Topic: "A must have for all modellers" - really?

Has anyone else seen the editorial "ads" in more than one magazine for the latest "Must have item for all modellers"?

It's a small rectangle of red flexible plastic, supplied with a short wooden stick at £2.99 plus P&P -"designed" for mixing epoxy. Being flexible the residual epoxy can be easily removed when set, by flexing the plate.

It's a rectangle of plastic.

Any modeller worth their salt could cut up a margarine or ice-cream carton, or some other piece of the mountain of packaging that we are bombarded with, and use a lolly ice stick as a stirrer. For nowt.

Hang on, it does have another feature - a hole in it so that it can be hung up when not in use. That'll take a second with a warm screwdriver or drill bit to reproduce.

Any modeller worth their salt could cut up a margarine or ice-cream carton, or some other piece of the mountain of packaging that we are bombarded with, and use a lolly ice stick as a stirrer. For nowt.

Hang on, it does have another feature - a hole in it so that it can be hung up when not in use. That'll take a second with a warm screwdriver or drill bit to reproduce.

That would have been true a few years ago, but these days cutting out a plastic rectangle and drilling a hole in it constitutes a serious construction project (it would require three four-page articles in a magazine to cover the details). These products are "Almost Ready To Glue" products for the ARTF generation...

PDR

The idea of advertising in the magazine is for two reasons.
Firstly, it generates revenue for the magazine and secondly, it enables mugs to buy said plastic epoxy board to stop them being moaned at by SWMBO about leaving holes in the half eaten ice cream containers 

The idea of advertising in the magazine is for two reasons.
Firstly, it generates revenue for the magazine and secondly, it enables mugs to buy said plastic epoxy board to stop them being moaned at by SWMBO about leaving holes in the half eaten ice cream containers 

The ads I've seen have been editorialads - the model for these, I believe, is that manufacturer/distributor sends free sample of gadget to magazine editor/collumnist, who photographs said gadget, then either reporoduces a press release, or writes a brief blurb. I don't think - but could be wrong - that these are paid-for advertising.

Gosh - how did I ever survive without this truly, truly essential item? I must say that when I saw it in the mag I did check that it wasn't the April issue.
Mike

Gosh - how did I ever survive without this truly, truly essential item? I must say that when I saw it in the mag I did check that it wasn't the April issue.
Mike

That was exactly my thought Mike, I expect to find it in the LHS right next to the left handed sandpaper and lightening holes.

One thing I would say to all propeller driven aircraft that is a "Must ?Have" and at a very reasonable price is one of THESE

I usually mix epoxy on a bit of card ripped from a box salvaged from the scrap bin with whichever screwdriver happens to be close to hand.  That square of plastic could change my life.  Of course a handy piece of plastic could easily be found in my wife's purse - her credit card 

Geoff

I have a margarine carton full of those cards - Nectar cards, store loyalty cards, old RAC cards etc etc etc and they all do the job perfectly well, with lolly ice sticks used for stirring.

The latter also make superb servo mounting struts for small models.

I'm still working through a mountain of old business cards for glue mixing duties....

Andy

I'm still working through a mountain of old business cards for glue mixing duties....

Andy

Me too!

I must have over a thousand old business cards where companies have changed details such as web addresses which meant they had to order me another batch. 

they all do the job perfectly well, with lolly ice sticks used for stirring.

I mainly use my forum account for stirring - but I'm trying hard to behave...

PDR

I have not see the ad but it seems to make little sense why anyone would advertise such a small item 

The smallest ads from what I am told cost at least £400. You have got to sell a heck of a lot of these sticks to even make your money back 

I have not see the ad but it seems to make little sense why anyone would advertise such a small item 

The smallest ads from what I am told cost at least £400. You have got to sell a heck of a lot of these sticks to even make your money back 

As I've explained the ads that I've seen have be editorial ads - included as a paragraph in the "What's New" sections of the mags. The probably cost no more that a free sample and a letter to the editor.

Here's the website with pictures and details

http://resi-mate.com/

It says Patent Pending on the packaging. What is the patentable content? Would we all be guilty of patent infringement for using the top of an ice-cream carton with a hole in it ti hang it up?

As I've explained the ads that I've seen have be editorial ads - included as a paragraph in the "What's New" sections of the mags. The probably cost no more that a free sample and a letter to the editor.

Agreed.  Magazines are usually desperate for any sort of copy, so any sort of press release warrants printing.  Even if it is ludicrous nonsense.

tim

Agreed.  Magazines are usually desperate for any sort of copy, so any sort of press release warrants printing.  Even if it is ludicrous nonsense.

tim

Might they be in the market for a two part review, spread over a couple of months?

Agreed.  Magazines are usually desperate ........  Even if it is ludicrous nonsense.

tim

Seems they want to lift a few threads from here then and job done! 

