The little bench top, "cut off saw", (pictured at right) is very useful. They use a 2" blade. It is the best tool to cut brass tube, wire, plastic and small wood components. I found mine at “Harbor Freight tools”, on sale, for $19. They are also available form “Micro Mark”, but for more$$$ (see “links” page for Micro Mark)
Running schedule
Tools, Tips and Tricks
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"Winks Hardware" has brass rod in many diameters up to 10 ft long! They sell by the foot.
Perfect for long prop shafts! Winks Hardware, 2nd and SE Stark, Portland Ore.
The wire handles from Chinese food take out containers is very stiff. I use it to plunge down into and Unplug clogged Cyano glue bottle nozzles tips.
I always keep “Cyano debonder”(TM), at arms length when using Cyano glues. I don't think the "de-bonding” agent works very well but, sometimes when you glue your self to your work, it’s all you have.
TAP Plastic says, "you can put epoxy over Polyester but can't put polyester over epoxy"!
TOOLS
TRICK
Some modeler’s think a fiberglass hull is hard to build. While building my first glass hulls, the cloth was hard to work with and the projects became very messy. Dealing with cloth and resin at the same time on a curved surface can really give you a headache.
Here is the improved way I now glass cloth my hulls. All of my hulls start as 3/16” balsawood plank on frame. After sanding the wood hull to create the final shape, I apply a coat of finishing resin to the entire hull, inside and out. This seals the wood. When the finishing resin has set, I lightly sand the outside. Now for my trick. The type of cloth I now use is fiberglass sheetrock tape! The tape is 2” wide and has a low tack adhesive on one side. The adhesive allows me to apply the glass tape on the compound shapes of the hull, and it stays put until the resin is applied. (I only apply glass cloth to the outside of the hull.) I then apply 2 coats of resin, sanding between coats. This generally gives me enough build to wet sand the hull to its final shape. My hulls are very strong and look like real ship’s steel. Give sheet rock tape a try, It’s cheep and available at hardware stores and lumberyards.
Hull Fiberglass, Made A Little Easer! by Bob Muller
4" table saws
Scroll saw
“Harbor Freight Tools"
has some great buys
A reminder to us all. Ships, big or small, sink. If you have room for some foam in the bow, it might just save your model.
It was a nice day, but a strong, steady surface wind heeled the boats over so much that some Captains pulled into safe harbor.
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