Best way to cut window openings?

[E-L man tom]

I am scratch building a grain elevator from 0.080" thick styrene sheets. I am concerned about cutting out the windows so that they are square and straight. I am using Grandt Line windows , doors and vents with a minimum dimension of about 0.30" and a maximum dimension of about 0.45"; I need some suggestions on the best way to cut out the openings for these. I thought about using just a new utility knife blade to score and then punching out with a 1/4" wood chisel, sharpened. Any way that might be easier or more precise would be helpful.

Thanks 

 

[Shilshole]

Don't know about .080, but this works for me on .040 and thinner:

Drill holes at/just inside the corners.
Score the rectangular opening between drill holes.
Score the two diagonals between drill holes.
Push on the middle of the 'X' and the triangles will snap out.
If necessary, clean up corners with file.

May need to score each line several times on the .080.  The holes stop the breaks from propagating beyond the corners.

[reklein]

On that heavy styrene I'd drill a hole, at slow speed , as large as you can fit in the opening. Then using an exacto,I actually like using a Flexcut carving knife, and carve the hole to marked guidelines. A grain elevator doesn't have that many windows. For a lot of windows,score and snap out every thing thats not a window and glue them back together again after the opening peices have been removed. I like the carving knife better because of its stiffer blade and is not prone to braking the tips .

[E-L man tom]

Thanks, guys. I think both suggestions are excellent. Reklein, I would like to know, what is and how may I get one of these Flexicut carving knives?

[loathar]

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=81652

Don't know if this will help.

[larak]

I believe that Micro Mark sells a corner cutting tool. It's kind of a mini version of the corner tool used for recessing hinges in full size doors. Don't rmemeber tha page but it was in the latest catalog.

[topcopdoc]

Try this:

http://www.micromark.com/

Good luck,

Doc

[reklein]

e-l man tom, I got my knife from the Treasure Chest Hobby shop in Missoula, but I think you guys have a woodcarving hobby shop down there in Boise. Flexcut should be online too. I'll poke around and see what I can find. Flexcut has a whole line of very good, relatively inexpensive carving tools.By the way I use  BRADPOINT BITS for drilling styrene as they cut very cleanly with little tear out.

P.S. I found em. Go to the Woodcraft store in the Boise area for FlexCut tools

[leighant]

I agree with Reklein's suggestion-- "For a lot of windows,score and snap out every thing thats not a window and glue them back together again after the opening peices have been removed."  I have not built my new elevator yet, but that is what I plan to do.  I have used the technique before for several buildings.  For a house made of strene sheet in a slapboard siding pattern, I first scribe horizontally along the groove in the clapboard at what I intend to be the top and bottom of the window opening, and snap off what would be the section withbthe window.  Then I scribe the piece I have cut out of the middle vertically where I want the window opening to be.  Then glue the pieces back together with the window piece left out.  I have done this on a number of N scale buildings.

Most recently, I did it for the office located on the loading dock of this ice plant, as yet unfinished.

The scribe-and-snap processi is the only one I would consider using for my port terminal export grain elevator on my new "Island Seaport" layout.  I think the splices in the styrene would resemble mold marks on concrete, and there would be little need to hide them.  For this model, I disagree somewhat with Reklein's comment that "A grain elevator doesn't have that many windows."

 

[reklein]

My bad,on the :grain elevators don't have many windows" comment.I was thinking of the small town wooden type.

[C&O Fan]

There is a tool called a Nibbler

It's great for cutting out windows

You drill a hole first the insert it

it cuts about 1/4 inch at a time

it's easy to square up a window because it cuts square

 http://www.directron.com/nibbletool.html

 

 

[G Paine]

Micro-Mark sells the same tool; I have one and that is what I would suggest fror your windows. It will handle the thick plastic; just nibble over a waste basket or have the shop vac handy. It makes a lot of small pieces of whatever you are cutting.

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=81477

[pennsy-gg1]

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=81652

Don't know if this will help.

 

I like Loathar's suggestion the best!! Maybe use a Nibbler along with it... looks like you may get very accurate window openings.

 

[R. T. POTEET]

Drill a hole and start filing. Piece of cake!!!

Attention Ivanhen: I'm sorry for my snotty sarcasm but some answers just go that way!!!

Attention riogrande5761: that's an HO Scale hole and an HO Scale file and an HO Scale piece of cake: then again it might be an N Scale hole and an N Scale file and an N Scale piece of cake!!!

[C&O Fan]

Drill a hole and start filing. Piece of cake!!!

Attention Ivanhen: I'm sorry for my snotty sarcasm but some answers just go that way!!!

Attention riogrande5761: that's an HO Scale hole and an HO Scale file and an HO Scale piece of cake: then again it might be an N Scale hole and an N Scale file and an N Scale piece of cake!!!

 

RT

Filing is ok depending on your age

If he wants to finish all those holes before he's 70

he should get a nibbler

[R. T. POTEET]

 

Drill a hole and start filing. Piece of cake!!!

RT

Filing is ok depending on your age

If he wants to finish all those holes before he's 70

he should get a nibbler

Whatever!

[E-L man tom]

Thanks, Reklein, If you're ever in Boise, the address for Wood Craft Supply is 6883 Overland Road, Boise; it's not far from me, as I live on that (west) side of town, phone: [phone]. The tools run $17 to $20. Thanks