A funny thing about this hobby -

[nachoman]

Today I was preparing some paint for airbrushing. The jar of paint was old, and I had to strain out some lumps. There was still a little bit left after I was done mixing, but decided to throw the rest of the bottle away. Even though it was clear the bottle was nearly gone, I still had to think twice about it. There was still enough to do some touchup paint on something, perhaps to paint a few hats on some LPBs, or use for weathering. But surely the paint would be dried up by the next time I would need it.

I am guessing I am not the only "ultra thrifty packrat" model railroader. I have saved scraps of brass, and even have a drawer full of "bits and pieces" of styrene. Those bits and pieces come in handy when all I need is a tiny scrap to plug a hole or make a small detail.

What's funny is - if I were painting a wall and had an ounce of paint left over, I would proclaim the can empty and chuck it. Yet, at the hobby shop I pay 3.50 for an ounce of paint! Or if I were insulating my attic with foam and had a 4 inch square piece left over, I'd chuck it. Yet on my layout, I have been saving any piece that looks large enough to be useable until my scenery is done.

I guess what gets saved relates to the scale of the project I am working on. And a model railroad is a very small scale!