, better made PanaVise. I admit to owning a knock-off:



And then the mini hand drill. You'll never believe how useful this was before I got a cordless drill. It's still pretty good as a Dremel doesn't do well at low speeds:



And for soldering, one of these Third-Hands is great. Holds the wires, parts, whatever while you solder:

Bluethunder3320

dremels are awesome. pricy, but very, very useful.