tools - "must have" and "wish to have"

[New to Model Railroading-09]

Hi everyone,

Aside from the obvious equipment relating to this hobby - locomotives and other rolling stock, track, mode of control, etc, I know that a number of other tools will be essential and some would be nice to have.  But, within our house we have a complete lack of tools other then the basics - a hammer, a few screw drivers, pliers, a small wrench set, and a cordless drill.  And like many people, my wife and I just don't have a lot of money to spare so we have to plan our spending carefully.  Which all leads to my questions.

What tools/equipment would you put on a must have list?

What tools would you consider as very good to have but not essential, so therefore would be on a wish to have list?

[teen steam fan]

Must...

Soldering iron, A good one

a wood jewlers mallet

jewelers pliers

a good set of small screwdrivers

my list of want tools include a drill press, small lathe and some other metalworking things

[Flynn]

Echoing what Teen Steam said but I'll add a couple of others.

For kits and other modeling projects, I'd add the following:

Needle files and a razor saw, which should only set you back $20.00 to $30.00.

 

For benchwork, a level, a sabre saw, and a circular saw are needed if you do anything beyond the 4x8 sheet of plywood. 

Corner clamps and c-clamps are also a good idea to have.

[doctorwayne]

New to Model Railroading-09

Hi everyone,

Aside from the obvious equipment relating to this hobby - locomotives and other rolling stock, track, mode of control, etc, I know that a number of other tools will be essential and some would be nice to have.  But, within our house we have a complete lack of tools other then the basics - a hammer, a few screw drivers, pliers, a small wrench set, and a cordless drill.  And like many people, my wife and I just don't have a lot of money to spare so we have to plan our spending carefully.  Which all leads to my questions.

What tools/equipment would you put on a must have list?

What tools would you consider as very good to have but not essential, so therefore would be on a wish to have list?

 

Perhaps I'm not reading the question properly, but it seems to me that the O.P. is asking "What tools other than equipment relating to the hobby should be considered essential?" 

My reply would be that, unless he plans on getting into home repair and renovations, he already has them.  Beyond that, and including tools for both general use and modelling,  there are too many to list, depending on how deeply one wishes to become involved.

Wayne

 

[Wikious]

A good Xacto knife with spare blades

Model glue (a tool?)

Flat metal ruler

Some sort of square

[tomikawaTT]

The absolute minimum?  That takes some thought - says he, who has a machinist's toolbox full of exotic hardware, most of which is almost never disturbed. 

For benchwork, my way, a 25-foot tape measure, small rafter square, tin snips, power drill (may be cordless) with crosspoint screwdriver bit(s) and a saber saw (for cookie-cutting plywood.)  I build benchwork from steel studs.

For mounting roadbed to plywood subgrade - a large tube of latex caulk in a caulking gun (spread it out with the sample cards from your friendly credit card purveyor or similar source) and some weights (old phone books, dead batteries from cordless tools, 2-liter bottles of soda...)

For mounting plastic-tie track to roadbed - same as the above, but make sure you use either clear or grey caulk.

For prepping flex track - fine-toothed file, diagonal cutting pliers (or specialized rail-cutting tool,) hobby knife set with long (#11) and chisel-point blades.

Wiring - small-diameter drill bit (for the power drill)  Soldering tool (enter "solder" in the forum search and get to read the pros and cons of guns vs/and/or irons.  My personal choice is a heavy gun for layout wiring, and a needle-tipped iron for electronics and in-panel wiring.)  Solder (60/40 or electronic solder, small-diameter with rosin core) and flux (NOT acid!)  Nice to have - a low-cost multimeter.

The one tool you absolutely will NOT need is a hammer.  Nails have no place in model railroad carpentry.

This assumes the use of plastic tie (sectional or flex) track and commercial turnouts, and does not include tools needed for assembly/maintenance/modification of rolling stock and structures.

Avoid cordless soldering tools and those 'not available in stores' super TV advertised deals.  Most of them will give you things you don't need and will never use.  You can get the two sockets and hinge handle at a big-box home improvement store if you ever need them.  Why buy a 30 socket set, with added set of screwdrivers and handy wall rack, special to the first fifty customers to call the 800 number?

The good news is that you can buy a specific tool when you need it.  You don't need to get everything up front.

Just my , other opinions may vary.

Chuck (Former flight line mechanic modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[tinman1]

I would only get the smaller tools that you would use regularly and leave the larger and more dedicated tools until you are sure you would use them. That would be the small files, jewlers screwdrivers and pliers, an assortment of tweezers and clamps, an air-brush, razor knife and saw, a magnifying lens and a GOOD strong bright light. The hammer should stay in the drawer for most projects, not matter how frustrating those grab-irons might be.

