Here are some more tools I found useful. I the "Brass Assist" and the "Nutter" was of particular interest for some of my stuff/needs/uses.
http://www.thesmallshopeu.com/Main/Main.html (http://www.thesmallshopeu.com/Main/Main.html)
Marc
HI Marc, I looked at Cammett but didn't see a nut or rivet tool. Any idea? Cheers, Hector
Hector,
They must have dropped it from their offerings. It was made by "Smallshop EU"....but no longer seems to be listed. (Interestingly though they are listing EU's "Cast-a-Coat" products, which were thought to have long since been discontinued/no-longer made)
FWIW....I have of late been using the old mil. modelers technique of making small ans specific sized rivet heads using the back-end of drill bots, fastened into a pin vise. I prefer to do this technique using styrene as it glues better, than the "lead" foil from wine caps. Have had no problem with .015" thick styrene and down..... .020 and 025 thick works...but requires more preassure and and a bit more patience (a small hobby ammer helps too [:-grin] )
Marc
Marc, I usually just make a "head" and a "set" to push into. If i were using styrene I would turn a head in, say, ally and then push it into some scrap whitemetal as a set, then punch the styrene between them.
For smaller stuff I had, for many years, a watchmakers' staking tool. It's used for putting bearings and jewels in clock and watch movements, but comes with several heads and sets which are perfect for tiny rivets. What it doesn't include, you make yourself. I found it in a little provincial antique fair and got it for 25 pounds or somewhere like. I once made 10,000 impressions on a model of Miss Britain III, the record boat! Unfortunately when I went to live on a boat I gave it away to my old chum to help him and he started making violins. Ain't life hard? Hector PS, yup, the dog provides all the fluff I need twice a year!!
Hector,
The Watchmakers tool ounds like an interesting item (so does your Model of Miss Britain III).
The initial tool in the tread, and the method that I am currently employing, actually doesdt Emboss/impress the rivet, but rather punches one out (ie a small shaped round head). Many of the things I am currently working on (and personal prefference on other items) require individual various sized rivet heads that are glued/fastened in place.
Marc
Hi Marc, sorry been a bit busy with the boat recently and haven't been watching the forum. The model of Miss Britain III was an "on spec" model. I had access to the real thing and thought, "Why not". So I made her at 1/12th scale, my favourite. I'm an Englishman and I was brought up with Imperial measurements. I still use them since there is little modernity in my life! Besides I had a rule with 1/12th inch marked on one side. It was wood framed with a printers' litho plate skin. It had a fully detailed Napier Sealion W-12 engine, sprung seats and 10,000 impressions of monel metal nuts and bolts on the surface! I must have been mad. But I really enjoyed it. I gave it a very Art Deco black and chrome base and case and sold it via Bonham's for 2800 pounds of which I got 2315. Let that be a lesson to modelmakers who sell at auction!! I understand a museum bought it.
I'll try to put up a picture of it. I also did a model in 1/8th scale of Miss America X complete with all four Packard aero-engines and Gar Wood's teddy bear mascots. That was a massive model and now sits in Arty's Restaurant in Washington DC along with a rather dull little boat called Baby Horace III. It's amazing the work I've got from the net!
I'm working on a model of a McLaren M8F Can-Am race car which is also going via an auction house for rather more than the Miss Brittain III model. That too is in 1/12th scale and has every rivet in the monococque and working piano hinges on the door, see through radiator matrices, etc.
And I have to do the write-ups on my model raiway dioramas for Unc in time for his December book. Somewhere in there I have to fit in my restoration of our floating home, a 70 ft. wooden canal boat which sits in my daughter's garden as I write!!
I used to make brass masters for a living, so if anyone wants to hear a few tips on brass bashing, turning or silver soldering just ask. It ain't no mystery, honest. Cheers, Hector
Hi,
I just stumbled across information on "The Nutter" at:
http://www.thesmallshop.com/nutter.htm (http://www.thesmallshop.com/nutter.htm)
(almost the same URL as the one Marc posted note.)
The tool is available at Great Models Webstore ( http://www.greatmodels.com/ (http://www.greatmodels.com/) ) and Lucky Models ( http://www.luckymodel.com/ (http://www.luckymodel.com/) ).
Chris
Cool! Thanks for the info Chris.
Glad also to see you posting. Did you ever fifnish that wonderful PBL dio?
Marc
Hi Marc,
No, I haven't been modelling for a while now but your chipped paint techniques are providing lots of inspiration!
Chris