Beginners Guide Part 11: Tools

How long is it?

1. Measuring Tape. An inexpensive 12-foot retractable tape measure is a general-purpose tool that is necessary for the construction of a module, doing bench work layout, or completing general construction measurements. A tape measure with increments of 1/32 of an inch is generally the best buy. Source - hardware store.
    

 
 

2. Scale ruler. A "ruler" that is scribed for the scale you are modeling will be necessary for most structure and car construction projects. Having a ruler marked to scale saves a lot of time and avoids the math necessary to complete conversions. A metal hobby scale ruler is preferred because you will make a lot of use of it. Source - hobby store or hobby outlet online.
    

 
 

3. Square. Another aspect of completing layout measurements is marking cut lines that are at 90 degrees (or square) to your baseline. The simple square will allow you to make these marks, but a more advanced design of square will not only allow a more precise marking but will also help in making the desired cut.

 
 

How do I mark it?

1. Pencil. If a pencil is what you have, make sure that the point is kept sharp and the pencil is held perpendicular to the material being marked. If you have a choice of pencils, a harder lead pencil (2H, 3H, or 4H) is a better choice. You might also select a 0.3 mm mechanical lead pencil (normally used for drafting) to provide a thinner width line.
2. Marking knife. Carpenters and metal workers frequently use a "marking knife" to mark measurements on the materials they are working with. The marking knife makes a much thinner impression on the material.
    

 
 

How do I cut it?

1. Hobby knife. There are knives designed especially for hobby purposes. The blades are smaller, come in different shapes, and are very sharp. At least two knife handles, sized to fit small and larger blades are appropriate. A #1 Handle (Smaller) and a #2 handle (Medium) will work well. As an alternative to the #2, a #5 handle (Large) is a good choice. As for blades, a stock of #11, #2, #17, and #18 will cover most needs. The smaller handle with a #11 blade is used for cutting and is well suited for the draw or pull action.

 
 

2. The #2 or #5 handles are best for chisel type blades and the pushing action for using those blades. When you go to the hobby store or search online for blades you will find a wide selection available. While it is beneficial to know about all the blades that exist, it is seldom worth the cost of gathering an inventory of the full selection. The one rule concerning blades is to use a sharp blade which means changing blades often. Source - hobby shop.

3. Scalpel. If sharpness and fine cutting count in modeling (and they do), you may find the scalpel a good alternative to the standard hobby knife. The scalpel blade is much sharper than the hobby blade and the blade is also thinner.
    

 
 

4. Straight edge. To make clean straight cuts you will need a cutting guide or straight edge. The temptation is to use your scale ruler but that will certainly result in damage to the ruler. A better choice is a purpose-built metal straight edge which can be found at an art supply store or hobby tool supplier.
    

 
 

5. Cutting mat. Your model railroading career can end very quickly if you leave the kitchen table or desktop with several cut marks from your work, so using some form of cutting mat is essential.
    

 
 

6. Scissors. There will be many instances when a pair of scissors will be necessary to complete a project. A sturdy candidate would be a pair of Fiskars Amplify Mixed Media Shears. They do it all. Source - craft store.
    

Scissors – FISKAR Amplify Shears on top
 

7. Saw Blades. You may find a need for a hobby sized saw. If so, look to a razor saw that will fit in your #5 knife handle. Select a blade with a thin kerf (thickness) and a high tooth per inch count. Unless there is a need for deep cuts, select a blade with less cutting depth. Razor saw blades, even with a backing sleeve can bend easily and once bent, are useless as a saw. Try to make your cuts as "pull" cuts rather than "push" cuts. Source - same place as knife handles and blades.
    

Saw Blades (Notice Hobby Tool Handle)
 

How do I get the proper fit?

1. Sandpaper: Most of the materials we work with are amenable to reduction by sanding. The trick is to use the correct grit and to keep the surface being sanded properly aligned. Sandpaper comes in various grits and media. The coarsest grits are normally far too severe for our uses. It is most often better to use a higher number grit (less abrasive) and sand for a longer time. For example, 180 grit or higher will most often serve well. Purchasing a pack of paper with several grits will let you experiment on using paper to gain the final fit. Make sure that the paper is placed on a hard, flat surface and the material being worked is moved across the paper. (The material moves across the sanding media - the media does not move across the material.) Most modelers also find a wood or metal block with square sides (a piece of aluminum angle might also serve well) to serve as a sanding guide. If the piece being sanded is moved tightly along the guide block it will remain perpendicular to the sanding surface. Maintaining a flat sanding surface and a perpendicular orientation to that surface goes a long way toward getting the final fit desire. The best choice for all-around use is Wet and Dry paper type. Source - hardware store.
2. Sanding sticks.  A developed skill of model railroading is finding alternate uses for common materials. Such is the case for the foam centered Emory board, designed and sold for fingernail care. As with sandpaper, the boards come in various grits. The boards can be placed on a flat surface and the material to be sanded moved across the surface of the board. Because of the foam center, the boards can also be trimmed to size and be used as a sanding stick. In this manner, they serve extremely well for interior sanding of window and door holes. Foam centered Emory boards make good sanding sticks. Source - beauty supply store, cosmetic section of drug store.
    

