rolling stock assembly


B

bristolman

Member
bought 6 rolling stock at train show proto 2000 . they look nice. question is how do you remove the thin wire grab irons (correct term ?) from the plastic
it said use heated xacto knife . welcome to the world of modeling !
mike
 
Use a BRAND NEW sharp Xacto blade or single-edged razor blade. Always use fresh blades, don't use old ones. You want them very sharp, if they're at all dull, you'll end up crushing and snapping your way through the tiny parts. This may seem wasteful, but it's the way to get results. If you have two or more X-acto handles, always put a fresh blade on one, and use the other for less precise jobs. Whenever you replace a blade, always replace the older one, and then both your blades will always be really sharp, although the older one may lose the point of the blade if you're scribing or cutting plastic sheet. That fine point is easy to break off.

Also, make very light passes, don't apply pressure to the sprue gate.
 
thanks

i just got a little nervous when i saw this extra pkg of grab irons for the box car. one was even broken in the plastic holder . i guess they were thinking ahead . how do you hold something that tiny in place till glue dries ?
mike
 
bristolman said:
how do you hold something that tiny in place till glue dries ?
mike
Click to expand...

Get a GOOD pair of tweezers. They'll come in handy for all manner of modelling projects.

Don't use the model car/airplane cement that comes in a tube; it's globby and stringy and makes a mess. Use a liquid cement that comes in a glass bottle. (I prefer the Testor's liquid cement.) Apply it with a fine-tip brush rather than the applicator brush in the bottle for finer control (I got some fine-tip natural-hair brushes at the local art supply store. Synthetic bristles could be affected by the solvent in the cement.).
 
"Super Glue" usually means a cyanoacrylate (CA) type glue. Don't use that for plastic-to-plastic joints, use a liquid solvent cement specifically for use on plastic.

When you are using CA, it's very easy to make a huge mess with it, and it will bond objects and your fingers almost instantly. Put a puddle of it on a scrap of plastic and apply with a toothpick.
 
I use CA glue all te time for glueing plastic to plastic...no problems...just gotta use it sparingly is all n be careful
 
Guys,I been using tube glue for years..

Its like Walthers Goo.You gotta learn how to work with it. ;)

I use a tooth pick to dab/spread(?) the glue onto the parts.

And yes,I still use Goo.:D
 
Brakie said:
...
And yes,I still use Goo.:D
Click to expand...

I bought a tube of Goo about 15 years ago, and used it twice to glue rail down on a bridge that it couldn't be spiked on to. I kept it in the original package on the workbench. It was under the fluorescent light for so long that the entire front of the tube faded to white! I had to throw it out last year as it completely dried out in the tube.

Goo used to be used a lot before the CA's came out and became so popular.
 
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