Here is the contest: Name and describe only one tool that you feel is neat and very handy to have around for this hobby (It certainly can be used for other jobs, also). I want something unusual! I want something I will make use of! I want something relatively cheap and/or will only take a few evening to make!
GET ON IT!!!
Winner will receive very high praise and thanks from all whom enjoy there new tool!
hand uncoupler…a rubber tube with two strong round magnets shoved into each end… the tube is then doubled up…the tube with the magnets is placed between two cars which causes the kadee couples to separate, uncoupling the cars…my own invention ;)…chuck[:D]
The Xuron rail cutter at about $10.
Don’t start your layout without it.
Doubles as a pretty good plastic sprue cutter too.
[:)]
How else are you going to change a coupler or a wheel set?
A screwy screwdriver.
Well, so far we’ve got three winners! A screw driver, huh? I’da never thunk of that one! Xuron tools are great tools, I have two, one for sprue cutting the other for track. cwclark’s tool is what I am looking for, something innovative and new, however, I can’t follow how it’s made. Can you clarify?
You guys win! Here is your high praise!!
Rix makes an uncoupling tool that sounds similar:
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/628-14
[:)]
A Leatherman. I found mine 10 years ago. I saw it and thought it was a cigarette lighter.
Didn’t want the little kids at it. I use it on every project sooner or later.
smyers
i need to buy a rail cutter for sure.
my favorite tool so far is the a wire cutter dealy. use it to cut the rail joiners.
i’ll have to look into buying more tools at some shows.
You could go with the old standby…the X-acto knife w/#11 blade. But, truely, I would have to say a SEars Craftsman Rotary tool. It’ll do everything under the sun and comes with a warranty.
A cordless drill for driving screws in benchwork.
I take a piece of 1/4" tubing and the magnets come from a scientific supply house…(they are used to stir titration solutions on a corning stirrer…it’s a water plant lab thing…the magnets look like big capsules…they are shoved into the tubes, the tubing is bent in half and it separates the couplers…
cwclark’s tool is what I am looking for
Money!
To buy all the tools I need! [;)]
Gordon
Well, response to this tread was underwelming! However, I want to give high praise to those whom did respond! Thanks and praise, thanks and praise! Yea, and you thought you weren’t going to get anything.
I have an ice maul, made of oak comes with 30" handle with a head 8" long x 6" round. No problem too small and I even used it for the office mini-golf tournament two years ago. No one ever accused me of cheating either.
[:D]
The ever available, glue applying, decal adjusting, putty spreading, paint stirring, hole poking, drop applying, all mighty… Toothpick.
With a close second going to the super high-tech modeling device known as “Glass”… Works as a decal cutting surface, flat sanding surface, hand painting surface, paint mixing surface, and all around good place to dump all the wet stuff you don’t want to dump someplace else.
Dave
Los Angeles, CA
-DPDP Model Accessories-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/