I have read through the posts on this forum for making corner cuts in styrene and apart from “drill and file” approach I found two suggestions - corner punches and the special tool from micromark. I have looked at both previously, but looked for advice here, to find something even smaller. The smallest corner punch and the cutting tool make about 5 times 5 millimeter cuts, which is way too big for what I’m after.
How do people in N scale do their corners? Is there a secret store in the end of the Galaxy somewhere Google (or me) cannot find it where they sell those 2x2mm (1/16") punches? Or maybe someone has experience of making such a tool out of something?
That’s pretty small. If no one comes up with a pre-made tool, would it be possible to take one and grind it down to your size? Could be hardened, thus difficult to cut down, but a good machine shop could probably do it for you.
Your avatar says Riga, Latvia, so I’m not sure about availability in your area but if you can get what’s called “oil hardening tool steel” you can easily make your own small punches with files. In the US, this material is called “O-1”. You can buy it in the US from McMaster-Carr Supply Co. among others and it’s available in rounds and flats with a ground finish. It can be cut easily with a hacksaw, filed to shape for your corners etc., and then heated to cherry red with a propane or butane torch and quenched in oil. Old motor oil works just fine. You then have a hardened tool that when cleaned up with a wire brush and small sharpening stones will do a nice job. If you want only the working end hard, you heat and quench that end more. Hope this helps.
I have a square file that’s about 1/8" x 1/8" that tapers to a point at the end. It has served me well. Window castings include some trim that fits over the outside of the opening (not unlike real life windows) so that helps mask any little unevenness.
And when you are using window castings that insert from the inside, there’s always Evergreen strip styrene to make some trim moulding…
Yes I use the same kind of file to have a straight corner.
As a rule I try to use as much as possible windows from Tichy and Grandt Lines which are pushed in the holes from the outside; the trim is part of the windows and cover the sills.
However, there are some kind of windows which need straight corners and I didn’t have find better method than adjust the hole whith small files.
I have always thinking about a square punch cutting tools which cut the whole hole in one punch.
A drill press could be used to do the work, the punch tool need to have the exact mesurations of the ouside of the windows for a precise fit.
If one use always the same type of windows from the same manufacturer in all his scratchbuilding projects, he could make a punch tool for each casting.
Some tool maker are able to make such punch tool but I don’t know which would be the cost, but anyway it could help a lot.
It could be a good suggestion to any model toolmaker or even the manufacturer of window castings.
But before they exist we still need files, cutter knife and patience and no[soapbox]
