Tooling Question.

[NSWRDivision80061]

And thats pretty much it, what exactly is tooling?

[Eddie_walters]

In the context of an RTR model or a kit, it is the molds etc required to produce the parts. The tooling is the significant cost of producing a model - once the tooling has been produced and paid off, the unit cost becomes very low. The desire to exploit existing tooling is, for example, why we see BLI bringing out the "Blueline" series of models. From what I understand, the development cost of an HO scale locomotive runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it isn't hard to see why some manufacturers are shying away from building models without preorders!

[tomikawaTT]

Depending on context, TOOLING can be either a noun or the gerund form of the verb to tool.

As a noun, it usually refers to the manufacturing machinery required to produce a specified product, including such things as dies for molding machines, special jigs, automated assemby fixtures, etc.  FasTrack jigs can be referred to as, "Tooling designed for easy assembly of do-em-yourself turnouts."

As a verb, it can mean using tools to produce a design or result, as in designs cut or burned into wood or leather.  A model railroading application would be, "Tooling a stack of foam pieces into a mountainside."  (Translation - Using hot wire, surform tools, knives etc. to shape the contours of a mountain in a stack of extruded foam pieces.)

It can also refer to moving or traveling - "Tooling down the highway," is common.  I can't recall ever having heard it referring to anything on rails or water.

Isn't English a fun language?

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[loathar]

As in Ford is re-tooling. They are changing molds, stamping dies and robot software to produce parts for a different model or year vehicle. (the things that make the parts)