Thursday, August 25, 2016

Plumbing the cab


Cab plumbing is simple enough - some (supplied) 0.8mm copper wire is fitted into  0.85mm holes drilled in the lost wax castings fitted in the cab. A few dots of superglue hold everything in place. 

Drilling cast brass requires a nice sharp bit. The first one I tried wasn't man enough for the job but a change to a fresher tool allowed me to carry on even though I was using a pin vice rather than a power tool. Am I the only one who can't be bothered to plug something in for jobs like this?

6 comments:

Andy in Germany said...

No you aren't. I go as far as I can without using electric tools in modelmaking and woodwork.

But then I'm weird.

Paul C said...

I prefer a hand drill for most jobs around the house as well. I find it so much more controllable, plus you get some feeling if something is obstructing progress and then time to do something about it...a good idea if you are drilling into a wall that might have a pipe in it.

I generally use the hand drill for woodwork as well though, I just find it more satisfying. Maybe I am weird too?

Phil Parker said...

Hmm. Should I be worried that the readers of my blog are powerdrill eshewing weirdos?

cparkstone said...

I'll join the weirdo club as well then

Andy in Germany said...

Hmmm... 'Modelmaking Luddite' soundy like a good online nickname...

Geoff said...

I think some of the previous respondents have used incorrect terminology ;-)

Look at the tool in question e.g. a yankee screwdriver or a hand operated drill brace. Do you have to connect it to a mains electricity power source to make it work ?
Answer is of course 'No' so by definition you have a Cordless Screwdriver or Drill. In the end it is a question of choosing the correct tool (powered or otherwise) for the task.

Oh and for the fiddly brass manifold casting as a first choice I would go for a drill in a pin chuck. If for no other reason than that if the drill slips it will do a lot less damage to the fingers holding the casting.

Geoff