Howdy,
A fellow club member has a really nice set of these tools - a square punch in 5 sizes - "masters set" - in a small 5" x 5" square paper box. Did a google, but came up empty, and apart from my measily drawing I have no other information. But I would like buy a set and any help you have would be a Christmas present indeed.
Thank you,



As for winter projects, I am scratch building an Aeroworks X300L, and stick building an Ace Seamaster and a 1/5 Scale Ice Boat complete with Sail and Rigging.

Merry ChrisTmas to all and a Happy New Year to the rest!

it is quite simple to make a set youself, I did using thin wall stainless tubing, in both square and round. I used 6" lengths of the various sizes and used a cinical grinding bit on adrill to sharpen them, I found metal caps to go over the ends where I use a small wooden mallet if needed, they work well in balsa and liteply. I make a new one if I need a different size, and have most sizes in round up to 1 1/4", and square up to 3/4". very useful, and easy to sharpen if needed. One point to remember is to sharpen from the inside, That way youget clean straight sided holes that should fit snugly. I even made the mallet myself using a small piece of 2" wooden cutain rod and 3/4" dowel

Excellent idea !! These will come in very handy as I have just started to stick-build.. Thanks for the idea. PS I was going to ask you where you got the S/S tubing & then remembered you were down under ( too far to drive for me).

hmmm could be an interesting drive [sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I usually find the sizes I need or see as being possibly useful in the scrap bins at a sheetmetal fabricators. Just ask the managementif you could rat around the ofcut bins, usually not a problem. and often they will have end caps too which will be cheaper than at any store. You may come up with a different idea to cap the ends, which you will need to do, or the ends will fold over and start to collapse, dont ask how I know [sm=rolleyes.gif] I just did a count, I have 23 different sizes at the moment.

They look a lot like gravers. Check with a jewelery supply. Thy Rio Grande of Fire Bird supplies. If you know a jeweler, he can get them from Stullers. I let my account go dormant or I could help you.

It's susprising how many of my jewelry/goldsmith tools have found a new life in making models.

Don

I think qldViking has it. I do remember a wierd woodworking tool with a round bit that runs through the center of a square cutter with sharpened end like Viking suggested but I can't remember where I saw them. They would certainly be more expensive than viking's idea. I have a set of "cork borers" used in scientific labs for, what else, boreing holes in cork stoppers. Very handy too for punching holes in balsa, thin plywood etc. You can make your own out of brass or stainless tubing.

Bill

OK, I checked Thunderbird supply and they don't stock them. Stuller doesn't show them on line, but do show sharpeners for them. I didn't create an account for RioGrande, so I wasn't able to see their offering.

Gravers are small hand pushed tools used for engraving work. It is all but a lost art now as few jewelers do anything other than template tracing or CNC engraving. The Gravers came in a a wide range of tip designs. 1/2 circles, lines, multi lines, square(the ones you are looking at), as well as others. Each design came in numerous sizes. All were for cutting into a surface.

I've seen responses about a drill in a square tube, these are mortise tools for wood working and they basicly broach a square hole and the drill removes most of the material in the process. They would not be very sucessful working with balsa as the wood is so soft the it will crush before the square part can cut it. Even it it is able to cut it, the distortion would be great.

What was your intention for the tools? IE what did you want to accomplish with them. The drawing you showed is a clasic graver tip. When it is very sharp, it easilly cuts a 90 degree cut, edge down, into gold or silver. It is less effective on softer wood like balsa, but if it is lapped with a very fine stone and the stropped, it will work. Cheaper wood working gouges will also work, but again a proper sharpening is mandatory for success. For a penetrating hole, your best bet is to drill to size and then use a jewelers 4/0 blade to square up the hole, or use a small needle file to square the hole. The later is what I use to square up the holes for Robart Hing points.

Lets us know what you want to accomplish with the tool and we can give a more focused response.

Don

The cutters I make are from thin wall tubing, with the edge on the outside. these give a good clean cut usually best with a gentle tap from my little mallet.

Hello All - and thank you for your responses.

