I have seen pictures and heard people talk about using hypodermic syringes and such for model-building. Not being an intraveneous drug-addict myself, I find myself at a loss when it comes to the procurement and usage of same. How / where does one obtain these devices? Is there a “Reformed Drug-Junkie Modeling Clinic 101” site somewhere that I should know about?
I recently bought some high-quality/detail rolling stock kits and received the sage advice: “you should use an ACC syringe and glue these from the bottom” … whatever that means. I know what ACC is. I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday (thankfully my fingers were glued to the sides). But wouldn’t ACC harden up and quickly render useless a hypodermic needle? And I guess the same for other types of glue? Oh wait-- that’s what those ‘needle exchange’ programs are all about, right? Got it.
Never having used these for the reason stated I have always preferred one of my wifes long sewing needles,put a drop of acc down and dip the needle in to get the acc in just the right place.
When the glue builds up simply clean off the needle point.
I use a needle also, but the blunt top end (bottom point covered in harden cement so I don’t stab myself) - the next level would be to grind off the top to open up the eye (providing a ‘fork’, to hold the CA drops in a more sizable amount - I never get amount CA with just the needle tip). Micro-mark sells something similar to this (albiet much less crude) for applying CA.
Hmm, just searched and found an additional tip - insert the needle pointed tip into a piece of wooded art-brush handle.
I don’t have access to hypos for the same reasons mentioned, however, a number of MRR’s are diabetic and may have to inject themselves with insulin daily. THEY would have a supply of used hypos at hand.
Perhaps it is them who mention using the hypo to apply CA. SOmething the rest of us wouldn’t have easy access to.
Just a thought. I have thought before and been right. I have thought before and been wrong.
Go to McMaster-Carr (www.mcmaster.com), click on adhesives, dispensing, then look at pg. 3371. It’s all there. I’d link ya to this page, but I’m ignorant of the procedure. They’ll also have any adhesive you could want, mixing tubes, solvents, resistant gloves, OSHA masks, the whole nine yards. I use them for my machine shop.
I have never used one either and I also wondered about the adhesive drying out or setting up in the needle. I have seen syringes and needles advertised in pet supply magazines, Petsolutions.com is one, and if I remember correctly were about $12 for 100. Sure would be interested in hearing what someone that has used them has to say, though.
I recently bought a needle point bottle dispenser to apply ACC. Although it works well with very thin ACC it tends to dry up and clog the needle pretty easily. When it closes up I use a piece of piano wire in a dremel tool to open up the needle. Use something to hold the needle while doing this because the friction make the thing very hot very quick. Kind of a pain IMO.
I was at the point of ballasting my track a while back (N Scale) and the only applicator for applying the adhesive that I had did not control the application well enough. If I squeezed a just a little to hard the diluted glue would flush the ballast out of place. My arthritic hands do not know the meaning of “do not squeeze hard”. I thought of the Hypodermic needle route and the next time I went to my local Pharmacist I asked him if I could buy a few cheap needles and my reason for wanting them. He turned around and pulled a box of the shelf and proceeded to take out a perforated roll of packaged disposable needles and asked how many . I said just a few and he tore off a half dozen and handed them to me and said, “No charge”.
As it happened, he had just bought an N Scale set for his young son. The next time I went in, I gave him a modern era diesel loco and a few cars that did not fit my era. My motto is, “If someone does you a favour, return the favour somehow”. He told me later that his son just loved his new loco and cars and they fit well with what he already had.
By the way, the Hypo works great at delivering a controllable flow of diluted glue to the ballast and I am still using the first Hypo. As soon as I am through using it I immediately flush it out with clear water several times and pull the plunger out and wash it well and let it dry.
I’ve used them with great success for applying oil or lubricants to wheel sets on locomotives and rolling stock but the glue thing totally boggled my mind. I’m glad to see it just wasn’t me. I purchased a few of them from Micromark when I got back into the hobby a few years back thinking hey this must be what all the real model railroad guys are using now. Well all I did was conduct unscientific experiments in how long it took to fill it with C/A and attempt to use it before it harden up.
Then I discovered Tenex7R and those little tiny glue brushes called Ultrabrush from Microbrush Intl. you can buy in your LHS or on line. Yeah I know a lot of Ultra and Micro stuff but they are something like 10 for $1.99 or there a bouts. If you have two pieces that need to be clamped together first before gluing just dip the brush in the Tenax and brush the seam and it will wick itself right into the seam of the two pieces.
Even if your applying glue to two surfaces before clamping they are a lot better then using the applicator brush that comes with some glues like Plastruct. Great glue except in some cases the brush it just a tad too big. You can even use them for painting extremely small parts etc. When your done you just toss em in the garbage, unless your a cheapskate like me and clean the paint off and leave them sitting in a baby food jar of water on you model bench.
I used hypodermic needles as oilers when I had an antique clock repair business- they allow you to retract the dispensed liquid if you apply too much. The clock repair parts houses all sell them but a friendly pharmacist will give you a better price. If you do try a hypo, grind the sharp point off the needle tip before you use it- those things have a knack for stabbing you if you leave them pointed. They do make excellent oil dispensers but you must use synthetic oil that won’t attack the rubber tipped plunger inside the hypodermic (or empty and clean oilers often). Roy
As far as the syringes go, they are readily available at Wal Mart at the pharmacy. I would imagine they should be available at any pharmacy. They are really cheap too.
I work in the telecom industry, and have all kinds of syringes around with the blunt needles (used for terminating fiber optic cable). They are a much larger gauge than the type that diabetics would use, so they work a lot better.
Edit: I will add that when I am done with the hypodermic type syringes I bend the needle up and put the cap back on. The last thig I need is one of the kids finding one and getting stuck (although my kids are old enough to know better now).
We had some left overs after Chemo. They went straight into the sharps disposal container at the hospital. No need to have them around, especially in this age of Narcotics Abuse and what not.
It’s a shame, there is so much you can do with them.
Having said that, there was one product that had a long needle for painting rail out of a bottle. With it was a small piece of paper disclaiming anything purpose except hobby use.
And that is all for Needles or anything similar. The only ones you find in our place are the sort used to mend socks with thread… or close wounds out of our trauma first aid kit.