Unless you need EXACTLY an 0.30" width and can settle for 0.250", I would go with strip styrene. I was just last night working with strip styrene of that width. In HO scale, that 0.05" difference only amounts to less than 1/2". Evergreen makes strip styrene that is 0.030" X 0.250", item No 139. I believe the strips are 14" long. Just a suggestion.
I missed the 0.030 wide thing. Yes, better off buying the styrene strips. Evergreen has a large selection: https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collections/14-white-polystrene-strips
I was away from my computer most of the day, and I just came home and read of the replies. I am grateful for this overwhelming response. Rather than reply to each of you, let me thank you all for your suggestions and ideas.
What I am trying to do is to find a suitable replacement for the nearly impossible to find pilasters for the long discontinued Walthers Modulars kits. As many of you know, I am simultaneously working on making resin castings, but I am still interested in a styrene plastic solution since I still have so many of the unbuilt Walthers kits.
My idea is to make my own styrene plastic pilasters by laminating Plastruct brick sheet onto 0.040" styrene strips, exactly matching the thickness of the Walthers pilasters. The Walthers pilasters are precisely 3/10" wide.
Let me read this entire thread so I can give full consideration to each of your suggestions and ideas.
Thanks again to everyone.
Rich
Rich
I made my own styrene scoring tool from an old vernier caliper I had in my tool collection (replaced by a digital caliper). I carefully used a bench grinder to narrow the outside of one of the jaws. I then used jewelers files to continue to shape the outside tip of the jaw to a knife point. Just make sure not to touch the inside of the jaw as you can still use it it make measurements if unaltered.
With one jaw sharpened, I can then adjust the jaw separation to the styrene strip dimension I want (say .030"), then I place the inside edge of the unaltered jaw against the edge of the styrene sheet and slide it along the styrene with the sharpened jaw held against the top of the styrene. Pull the tool across the styrene to score it, then carefully snap the styrene along the score mark. If you want a more precise snap, score the one side of the stryrene, flip the styrene, score the opposite side of the styrene sheet, then snap.
This tool has proven so precise that I use it to cut HO scale storefront window frames in .040" styrene sheet. As long as the first cut along the edge of the styrene sheet is straight, every cut will be perfectly straight and parallel to the first edge cut. If the first cut is a curve, the score and snap cut with this tool will be a perfectly parallel curve.
I like to buy my styrene in 4’ by 8’ sheets and find that I can use this tool to score and snap strips 8’ long.
Hello all,
Micro Mark sells a tool especially designed to make strips.
http://www.micromark.com/Wood-Strip-Cutter
There is also the Duplicate-It…
http://www.micromark.com/Wood-Strip-Cutter
I’ve always been of the mind that purchasing the tool will be more cost effective in the long run, but the pre-packaged strips are an option.
Hope this helps.
Since the above Micro Mark wood strip cutter is somewhat similar to my modified vernier caliper scoring tool, I’d recommend buying the Micromark product. Simply adjust the blade depth to score (instead of cut through) the styrene and you’ll be good to go.
I had seen that tool on the Micro Mark website, but I had a couple of questions in my mind about it.
Being called a wood strip cutter, will it work just as effectively on 0.040" styrene sheet?
Also, the description reads, “One turn of the vernier hand wheel moves the blade in and out at precise 1/32 inch increments”. What exactly is meant by that statement?
Rich
Hey Rich
I don’t have this tool, but that statement is similar to how my milling machine functions.
That wheel is attached to a 10-32 drive screw. One complete turn advances the end 1/32". I would imagine partial turns of the thumb wheel would make smaller increments.
I think this tool would do what you’re asking.
Robert
i use a rotary cutter for thin .020 or less clamping a guide to make an many strips as needed. for .025 and up i use the snap and break to get size about .025 ot .030 wider than finished size them bond the ends together and clamp on mill table taking off the minium to make square them square then square bundel with table edge then mill to finished size , if you know some one with mill thats the way to go.
I must be misunderstanding this. Would I need to turn the wheel 32 complete revolutions to advance one inch?
Rich
To go from 0" wide to 1/2" wide would be 16 turns. From 0" wide to 1" wide would be 32 turns. Yes.
For length, you move like a hand-held xacto. Or, pull the material past the exposed blade point.
The precision of the tool is designed for accurate width strips of pretty long lengths. Hence, the vernier micrometer action.
For your task, you’d need to turn the wheel 9 full turns and 6/10 of a turn past 0 to get 0.300" wide strips. I’m sure there are index marks on the wheel. Piece of cake.
Robert
You would except the max width it cuts is 1/2" so 16 full turns go from 0 to 1/2" or 16/32
Of course there is a higher tech solution. The latest MRVP features an electronic cutter, cut up to 2mm deep https://www.silhouetteamerica.com/shop/machines/cameo
They actually used it to cut a vinyl stick on sheet that was the track plan switch layout of a control panel.
ahh, OK, my bad, I did misunderstand. Sorry about that. So the revolutions of the wheel are to establish the width. Duh. [:$]
Rich
In this particular case I wouldn’t bother buying any fancy tools. You can get some Evergreen strip 0.030 by 0.040, which is what I think you want to end up with:
https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collections/14-white-polystrene-strips
It is item 132.
Nope, I need to end up with 0.300 x 0.040.
Rich
0.300? Oops, me bad.
OK, I’ll try again.
Get some of this:
or this:
Score along the pre-scribed lines with a #11 blade or utility knife at .300" intervals and snap off perfectly exact .300" x .040" strips. Turn the lined side to the inside of the model where it can’t be seen.
Unless the visible V grooves cause a problem this is the easiest way to go IMHO. I have used the technique many many times with various groove spacing to get the proper sized pieces that I needed.
Dave
The Evergreen V-groove styrene sheet is a good suggestion, but I don’t think it will work for me in this instance. The piece that I am trying to create is essentially a styrene strip, a rectangular piece with four smooth sides.
Rich
I use this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058TW286/ref=abs_brd_tag_dp?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER , and from Amazon it’ll be down near half the price of the office supply guys. I cut .040 sometimes, but I clamp the sheet at both ends with trigger clamps. Might even clamp a ruler at the outside edge of the stock sheet in addition so it can’t slip.
Laminate Evergreen styrene. .250 + .030 + .020 = .300