Thread: basic tools

What are some tools i should have for re scaling, i have a few scales that i hate cuz there plastic, and i would like to remove and replace them, what should i get that would be easy on the wallet, but effective on the project.

flush cutters, center punch, file, metal block for pining.
You will also need brass rod, washers and ball peen hammer.
You can search the site for restoration tools and you will find a bunch of threads on the subject.

Going through my tool kit.
Blunt Instruments:
- 75mm vise with a built in anvil
- 4oz ball peen hammer
- 2oz jewelers hammer (not necessary but you do get better quality peening)
- flush cut pliers
- 1/16 pin punch
- Block of pine (any other softwood will do) I find that unpinning is a lot easier if I work into a surface with some give in it.
- Pin vise and 1/16th drill bit (if a pin that you want to remove is bent you want to drill it out not hammer it through).

Manipulation of small objects
- Set of dentist's picks.
- set of tweezers (a pair of locking tweezers is really handy)
- Jewelers loupe
Here is an example of set tweezers and picks that makes manipulation of small washers easier:
30x Eye Loupe 4 Tweezers 4 Picks Watch Making Tool Kit | eBay

Restoration materials
- Bottle of acetone and 3 or 4 brushes (not required but is handy if you are working with celluloid)
- Small sculpting tool if you are using acetone on celluloid (Army Painter Hobby Sculpting Tools | eBay)
- Lots of sandpaper from 180 grit to 2000 grit.
- Several rolls of electrical tape.
- Rods and washers.

Ideally; bandsaw, Dremel and bits, small drill press, lots of sand paper, small peening hammer and something to act as an anvil.

what kind of dremel should i get, what grit file, sandpaper, whats with brass rod

Originally Posted by Themagicturtle

what kind of dremel should i get, what grit file, sandpaper, whats with brass rod

Variable speed Dremel, the powerful plug in one. fine grit file. Wet and dry sandpaper, from 180 grit up to 2k. 1/16 brass rod, that's to make your pins.

Originally Posted by Themagicturtle

what kind of dremel should i get, what grit file, sandpaper, whats with brass rod

The type of dremel depends on how much work you intend putting through it. The more work you intend to make it do the better dremel you should buy.

Brass and Nickel Silver are soft metals so just cheap basic flat files are all you need.

For Sandpaper get your hands on every grit you can from 150+. Without going into it in full detail the more passes you do with different grits the finer and smoother the final product will be. Some restorations you can start at 600 grit, if you are removing surface rust you should be starting at 240-300 grit, and if you have pitting/active rust to remove then 150 or so grit should be your starting point.

I have a pretty basic set up although I can do full restorations with it.

- Variable speed dremel and accessories.
- Dremel work bench (not necessary but protects the table!)
- Small anvil and a peining hammer.
- Sandpaper from 80-1200 grit.
- Micromesh from 1800 to 12000 grit.
- MAAS polish.
- 2mm drill bit
- 1/16 brass rod and micro washers
- Coping saw for cutting out scales
- Needle nose pliers
- Scale materials
- Pack of small files of various shapes (square, round, triangular and flat)

That'll pretty much get you unpinning, polishing, scale making and repinning. After that it's just adding power tools to make things easier!

That's the next thing!

Originally Posted by Stubear

- 2mm drill bit

2mm is ~ .080 and can make the holes a bit too large for my preference.
1.6 millimeter = 0.0629 inch Which is a bit smaller than 1/16th inch. So if you have access to American standard bits 1/16th inch is the way to go. If you can buy a Harbor Freight selection of small drill bits, The 1.6 will do the job but you will need to run it in and out a couple times to make the hole large enough in the washers and scales to allow easier assembly.
Just my take on the subject
Respectfully
~Richard

1/16th = 1.59mm.

2mm is not a bad drill bit if you want to remove a peened over head, but as Geezer says not good for actually drilling out 1/16th.

Then it comes down to drilling holes for rods that becomes very interesting and I think you should get your paws on as many small drill bits as you can.
Not all rods that are sold as 1/16th are actually 1/16th.
Some are true 1/16th, some are slightly thinner as they are designed to fit into 1/16th holes and others are metric 1.5mm labelled as 1/16th.