- Tools

3D printing

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:00:30 +0000

Caboose i drew and 3d printed, more pics to follow of printer and prints.

Any S gaugers with 3D printers should look at the site printables as there is a group who draw and print open soures 1:64 scale trains under the dragon railways group.

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Getting started airbrushing?

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 20:53:20 +0000

So as you all have heard me mention in spots, I have recently moved though I’m still waiting on all of our belongings to arrive at the new place. Notably the old place did not really have any way for me to realistically do air brushing, but the new place does! The downside is that it has to be outside/in the garage, but it certainly opens up new options for me.

I bought the Model Railroader beginners guide to model painting book which had a lot of helpful advise on brush painting as well as airbrushing. I was hoping that maybe the kind folk here might be willing to show how they have things set up, recommend a brush, and answer a couple questions I have.

As far as my questions go, here they are:
1) I need some sort of spray booth type station. Something that can catch overspray and some means of holding the model. Any suggestions on how to set something like that up?
2) What is the difference between the “airbrush ready” paints like Vallejo Model Air and normal paints? Do you have any paint recommendations for paints currently in production?
3) Are there any issues I should be aware of when painting outside? Does it need to be especially warm out or just not freezing?

I appreciate the help.

Pin vise advise?

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 20:44:33 +0000

So I have been really struggling with the pin vises I have to get them to work reliably. I’m certain a portion of this is user error but I’ve bought two now and can’t seem to get either to reliably hold on to drill bits. I have one that I bought from Kadee that has four collet sizes and all of the sizes are either too big or too small, and another I bought from micro mark with a spring that just doesn’t seem to want to hold anything bigger than the ten or so smallest bits in my bit set (a 60-90 set). I can just forget holding bigger bits or taps in it, too.

So… What pin vise do you use? Do you have any advise for setting one up?

Light And Magnifiers

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:06:49 +0000

Hello,

we all grew older and our senses now may be not as they were in our youth. To compensate this we have take measures in respect of this. Me too, my eyes became less effective in relation to as they were in previous years. This is a sneaking process and you have to accept it. In short; there a two main things:
1) The ability to focus the eye onto objects near by became more difficulty.
2) The need fo more light.

Here i will show and dicuss the measures i have taken. And i invite you to participate and show us what you have done to keep the hobby enjoyable. Not the medical aspect is here in the focus, but the technical devices like lamps and magnifying glasses you. Tell us about of your devices and about your experiences with them and if they suit or are not so good.

At first i started with the classic handheld magnifier glass. Yes it does what it is intended for. But you are then one-handed because you have to use one hand to keep the glass. My experience; this is benefical when you want to check or examine something. But working on the object is not really possible becaus one-handed. You need something which holds the magnifier.
This was the next step for me to purchase this, so called, soldering aid. A magnifier onto a flexible shaft which can be bend to bring a work piece into focus. Additional there a two crocodile style claws for fixing work pieces. And additional there are also two bright LEDs in the frame of the magnifier glass, powered by 3 AAA batteries in the pedestal.
My conclusions about it is, that the magnifier glass is too small in diameter to enable sterocopic vision of a workpiece. And in my opinion is stereoskopic vision a basic requirement to work on tiny pieces.
But i found other application for this devive:
- As mobile independent lamp were you need light instandly.
- For reading tiny printed numbers on model railroad cars; some modern flat cars have such tiny print. The LEDs light will help a lot in dark corners.
- Quick disposabiltiy, e.g. when you want to remove a scale of wood with a tweezers.
- This became a faithful travel companion when i went as exhibitor to shows and conventions.

Lutz

Hobby vaccuum? Sure....

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 00:51:13 +0000

I've been a bit irritated by the amount of leafy refuse that's been falling off my trees and shrubs and ending up on the roads of White Haven. I thought about buying a hobby vac, but never ran into one that I thought was work the expenditure and still has the ability to extend into arm-deep scenery.

What I really decided I wanted was the power of my shop vac with a small, semi-rigid snout that I could extend. Rummaged through my workshop and found some discarded water supply line. Stuck it in the Shop Vac, applied the painter's tape. Tried it out, and works like a charm.

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OLFA Hobby Knife - This thing is a Hit!

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 22:14:32 +0000

Anyone else using an OLFA hobby knife? These things are the bomb. They're Japanese and apparently the blade of choice for Origami. Coworker of mine found out I do a lot of cutting of thin materials and bought me one. Head and shoulders better than the XACTO I have, and the blades stay sharp a good long time.

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No. 80 bits - good source?

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 00:14:42 +0000

I have a cheap pin vise and a set of bits - one per size from No. 61 to 80. No. 80's are a pretty common size for grab irons, and inevitably, I've snapped the end off my only No. 80 bit. Any good source out there that only sells specific sizes rather than an identical one-per-size set (and doesn't demand an arm and a leg to ship them)?

Coupler Spring tool - need ideas

Fri, 01 Jul 2022 15:28:31 +0000

Occasionally a Kadee coupler will lose it's spring. You're left with a coupler that at random points lets go of the car ahead of it and if you aren't paying attention, you have a train to reconnect.

I have spare springs, but either I mess them up trying to get them to seat on the coupler spring posts, or they go flying off into Never-Never land. They are small and are like wet fish on the end of a hook. Has to be a tool for insertion, but I haven't seen one. Any luck?

Bottle Holder

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 22:20:52 +0000

Did you ever tip a bottle full of Micro Set? I did it twice before learning the lesson.

Now I use the cap of a spray can.

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Efficient and free

Liquid Chrome markers

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 13:58:26 +0000

My wife found these on the internet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZVW2mAYsc so I just found some on the ebay and ordered them. Looks like I may put some chrome on my cars. The smallest one is 0.7mm.
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Charlie

Gap-Cutting Razor Saw

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 03:41:18 +0000

I'm looking for a razor saw to cut an electrical gap (to then be filled in with styrene or another insulating material) in a HO nickel-silver track rail. I'd prefer to buy just one, though I see that X-ACTO makes the saw set in this link:

http://xacto.com/products/cutting-soluti...ail/X75300

Zona also sells a number of individual saws, but from its website it's not clear which is appropriate - or best - for cutting rail.

I'd appreciate suggestions on Zona models that'll do the job, as well as other makes and models.

Thank you.

HOn3 rerailer

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 23:45:23 +0000

Hi all, I have had a problem with putting my HOn3 locomotives and cars on the track.
On my standard gauge I used a plastic rerailer ramp.
It's a bit of an overhang on the narrow gauge equipment, so you can't easily grab the trucks to rerail them...
I heard that there was a commercially made rerailer ramp available, but I haven't seen one in many years.
I then designed this:

I designed it in Fusion 360 and printed it in PLA on my Wanhao Duplicator 4S.
It works really good:

https://youtu.be/jgubiwkIbvY

https://youtu.be/KNjXFsis_j4

I think I'll make it available on my Shapeways store...

Spilled soldering flux

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 02:29:23 +0000

I knocked over a bottle of rosin flux today. It landed on a bit of track and flowed onto the Homasote and onto some fabric and the rug.
It also got on some tools and my fingers.
I managed to get a lot of it into a container. I got it off my hands with soap and hot water, alcohol, and talcum powder. Also used a bunch of cleaning wipes.

So what do I do with the rest? A lot is sitting (and gelling?) between the ties of the track. Is the track and roadbed now toast?

Dayle ran the curtains through the washer and the stuff is still in them; they were thrown out and replaced with spares.

Can I paint over what's left?

Do it yourself lathe

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 23:48:12 +0000

Thought this was a pretty neat idea

http://woodworkingcrazy.net/index.php/2 ... ini-lathe/

T

Removing metal etched parts from sprue

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 13:47:23 +0000

I have a bunch of Plano etched truck mirrors that need to be removed from their sprue and I'm bending them out of shape trying to remove them. What's the best way/tool to do this?