[Bill H.]

 http://www.micromark.com/

[kog1027]

Small screwdriver and / or socket set. 

Exacto knife or clone thereof, #11 style handle & blades is not expensive.  I've also gotten blade assortments that include some odd shapes & chisel blades that come in handy.

I've got a genuine Dremel and a spare "clone" motor tool as well as an assortment of accessories for less than about $50 by bargain hunting. 

I've had good luck shopping tool sales at Sears, Lowe's & Home Depot.

Staples & Office Depot have items such as metal rulers and squares as well as various Sharpie pens, markers and other basic drafting tools.  Again, look for sales such as back-to-school.

In addition I've found Harbor Freight & Northern Tools to both have the occasional low cost gem.  Both have stores locally in Orlando.

Mark Gosdin

[richg1998]

Dremel with an assortment of bits, saw blades, cut off disk, flex tool, drill press for the Dremel.

Ok, a large assortment of accessories for the Dremel. I probably have 40 various tools for the Dremel.

A hardware store (not big box) in my town carries a large assortment of Dremel stuff. I sometimes wander in and pickup another tool for my Dremel.

A battery operated Dremel for work away from the bench.

Protective face shield is a necessity.

I some times wear a ball cap with two super bright LED's in the brim.

Rich

[IRONROOSTER]

The must have is safety glasses.  Especially for power tools, but also handtools such as a hammer, snips, etc. where there is a possibility of flying debris.

After that it really depends on what you are doing.

For a small layout you could just lay a 3/4" plywood sheet across 2 sawhorses and be done with bench work. OTOH if you are building a larger layout with grid or L girder benchwork you'll find a saw handy for cutting wood to length.

Wiring a small layout you can strip the wire and cut it with a knife.  For a larger layout you'll want wire strippers.

If you're building models then a small hobby file, a set of small screwdrivers, and a hobby knife will be helpful.

My suggestion is you buy tools when needed for each thing you're doing.  Look at non powered tools first as they are usually cheaper.

Enjoy

Paul

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 A must have is a bench mounted lighted magnifying glass cause if your eyes aint the best they sure ain't gonna get any better. The must have tool list is seemingly endless as the more you do the more tools you need to do the jobs. The one good thing about model railroading is there is a lot in the way of tools you can "make do with" such as things found in the dollar stores like mixing bowls and spatula for mixing hydrocal etc., sifters or tea strainers for ground cover, foam brushes for painting. I am not one who advocates buying cheap tools being a tradesmen I have tools that are older then I am and everyone knows if taken care of a good tool will out last you, but if you don't have the money you don't have the money plain and simple and for the average user working on your train layout is not going to overtax your tools so if your careful the cheap stuff will do until you can afford better. Try looking in places like Harbor Freight there stuff is of lesser quality but it will get the job done.

 

If I had a blank check I would replace the old unimat that has long since died with a nice small milling machine and a small lathe, and a resistance soldering tool would be at the top of the list as I worked my way through the Micromark catalog.

[selector]

Must have tools for the hobby?  Lesseee.....

1.  A wide vocabulary of choice expletives.  The ability to say them so that She doesn't hear them would definitely be an advantage;

2.  Needle tweezers;

3.  Track nipper from Xuron;

4.  Sprue nipper from Xuron;

5.  An Opti-Visor;

6.  Metal illigitimate child files, needle files, fine needle-nosed pliers, cutters, soldering implements and supplies, wood rasp file, wire brushes, clamps, vise, a fine eye-glass type screwdriver set, seven different glues, table or bench saw, radial saw, miter saw, drill press, ...I better stop.

7.  Most important, patience.

-Crandell

[wedudler]

 Something I want to add:

 must - NMRA gauge, soldering iron

wish - soldering station

Wolfgang

[dstarr]

 There are not too many must have tools in model railroading.  Xacto knife, a small file to smooth out track joints, an NMRA gauge to check and set wheel/track gauge and coupler height.  Needle nose pliers to set and pull track nails, and a 12 volt test lamp to check for juice or lack of same on the track. 

    Moving on to very useful but you can squeeze by without them for some time.  Soldering equipment, wire strippers, a multimeter, a Dremel, pin vise and a set of #60 to #80 numbered drill bits.  Xuron rail nipper, a sprue cutter, a scale ruler.  Handsaw or saber saw or skilsaw.  Combination square and a steel tape.  Clamps.

You can save money by waiting until you need the tool before buying it.  It's also cheaper to buy just the tool you need rather than a set of all sizes.  Decent tools will turn up at yard sales and Craigs list.  Used cordless tools most often will need a new battery, and replacement batteries can cost as much as a whole new cordless tool.

