Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Well, I have seen this tool before and was thinking of getting it free with some rewards points I earned. I was thinking with this Xacto Helping Hands Tool, it has the aligator clips to hold the model. So, either you have to put your model on a pin or a base that you will eventually damage with the aligator clips as they will bite into the plastic or metal. Are there better alternatives? Can the clips be replaced with some other less damaging clip?

Yes, you should be able to go to radio shack or order online some. Look at the eletrical department of lowes or home depot for some. They will make plastic ones that you could file down the teeth and put in mole skin to hold the figure.

Maybe just take heat shrink wire and put a tube on each like claw thing. That will double your grip and lower your damage.

You can always file off the sharp edge and glue rubber to the ends.

I have that exact Xacto tool grip/magnify thingy... I tried to use it a few times but it was a real pain. It just took too much effort to move the model around to get the best angle for painting. I hated it actually lol. I need to be able to spin the model around effortlessly. What I do now is... pin the feet of the model and drill the hole into my base (but don't attach yet). Keep the pin extra long at this point, stab it into a cork - ready to paint... for the base, just use a little blue tac and another cork and it's ready to paint also.

Here is a photo - the priest is only half done though: