James River Branch: Tools and Supplies

Supplies: Heptane

Heptane, a.k.a. rubber cement thinner, is one of the best-kept secrets of the universe; I consider it one of the most useful solvents known to man. I came to know of heptane's wonders during my years as a professional graphic artist, back in the day when artwork was literally a cut-and-paste job. We'd use either rubber cement or a thin layer of wax to adhere the artwork to the base board, and rubber cement thinner would dissolve both. We'd flood the boards with the thinner and "float" the art into position on the softened glue or wax; the solvent would very quickly evaporate, leaving the art firmly affixed.

What makes heptane so useful in the modeling world is the fact that it dissolves gum-, wax- or oil-based substances, and little else; it's not especially harmful to humans, and entirely harmless to metals, plastics and most fully-cured paints. It's great for removing dried-on grease from old locomotive mechanisms, or excess lubricants from the shells.

Perhaps most significantly—in light of the increasing reliance of the hobby industry on "3D printing"—it's superb at prepping rapid-prototype plastic models for painting, as it completely dissolves the wax from the surface without harming the resin, no matter how intricate the detailing may be. It's also good for prepping most any model for painting, since it removes all traces of skin oil. Additionally, among many other things, it will easily remove those pesky price stickers from merchandise packages, and it will remove melted wax spilled on clothes or carpet. Oh, and it also thins rubber cement!

I feel utterly helpless when I run out, so I try to get it in gallon cans. The trouble is, it's getting much harder to find these days, and shipping almost costs more than the solvent. But I find so much value in it that I'll pay whatever it takes to keep it on hand.

Just getting started? Sometimes you may find a half-pint can of it at the local craft store, assuming they carry rubber cement. While getting harder to find, fortunately it's still readily available online.