Sandpaper and Sanding Sticks
 

3. Files. Some common materials (wood, metal and styrene) can also be finished with a file. The skill necessary to "file to finish" takes time to develop. The most common files used by modelers are jeweler's files and miniature diamond files. The standard jeweler's files work well on either wood or styrene and the diamond files work well on metals. Files are normally sold in sets and, much like knife sets, they include tools not frequently used. A flat file, triangular file, and round file cover most requirements. One specific use for files that rivals the use of sandpaper is getting the final fit on internal openings such as for doors and windows in a model. Source - hobby store, hobby outlet online.
    

Files - Diamond Files on Top
 

Let's lay some track

1. Radius tool or trammel points. Much will be said about curved track and how to maintain a smooth flow through a corner on the layout. Drawing accurate curve radii markings to aid in accurate track placement is key. There are many tools such as trammel points that, when used with a bar or ruler, let you draw an accurate curve. An alternate method is using a homemade radius bar. Start with a piece of wood about 1 inch wide and 3/8 inch thick. Inscribe markings one inch apart along the length of the stick. (A wood yardstick is great for this purpose). Start the markings (point zero) one inch from one end of the stick. At point zero and at the several inch markings suitable for curve radius for your scale, drill a 3/16 inch hole. Now, using a pushpin or something similar, tack the point zero hole at the center of your curve radius and putting a pencil in the correct radius hole, scribe the necessary curve. Source - hobby supply outlet, woodworking specialty store.
    

Trammel Points with ruler
 

2. Pushpins. If you intend to use cork or similar materials as roadbed, a way to hold it in place while glue sets is required. A proven method is by use of push pins. When you purchase pins, look for ones with long shanks because you will use them for many other purposes. You will probably use a lot of push pins. Source - craft store.
    

Push Pins
 

3. Nail setting pliers. To hold the track in place while allowing adhesive to set or while applying ballast to the track, small steel nails are normally used. If you are using "flex" track or sectional track, those track pieces come with small holes drilled through the ties to accommodate the nails. The key is to set the nails deep enough to hold the track in place without damaging the plastic ties or deforming the track. The common tool used to set nails is a set of needle-nose pliers or design-specific "nail setting" pliers.

Pliers for Setting Track Nails – Needle Nose and Parallel Jaw
 

4. Rail Nippers. Unless your track plan is designed specifically to use only 'sectional' track, cutting track to size will be required. Two tools of choice are the Razor saw (see above) or the purpose-designed rail nipper. While looking like a side cutter or dyke pliers, rail cutters or "nippers" are a specially designed tool. The blades of the cutter are flat on one side so the finished cut is also flat. This is important to achieve close-fitting joints between track sections. RAIL CUTTERS ARE NOT WIRE CUTTERS AND SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOR THEIR DESIGNED PURPOSE. Get the correct model of cutters for your track scale and follow the instructions for alignment of the tool for cutting rail. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES WHEN CUTTING RAIL WITH NIPPERS. Source - hobby shop.
    

Rail Nippers
 

Track Laying Tool Set
 

5. Tools for Joining Rails.  Mechanically connecting the ends of rails is done using "rail joiners" which slide from one rail to the other. However, the task requires the modeler to exert a "push" force on one end of the joiner while maintaining alignment of both of the rail ends to enable the joiner to slip onto the second rail. Any number of specific design tools have been created to enable this seemingly simple task, but few meet the challenge. Most modelers use smaller needle-nose pliers, a small standard tip screwdriver, or a cuticle stick. Try them all to find the tool and method that works best for you. Source - hobby shop, hardware store.
    

Rail Joiner Tools
 

6. Soldering iron. A common practice in track laying is to solder the individual rail sections to each other at the joiners. How best to control the alignment of the track will be addressed in the tracklaying section of this guide. To complete soldering you will need a suitable soldering iron. An iron of 35 to 45 watts will meet the needs for HO and smaller scales. A larger iron may be required for larger scales. If you can find an iron that has replaceable tips, that may be the better initial purchase option. Also consider a solder iron with a digital temperature readout, as well as one that will turn itself off after some time not in use. Source - hardware store, hobby shop, online.
    

