G'day All, Well, I have the idea/plan, I have the space, I have the time and I have the motivation to build my 1st layout. What I dont have is a very good grasp of the tools I'll need to get started into N scaling. I have restored cars, motorcycles, vintage machinery and built 2 houses up until now, but somehow I dont believe that qualifies me for model railroading. Last Xmas my wife bought me a Dremel tool outfit. Its a pretty comprehensive box of tricks, but other than that I am flying blind. Is there a list of specialist tools needed for model railroading, somewhere on this site or else where on the WWW? If not could you gents make some suggestions please and I'll make the list? Tool description, manufacturers name (so I can look up thier website) and approx price would help but not necessary. Thanks,
The list is really dependent on what you want the tools for. Model Railroading encompasses many other hobbies/crafts, but I'll take a stab at it. For modelling and rail cutting a good set of fine miniature diagonal cutters with a smooth straight-cut side. These are hard to find in Oz but the likes of Jaycar or other electronics stores sometimes have them. I use those made in Japan by the likes of MTC. Same with long-nose flat and round smooth jaw pliers. Knives I generally stay with the Japanese OLFA brand. These are a top notch range of snap-blade knives and as your confidence and abilities grow their designer knife is one of their smallest and best with small individual blades. In fact Tamiya has the same knife made for them. Almost as good is Stanley's version of them. All but the designer knife is available from Bunnings. I also have a range of miniature fine bladed chisels made by Tri-tool (Hasegawa), again Japanese. Expensive but the best. Order from Japan from the likes of Rainbow Ten along with the designer knife. Wider chisel blades you need to look at eXacto brand to fit their handles. I narrow these to various widths with the Dremel. Another source for miniature tools is the beading sites. Several are Australian based and have some nice tools. The usual tools used around the house will suit building the layout benchwork, though. oh, and a heads up for our US cousins... the Lil'sticks. Bleedin' great kit for a dollar!
Thanks Gary, I've just looked up some of those products. Quality stuff. What about soldering equipment? Any particular brand better than the rest and what wattage is appropriate? (I know I sound like a Sydney Taxi driver.......gotta know everything.):tb-biggrin:
You're welcome Rob. As brands go, Weller make very good soldering equipment though I bought a soldering station I got from Jaycar when on special for $99. I'd have to look at the box to get the brand name but it does what I need and has variable output. For fixed wattage pencil iron for soldering wires, I reckon a 35 watt iron would be sufficient. Incidently, of all things I found an old butane powered soldering iron best for doing track connections! Mind, it's sister unit did self destruct on an extremely hot day so don't leave it in direct sunlight! Better to be a Sydney taxi driver than an already knowing Melbourne one!
Hi Rob, Here is a website that has about every tool you could ever want: http://www.micromark.com/ This doesn't answer you question as to which tools, but you can get a pretty good idea of whats available to our hobby. Cheers!
Be careful, though. Some are "required", some are not. As to soldering, you can go from a $10 pencil tip iron to a $540 resistance soldering unit. Do yourself a fovor and go slowly in your purchases.
Tools Needed? HMMMMMM 1) An OPEN mind. It's YOUR layout build it the way YOU want to. What works for you might not work for the next guy. 2) Get a NATIONAL MODEL RAILROAD ASSOCIATION Standards gauge for N-Scale. This will help you make sure your track, wheels and other items are in gauge. What I mean is that the rails will be far enough apart, not too wide or too close together, and the wheels on each car and engine will be the same. You get this gauge at the NMRA's website NMRA redirect(go to online store) or other places. 3) There are a lot of places all over the 'web that sell hobby tools. Check out MICRO-MARK at http://www.micro-mark.com for one. Since you are down on the other side of the planet, shipping will be an issue. 4) If you have been doing the restoring of m/c's, cars, machinery, and building houses, you should already have a lot of hand tools needed. And it sounds like you know how to use them. I have seen layouts/modules built by people who didn't know which end of a hammer to hold on to. Just a note to add: Any Model Railroad clubs around you? You can learn a lot at model railroading clubs and meet a GREAT group of people also!
Some things I would like to add: a pin vise for holding very small drill bits a pair of normally closed tweezers a clean white cloth that you can lay out on a table to catch small parts that may spring away from whatever you are working on some really good desktop lights for doing the same detail work
Some of these have been mentioned already, some not... -Do you have a flex shaft for the Dremel? And plenty of cutting wheels? For lots of uses: -hobby knife: #11 Xacto blades or similar, and chiseling blades. (Don't be dependent on one type of blade, learn their various uses.) -set of small files For loco repair, body mounting couplers, some electronics work, and more: -A set of small screwdrivers, flat and philips For detailing locos, rolling stock, etc... -A pin vise, or (even better for most things) a small spiral push drill, with various collets -tiny drills: Don't buy a set of all sizes...you'll just break the one you need. Go online and order packages of the sizes you need. -Flat jawed needle-nose pliers, the smaller the better. For bending brass wire and stuff like that. -Good tweezers for picking things up. Also reverse tweezers (the kind you squeeze to open, instead of to close). -tiny paint brushes For track: -rail cutters -track cleaning block (or other track cleaning tools/equipment) -dental picks, for cleaning out turnouts and similar tasks For track and electrical: -Soldering iron(s) For answering the question "Why the hell does it keep derailing there?" -An NMRA standards gauge. If you've built houses and restored machinery, you probably have the tools for benchwork and electrical, but there's plenty to learn as far as techniques.
This list is by no means everything or in order of importance based on layout and model making/detailing. Layout. Rail nippers file sodering iron sodering station hot wire cutter (for foam) putty knife NMRA guage Dremel 90 degree attachment NWSL "chopper" for scratch building structures Locomotives Exacto with good ole #11 (lots of them) and a couple of chisel blades Pin vise with some small bits (multiples because they break) small screw driver set good set of tweezers Mirco Set/Sol (for decals) Some good paint brushes Set of small aligator clips with wires in between N scale ruler Caliper Needle Files fine grit sand paper
Gentlemen, Well Done. Thats exactly what I was looking for:tb-biggrin:.....good suggestions that I can list and look at more closely.:thumbs_up: Thank you all.
Tip: Get GOOD tweezers. I spent 20 bucks a pair on my tweezers, Xuron 3-SA and 00-SA. They are about the best you can get. I've tried the bargains on ebay, and they either are not precise enough, not strong enough, or are of such shoddy build quality, that they render themselves useless in a few uses. Xuron's are made in the USA, last I checked. I'll give you my tweezers, when you pry them out of my cold, dead fingers....
