M-61

[kerick]

It will be worth the effort if you use it repeatedly. If you use it only once, not so much......

[Rheged]

But is your hobby refining cheap Chinese tools to make them fit for purpose or building models? one asks.

If you get satisfaction from it, and I guess you would if you had the ability to do it, then it's part of the hobby in my view 

+2

My late father, both in his job as an auto mechanic and in his hobby of carpentry, was known to craft some of his own specialized tools

My late grandfather (a master carpenter, joiner and cabinet maker) had to make most of his own tools as part of his apprenticeship.  I still have many of them.  The big block plane ( carved from the solid, with a piece of old cart spring fettled by a local blacksmith as a blade) is still a wonderful bit of kit.

My late dad also made many of his own tools. He was a building services design engineer, but 70 odd years ago even design engineers had to spend time "on the tools" and were probably better designers for the experience.

[Gondor]

Well I do have two of these kits to build, one for Kit and one for myself, there are also various other etched brass bit's and bobs that I have for other kits that are parts of detail sets which I find my normal tweezers are simply just way too big.
There is also the enjoyment of managing to create a tool specifically for handling such small parts even if they are not etch but are plastic or even paper.
I can only hope that if these tweezers work as I hope they will, that is someone else finds a need for such a tool then they will remember this tool and not look a tool while trying to make a tool 

Gondor

[Old Wombat]

All good then!

I do the same thing but I find it a chore, even if I do think it'll help with building other kits.

[Gondor]

As usual just a little progress, but it is progress 



This is a template taken from drawing around the tip of the tweezers, not particularly impressed with the result so I got out the scissors and started to cut it up a bit, always fun 

The result is this.....



Rather small but at least its not as small as the parts that it is designed to handle.

Hoping to be able to cut the real parts out over the weekend and to then braze them into place "Insert crossed fingers emoticon here"

Gondor

[Gondor]

A small amount of work so far today, hope to do more either later today or tomorrow.



It's getting to the part where I need six things to hold parts in place and all about the size of a pin 

Just so you get the scale of the project.....



Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

It's getting to the part where I need six things to hold parts in place and all about the size of a pin 

I suspect you're starting to understand why I gave up on the whole idea Alastair, I only have two hands and they're FAR too big for a job like that.

[Gondor]

It's getting to the part where I need six things to hold parts in place and all about the size of a pin 

I suspect you're starting to understand why I gave up on the whole idea Alastair, I only have two hands and they're FAR too big for a job like that.

Breaking the problem down into smaller parts is the way to go though. I was a little ambitious earlier today as I was trying to thread three gun barrels, each at 120^o from each other through the center rings which by itself was reasonably easy, it was trying to add the muzzle end while having all those barrels proved too much so I have started with just one barrel and that has worked much better.





As you can see, there is a second barrel through the center rings, nothing at the moment is glued to the center rings although I have applied a little Liquid Polly to the muzzle end of the first barrel though the muzzle. I hope that makes sense 

So later or tomorrow I will try to thread the second barrel through the proverbial eye of the needle and then onto the third with each at 120^o  as previously attempted. Only after the first three barrels are in place will I glue the center rings around them and then attempt to add the fins into the muzzle assembly. If that goes well then the final three barrels should be a doddle, finished by the end cap and a careful application of something to stick the whole lot together 

Gondor

[Rheged]

That, sir, is most impressive!   When you finish, I'm sure that someone here will be able to suggest an appropriate organisation which can aid the restoration of your equilibrium......either that, or the Gondor Christmas sherry bottle may take a hammering.

[zenrat]

I suspect trying to build that would be enough to start me smoking again.

[Gondor]

It's been a case of one step forward and one step back with this build so far today. I started with trying to put a second barrel in place only to dislodge the parts that were already fitted to the front of the existing barrel    a case of the bonding agent not being strong enough, in this case Liquid Polly so now that I am roughly where I started I am trying Humbrol Matt 49, otherwise known as Varnish 

I am using these liquids rather than Superglue as I know I can easily apply them with a fine brush made necessary due to the small contact area and numerous holes that I do not want to block.

There is unlikely to be much progress over the next few days due to visiting the girlfriends parents tomorrow and mine the following day.

Gondor