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Micro Mark "must-haves"

Any suggestions on handy Micro Mark tools or other products they'd like to
point out for consideration?
I'm planning to place a small order to Micro-Mark
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,
mainly to get myself a distresser/scratch brush and some brush refills.
(Apparently I wasn't a good boy this year - Santa didn't come through with
one for me.) But since shipping is a flat rate for orders under $50, if I
add one or two smaller tools to the order, shipping for these additional
items is essentially "on the house."
I have a modest amount of modeling tools and my interest and skills so far
have mainly been on minor kit modifications -- although I will soon be
attempting my first full-fledged kitbash to cut down a 50' boxcar and replace
the roof and ends to model a 40' prototype car.
Anyone who might have some recommendations on tools or jigs that might come
in handy for that project are especially welcome. I already have a full box
of #11 knife blades, otherwise that would probably be my number one
suggestion for this list. I have to confess that up to this point I've
survived on self-tapping 2-56 screws, perhaps a 2-56 tap set should be in
consideration.
Reply to
Mark Mathu
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I was thinking about getting one of their paint storage carousels, #82470, Pg 58 (in the latest catalog I just got in the mail.) There's a work desk somewhere under my mess and it might help.
If you don't have one of those "Third Hand" holders like #21135, Pg 17, they're very handy. I use mine constantly. Don't bother getting the magnifier with it. It's too small to be useful.
Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"
Reply to
Mike Tennent
Does Micro Mark have any NWSL Choppers? These can be very handy. So can those third hand things that Mike mentioned. Little clamps are useful. You can never have enough small drill bits and having several pin vises can be a time saver. If you are kit bashing and replacing cast on details a detail removing chisel is helpful and maybe a tool to scribe plastic too. Bruce
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,> mainly to get myself a distresser/scratch brush and some brush refills.
Reply to
Bruce Favinger
That's a second recommendation for a "third hand" tool, and it's certainly passed through my mind as I've worked on projects in the past. I think I will get one.
(Maybe it will be helpful when it's feeding time for the newborn twins, too.)
I have a NWSL Chopper - I agree, it's a useful tool. I have no buyers remorse over it.
The small drill bits was actually what first sent me to the Micro-Mark catalog. My 2-year-old scattered many of my small drill bits to the far corners of the room (carpeted, of course) and I never found my #76, #77 and #78. But Micro-Mark sells drill bits in six-piece lots, and I really don't go through these odd sizes that fast to justify that. So I'm just going to stop by Walthers here in Milwaukee and pick up smaller packages of the bits.
I've got chisel blades for my Xacto knife... as a matter of fact I keep one knife loaded with a #11 blade and another with a #17 chisel blade; The #11 doesn't stand a chance next to the #17 when it comes time to remove details cast on the sides of kits.
- Mark
Reply to
Mark Mathu
Mark, if you model in HO scale and don't yet have one of those reamers for plastic trucks, it may be something you may want to consider. My LHS has been out of stock for months (since about the time I decided to get one) and they tell me it's because Micro Mark has the market cornered...
HTH, Stevert
Reply to
Stevert
Mark, I used to have an Xacto knife for dedicated use of the #17 chisel blade. Then I tried a friend's detail-removal chisel - and I've never used the #17 blade again. The MicroMark tool does take a little practice at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is by far the superior tool. I've used it extensively when converting Accurail, MDC and Walthers S/S boxcars to free-standing ladders and grabirons, and it's given me consistently good results.
All the best,
Mark N.
Reply to
mark_newton
yea, that's another good one, although I thought Reboxx made them too.
Reply to
me
Cut them off - problem sorted.
Reply to
mark_newton
That one came to my mind as well. And what about coupler shims? I'd add small paintbrushes (like 5/0) but they're cheaper at Michaels.
Reply to
Larry Blanchard
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,> mainly to get myself a distresser/scratch brush and some brush refills.
Get a set of taps. I have one from Genral that was not all that expensive (I think about $5.00 10 years ago) that's a 2:56, a 1:72, an 0:80 and an 00:90.
Tap size and clearance size drills for all 4.
A miter box that will hold the car body (if you don't already have one)
Don
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Reply to
Trainman
only if you don't want to use them...
Reply to
me
>>Anyone who might have some recommendations on tools or jigs that might come >>in handy for that project are especially welcome.
Reply to
Hdgdn
Absolutely. Kadee couplers are of above average quality and consistency, but they still have a 'goof' now and then. The trip pins do indeed exhibit a variety of curves, leading to differing rail clearance. I've also seen them installed backwards (pin toward the shank), and bent into an "S" shape. Such perturbations are VERY rare with Kadees.
A more likely need for the trip pin pliers results when an already low coupler snags on a grade crossing or switch frog. This usually results in bending the pin, which must then be re-adjusted.
And, in heavy pulling, sometimes the shanks will bend downward (or upward). This is especially true of the plastic-bodied couplers. Sometimes these need a little extra trip pin clearance. That's not the best for coupler OPERATION, but may be necessary to avoid snagging and derailments.
Dan Mitchell ============
Reply to
Daniel A. Mitchell
I don't. As much as I like Kadees, I can't abide the trip pins, so off they come.
Reply to
mark_newton
Mark, if you're planning on kitbashing, a very useful tool to have is an Olfa P-cutter. Unlike an ordinary knife blade, the P-cutter removes plastic with a gouging action, and creates a shallow, v-shaped groove. It's indispensible for scribing plastic, scoring sheet for snapping, removing boxcar roofs, and can also be used as a "scrawker" to scribe thin sheet metal. I don't know if MicroMark stock them, but they are worth looking for.
Reply to
mark_newton
Also watch for dental chisels at surplus sources, or from your dentist. Sometimes they get chipped or otherwise damaged, and the dentist may throw them out. They can be resharpened (on a grinder or belt sander), and used for model purposes. These are indescribably handy for many model uses. These are NOT dental 'picks', but are true small chisels and much more robust than picks. The largest I've seen are about 1/8" wide, most are about half that. They are often only single ended (unlike many picks), but do come in double ended forms also. They come in straight and several curved forms (some are like tiny hoes).
I use them for scribing and carving plastic, and soft metals (especially good for solder clean up). They can cut brass, but it's hard on them to do that.
I see them occasionally at model RR flea markets, but perhaps 1% as often as picks. The picks are also very handy, but not so much so as the chisels.
Dan Mitchell ============
Reply to
Daniel A. Mitchell
I use the right-angle machinist set-up blocks A LOT, and I think Micro Mark carries them. Also a box of 100 X-Acto #11 and #16 blades. If you buy them in bulk, not only are they cheaper, you'll never have an excuse not to put in a fresh blade whenever you suspect your current blade is getting dull. Extra X-Acto knife handles are also handy, I have 'many', with one that I always keep a -brand new- blade in. A second has an older blade for "heavy work", a third has a #17 chisel blade, and a fourth has the round carving blade.
dave
Reply to
David Emery
Does Micro-Mark carry that tool?
I've looked through their model railroad listing, and searched for phrases such as "reamer," "reboxx," "socket," "nmra" and "wheel" but I can't seem to find something like that listed.
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Reply to
Mark Mathu
Found in about 2 seconds :)
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(you may need to cut and paste...if that doesn't work, type "truck" in the search box, and select "truck tuner"
Reply to
me
practice
Is this the Micro-Mark tool that you are referring to?
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Reply to
Mark Mathu

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