Handrails

[Graeme Dunbar]

For thin stiff wire, find a tame guitarist (electric, country, etc. variety) if you can.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

What like me you mean?

So what you are saying is if I move about a meter and open my guitar case I will have everything I need?  Not counting the wound strings that make excellent brake pipes?

I really need to start writing this down :-)

[JulienW]

A quick rummage in the "Building Materials" box found some 0.5mm brass rod*, would that need burnishing?  If so could I do that at home with basic tools?

If you have got the facility to do so it will not do any harm, but you might be OK without doing it.

EDIT: I suppose that I could do the whole thing in soldered brass using a veroboard jig and just fit the rails as completed assemblies, but how the heck to I accurately drill the holes in 1mm brass angle? Or would I be better off just doing a butt soldered joint, using another jig to hold the rail in place?

Stephen

I'd mark the centre of the hole with an engineers scribe (either a proper job or a big sewing needle held in a pin vice - you won't need to hammer it, just press to make a small dimple) then use a 0.5mm drill bit also held in a pin vice to drill the holes by hand. It may take a while, and if your pin vice hasn't got a revolving handle on the top you may get a blister from the friction (the pin vice I have with no handle has a hole in the top and I use a big brass drawing pin to save the wear and tear on the skin). The trick is to go slowly and gently (and it may be worth using new(er) drill bits as they will be sharper and cut better).

Using a dremel or other powered drill will result in broken drill bits skidding across the brass until they bite the metal and start whirling the bit of angle around at high speed (until it flies off, but not before it's ripped a chunk out of you on the way)...

Don't ask me how I found that one out  ::)

[Hugh Norwood]

I get my handrail wire from Eileens Emporium (I use their 0.45mm diameter wire and they also sell handrail knobs in a variety of lengths. (just had a look at their website, they do a variety of wire diameters too.

Usual disclaimer

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I'd mark the centre of the hole with an engineers scribe (either a proper job or a big sewing needle held in a pin vice - you won't need to hammer it, just press to make a small dimple) then use a 0.5mm drill bit also held in a pin vice to drill the holes by hand. It may take a while, and if your pin vice hasn't got a revolving handle on the top you may get a blister from the friction (the pin vice I have with no handle has a hole in the top and I use a big brass drawing pin to save the wear and tear on the skin). The trick is to go slowly and gently (and it may be worth using new(er) drill bits as they will be sharper and cut better).

Thanks, I have all that available, and will give it a go. Fortunately I got a new set of drill bits and a pin vice for Christmas from my eldest son  ;)

I think I am going to make a veroboard jig up to assemble the hand rails as separate assemblies, then use it to drill the holes in the model.

But first a very nervous session with a chisel tipped scalpel to remove the ridges that Ratio put there to represent the handrail, without removing the rivet detail  :-\

EDIT - Before that I am going to fit the chassis and door to keep it more stable :-)

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I get my handrail wire from Eileens Emporium (I use their 0.45mm diameter wire and they also sell handrail knobs in a variety of lengths. (just had a look at their website, they do a variety of wire diameters too.

I love that shop too its great. I can't remember the last time I bought there but I didn't know that they did the knobs too. Did you use one for the end of your Wizard's staff? We all know its got one  ;)


Stephen

[Hugh Norwood]

I get my handrail wire from Eileens Emporium (I use their 0.45mm diameter wire and they also sell handrail knobs in a variety of lengths. (just had a look at their website, they do a variety of wire diameters too.

I love that shop too its great. I can't remember the last time I bought there but I didn't know that they did the knobs too. Did you use one for the end of your Wizard's staff? We all know its got one  ;)


Stephen

:) No - Perhaps I should have thought of that when I broke the top of Wizard No.2's staff. I used a very small metal bead -on, yes, a piece of handrail wire. It looks a bit top-heavy, but then we all know wizards like a bit of bling!

(Wizard No.2 is some sort of plastic (from Shapeways) whereas Wizard No. 1 is white metal and a lot more robust...)

[Stephen Rainsbury]

(Wizard No.2 is some sort of plastic (from Shapeways) whereas Wizard No. 1 is white metal and a lot more robust...)

He probably had a better breakfast

---
Stephen
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Sorry I fell over and injured my right wrist so can't type much at the moment, or make models :(

[Graeme Dunbar]

I love that shop too its great. I can't remember the last time I bought there but I didn't know that they did the knobs too. Did you use one for the end of your Wizard's staff? We all know its got one  ;)

Do I also hear a verse of the "Hedgehog Song" in the background?  ;)

[Stephen Rainsbury]

Do I also hear a verse of the "Hedgehog Song" in the background?  ;)

I can never be b*****ed with that one :)

[Hugh Norwood]

The faculty...
fro those interested in the multifarious uses of handrail wire
The Faculty... by H Norwood, on Flickr

[Stephen Rainsbury]

The faculty...
fro those interested in the multifarious uses of handrail wire

Love it :)

[Graeme Dunbar]

Ook!  ;D

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I managed a little light modelling this afternoon, despite the broken arm, and managed to clear all the "handrails" from my micro-toad.

I still needs a bit of tidy up in better light but I started drilling holes for the handrails with a pin vice and that proved a bit too much so had to stop.

Unfortunately I managed to gouge a lump out of the side but I am slowly filling it with layers of cement and hopefully I will be able to get it smooth again. After that I might just put the doors and foot steps in, give it a light undercoat to see what it is going to look like.

I still need to decide which type of handrail I am going to use. They are all based on gas pipe, and I had only been considering normal handrail fittings and the later angle iron but I have since found out the originals were made with length of pipe cut to length then hammer flat at each end, a hole drilled through and then bolted to the van. Where pipes met they shared a common bolt.

I also need to decide what to do with the rivets, I have managed to rub away quite a few while I was cutting the sides, so do I try and repair them or just get rid of the lot?

[JulienW]

That's coming on well.

With respect to repairing rivets one method I've used is to cut small 'cubes' from plastic (styrene) strip - the smaller the better - and stick them on with liquid solvent.  The trick is not to move them with the first brush-full and then wash several more brushfulls over the cubes to round them off.

The other alternative if you wnated to remove all the kit's rivets would be to use one of the 'textured transfers' (resin printed onto the carrier film) like those made by Archers (available from DCC Supplies in the UK but I;'m sure other places sell them too).  I've found they work best if they are put on over a layer of paint (like primer) then 'sealed' under another coat of top coat paint (I suspect a grey in your case) and one of the 'decal softening' solutions (like Microsol or Humbrol's own 'Decalfix') may help reduce the appearance of the carrier film.