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TOOL TIME - Homemade Paint Booth

Heavens Eagle

Well-known member
"Light Bulb!"
:D

Doing a large thread on tools and tooling has been rattling around in my head for a while now (no it's not quite that empty :huh: ) and an opportunity to start it came up. Over the years I have been draftsman, designed and made prototype circuit boards, made by hand prototype sheet metal parts, and finally for the last 12 years I have been a watchmaker. Through all of that I have had an opportunity to use many different kinds of tools and in a lot of cases they could be adapted to the modeling hobby.

So here is my first installment of hopfully many to come.

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I have a bunch more to come, some basic and practical, some a bit over the top. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away. :huh:
 
TOOL TIME

Wow, nice job, I have sharpened all sorts of knives in my life (grew up in the restaurant business) but never heard of using Windex as a lube. We would dip a knife in the deep fryer and use that oil on a wetstone but Windex?

Nice Tools Paul! (y)
 
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DAMN I can see many hospital trips with these :geek

That louver job you did is amazing :notworthy

Thanks for sharing
 
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Paul, I have one question. When you hone on one side how do you remove the burr from the opposite side as the steel curls that way? They would be impossible to strop.
 
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Wow, those engraves did a MUCH better job on the louvers than I did with knives and files:
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Regards,
 
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Very very nice. Thank you very much for sharing. I will definitely have to think about getting some of those for my bench eventually.
 
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Thanks for looking in folks! I will be answering your questions and will be adding some more photos ths weekend. Already tried to do a big response and my browser dumped jjust before I submitted it. :bang head

Rather than just doing another wordy reply I will do it up right. (y) :D
 
TOOL TIME

OK, going for the second try on this with improvements! :D Hopefully the barkin browser won't dump on me again. :bang head

Hey Bob! As to using Windex, it is reccomended on diamond hones. Wouldn't work on a regulat whetstone too well as it would soak in. It is possible to use the diamond hones dry, but they just work better with the Windex. The finishing mylar sheets I do use dry but then a little spit and a rub cleans then for the next use.

Never been in a kitchen ('cept mine) where the knives were as sharp as I like them.

Hey Paul! When sharpening gravers the initial work on the hone is the front face and it is done basically side to side <---> . The middle steps are usually done by hand on the mylar backed stuff and done at about 45 degree angles front and bottom. With that part it is always drawing to the edge. It is not sharpened like a knife blade. The final step with the 0.5 micron sheet is drawn toword the blade. These gravers are really tough metal and don't tend to pull up a burr like that found on a knife blade.

Dave! Surely you aren't that afraid of a sharp edge are you? I have used these gravers for over 20 years on various things and can't remember evre doing more than giving myself a light scratch with one. A photo is worth a thousand words so here are a couple on using gravers. :blink

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Saul Thanks for the praise on the louvre job. It was quite a challenge, and I used much more than just the gravers. I guess I should start a new thread on how I did all the work on Seimens Shuckert kit and maybe get it off the shelf where it has been for a while. :soldier

Adam I have had these gravers now for about 25 years. They don't really wear out and I use them "ALL THE TIME". I don't really know what they run these days, but shouldn't be too aweful bad.

Sherman18 Thanks for looking in!
 
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Wow, great tips, Paul! That sharpener is dandy- I know you whipped this one up yourself, but are what are the commercially-available ones called?

Thanks!
 
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Excellent how to Paul . I have to admit, louvers are a real builder's challenge.

I doubt I could do them in 1/72 but my hat's off to you for doing them in any scale. (y) (y) (y)

Cheers, Christian B)
 
TOOL TIME

Wow, great tips, Paul! That sharpener is dandy- I know you whipped this one up yourself, but are what are the commercially-available ones called?

Thanks!

Hey Chuck Here is a photo of the commercial version of my holder. What I based mine on with some adjustments. It is called a Crocker Pattern Graver Sharpener.

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It runs about $48 and is available from Stuller.


As for the gravers themselves, they come in high speed steel and carbon steel, full blanks and pre-sized (shortened). All of them are shaped on the cross sections like mine above. The prices on those run from $7.25 to about $11 depending on what you want to start with. There are some specialty gravers and ones madeout of carbide which are up to $30 per blank, but for modelling are probably way over kill. Handles are from $1.50 to about $4.00 depnding on whatyou would want as well.

To look through their online list of these items go to Stuller
 
TOOL TIME "Alliance Modelworks stencils & Xuron PE

Time for another installment folks! This is a big one were I cover the Alliance Modelworks stainless steel !/48th Luftwaffe Insignia & Markings set and how to break down the frets and un pack them without damaging these tools.

In addition to that there will be a small review/ impression of the new Xuron Photo Etch cutting tool.

So here we go! :D

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There you have it folks! I can see where there could be issues with the stencils on rounded surfaces. Using them will have some challenges but I am up to it.
The main problem I see with these 2 sets is the lack of labeling on the parts to help keep things straight and organized. On the 1/32 scale set I actually took a carbide scribing tool and scribed "F", "G", "H", "I", and "J" on parts upper right corner to help orient and organize the set.

Whle the Xuron tool is a nice concept, the heavy handedness of the return spring really defeats being able to use it with finesse. A much lighter spring does make it work better as I modified my set.

So here are my ratings on these tools:

Alliance Modelworks 1/48 scale Luftwaffe Stencil Set - I would have to rate at 83% - Excellent etch work with very accurate parts, could have problems due to surface shape being painted. A bit more labeling on alpha numeric stencils would be a plus.

Alliance Modelworks 1/32 scale Luftwaffe Stencil Set - I would have to rate at 78% - Same plusses as the 1/48 set, though the lack of labeling and errors in what it has pull it down slightly. If the labeling were fixed I would rate them at 90%

Xuron Photo Etch Clipper - I would have to rate at 75% - This is only due to the heavy handed return spring. My tool with the modified spring I would rate at 92% . If it were a touch lighter on the squeese it would be 95% or more.

I am nit-picky about my tools and invariably modify and improve them.

Till next time, may your knives be sharp and your sandpaper fresh! :good:
 
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Now that is AWESOME you have almost all the markings of all the ww2 german planes ever :woohoo:
 
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Great review Paul, how long you think those templates will last? How many uses you think you can get?
 
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Great review Paul, how long you think those templates will last? How many uses you think you can get?

I think that will depend on how well they are taken care of. The stencils are a fairly thin stainless, probably about .004 or .005 inch thick. They have a fair amount of flex to them and should easily flex around light curves with no problem. Some stencils like letters and numbers with internal parts connected by little linking parts could get damaged with coarse use or rough handling. I can see where a small diameter fuselage will require some extra work and careful warping of the stencil to help it conform.

Also the crosses and any part that has a part that just sticks out, say like the points masking an N will tend to stay staight and not follow a curve. These will need some pre-shaping to get them to work correctly.

Lastly is a safe way to store them where they won't get buggered.

Now with all that said, I believe they could last indefinitely with care and proper handling. (y)

I have a LOT of experience with shaping and forming sheet metal so I don't reeally expect to have any real problems. :D
 
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