I've been stuck in a rut lately, and have been feeling uninspired. I'm frustrated by how sensitive Tsunami decoders are to track pickup fluctuations, and opening up my GP15 to put in a larger StayAlive capacitor is not a very exciting project...so I want to do some more kitbashing and scratchbuilding.
I have been really enjoying kitbashing, scratchbuilding, painting, and weathering with the tools I have. However, I don't feel empowered to do much more than minor modifications or fabrication because the only tool I have is a modeling knife (and a rather dull one at that).
What are some of the "must-have" tools that I should have? I don't have the budget for a Dremel, but saws, drills, etc., are things I'm missing. What do you use on a regular basis?
Thanks!
Haven't done any kit bashing and only a limited amount of scratch building, but I can offer these suggestions.
Get some sharp hobby knife blades. Make a huge difference in how well things go that you need them for.
A razor saw to make straight cuts.
A pin vise and a numbered drill set if you are going to be drilling holes. A set of hole reamers if you only need to enlarge holes. (A lot easier than changing drill sizes until you get the right size.)
I have a Chopper II for cutting small pieces, really nice for cutting multiple small parts of the same size. If you can't afford one yet, get a good small miter box.
Also have Micro Marks magnetic tray (60304) for assembling buildings and such. Very handy for many things. If it isn't in the budget at the moment a piece of steel and a package of magnets from the hardware store (6/$2 or so) would be a start and the magnets come in handy if you get the magnetic tray later. I actually like them better for some applications, as they are not as strong.
From Harbor Freight, I have some of the small ratcheting bar clamps. Excellent for holding buildings together while gluing.
A set of mini clamps like to Mico Mark 82780 is also very handy.
You obviously have some tools of the trade. These are a few I have found very helpful for a number of applications.
Hope this helps.
Good luck,
Richard
I think it all depends on who you ask. Some folks love tools and buy all sorts of things that you don't really need.
If I went through the tools I use the most, they would probably be a modeling knife, some single edged razor blades (which I probably use as much as a knife), a razor saw, a variety of files, some small drill bits with a pin vise and a steel ruler. I have a couple of Dremel tools, a NorthWest Short Line True-Sander and some other similar tools, but I don't use them very often. I also use some small pliers and nippers, tweezers, scissors and other simple tools from time to time.
In addition to a lot of small hobby files i've picked up over the years, some of my favorite tools are slightly larger mill files I've picked up in hardware stores or at train shows. They're my favorite tools for working with larger pieces of plastic.
One other important thing is a cutting mat and a nice smooth surface to work on. I think those are almost as important as any tool.
You'll be surprised at what you can do with a few simple tools. Then as you start to do more work, you can see what tools you might need and add them to your toolbox as you go along.
Jim
A sharp #11 blade.
A pin vise and some small bits.
A steel scale rule.
A dial caliper.
Calculator.
Machinist's square.
Razor saw and miter box.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
My best tool for cutting Plastruct, wood dowels, etc.
She's kinda slow goining, but it's hobby time right?
I paid $25 for mine.
http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/cut-off-saws/bench-top-cut-off-saw-42307.html
A computer. Use it to print coupons from Michaels and A.C. Moore. They have a coupon every week for 40 or 50% off one item. The first thing I'd go for is a razor saw. These stores also have balsa and bass wood, which is also great material for scratchbuilding. I use a lot of balsa strips inside my plastic kits, to provide bracing for interior floors and walls and to fill in the corners and make them stronger and more light-tight.
The hardware store will have a good utility knife, with those trapezoidal blades. Add a good metal ruler and you've really got about all you need.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
TrainManTy The right tools for kitbashing with plastic What are some of the "must-have" tools that I should have? I don't have the budget for a Dremel, but saws, drills, etc., are things I'm missing. What do you use on a regular basis?
The right tools for kitbashing with plastic
You specified "plastic", which is why I included it in the quote. While it would depend on what you're kitbashing (structures, rolling stock, locos - all use some of the same tools, but each one may also use tools specific to the job).
Basic tools for me would be an X-Acto knife with #11 blades, steel scale rule, machinist's square and a set of dividers. Some sandpaper and maybe a pencil and paper for a sketch or calculations, and definitely a bottle of lacquer thinner (great cement for styrene) and a suitably-sized brush for applying it. Oh, yeah, and a sheet of glass on which to work and an Opti-visor so I can see what I'm doing.
For kitbashing structures, add a utility knife, a carpenter's square, a long metal straightedge, machinist's blocks, various files, both mill and needle type, contact cement, larger brushes, elastic bands and clothes pegs,
For rolling stock, add #18 and #19 blades, a set of pin vises and a complete set of drill bits #1 to #79 (I no longer use #80s ). An appropriate assortment of taps and a razor saw, and maybe a #15 blade for the X-Acto, too, along with an assortment of screwdrivers and several pairs of tweezers. An autobody file, which works well on plastic, and smooth-jawed pliers for bending grab irons would be nice. A 25 watt soldering iron would be useful (roofwalk grabs and sill steps, ladders, etc. - even though you specified "styrene", metal work does creep in. This would be a good time to include the Dremel with cut-off discs, but it's not needed if you're working solely with styrene. A digital caliper is useful here, too, along with some ca to affix those metal parts to the plastic ones.
Once you've got all the foregoing tools, not much more required for kitbashing locos, although if you're adding metal parts, you'll need more soldering equipment. I also use 45, 80, and 200 watt irons and a plumbers torch, along with soldering tweezers and various metal clips and clamps. A continuity tester would be handy, and maybe a wheel and gear puller, but most of these are beyond styrene kitbashing. If you still couldn't afford the Dremel for the rolling stock, you'll need it here if you want your hand-formed piping to stay soldered to those brass detail parts - a soldered mechanical joint is much stronger than one which is merely soldered.
We'll leave paint, lettering, and weathering, etc,. for another time.
Wayne
Gidday, the item has been mentioned before but I couldn't do without my 4 inch engineers square, would also add to the list a good quality metal work scriber and find that "her indoors' spring type clothes pegs make good cheap clamps ( as long as I don't get them covered with paint and, or glue! ).
Hope you get over your attack of the doldrums,
Cheers, The Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
You don't really mention just what you want to kitbash. Structures or loco shells/ chassis. This would make quite a difference in the actual tools needed. I'm assuming it is structures. Cutting/ piecing of loco shells seems to be a thing of the past. We tend to have specific prototypes available these days and onlt minor detailing is usually done. With structures you can produce just about anything you want. If you are just combining various kits (wall sections etc), and are cutting fitting sectional pieces of styrene, you don't need a lot of tools. Scribing w/ "sharp" blades and snapping and sand to fit. The "chopper or razor saw as mentioed for sizing the smaller stock. I rarely use a Dremel, but there are times when it is a must. You will have to decide. It can make a project go far more quickly especially if repetative steps are needed ( window cutting in wall panels etc). I'm not in any "race" when building things like this and there's always an alternative to using simple hobby tools to do the same task. A pieces of sandpaper of various grit layed on a flat solid surface can be a simple toll that will perfect the edges or even mitered corners. I just improvise to get the job done.
Files, drills(pin vise), various blades ( love that Xacto chisel), Nibbler, clamps, corner jigs, along w/ all the basic tools you should already have and the list can go on. You just need to figure out just what is working for you.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Ahh, tools. For some of us collecting tools is our favorite part of the hobby. I have a fair collection myself. Actually, on my last true scratchbuilt project, (a rural passenger station in HO) I was surprised at how few tools (out of my sizable collection) that I really did use. Twelve inch scale rule, Xacto knife, small combination square, needle files and sandpaper. And spring clothespins for clamps. Paint brush, Floquil Depot Buff, Duco cement. Some Pliobond. Fair sized scrap of plywood as a cutting board. Station signage was composed in Word for Windows using 8 point sans serif and printed out on ordinary bond paper on my Inkjet printer.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Thanks everybody! To answer some of your questions:
What am I kitbashing?
