lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Hi all so something I see a lot is ways I used to do things is so obsolete now with new methods and tools so a question to you all. on you're work bench, working space what ever you have what are you're go too tools and materials. i have the usual knives screw drivers etc. but i also have a air compressor to air brush base colours on my scenery and for weathering and various other bits and bobs. tools i really like the look of are the ballasting tools, but looking at hats around compared to ten years ago its all a bit mind numbing so what are the go to tools you have what you find a necessity and why? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 9, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 9, 2020 23 minutes ago, lwnameplates said: Hi all so something I see a lot is ways I used to do things is so obsolete now with new methods and tools so a question to you all. on you're work bench, working space what ever you have what are you're go too tools and materials. i have the usual knives screw drivers etc. but i also have a air compressor to air brush base colours on my scenery and for weathering and various other bits and bobs. tools i really like the look of are the ballasting tools, but looking at hats around compared to ten years ago its all a bit mind numbing so what are the go to tools you have what you find a necessity and why? RMWeb? Because it tells me everything lol! Think it has to be my RSU. It's made life much easier. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 1 minute ago, Bucoops said: RMWeb? Because it tells me everything lol! Think it has to be my RSU. It's made life much easier. going to sound stupid what is a RSU? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 9, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 9, 2020 5 minutes ago, lwnameplates said: going to sound stupid what is a RSU? Apologies - I should have said instead of assuming. Resistance Soldering Unit - https://traders.scalefour.org/LondonRoadModels/various/soldering-materials-and-tools/ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 2 minutes ago, Bucoops said: Apologies - I should have said instead of assuming. Resistance Soldering Unit - https://traders.scalefour.org/LondonRoadModels/various/soldering-materials-and-tools/ just had a look at that, what's the difference between that and a normal soldering iron, does look a interesting piece of kit Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 9, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 9, 2020 17 minutes ago, lwnameplates said: just had a look at that, what's the difference between that and a normal soldering iron, does look a interesting piece of kit It's kind of like a spot welder - you apply power when you are ready - it's not hot all the time. So you can hold things in place with the probe and only actually make the joint when ready. You can also use a lot less solder so less cleanup to do and don't need to buy it as often. It's a wonderful piece of kit. This was an early piece - I used far too much solder cream: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium figworthy Posted December 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 9, 2020 27 minutes ago, lwnameplates said: just had a look at that, what's the difference between that and a normal soldering iron, does look a interesting piece of kit If you've got half an hour to spare, you might find this informative. https://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/index.php/resistance-soldering-demonstration/ Adrian 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WM183 Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 I find that my most used tools are a digital caliper, a small engineer's square, and a little pencil tin of scalpels, small files, a pin vise and bits, a pencil, scribe, and a couple small steel rulers. This and a soldering iron is all I really need 99% of the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 38 minutes ago, figworthy said: If you've got half an hour to spare, you might find this informative. https://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/index.php/resistance-soldering-demonstration/ Adrian i must say that was a good watch makes me feel like i need one haha. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Bucoops said: It's kind of like a spot welder - you apply power when you are ready - it's not hot all the time. So you can hold things in place with the probe and only actually make the joint when ready. You can also use a lot less solder so less cleanup to do and don't need to buy it as often. It's a wonderful piece of kit. This was an early piece - I used far too much solder cream: I must admit I really like the concept of it, so if I'm correct it means you would be able to solder wires to the track etc and not cause as much damage to sleeper such as with the conventional methods? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Most useful tool I have bought this year is a pair of ceramic tipped tweezers. Perfect for soldering small bits together 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 9, 2020 Author Share Posted December 9, 2020 1 hour ago, Mark said: Most useful tool I have bought this year is a pair of ceramic tipped tweezers. Perfect for soldering small bits together looking at the soldering mentioned i do think these will have to be an investment to make Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManofKent Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Most used tool at the moment is a NorthWest ShortLine Chopper 2 - I'm needing to cut a lot of wood strip to set lengths for buildings and after doing a small shed using just a knife and rule rapidly looked for a better solution. It's not a perfectly designed tool, but does the job pretty well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Simpson Posted December 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2020 For me the go-to tools are usually a Stanley knife that takes the place of fiddly scalpels and craft knifes, a pin vice and a 6" steel ruler. But my most useful tool is a cheap rotary tool used by manicurists to shape nails, which cost me £7 new on eBay: it's takes the normal mini-tool accessories but has much slower speeds than the usual modelling mini-tools. (And because I hate soldering, I also keep cheap bottles of superglue, chocolate-block connector strips for wiring and pre-soldered fishplates. Okay, they're materials rather than tools, but they mean I don't have to keep a soldering iron.) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted December 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2020 12 hours ago, lwnameplates said: I must admit I really like the concept of it, so if I'm correct it means you would be able to solder wires to the track etc and not cause as much damage to sleeper such as with the conventional methods? I've not tried it for that but probably yes if you cut the probe point to a fine enough tip. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwnameplates Posted December 10, 2020 Author Share Posted December 10, 2020 12 hours ago, Mark said: Most useful tool I have bought this year is a pair of ceramic tipped tweezers. Perfect for soldering small bits together looking at the soldering mentioned i do think these will have to be an investment to make. and wow people have a really diverse range of tools that they like really nice to see. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Vernier caliper - I couldn't live without it! I also have digital ones, but prefer a Vernier. It doesn't need batteries for a start and IMHO is more accurate. Other more obvious are pin vice with drill bits (cheap on eBay at present), steel rule, cutting mat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barclay Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 This is probably less useful than a vernier in our context but I saw it on a market stall many years ago and had to have it! The most useful thing on my workbench, certainly the most constant, is the vice. As old as the hills - I'd love to know what the make is, but I couldn't do without it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted December 10, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2020 (edited) My most useful tool is the Tamiya paint stirrer. Great for applying filler, prodding things into place and lots of other things. Edited December 10, 2020 by ColinK 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted December 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2020 There is one tool that I can't do without. I can't even contemplate sitting down and doing any modelling, if I haven't got it handy. It's my Optivisor. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 I'd like to pick up on Grif's and Barclay's contributions. I've got a steel calliper and a 6-inch steel rule that are both decades old. Over time, they've got so discoloured - I read somewhere it's the acid in your sweat that does it - that I now have difficulty reading the markings. I'd have bought replacements long ago if I knew what to buy that wouldn't discolour in the same way, be as robust as what I have and isn't too expensive. I'm also interested in the rival merits of the calliper and the micrometer. Members' observations and recommendations would be most welcome Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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