[Burlington Northern Rails]

This is the only tool you need!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Wenger-The-Giant-Knife/dp/B001DZTJRQ/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1263143868&sr=8-6

[Ibflattop]

If ya want to save a little money on your Zuron Track cutter nippers. Go to your favorite Wally World, and go to the craft Section. There you will find the same Track nippers for like $4.00 opposed to the $12- 15 dollers that you would pay for a Zuron.      Kevin

[New to Model Railroading-09]

Thank you to everyone for the great advice!  I have to say, it is nice to not only have started into this hobby after decades of dreaming about it, I think it is a hobby that attracts a really great group of people!

[IVRW]

Must:

Xacto knife

plastic cement

paint

file

Want:

corner brace

tweezers

This is just my bare bones idea for tools

[hcc25rl]

 I must have what I wish to have, albeit, ALL OF IT!

Jimmy

[Marc_Magnus]

Hi from Belgium,

I like to scratchbuild  buildings or often added parts to give them a more "personnal "kit look.

I whish also to go to a more scratchbuild buildings approach for my Maclau River in Nscale.

Unfortunately one thing which it's time consuming and hard to do whith small tolerances like me in Nscale is cutting accurate windows opening in the plastic or even wood for the Grandt Lines windows I use.

It's also time consumming and can stop you in your effort when you need to build a big building whith lot of windows.

So my whish and a sure whish for the future is owing a small CNC cutting table.

Not a laser one because cutting plastic whith laser give some trouble. (and of course the price!)

Old engraving CNC machine can do the job easily (I know it because in the past I have work whith Gravograph CNC machines) and cut small rectangular or rond holes in plastic whith a tolerance of 0.001mm!

Just what I need for my Nscale opening holes for Nscale!

Looking on Ebay or on the site of Engraver manufacturer give the opportunities to find second hand machines at and affordable price even it's still a good price.

This buildings is entierely scratch includind the dust ventilator; everything was cut whit a rule and a cutter, a long and hard work

Marc

[MisterBeasley]

Xuron track nippers (and use them only for track, not snipping wire, etc.)

Magnifying lamp, with a lens in the center and a ring flourescent light around the rim.

I have a screwdriver with exchangeable tips, a set of which live in the handle.  It's solid and has a good grip.  This lets me have 1 screwdriver for most benchwork and wiring tasks, so I don't need a box of them.  (I have a set of small screwdrivers for the models, though.)

I also have a utility knife (by Nack, I think) with a cartridge full of blades.  The blade in service is easily retracted for safety when I put it in my pocket, and I can swap in a new blade in seconds when I need a fresh cut.

I have a pair of needle nose pliers, a pair of wire cutters and a wire stripper upstairs in my train room, and a second pair of each downstairs in the workshop.  This saves me a lot of trips up and down the stairs.

Kadee coupler gauge, trip pin pliers and knuckle spring tool.

Toothpicks.  Common wood toothpicks are the perfect tool for applying small amounts of glue.

Pipettes.  These are hobbyists eyedroppers.  They're great for applying alcohol and then glue when ballasting.  I also use one for CA accelerator.

I've got a 90-degree framing clamp for putting benchwork together.  It really simplifies the process, as it both aligns and holds the pieces together as I fasten them with screws.

[BRAKIE]

New to Model Railroading-09

Hi everyone,

Aside from the obvious equipment relating to this hobby - locomotives and other rolling stock, track, mode of control, etc, I know that a number of other tools will be essential and some would be nice to have.  But, within our house we have a complete lack of tools other then the basics - a hammer, a few screw drivers, pliers, a small wrench set, and a cordless drill.  And like many people, my wife and I just don't have a lot of money to spare so we have to plan our spending carefully.  Which all leads to my questions.

What tools/equipment would you put on a must have list?

What tools would you consider as very good to have but not essential, so therefore would be on a wish to have list?

My tool list is simple.I need the small tools to maintain my engines and cars.For layout building,a saw,tape measure,small level and drill with screw driver bits is enough..For cutting track my trusty Dremel will work as its done for years..

So,I have no tool "must have" list.

[CB&Q Modeler]

One tool I'm getting ready to purchase is a micrometer,handy for measuring wheel diameters, motor shaft sizes etc.

[grizlump9]

 others have said it before but, buy the best you can afford and you will be happy.  i have a drawer full of mediocre tools that i no longer use and wish i had saved my money instead of buying them.

 buy high quality tools and use them only for the job they were designed to do.

 after 5 decades in this hobby i realize that the pleasure i derive and the satisfaction with my efforts are the result of more than just my improved skills.  a lot of it has to do with high quality tools and learning to use them properly.

  if you give a genuine craftsman a piece of junk to work with then he will do a poor job regardless of his level of skill and experience.

grizlump

[CTValleyRR]

Usually,  I wouldn't weigh in on a topic like this, but I feel some clarification of previous responses is in order.

