 Editor in Chief Bill   | 17 Jun 2016 11:05 a.m. PST |
Dentists have access to lots of cool tools and materials that are useful to wargamers. Are you a dentist?
Do you have a dentist friend who gives you his discarded tools? |
| GarrisonMiniatures | 17 Jun 2016 11:09 a.m. PST |
No
No But my Dad worked in a hospital:) |
| 14Bore | 17 Jun 2016 11:35 a.m. PST |
I did ask my Dentist about the magnifier he uses, but his answer was it is probably more expensive than it would be worth. But did suggest a hobby shop and that's were in got mine. Haven't asked about tools but wonder if the drills he uses and if bits are used up do they throw them out. |
| Zeelow | 17 Jun 2016 11:37 a.m. PST |
About ten years ago, sitting in a dental chair, I asked my dentist if he had any hand tools he used to clean and dig around in teeth that he could give to me for sculpting. He gave me about a dozen different pics and such. Very handy when the putty is about. |
| John the Greater | 17 Jun 2016 11:40 a.m. PST |
I bought some dental tools at a yard sale. Very useful for getting flash out of tight spaces. |
| PatrickWR | 17 Jun 2016 11:48 a.m. PST |
I asked my dentist for a bunch of spare tools about 25 years ago when I wanted to be a paleontologist. Now I use them regularly for hobby stuff. They're very useful and I recommend everyone try to track down a set! |
| Bellbottom | 17 Jun 2016 11:58 a.m. PST |
I've had discarded drills and burrs from one of my dentists in the past |
GildasFacit  | 17 Jun 2016 12:07 p.m. PST |
Have you seen the price dentists pay for those tools ? I got a broken pick off mine once and reground it – that was nearly 20 years ago and I have never has to sharpen it again. Amazing steel they use, but I'd never pay what dentists pay for theirs. |
Oberlindes Sol LIC  | 17 Jun 2016 12:28 p.m. PST |
No, I am not a dentist, nor do I play one on tv. I do have a dentist's mirror-on-a-handle, which is not very useful for hobbies, but is handy for looking into some dark corners of our cabinets. |
| Winston Smith | 17 Jun 2016 12:40 p.m. PST |
No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. |
| Dynaman8789 | 17 Jun 2016 1:01 p.m. PST |
No – but a member of our group is, he is one heck of a miniatures painter too. I think the skill set overlaps from one to the other… |
| Lee Brilleaux | 17 Jun 2016 1:08 p.m. PST |
Ah, the old "Are you a dentist?" poll. |
 ochoin | 17 Jun 2016 1:13 p.m. PST |
"Is it safe?" (sound of dental drill)
"Is it safe?"
(sound of screaming) "Is it safe?" |
 FingerandToeGlenn | 17 Jun 2016 2:08 p.m. PST |
My FIL was an oral surgeon. I've got his picks. They're great. Unfortunately, the Public Health Service wouldn't let me have the drill and chair he used at the Indian Hospital |
| RavenscraftCybernetics | 17 Jun 2016 2:40 p.m. PST |
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| 5thlancer | 17 Jun 2016 3:35 p.m. PST |
I am not a Dentist but I am a Dental Lab Tech. If you think that Dentists get some neat equipment you'd be amazed at all the goodness I get to use every day. In addition to all the old instruments that the Hygienists (sp) pass my way there is a wonderful assortment of carbide and diamond burs for both the regular handpiece and the high speed turbine handpiece. I also get to use multiple types of dental stone which comes in very handy for bases and simple objects. Oh yeah, the impression materials are also useful for molds in which to pour the stone. I must say though, that all these materials that I reuse are what is normally thrown away as excess. |
| hetzer | 17 Jun 2016 4:10 p.m. PST |
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| Gunfreak | 17 Jun 2016 5:00 p.m. PST |
I don't have a dentist. Haven't been to one since i got my braces of 18 years ago. My teeth are white they don't hurt. So until those two things change I'm not getting close to a dentist. How ever i would like one of those saws cardiac surgians use to saw open chests. |
| evilgong | 17 Jun 2016 8:45 p.m. PST |
I know of one wargamer dentist. Many moons ago I was at the suburban tip helping the old man dump stuff, I saw an abandoned wooden box that I thought could be used as a wargame fig carrier. The thing was heavy and locked. When I got it home a cupboard key opened it – it was filled with all manner of dentists' tools – probes, scrapers, mirrors, surgical tweezers and other things I have know idea what they might be used for. I still have them and use them. David F Brown |
| Joes Shop | 18 Jun 2016 5:25 a.m. PST |
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| CeruLucifus | 18 Jun 2016 10:34 a.m. PST |
About 10 years ago I asked my dentist's assistant if she had any discarded tools. She opened a drawer of old tools and said I could take whatever I wanted. Which was basically 2 each of 2-ended picks and mirrors. I don't use them much for sculpting as around the same time I found a set of metal wax sculpting tools plus the GW sculpting tool (which is the perfect single tool). But once in a while it's sure handy to have a sharp angled pointy tool on a sturdy handle. |
| wrgmr1 | 18 Jun 2016 10:35 a.m. PST |
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| Fergal | 18 Jun 2016 5:49 p.m. PST |
im a qualified Dental Technician (haven't done it in 17 years) and my father was a dentist. He retired last June and I've gots lots of cool stuff around from his office. Lots of cool 'loops' for painting and some other tools for holding things and such. I learned quite a bit about molds and casting when in school, but we didn't use any fancy pool of metal to dip from, we melted metals with a blowtorch, then dumped it in the spin caster :) also poured more plaster than I ever wanted to while there. Wish I had been an active wargames at the time, I'd probably be a casting house if I had. |
| Lucius | 19 Jun 2016 11:52 a.m. PST |
I do a lot of dentistry in my veterinary practice. Any high-quality dental instrument these days is much too expensive to use for hobby work. You are much better off getting a Micro-Mark catalog and getting dedicated hobby instruments there, for less money. And any low-end dental equipment that you can get, is simply not as useful for hobby work as dedicated hobby tools are. I use my dental instruments to make money to buy high-quality hobby tools. |
