luker

All

I ve been a regular reader of the forums here and it has inspired me to build my own models, i am starting on sci fi models as i don’t need to be so exact with scale and accuracy. I use styrene sheet.

My problem is very basic I have been working on a sci fi tank and I ve done all the large parts easily cutting this by scoring and then snapping the card and cleaning up the resulting edge I have got some good clean results.

The issue is I am now trying to make small components such as working hinges etc to do this I need to make a small rectangle with a ring on the end I am ok cutting out the rectangle in thin styrene the ring I made using the punch and die set punching a large circle and then punching a smaller one I have glued the two together however there is no strength so it collapses when I try to use the hinge.

I cant use thicker sheet as when I do the rectangle just twits and distorts when I try to snap it out and I cant punch thicker sheeting. I have the same issue whenever I try to snap out any small shape from thick styrene.

My question really is I have around £500 to spend on tools that will allow me to cut out small shapes. I have tried to search the forums and the web but without knowledge of what I am looking for I am coming up with very little. I have found CNC machines which would work and at 10 times my budget its not an option. Can people shed some light on options that might be available?

I hope this is the most relevant forum for this question.

wilburpatureba

First: My english is very baaaaaaad. But I try understand your doubt.
I make a little tubes with a styrene.
1) Take a little bit of a styrene tree (of plastimodel kit).
2) Make a little orifice with a very little drill.
3) Approach the piece on a source of flame.
4) Streach out until to proportion do you wish.
5) The piece maintain the same hole in proportion the piece.
6) Glue on the small styrene retangle.
7) Ready!

best wishes
wilburpatureba@yahoo.com.br

wilburpatureba

Sorry by the size of fonts... My mistake.
wilbur

luker

thanks for the feedback.

I guess simply the question is what tools can i buy that will make it easy to cut out smallshapes from stryene sheet?

Bluewavestudios

Hi Luker and welcome to the site,

A good recommendation is a mini drill, eg the Dremel type - they do more than just drill and come supplied with various attachments for all type of work including cutting, sanding polishing, routing etc and of course drilling holes too. Dremel are the expensive versions of these machines but you can get cheaper alternatives which work just as well & will readily accept the dremel attachments too.

I bought B&Q's own version of the Dremel, called the Precision Mini Drill. It comes supplied with loads of attachments for all the type of work I have mentioned above, spare ones are cheap too. The drill is quite powerful and has variable speed, it also comes with a stand and a flexi drive so it resembles a dentists drill, this is very handy for fine work or small models...and at just under £30, is well within your budget.

I have 2 of these now and to be honest they are far better than any knife or saw you will ever use....Making the job quicker and easier. If you get one, you will wonder how you ever did without one, as many others on here will also agree.

Definitely worth a look at !!

Regards........Mark.

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GEEDUBBYA

Howdy luker,

First, welcome to the forum we are glad you finally "jumped in" and became a part of the group.
So you are having trouble with hinges? Well, you might consider checking out the products this company has to offer: Evergreen Scale Models (Plastic Stock) .



They sell plastic "stock" styrene including tubes, H-beams, square and half and quarter round and flat stock and many other forms. I could see the round tubing they sell being used as a hinge in conjunction with a hinge pin of what ever diameter you need.
The site also includes scale conversion charts.

Again, welcome to the forum and i hope this helps,


Greg

alan2525

If you really want to get into scratch building small scale model parts - in a big way! I'd recommend looking at CNC. It’s a lot of fun watching the machine cut part after part, with total precision and repeatability too!

Proxxon sell a small milling machine, model No. MF70. It's a small, high speed spindle designed to use dremel type tools and carbide pcb drills. It's build solidly enough to machine non ferrous, brass, aluminium etc. It retails at £200 as a manual machine and there's a brilliant CNC conversion available for it from:

Sondermaschinen und Vorrichtungsbau USOVO



They even sell an automatic toolchanger for it! Ebay Item Number 230226498540

The bad news is that the CNC converted machine retails at £518 so that’s the £500 gone!

This guy uses one:

Z-PANZER.COM - The ONLY place for Z scale armor

He makes 1/220 scale military vehicles for Z Gauge model railways! The detail is astounding, you have to remember the vehicles are just over an inch long!

If that is too much of a chunk, I’d recommend buying a Proxxon Grinder or Dremel type and a little drill stand for one of those. Proxxon again do a nice one, they also sell a little milling cross table to allow some very light machining in plastics and wood.

MICROMOT precision drill grinder FBS 12/E



Micro compound table KT 70



MICROMOT drill stand MB 140/S

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luker

Alan thanks for such great infomration i will look into that option and cost it up that would be an amazing tool if i can afford it as it would rule out human error which i am prone too. I ve seen some of the work you have done with your CNC machine and they look amazing.

Hi Greg thanks for the info i have a lot of theirs or simialr products which has helped.

Hi Mark, I have seen the dremel type tools how easy is it to ensure stight cuts with them are they prone to wander at all? I may well go for such a tool at first to ensure i maintain my enthuisasm and have the time to model before investing more in other machines?

Bluewavestudios

Hi Luker,

Straight cuts are very easy, that's where the variable speed on the drill comes in handy by slowing it down and this helps minimise any wandering. Another big help is the flexi-drive attachment as that part of it becomes like holding a pen in your hand whilst you are doing the cutting rather than holding a big bulky drill. This allows for very precise work.

Good Luck

Regards........Mark.

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alan2525

When I bought my Proxxon Grinder - the one pictured above shown with the drill stand accessory, I looked at some of the dremel type grinders but chose the proxxon, one of the reasons was that it has a nice machined collar for fitting it in other accessories, router bases, drill stands etc. I was going to use it in an attachment on the cross slide of my lathe for precision drilling too.

Some of the dremel drill stands look a little strange as they have to use some straps and various bolts to position the curvey shaped body of the tool in an upright position in the drill stand.

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