Soldering Iron
 

Soldering Iron Stand
 

Soldering Iron with replaceable Tips, Stand and Digital Readout
 

7. Soldering tools. A stand or holder for a hot soldering iron is essential. Laying a hot iron on the work surface is a sure invitation for damage or personal injury. Solder is required and the common choice is a 60/40 tin/lead mixture. Lead-free solder is available and, if you intend to work with electronics, lead-free will be the better choice. Because cleanliness is essential to a good solder joint, a mechanical cleaner (scratch brush) and a chemical cleaner (flux) are recommended tools. Many modelers find a tool to hold things in place while soldering to be useful and there are sets of simple soldering aids available. After the solder has cooled, it is good practice to clean the residue flux from the joint area and cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol are the standards for the task. Source - hobby shop, electronics supply house.
    

Soldering Tools - Scratch Brush, Wire Holders, De-solder Tool
 

8. Rail cleaner. A common problem with operating layouts is that the rails tend to accumulate dirt and "crud" over time and require cleaning. Several different tools and methods for cleaning rails and keeping them clean are available. However, doing the initial clean (or cleaning after a longer period of non-use) calls for a different tool. The cleaner of choice will remove the accumulation of "gunk" without excessive abrasion or pitting to the track or disrupting track alignment. A good tool for this task is the track eraser, a silicone block with a very fine abrasive mixed in. There are other purpose-built track cleaning tools. A common cork will also clean track. Source - hobby outlet online.
    

Rail Cleaning Tools
 

Getting Power to the Rails

1. Wire cutters. DO NOT USE SPECIALLY DESIGNED RAIL CUTTERS (covered previously) TO CUT WIRE. The most common tool for cutting wire is the diagonal cutters or "dykes". They are available in various sizes and selecting a pair that will handle the largest gauge wire to be used is a good choice. Source - hardware store.
2. Wire strippers. The wire that is used in modeling, either solid or stranded, will be enclosed in a sleeve of insulating material. The tool designed to cut away the insulation is the wire stripper. The proper selection is one that will handle all gauges of wire to be used.
    

Wire cutters (two images on left) and wire stripper (image on right)
 

3. Because strippers for smaller wire do not normally allow the cutting of larger gauge wire, two tools may be required. Wiring a layout requires many electrical connections and the stripper will be a much-used tool. Select wisely and learn how to use it with scrap wire. Source - hardware store, electronics supply outlet.

Hand Drill and Small Battery Powered Drill
 

4. Electrical joint insulation.  The wiring running under the layout will include many locations where feeder wires are joined and normally soldered to the main power buss wires. Those joints must be insulated to prevent short circuits. The two most common means of insulating are liquid tape or heat shrink material. Liquid tape is applied over the entire electrical connection area and allowed to dry. It is important to make sure that the joint is sound before applying the liquid tape because it does not remove easily. Heat shrink, either tape or tube, is placed over the joint and then heated to "shrink" the material around the joint. DO NOT USE A SOLDERING IRON TO HEAT THE HEAT SHRINK MATERIAL; IT WILL PROBABLY DAMAGE THE SOLDERED JOINT. DO NOT USE A STANDARD "HEAT GUN" AS IT WILL DAMAGE YOUR WIRING AND OTHER WORK MATERIALS. A good heat source for reducing heat shrink material is a miniature heat gun designed for use in rubber stamp making and other crafts. An alternate is a common hairdryer. Source - craft store, hobby outlet store.

What tools and materials do I need to construct scenery?

1. Cutting Foam. The introduction of insulating foam board, in varying thicknesses for scenery use, has resulted in several tools to cut foam. Most of the tools involve a thin heated wire that melts the foam to complete "cutting". These tools work well, and each design has pros and cons. If you do choose to purchase a foam cutting tool, one that is a single cutting wire (similar to a wand) may be the most useful design. Again, learn how to use the tool by practice on spare foam. Practice making the kinds of cuts you will use in creating your scenery. An alternative to the hot wire tools is the fillet knife.
    

Fillet Knives are Useful Tools for Cutting Foam
 

The thin blade of the knife permits good control of the cuts.
 

2. Shaping Foam. Once cut to a basic shape, the foam is normally worked on to give it a more realistic appearance or shape. The tools preferred for that effort are the Sureform tool (a very rough-cut file like tool), and a selection of picks or scribes. The Sureform comes in several sizes and the one that has a small head and a comfortable handle is the most common choice. The picks used are normally either discarded dental picks or common automotive repair picks. Source - hardware store.
    

Sureform tools
 

3. Using Hydrocal.  Still in common use, Hydrocal (a modeling plaster) demands some different tools to be used properly. The first set of tools are those needed to repeatedly mix batches of the plaster. Because Hydrocal, when set, is very strong and hard and is not easily removed from utensils, picking the correct tools is important. The mixing bowl of choice is rubber so the bowl can be flexed to remove the dried residue from each mix.
    