First, the only positively absolutely essential tool that you must have in this hobby is imagination.  The ability to laugh at yourself helps, but isn't essential.

Now, there are some tools that are really, really, really useful to have around.  You will do better work and get better results if you have them but there is very little in the hobby that you can't find a workaround for.  However, your requirements for tools depend greatly on WHAT you're doing on your layout and your standards of acceptability.  Here's where I think we need to focus on clarification a little bit.  ROUGHLY in the order you need them, here goes.

For Benchwork -- all you really need is some basic woodworking tools:  a crosscut saw, clamps, sandpaper, a square, a tape measurer, a drill, and a screwdriver.  If you want to make curved cuts in your layout, a coping saw (or saber saw) is helpful.  Power versions of these tools are much better: better results (straighter cuts and holes); faster, and less fatiguing.  A cordless drill / screwdriver combo can be had for under $50.  A table saw or circular saw is great, but these can be rented fairly inexpensively.  Orbital sanders are really useful too.  Ordinary old "C" clamps work, but those Qwik-Clamps that you can apply with one hand are a brilliant invention (although they run $15+ a pop).  Before you invest in a lot of woodworking tools, consider how likely you are ever to need them again.  WHATEVER you get, wear safety glasses and keep your fingers away from power tools.  Eyes and fingers are difficult to replace at any cost.

For Track Laying -- what are you doing?  If you're making a simple layout with sectional track with pre-molded roadbed on it (which has pros and cons), you don't need anything more than nature equipped you with.  For sectional track without the roadbed, needlenose pliers (for applying and crimping rail joiners) and metal cutters (to separate the joiners) save a lot of wear and tear on your fingers, and a metal straightedge and an NMRA Standards gauge will go a long way towards avoiding frustration later.  Now, you don't absolutely have to solder your track joints together or your feeder wires to the track, but again, you will probably save yourself hours of frustration later if you do.  To this end, a soldering iron in the 30W range will be needed, along with flux and solder.  Personally, I prefer the pencil-type irons with replaceable tips, but others will have a different opinion.  Weller is a good brand.  An 8" mill file and a good set of jeweler's (or "mini") files are useful here, too.  If you'll be using flex track, add a pair of rail nippers, and move the files up from "useful" to "required".  Handlaid track requires some special tools, but I wouldn't recommend that for beginners anyway.  Instead of rail nippers, I have had excellent results using a rotary tool (Dremel) and a reinforced cut-off wheel instead of rail nippers, but that's a bit of an investment.  Think about it, though.  I use my Dremel ALL THE TIME.  A wire stripping and cutting tool is useful, but not essential.

Structure and rolling stock kit building.  The files mentioned above are terrific aids here (pieces don't mate perfectly as often as the manufacturers want you to think.  Some small clamps intended for model work, tweezers -- straight, curved, and ones that let go when you squeeze rather than grip -- are great aids.  A modeling knife (Xacto #11 or similar), metal straight edge, and square are must haves as well. A modelling cement applicator with a needle tip and several types of adhesives (styrene cement, cyanoacrylate, and tacky craft glue) are all useful.

Kitbashing and Scratchbuilding:  A step up in difficulty from kitbuilding, but with more satisfying results.  To the tools above, add a pin vice and bits and a razor saw (although you can use a hacksaw, but it's more difficult to get good results). A mitre box and or small chopper are also useful.  Here is where you can get into some pretty fancy tools (lathes, milling machines, etc.) too.

Locomotive and Rolling stock maintenance:  Jeweler's screwdrivers, mini files, and the soldering iron are your friends here, as is the wire cutting / stripping tool.  Again, though, you may be able to pay someone to do it for you, but ultimately, it's cheaper to learn to do it yourself.

As far as a wish list goes:  well, walk around the power tool section of your local home improvement store, and order a Micro-Mark catalog.  Just about anything in either place will make your life easier, but be prepared to fork out some dough.

So the short answer is (I know, a little late for that), tailor your tool purchases to the phase of development of your layout, and remember that almost everything is an AID, not a REQUIREMENT, and you will stretch your hobby budget farther.  Lots of people, me included, will probably have some adds to this list, but I've tried to cover the whole thing.

[CP5415]

Must have?  1 of everything!

Wish to have? 1 of everything

Reality? Not even close .... but getting there!

just don't tell my wife please!

 Gordon