I have several buildings that need to be kitbashed or scratchbuilt to fit their prototypes, so structures is certainly a major part of it.
Locomotives and rolling stock are also on the table, once I feel confident enough in my skills to start cutting things up. Eventually I want to chop the nose of a GP9, and scratchbuilding rolling stock really fascinates me as well.
What do I already have? (so you know I'm not ignoring your suggestion)
Here's my shopping list so far:
And one more question:
Do I need a miter box for my razor saw? What exactly does this do for me?
Thanks again, everybody!
Exacto and Zona both make miter boxes. What they do is allow you to cut consistent angles or straight cuts in material. I used mine all the time, until I got The Chopper from North West Short Line. What I like about the Chopper is that it comes with a set of angles, and you can set it to cut pieces the same length easily.
Phil, CEO, Eastern Sierra Pacific Railroad. We know where you are going, before you do!
Ty, I second the miter box but in the mean time you can use the square end of a 1 x 3 or similar once you have a saw and some patience. Similarly if you can get some scraps of steel or aluminum box tube you have right angle fixtures for cheap if used with clothes pins. J.R.
For anyone using clothes pins/pegs (the ones with a spring), cutting off the tapered ends makes them much more useful for clamping smaller items.
While you can sharpen X-Acto blades many times (the plain steel ones are preferable to the stainless steel ones), eventually you'll want to use a new one. Don't throw away the old ones, though - #11 blades in particular make great applicators for ca and epoxy, especially for hard-to-reach places inside structures or rolling stock. I usually work on a sheet of glass, and simply place a small puddle of ca on it, then dip the tip of the blade into it. The same blades are also useful for cutting brass wire of various diameters, stainless steel wire up to .012" or .015" diameter, and brass tubing. Working on a hard surface (glass is a good choice) cut the stainless wire using the heel of the blade - firm pressure is all it takes. In all cases, restrain both pieces of wire, lest the cut-off piece take flight. Brass wire cuts easier, but as the diameter increases, use the heel of the blade to avoid blade breakage. For larger diameters of brass wire and all brass tubing, apply pressure to the blade and then use it to roll the work back and forth. Straight-through cuts in small diameter wire will be as clean as if done with a cut-off disc, while rolled cuts, especially on tubing, will require some dressing with a file. As you would when working with a cut-off disc, wear safety glasses during this type of operation.
dehusman gave you a pretty good basic list. as a matter of fact, it is just about what i use when working with plastic or wood. i would add one bit of advice, when you get close to a beauty supply store (even the department at wally world) pick up a few of those over sized emery boards the ladies use on their finger nails and hooves. the ones i found have 4 different grits on each one and are a lot easier to use than sand paper.
charlie
Maybe not technically a tool....
A bag of legos. They are a perfect 90 degrees and can be glued to the inside of the walls to support a 90 degree joint.
A razor saw.
A craftsman's or machinists square. A foot long metal square serves as a straight edge for cutting too.
A pin vise.
- Douglas
Where possible I try to buy the most common Xacto compatible blades in bulk -- #11 is the most common but there are others, including chisel blades -- and really discipline yourself to either learn how to re sharpen the blades or simply discard them and replace them far more often than you might think necessary. I was a frustrated modeler until I learned to throw away blades that -- yeah -- were sharp enough to cut ME but not sharp enough for the fine work at hand of cutting window and door openings.
Stated another way, the biggest progress I made in my modeling was not a tool but a thought process about giving myself the chance to do my best work by only having truly fresh blades in the knife.
Files. You read guys saying or writing this, and you agree in your heart, but you end up not doing it, but do it: dedicate certain files for use with plastic and do not use them with metal or even wood (but metal is the most important "nyet"). This goes for the fairly large mill files as well as the finer small ones that come in sets. The right tool to clean those files is also important but in a pinch an old toothbrush works.
It is surprising what detailed and quality work you can do with styrene if you have sharp blades, good files, a metal straight edge, and some sort of machinist's square, even a smallish one. There are probably a dozen more "nice to have" tools to be sure.
Dave Nelson