There was a stand at Woodsprings yesterday and there was a load of mugs (sorry customers) buying them....must be the in thing then

There was a stand at Woodsprings yesterday and there was a load of mugs (sorry customers) buying them....must be the in thing then

Who makes them?

Apple? 

Got a web link? Sounds like a bargain to me..

Actually, lets compare costs:

For £2.99 (plus say £1 p+p), I get 1 mixing board, 1 mixing stick.

I usually use:

1 cut up cereal packet, £0.00

Lots of coffee stirrers (from various places), £0.00

I'll stick with what I know

Maybe it's now time to release the Red Dwarf "Stress Sheet"......a square of bubblewrap painted red with "STRESS SHEET" stencilled on it.

I'll give them a free tip that they can add to their Pat Pending application.

If they scribed, or printed, a series of double concentric circles on the mixing plate, to allow the estimation of the amount of epoxy and hardener tobe poured before mixing, and also add a logo suggesting that it is stirred in both directions then those are both "value added" features over and above a sheet of plastic.

Could be a reason to up the price to £4.99

i want one, but it doesnt say if they are right, or left handed

i need a promotional name for my solution and perhaps a suggested price, a large roll of parcel tape and a stick,, tear off piece of tape stick it to any handy flat surface, (workbench) mix epoxy on shiny surface, when finished tear off and bin tape, wipe stick,  should be part of every modelers tool box AND you can use the tape to repair, solar film (tape comes in loads of colours) hold on wings when you've forgotten the elastic bands/wing bolts cover the mouth of your club expert!!

  the uses are infinite

 wot about??

   Glue 'O'Tape, the tape you need , 3.99  WITH FREE STICK!!

  CJ

  cejays modeling solutions. inc. co.uk

thats exactly my way of doing it, anything the parcel tape can't manage is done in a little pot, the ones HiTec servos come in are good

The other idea is a block of Post-it notes, mix up, tear off and bin. Dead useful, as is the roll of bog paper in my workshop!

Pringle lids!
More flexible than marg or ice cream tubs for cracking off excess!!

It's a laugh, they will get someone - I cut up florinated bottle from work, nothing sticks to that. I also have a serios coffee addiction and have to visit the services 4 times a week for a £2:30 coffee, sugar and about 30 of the wooden stirring sticks - I have yet to run out.

Anyway whats wrong with mixing eposxy on a teaplate and washing it in meths - then blame kids for the residue.


Sean

I'll give them a free tip that they can add to their Pat Pending application.

If they scribed, or printed, a series of double concentric circles on the mixing plate, to allow the estimation of the amount of epoxy and hardener tobe poured before mixing, and also add a logo suggesting that it is stirred in both directions then those are both "value added" features over and above a sheet of plastic.

Could be a reason to up the price to £4.99

If the printed "resin" in half the circles & "hardener" in the other half they could increase the price by another £1. 

Still using up my stock of ISP & free software CDs.

I think I've seen this in a few mags - lets hope that nobody reverse engineers it and starts selling copies.

Leccy - is correct it's not paid advertising - it's editorial content - samples sent into the magazines and then published, I'd have doubts about selling enough of these to warrant display advertising in full pages.

Having said that - in the day an age of RTF and such, perhaps this item will be a massive seller. How long will it be before there is a post on a forum asking advice how to use one?

Any way I'm off...I just read a hints and tips article on how to make a wheel out of a cotton bobin, it only takes a couple of hours and all I need is a small lathe. Far better than buying a wheel at £2.99

Steve

I want one!
I want one!
I want one!
I want one!
 

I want one!
I want one!
I want one!
I want one!
 

No offense Paul - but you would... LOL....

I'll give you a free one - if you get one of these

http://www.theworldmodels.com/para/products/airplanedetails.php?airplaneid=233

Actually - can't sell you one of those...we aint got any yet. Typical eh a model business advertising a deal it cant do?


Steve

I use cardboard and a stirry stick filched from anywhere that has them easily available. If I'm in the golden arches resteraunt I even tell them why I'm pinching them!

Thanks for the tip on the Pringles lids, though.

Some modeller thinks he has a good idea, has the balls to manufacture and market it and all we can do is take the urine!

Sad times indeed 

They would indeed be sad times if modellers would spend three quid plus postage on a piece of flexible plastic, rather than having the ingenuity to use any one of the dozens of scraps of flexible plastic around the average home.

It's not very green is it, it's quite wasteful. Us modellers like to recycle old rubbish for this job 

Yep, why buy a fuel tank when you can find some old pop bottles or other old containers hanging around the house? Still I suspect some modellers spend a few quid on fuel tanks.

It's not very green is it, it's quite wasteful. Us modellers like to recycle old rubbish

Indeed - that's why so many JRtaba transmitters are still in use...

PDR

Indeed - that's why so many JRtaba transmitters are still in use...

PDR

The stirring stick MkII, manufactured and marketed by Pete