Sunday, May 13, 2007

Clips


clamps
Originally uploaded by Phil_Parker.
The Tomsk story is skipping ahead a bit. I’ve fitted out the inside with mechanical bits. There are even a couple of bulkheads strengthening up the hull – it doesn’t really need it but as mentioned this boat needs grunt so I am being over cautious.

Before I can test sail the boat, the top and bottom halves of the model need bringing together. First the big lip around the edge was smeared with plastic glue from a proper tube. The sort you used to ruin Airfix Spitfires with by gobbing the stuff everywhere. Then evey little clip I could lay my hands on was pressed into service to hold the two parts together overnight. I’ll be trimming the excess plastic back quite a bit so a good join is vital with no gaps to allow water in.

What did we do before the advent of these stupidly cheap Chinese clips ? Looking back in old magazines there was talk of raiding “the wife’s” hairdressing supplies for little metal clips.

Clothes pegs were very popular – and indeed still are but many people don’t own any as the habit of hanging clothes on a line has fallen out of favour as the spin drier grabs space in every kitchen.

Sometimes elastic bands could be employed but normally this was only suitable for clamping you plastic aircraft fuselage together – even then this was the preserve of serious modellers as most of us found ordinary glue has enough grab.

Perhaps in days of yore we were more inventive but I bet we’d have used the clips if they were around. Let’s face it we don’t know what tools will appear in the future and become indispensable. Nuclear powered soldering irons perhaps ?

I’m hoping for a laser scalpel myself.

No comments: