Is your workbench a mess, with tools, paints and glues scattered around? Looking for an organiser? I was and have found what could be the perfect rotating storage unit, thanks to my wife!
My workbench was a disorganised shambles and I could never find what I was looking for. I’ve even ended up with duplicates of some tools because I couldn’t find a particular item, bought another and then found the original. Aggghhhh!
I needed to get organized but what to use?
After talking to a few fellow modellers and thinking about what I really needed, I eventually arrived at the Tamiya Rotating Paint Jar Stand.
This is pretty much what it says, a rotating stand with two layers into which you can place your model making gubbins.
It’s okay but as the reviews on Amazon point out, it doesn’t hold a lot and is especially limited for long tools and accessories.
And then Lady Luck, otherwise known as Mrs MRE, came up with a better idea.
Make-up holders. And this one in particular.
Don’t laugh but they’re ideal.
Like the Tamiya, it sits on top of a lazy susan base giving 360-degree rotation, so it can be spun around for quick easy access to all compartments.
But more importantly, it has 7 height adjustable layers making it ideal for pots and tools of different sized, compare this to the two layers of the previous model.
I can finally store my paints, pigments and washes and glues.
It has a three cut through sections in the top layer so brushes and long tools can be stored. This really appealed to me as I have a LOT of tweezers, knives, needle files, probes and picks that otherwise just get left around and always disappear just when I need them.
Lastly, it’s also a few quid cheaper than dedicated model making tool storage containers.
It’s my new best find and I can’t thank Mrs MRE enough. I just hope she doesn’t start looking at my tools and finding uses for them in return…. 🙂
The rotating makeup holder, aka the ModelRailwayEngineer.com gubbins holder is available from Amazon.
> Update, I’ve found the shelves tend to pop out quite easily so now secure them in place with a bit of BluTack. It’s a simple fix and makes this even better.
Andy is a lifelong modeler, writer, and founder of modelrailwayengineer.com. He has been building model railways, dioramas, and miniatures for over 20 years. His passion for model making and railways began when he was a child, building his first layout at the age of seven.
Andy’s particular passion is making scenery and structures in 4mm scale, which he sells commercially. He is particularly interested in modelling the railways of South West England during the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, although he also enjoys making sci-fi and fantasy figures and dioramas. His website has won several awards, and he is a member of MERG (Model Railway Electronics Group) and the 009 Society.
When not making models, Andy lives in Surrey with his wife and teenage son. Other interests include history, science fiction, photography, and programming. Read more about Andy.
The rotating tool holder is really easy to make using some threaded rod, nuts, discs cut from ply, and as many tiers as needed bolted to the end of your bench, holes drilled/cut for your own tools!
Sure, but then I need a holder for the tools to make the holder LOL.
Brilliant idea, have just ordered one so I can keep my model bench tidy, well at least try too!