Yeah we’re all a bit nuts, it is a prerequisite  to become a scale modeler! But did you know that nuts, more specifically Walnuts are both a dandy resource for scale modeling and good for the modeler as well? I didn’t either until I did a little reading.

Seems that Walnuts are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids which helps to lower cholesterol, which is good for the modeler. The shells are used for many applications such as cleansing and polishing, drilling in the petroleum industry, as a flour in the plastics industry, a paint thickener and as a cosmetic skin cleanser.

What modeling applications do Walnuts have? Well several. If the shells are ground up (you can use an inexpensive coffee grinder for this) you can create a soil like material suitable for use on dioramas. Coarsely ground is suitable for gravel and rocks. Finely ground and you have a material suitable to be used as sand or dirt. Stir in a little binding agent of your choice and you can create a nice mud wash which can be applied to tires and tracks, as well as the base of a diorama.

It is a substance which you can control the consistency and size (scale) of by how much you grind it…french press or espresso!

So the next time you’re looking for something to munch on as a snack while at the bench, think Walnuts (whole in the shell) they can serve two purposes…scale modeling resource and fuel to power the scale modeler…you.

If you haven’t tried Walnuts and Dark Chocolate Chips…you should! Mmmm!