I would just like to say.....You can cut a lot more material with those shears, all the way to the tip....not just model truck mirrors. I also owned My own business, but semi's and did most of the repairs Myself......there is nothing that beats the correct tool for the job.....period! How about a 675ftlb torq wrench, at 650.00 a pop! Over 1000 dollars today! Most of the time, it sits in the toolbox.
W.C. Fields when playing golf, always wanted to use His special club that He bought in Canada....His ''Canadian Club'' as it was called..LOL
Take Care!
Frank
Nice work on those model trucks!!! SWEET!!
tstageI take acception to that. If it's the right tool, does the job well, and you don't spend an arm and a leg on it - even if you only use it once or twice - it's worth the money
I can't/won't argue that point.Back when I was selfemployed, I bought a few tools that got used once, and now they sit, But I needed them to do the job that paid my wages. But now we are talking hobby.
I think I paid 16$ ea, for the kits,about the same amount as CMW trucks. But I have a larger selection withSylvan and I enjoyed building them.
If I buy the tool for <20$> and do just these two that 10$ more ea. Now, most mirrors in the 40s/50s had just a round mirror on a stick,hardy noticabe. For 10 bucks a truck I think I could scratch build something. To "me" its just not cost effective Still thinking on it
UNCLEBUTCH I agree not to spend money on a tool you may only use once or twice.Right now I'm not sure those neat mirrors are worth a 15/20$ tool,still thinking on it
I agree not to spend money on a tool you may only use once or twice.Right now I'm not sure those neat mirrors are worth a 15/20$ tool,still thinking on it
I take acception to that. If it's the right tool, does the job well, and you don't spend an arm and a leg on it - even if you only use it once or twice - it's worth the money. And...you never know when it might come in handy for something you haven't even planned on yet.
Many moons ago when I was poor and used to work on my own vehicle (in the days you still could), I needed to drop the axle fluid on my '80 AMC Eagle. The access port to put the new fluid in was ~1" OD and near the top of the axle housing. The ONLY way to get fluid in was to pick up a $8 manual fluid dispenser from Napa. (It was just a suction gun with a clear rubber hose at the end: Pull out the handle and it drew the fluid up into the canister; push it back out and it dispensed it.) BEST $8 I ever spent!!! It literally took me <1 min. to put the new axle fluid and tighten the port nut.
Granted it was only an $8 tool...but it did what it was designed to do and it did it VERY well. Perhaps a poor analogy to the options for cutting thin stainless steel for MRRing purposes. $15-$20 for a tool that cuts the material well - without the need to file it or the possibility of bending the part - would be worth the investment in my eyes.
My ...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I tryed the knife, every witch way I could think of;won't work for me, not sure why.Tryed every pair of side cutters I own,they'll dent and bend but not cut.I have a pair of good tin snips, somewhere,I will look for them, [been plowing snow most of the day]
If I were doing as many trucks as Frank (nice work, as usual), or needed to cut stainless steel parts as often, I'd certainly spring for that Xuron tool, but for my limited needs, the X-Acto blade works just fine on stainless.
Wayne
OK got it. I'll check out those Xuron tools
Thank you
mbinsewi I do a lot of brass and stainless detail parts, mostly on tank cars, and I use what Ed uses. I got mine at Micro-Mark. Price was about the same. A member on here, Frank, (zstripe) turned me on to them. Mike
I do a lot of brass and stainless detail parts, mostly on tank cars, and I use what Ed uses. I got mine at Micro-Mark. Price was about the same.
A member on here, Frank, (zstripe) turned me on to them.
Mike
Thanks for the accolades Mike.......Anyway..I don't believe Micro-Mark carry's that particular one anymore...but it's still made. It will cut thin stainless steel..one reason that I got them...a metal that no #11 blade or side cutter will touch, unless designed for it. The Alloy forms ones are brass, Sylvan's are Stainless, like the A-line mirrors that I use exclusively on almost all My Vehicles are etched Stainless stl. Will not bend easily like brass will, when bumping it or worse. I got mine 8yrs. yrs. ago and they are just as sharp as new, all the way to the tip. They will cut a stainless steel Model Railroad ruler in half, I know because I have.
To each their own...but I havn't found a better one yet!:
http://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/4/80
Like Dave, I use a #11 blade, not a new, sharp one, but the heel of an older blade. Working on a sheet of glass or other hard material, you simply press down firmly while restraining the part from flying off into the unknown. The part may require a little dressing with a file.I use the same procedure for cutting wire: brass up to .030" and phosphor bronze up to about .020". I've also used it for stainless steel wire, but only diameters of .012" or less.I have also used old #11s to cut brass tubing, especially small diameters or short pieces of any diameter: simply use the blade to roll the tubing back and forth on a hard surface. It will score the tube similar to using a tubing cutter.I also use older, but re-sharpened #11s to cut brass shimstock. In this case, the blade is used to repeatedly score along the cut lines, until the part either breaks free or can be flexed until it breaks free.Most of these operations can also be done with a cut-off disc.
You can also put the sprue on a sheet of glass (1/4" preffered so it won't break) and use a sharp #11 X-acto blade. The trick is having a very hard surface under the sprue.
Make sure you hang on to the part lest it go flying into the nether land.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
My You Tube
I use these and have never found anything better...
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Xuron-Model-440-High-Precision-Photo-Etch-Scissors-p/xur-90046.htm
I also use these for thicker brass and some stainless photoetched frets:
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Xuron-Tools-p/xur-90128.htm
Good Luck, Ed
I use my go-to tool for this type of application - avaition shears, or some small side cutters intended for work like clipping resistor leads. Work slowly, and use magnification as appropriate. Once you clip out a few you get used to it.
Rob Spangler
I built a couple trucks, came out really nice. But I can't figure out how to remove the mirrors from the etched stainless sprue.
A blade won't cut it, side cutters are just too big,not sure I want to use tin snips.
I'm sure someone has done it,can you tell me how?
thanks