I had a question on which tools and equipment I've been using to sculpt the Tatooine buildings. One of the most important bits of kit to use is a respirator! These are available in all good DIY stores and start around £15 - £20 for the cheaper ones. They're invaluable for insuring you don't inhale the dust particles that come off the insulation foam when cutting and sanding. I also have a hoover next to me to help clear up all the bits and pieces that collect on the work desk. Alongside the respirator i'd also recommend wearing safety glasses to help limit the dust getting in your eyes...
Sanding wise, I use a 3M sanding block / loose sanding paper and a handy sanding stick! - Basically sand paper wood glued onto a 1cm depth ruler-like lenghth of hard wood. This has proved invaluable for the majority of sanding I've done, providing great control and enabling large flat sweeping sanding, the ability to shape good quality curves, as well as used for more accurate scoring or angled sanding...
In terms of cutting, the retractable knife has done most of the leg work. The foam can blunt blades pretty quickly, so it's worth stocking up on extra blades. Other knifes and saws are also handy for bigger cuts where initial accuracy isn't needed. I've also used a chisel for gouging out unwanted foam as well as smaller files for tidying up any small details, for example, round the door frames...
Cocktail sticks and bamboo skewers have proved really handy for pinning foam pieces in place whilst the glue drys. The rolling pins come in handy for wrapping sandpaper round for creating curves in things like the underside of doorways (and for poking unruly jawas ;)...
And to bring it all together, the trusty wood glue...
Until next time :)
