Some amazing charity shop finds

It all started with a simple plan - we were going to drive to Stratford-upon-Avon around lunchtime and spend a couple of hours enjoying one of our favourite town centres before moving on to Leamington Spa, but that all changed when the main road between Droitwich and Alcester was closed (again) so it was over to plan B. Up the M5, across the M42 and then down the M40 so we could arrive in time to pick up our Grandsons from school and babysit until their parents came home from work.

Arriving early, we browsed the shops in Leamington where I saw  this book - How Airbrushes Work by Steven Leaby on a shelf in a charity shop. It was just £1.00 and I thought I'd have that. And as I walked over to pay for it.....

I spotted this second book also for a £1.00 - Painting and Finishing Scale Models by Paul Boyer. Before paying I thought, I wonder if there are any others?

And there was. This time - How to Build Plastic Aircraft Models by Roscoe Creed, another £1.00 bargain.

Three great reads and all for the cost of less than one new magazine.

But that wasn't all. As I was thinking, this must be my bargain/bargains of the day I spotted this plastic, tilting and locking turntable in a second charity shop. I have often thought I would like a turntable for my modelling and at just £6.00 I think this is my bargain buy of the day.

In the first image you can see it in its tilted form.

Th second image is it in the plain turntable mode.

The locking nuts can be removed and refitted in any of the 24 holes and adjusted with the screw threads.

This locking nut holds the turntable in place when you want it fixed.

And finally this is the label that was attached to the top - FOR MUG/CUP PAINTING.

The lady who served me asked what it was and how I was going to use it. I said for model making and promptly paid the £6.00 and couldn't wait to test it out back in my shed.

Since coming home, I have tried searching for more information, but as there are no markings or details printed on the turntable, the best I have been able to come up with is that there are a number of different cake decorating tilting and turning turntables about - some are quite expensive, but I have not been able to find a plastic cup painting turntable on the internet.

The turntable is extremely well engineered and the only modification I will make is to add a sheet of sticky-back plastic to the main face as I am a messy modeller and I would expect to get paint and/or DAS on the main surface when using it.

I'll report back once I have some 'hands-on' experience with the turntable but look forward to using it.

Tony