Rubber mixing bowls
 

4. Plaster Application tools. Getting the mixed plaster from the bowl to the layout and placed, as desired, requires both hands and, usually, some type of brush. HYDROCAL IS HYDROSCOPIC AND WIILL EXTRACT MOISTURE FROM YOUR HANDS IF NOT PROTECTED. The use of protective gloves is appropriate. While latex or nitrile gloves will work, the common rubber gloves for kitchen use may be a better choice. They are more durable and can be reused numerous times. The rough texture of the gloves makes it easier to grip wet items and even aids in spreading the plaster by hand without leaving a smooth hard surface which does not look natural. Spreading wet plaster on the surface can also be achieved with a paintbrush. The most inexpensive bristle brushes serve well. Plaster sets quickly and if not washed off immediately, will permanently damage the brush. Source - hardware store.
5. Other scenery tools.  After the basic scenery base is established, the finishing process is normally a series of steps involving paint, stains, and materials such as ground foam. Painting normally requires brushes for application and the specific media used and the manner of application determines brush type. A common factor is keeping the cost down. Less expensive throwaway brushes are preferred. Stains and adhesives require some kind of spray bottle. Having several bottles at hand, each for a different liquid is a good practice. Clean the spray mechanisms frequently. A bottle that sprays a mist is very handy for applying the topcoat to the finished scenery. Ground foam or similar scenery materials are normally spread over an area of the layout using some sort of shaker container or a small kitchen strainer. Shaker bottles are available or can be made to fit the need. One tool, while not common to most layout construction efforts but which is very useful, is a common hatchet style Ionic hairdryer. The key to dryer selection is to get one that applies heated air to the scenery surface at low flow rate so the scenery material is not blown away. Source, Spray Bottle - left over household use, beauty supply store. Source, Hair Dryer - thrift shop.

Building Structures and Cars

1. Sprue cutter. Plastic kits come with the various pieces and parts attached to a "sprue", a waste part of the casting process, which links the pieces together in the mold and provides the flow path for the hot plastic to the individual parts in the mold. Removing the individual pieces from the sprue without damage or need for major additional finish work is the job of the sprue cutter. These tools are normally available in either plier or tweezer form. DO NOT USE A SPRUE CUTTER FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. Source - hobby shop.
    

Sprue Cutters
 

2. Tweezers. The one tool that you can apparently never have too many of is tweezers.
    

 
 

3. Clamps. For items being joined so that they remain in the correct place while the adhesive sets, some type of clamp is normally required. Selection of clamps with a universal application is a good idea.
    

 
 

4. Angle blocks. For construction, the ability to achieve square corners and plumb (perpendicular) sides is critical to producing a quality product. There are many tools available but one that serves very well is the angle block. Two basic designs are available. The simplest is one that looks like a piece of angle iron with the adjacent sides finely milled to a right angle. The second is the 1-2-3 block with all six sides milled to precision and all sides at 90 degrees to the adjacent sides.
    

Angle block and a 1-2-3 block
 

5. Paintbrushes. Unlike the brushes recommended for scenery work, a set of fine, higher-quality artist brushes will be required for painting and weathering models. Start simple and go with better quality rather than the lowest price.
    

Assorted paint brushes
 

But How Do I Actually See My Work?

1. Light. The first means of improving vision is to provide more and better light on the subject that we are working on. There are many different lamp designs for static and portable lights for use on the workbench or the layout and no specific guidance is required. However, there are two recommendations to consider in selecting lights. First, pick a light that will be easy to use and to focus on the area of interest. A portable high lumen lamp works well for the layout or work bench. A good high energy headlamp is also very useful for working under the bench or work that requires two hands. Being able to point the light right where you are looking minimizes frustration. Second, if the light is required for painting models, use the same type of light that will be used to display the model when finished. The color shift that occurs with different types of light (light frequency/wavelength) will change the appearance of a model when you move it from the workbench to the layout.
2. Vision Assistance. Enhancing vision, even for those with very good eyesight, is common for close-up and detailed work.. A common method is to use an optical enhancement visor or Optivisor headband magnifier. This tool comes with several different lenses and may include attached light sources. Another way to enhance vision is to use increased diopter glasses, normally sold as "reading" glasses. Select the enhancement factor desired and use the glasses, as appropriate. A more recent addition to the field is the optical device employed by dental hygienists or similar professionals. The head lamp is a central LED light and adjustable loupes mounted to an eyeglass frame. They provide the vision enhancement you want and light where you need it but these tend to be quite expensive. Source - hobby supply outlet online, drug store.

Making sure that it will work

NMRA Standards Gauge
 

Your own toolbox