cutting windows?

Jack, when using the two triangle method to mark and cut the window openings, I get how the triangles are parallel to each other but by only using a single tick mark how do we ensure it is square to the overall wall? I really liked the article and hope you expand on it with other tips and tools. If I could suggest the compass for the next tip section as almost everybody has got one of those. Thanks Pat

Pat... I don't understand

Pat...

I don't understand your question regarding being square to the overall wall. The example assumes that you want to cut some clear styrene (which would be the glass) which will fit inside the frame of the window casting (and on the inside of the building). To make it easier to understand, assume that the window castings haven't yet been glued into openings in the building. Those pieces of clear styrene thus don't need to be square to the overall wall. Does that help make more sense? If not, let me know.

MRH already has an article I've written on compasses...I'm guessing that it will be coming up quite soon if not next month.

Jack Burgess

http://www.yosemitevalleyrr.com

One technique Jack mentioned

Technically...

I have several drawers full of drafting tools back from my architecture school days and agree that they can be very useful (more than people may realize) for model railroading.  I'm certainly glad Jack took the time to demonstrate some different ways they can be used.

I basically break down the tools used in engineering or architecture into 3 different groups, drawing guides, cutting guides, and measuring guides (scales, "rulers"). 

Drawing guides are things like T-squares, parallel rules and triangles.  Technically these should only be used for drawing.  As Jack mentioned in his article the reason is that you didn't want any chance of a gouge causing your pen to bump as you draw it along.  Of course eventually they came up with special papers (mylar) and inks that can be (mostly) erased, but erasing mistakes in ink has always been a pain.  If you look at the edge of any decent triangle or T-square you'll notice the very edge should be slightly raised above the paper, this is so that ink won't flow under the triangle and make a blotch.  Of course, for model railroading purposes it probably won't matter if you nick your triangle with an X-acto blade, but there are better options.

Next up are cutting guides.  These are usually your basic metal ruler, though there are metal triangles available as well as plastic or wood rulers that have a metal edge.  The metal edge keeps your blade going nice and straight and keeps it from wandering, plus you can't really cut nicks into it.  Also, many have a cork or rubber back to it to keep it from slipping while you're cutting, something plastic triangles don't have.  I knew of several people in school that had to make late night runs to the emergency room across the street from the university for cutting-related accidents. 

And last you have the measuring guides, usually called scales or often referred to as rulers by people.  Often these are have a triangular shape and have multiple scales on the different sides (1"=1", 1/4"=1', 1/8"-1', etc).

These are pretty much used strictly for measuring lines.  Some of them do have the measuring marks indented instead of or in addition to being printed on the scale, which can make them poor for drawing or cutting.

Obviously when you're making scale models of buildings, bridges, roads and rail lines it can be quite natural to use the same tools that architects and engineers use to make the real things, so I think many modelers will find these handy to have in their toolbox, so thanks Jack for letting folks know of their usefulness! 

Oh, and while I'm here, I'll give my #1 tip...don't cut with a dull blade.  First, it's harder to cut with.  Second, because it's harder to cut with you're more likely to cut it wrong or (more importantly) cut yourself.  In school I used to buy #11 X-acto blades in packs of 100.  Often I'd change blades every 10-15 minutes, sometimes only after using it to cut 1 or 2 pieces.  If you're just using it for odds & ends you can let it go, but when you're cutting out the walls for that scratchbuilt 12-stall roundhouse change your blade!

Great information

I found Jack's article very useful, as I haven't used my old 45 and 30 degree triangles from my high school drafting days. Drafting tools are a natural for use in the hobby...I have a small compass and set of dividers on my workbench, and used them both tonight laying out the wooden wheels of a Mexican carreta (cart). The dividers are nice for transfering dimensions when I don't need the accuracy or fuss of calipers. The compass is of course great for laying out circular parts. They can even be used for unique tasks, like simulating the radial weathering from swinging chains against steel or wood car sides, etc.

Thanks for another helpful article, Jack!

