Styrene spheres?
Moderators: DasPhule, Moderators
Styrene spheres?
Is there anyone out there that makes styrene spheres? I can get tubes of various shapes, sheets, and various other details but I'm wondering if there is a manufacturer who makes different sizes of spheres or other 3D shapes?
-
The Mad Klingon
- Posts: 1475
- Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2002 9:04 pm
- Location: Tampa, FL USA
- Contact:
-
Mr. Badwrench
- Posts: 9587
- Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 6:31 pm
- Location: Wheatridge, Co.
Ping pong balls aren't styrene, but they work ok. Glue and paint have a hard time sticking to them, but if you buff the surface with some Scotchbrite it works better.
Craft stores like Michales and Hobby Lobby sell clear acrylic spheres in different sizes, from 1 to 5 inches. They are intended as make it yourself Christmas decorations, but are excellent scratchbuilding fodder. (The base "kit" for Iron Modeler at Wonderfest this year was a pair of these clear acrylic spheres). The nice thing is, acrylic and styrene get along pretty well when it comes to plastic model cement. Another nice thing is, these spheres are very round, accurate to within a couple thousandths of an inch.
Also at the craft store you can find a huge assortment of beads. Many of them are styrene, and you can get spheres as well as a lot of other very useful shapes; cylinders, oblate spheroids, little football shapes, things that look like afterburner parts, splines, etc.
Gumball machines at the grocery store often sell little trinkets in a nice clear styrene dome.
Fishing floats are styrene. Sand the rib off around the circumference, or cut them up as you need. They also come in other shapes, like footballs, and in many differend sizes.
Finally, (and also at the craft store), doll eyes and google eyes. These are usually hemispheres, not as accurate in shape, and smaller. But they make great lens covers, hatches, tank ends, and bubble windows.
Craft stores like Michales and Hobby Lobby sell clear acrylic spheres in different sizes, from 1 to 5 inches. They are intended as make it yourself Christmas decorations, but are excellent scratchbuilding fodder. (The base "kit" for Iron Modeler at Wonderfest this year was a pair of these clear acrylic spheres). The nice thing is, acrylic and styrene get along pretty well when it comes to plastic model cement. Another nice thing is, these spheres are very round, accurate to within a couple thousandths of an inch.
Also at the craft store you can find a huge assortment of beads. Many of them are styrene, and you can get spheres as well as a lot of other very useful shapes; cylinders, oblate spheroids, little football shapes, things that look like afterburner parts, splines, etc.
Gumball machines at the grocery store often sell little trinkets in a nice clear styrene dome.
Fishing floats are styrene. Sand the rib off around the circumference, or cut them up as you need. They also come in other shapes, like footballs, and in many differend sizes.
Finally, (and also at the craft store), doll eyes and google eyes. These are usually hemispheres, not as accurate in shape, and smaller. But they make great lens covers, hatches, tank ends, and bubble windows.
I speak of the pompatous of plastic.
-
Lt. Z0mBe
- Posts: 7311
- Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Balltown Kentucky, by God!
- Contact:
Right now, Arby's is selling those Buffalo Chicken shakers. They come in a paper cup with a clear styrene dome lid. The dome is probably 2.75 to three inches. It's what I would call "Capped." That is, at the top if the arch of the dome, instead of there being a nipple or a curve, there is a flat spot. Personaly, I like it better as it looks very sci-fi.
I hope this helps.
Kenny
I hope this helps.
Kenny
I can only find 2.5" or larger. If anyone sees 1"-1.5" please tell me the stock number.Mr. Badwrench wrote: Craft stores like Michales and Hobby Lobby sell clear acrylic spheres in different sizes, from 1 to 5 inches. They are intended as make it yourself Christmas decorations, but are excellent scratchbuilding fodder. (The base "kit" for Iron Modeler at Wonderfest this year was a pair of these clear acrylic spheres).
I'll give you a cookie
The Destructo Beam is the most powerful destructive weapon ever wrought by man. It is capable of vaporizing the Earth into.........vapor.
Look here:Kun2112 wrote:I'm looking for hollow 2-parters or Hollow Hemispheres. Think TIE fighter cockpit, but that's not what it's for.
http://www.plasticdomes.org:80/imagegallery.htm
Hope that helps.