I am scratch building an Aeroworks X300L while stick building replacement wing set for Ace Seamaster - Minnesota winters get a bit long some years - hopefully this will be one of them .

My intent is for cutting the pockets on wing ribs. I am not steady enough to use an exacto, although I could band saw them and nibble. These punches just seemed natural for the task at hand. I like the idea (and had thought to do so) of making the various sizes needed from tubing - perhaps reinforcing the tube by brazing a small junk of solid stock inside the tube on end and will pursue that to be sure.

Merry Christmas.

for cutting of balsa and some lite ply I havent needed to reinforce any of my cutters. I had a solid block of pine I use to punch on, always use my little mallet, and also keep my punches sharp. I use them a lot on wing ribs, for wing tube holes, servo lead holes and lightening holes. I also make small blocks with a suitable hole to carry any leads down to the tail if needed, usually out of 3/32" balsa, I used to have a stock of very light rectangular plastic tubing which was great for running leads through, I am scratching my head as to where I got it from originally. It is 3/4" x 1/2 " and very thin walled and kept the leads nicely in place and made it very easy to replace or add wiring if needed.

CottcoRC

I have a set of these Gaskin Softbore Cutter and they work great on balsa no ripping at all.


http://www.rjrcooltools.com/shop_ite...m?subcat_ID=29




F0r 90 degree cuts I want to try these corner cutters from Micro-Mark have not purchased them yet but they look interesting.

http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares...oduct&ID=82394



Mark

Sounds like you are thinking of a mortising machine used for cutting the slots of mortise & tenon joints. I have a cheapo version that I've tried to use for cutting spar slots and stuff. While it works great in harder woods like oak & maple, it seems to tear up balsa pretty good. I've tried sandwiching stacks of balsa ribs between harder wood but it still doesn't work well. I think the punch idea would be better and a heck of a lot less expensive..

Viking,
Could you post a few pictures of the tools you've made - that's an interesting idea and I messed around making a punch last night while watching Mad Max - a cult film from downunder.

Don, go to A gun show and you will usually find some very good engravers still doing it the old way. I make my cutters from copper or brass and I can get the smaller sizes at most hobby shops. For the bigger stuff I find it at hardware stores. My son owns A scrap metal company so when I visit him I can go to his yard and look around for stuff. With the softer metals you can also shape your cutters. I used to have hole cutters for making gaskets and another set for leather tooling. You may be able to still find punch kits at Tandy Leather??

Gene, there are still a few good artist left. It never stops amazing me that the skill they have with the hand gravers. As for tools, I've got mine In fact most of them were not used in the last 15 years. I've even got a Power Graver that runs off my flex shaft. My last three times I use it was to cut a bronze bushing in half so I could get it out of the housing. This just got me thinking, I need to try the power graver with some fresh sharpened bits on balsa. Hummm.

I've even got one of the old gravers balls. Man I need to start dumping some of this stuff. I accumilate way to many tools. Never saw one I didn't like.

Don

Aaah, the collectiong of tools I have a big tub full of various interest and usually vintage or antique hand tools I have used for my models, and some I still dig out for that intricate bit of work. Still the best or the most used apart from my set of knives are the punches and my set of rattail files and rasps and my collection of sanding bars. Even my dremel doesnt get used much, usually in the time it takes to set it up etc, I have done with my hand tools

Chuck, try removing the bit and use just the mortising shell.

Guys, I just got the Sunday paper and we have an Outlet Tool Supply in the area that is advertising a Proxxon Power Carver. This sounds like something that will do the job of cutting what ever shaped hole you want. OUtlet tool doesn't have it on their web site, but do a Google for Proxxon Power Carver and you get a ton of hits.

Don

Hello,

this is all i found [based on the picture]
http://commerce.idmi.net/ecommerce/c...D=143&PI=17893

they look interesting, it might be of some help then again you could DIY...

These are from a mortising machine. http://grizzly.com/products/3-4-Mortising-Chisel/H2548 Only available in limited sizes and too rough for modeling.