Thread: Scale Making without major tools

I've managed to get a hold of a few blades which are in good shape but the scales aren't in the best of shape.

I've been wanting to learn how to make scales for a while now, but I don't have access to most tools which would make the job easier.

I've got sandpaper, a coping saw, a ball peen hammer, and a dremel. I've also got some size 0 washers on order, and plan on picking up some cheap balsa and brass rod at Hobby Lobby tomorrow (because they're closed on Sundays).

The 2 main concerns I have are drilling the holes and making the wedge. What additional tools would I need to do this? I don't have access to very many tools and was hoping there was a way to drill the holes with my dremel.

Let me know what you guys think.

You can drill the holes with your dremel, but you run the risk of them not being prefectly centered. Not a huge deal in the wedge depending on how you do things, but if your hinge line is off you will not center properly. The amount of perfect will decide how bad your centering is.

dole,

If you are going to do this with minimal tools a cheap electric drill is something you may want to get. I started drilling holes with one of my dad's manual "eggbeater" drills and that will still work just fine, but I'll bet they are now about the same price as a starter electric drill. I prefer the plug in types for both their cost and general durability Cordless is great for a take-along tool, but eventually the batteries will need to be replaced once the old ones no longer take a charge and that gets expensive.

good luck,

I believe I'll be able to get my hands on a hand drill.

My question is will I need a special adapter in order for it to accommodate a 1/16'' bit which I picked up today.

I'm really looking forward to getting this project started, even though the scales will be plain ole' balsa.

Ethan, the 1/16th drill bit should work fine with the standard chuck on most drills. It should fit fine in the dremel tool also.

Also, you may want to consider getting the wood cutting blade for the dremel tool I haven't used these yet, but after the difficulty I had trying to cut even 1/8th inch beechwood (which is only slightly harder than Balsa), I would not want to cut a lot of wood with a coping saw.

Just curious, why balsa? They probably have basswood or some other semi-hard wood at the place where you'll get your balsa, and it will be a whole lot more durable.

Originally Posted by superbleu

Ethan, the 1/16th drill bit should work fine with the standard chuck on most drills. It should fit fine in the dremel tool also.

Also, you may want to consider getting the wood cutting blade for the dremel tool I haven't used these yet, but after the difficulty I had trying to cut even 1/8th inch beechwood (which is only slightly harder than Balsa), I would not want to cut a lot of wood with a coping saw.

Bong, thanks for the heads up on the drill bit. Also, I'll have to look into that wood cutting tool for the dremel, sounds interesting.

Originally Posted by sffone

Just curious, why balsa? They probably have basswood or some other semi-hard wood at the place where you'll get your balsa, and it will be a whole lot more durable.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll check and see what else they've got.

I found some 1/4'' thick woods today at Lowes, but it seemed to be too thick for scales I'm anxious to see what I find at Hobby Lobby.

With either a hand drill or a Dremel, I'd be concerned about the alignment. A drill press would be ideal but a less expensive (much less expensive) alternative might be a drill press accessory for a Dremel. I'll admit I haven't used the accessory. Maybe someone with experience using one could comment on the accuracy.

You might want to consider going online and looking at Woodcraft.com. They have a wide variety of woods that they make available in pieces as thin as 1/8 inch. That's where I buy my wood for scales. And I think right now they have a special going where all shipping is free, so you could order just a single piece of thin stock.

I had a dremel drill press station, which was $39.99. i got rid of it when I found an actual drill press for $42.00 from harbor freight.

There is no reason for the dremel drill press, really, unless you can get one extremely cheap/free. It is not very accurate and I had trouble drilling good straight holes on tougher material like micarta and hardwoods.