If you happen to have them

If you happen to have them around, machinist's layout tools are even better than drafting tools. They have many of the same ones - triangles, squares, and T-Squares, for instance - but they're hardened steel rather than plastic (or celluloid, like the ones I inherited from my aeronautical engineer father!)

Thickness varies, too, from the thinner ones used for layout (just like the engineering tools) to the heavier "gauge blocks" that are useful for gluing up walls and such.

They're not cheap, though, and you aren't going to find a selection of them at Staples or Office Depot.

Drafting tools

In passing - don't forget the erasing shield.  Can be used when "erasing" road numbers off cars and the like, so that you only get the digits you want to erase.

The problem with drafting tools?  We old farts still have them from our days in high school and collage (yes, I was an architecture major for a while).  But the next generation of kids doesn't use them anymore!  They use CAD programs to do drawing.  There was a local art store in Orlando that had half the store dedicated to drafting tools.  They are now closed.

Looking on the web and Alvin and company only has 4 drafting "kits" available on it's entire website and has diversified into art and modeling supplies.  I can remember visiting their warehouse as a youth (I lived in that town) and it was all drafting supplies.

We talk about the age divide in Model railroading, here is another example.  How are we going to get around this one?

The youngin's don't look back

Learn CAD! < big grin>

How are we going to get around this one?

attrition will cure it, always does..DaveB

A bit OT, but

You can sharpen X-acto blades. I use a very fine stone with a piece of smooth strop leather glued to the back. (Bought it from Brookstone back in 1972, when they were still in the tool business.) There's a thing called the stonetopper strop that is similar.

First hone the blade by pushing it edge first on the stone-- 10-20 strokes per side is usually enough. The angle is steeper than the visible bevel, you will learn it after some trial and error.

Then strop the blade, dragging it edge back across the leather, maybe 5-10 strokes per side. Hold the blade at the bevel angle for stropping.

I don't bother with oils, water or compounds. The trick is to do it often enough (certainly before each critical cut) that the blade never gets what most people call sharp. I learned this when I repaired woodwind instruments for a living and had to make pretty cuts on tiny pieces of cork. Nothing needs a sharper blade than cork.

When you cut styrene, the blade tip often breaks off. You can restore it by dressing the back of the blade on a coarse stone. Just hold the blade perpendicular to the stone and grind away. Then you need to sharpen the cutting edge as above.

pqe

Thanks for the reminder

No Tool Like An Old Tool...

Thanks for putting this together. I'm familiar (and equipped) with manual (dead-tree) drafting tools...and still enjoy their use (somewhat as I still enjoy real magazines and books). With marginal digital skills and hardware/software, often graphite (or ink) and paper on the slanted table often produces a plan or diagram more quickly and easily - for me - than beating my head against the keyboard. I've picked up ideas for techniques from this piece and may have to sharpen up old skills...but am glad for the reinforcement of their continued utility...even if a lot of rubber shreds end up on the floor!   Bob C.

Drafting Steals.com

$10.95 to ship 4 plastic triangles that cost less the $10.00.  I would suggest another source.

An oddball use for a drafting tool

So, I am scratch building a church using the old Linka system.  The plans have all these old high arch windows, but I decided I wanted to do 1 window a little differently.  I decided that for that stain glass window, I wanted a circle.  I found a good 1 online and in photoshop manipulated the image size to be where I wanted it.  I printed it on paper to use as a measuring guide.

I took a drill and drilled a small center pilot hole in the wall.  Next, I got out my old drafting compass (the smaller of the 2 I have) and set it for the circle's radius.  I then left a nice pencil line on the wall.  I switched to a pair of dividers and Went over the outer circle a few times to set a divot into the cast material.  then a few more times on the inner circle (the inside of the frame of the window).  This gave me another nice circular divot.  Then I switched to the old #11 blade int he X-acto and ran it enough times to go thru the material.  Then a dremel to flatten the frame area, marked by the second divot.

So, both my old compasses, and my old dividers are in my modeling toolbox these days.