Those Eureka moments!

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Hi Bob,

now I'm all aglow, praise from the master indeed, thank you.

Kim.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

You`ve really excelled yourself, this Kimmo

A quality job……..You could get a few orders for this type of fitting!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Kim

With Bobs approval you have got it made and the perfect subject for Dragons Den…..nip down to Ballasalla and rent an industrial unit in Balthane and start mass production, you can even take advantage of the funding that the island has for exporting manufactured products.

Paul

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Paul,

only one draw back, I copied another design, it took 2 hours to produce 40, and the originals cost £3.75 for a pack of 20 (although another site has them at £3 for 5).

I'll get Bob to engineer a steam operated press to automate the system and then insist all modellers make at least one vintage style yacht per year, that should create a demand. Now to set about a patent before someone copies mine!

Kim.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Hmmm…. those fittings look very much like the wire hooks used to hang curtains on to rings….bit of bending with thin nosed pliers…

Ashley (has not researched this fact)

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Ashley,

well done, that's exactly where the vintage yachters got them, though the shape was changed slightly. And yes, you can still get replica brass original ones in three sizes. The alteration is to flatten them and provide the dual loops for a rivet fixing – else some sewing is required.

Kim.

PS thin nosed pliers used to create the master, but getting identical ones meant creating the jig.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

A double whammy "Ureka Moment" today, boys!

I thought this idea up many years ago when building a 1/4 scale Piper Cub and was rewarded with an MFA motor set from one of the model aircraft magazines for suggesting it!

When you can`t get an elastic bound round something, like a giant Piper Cub fuz, I came up with the "S hook" idea……..See photo……..and an added bonus, is that you can add as many bands as you like for more clamping power!

Photo shows the "S hook" in action on the GE build

What`s the other idea, Bob?…………Oh yes

You can get the bands for free!

The Postman drops them on the pavement, outside your front door!

Bob

[Kimosubby ShipyardsParticipant @kimosubbyshipyards]

Nice one Bob,

and our posties do the same thing BUT I collected them and decided to use them to hold a railing to a hull. Left them on for some weeks as was distracted to other jobs and the dam things stuck to the timber. The bands they use are red and, I've now found out, are bio-degradable, but it gives them an excuse to drop them all over!

Kim.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

This "Ureka Moment" is a cracker!……….Hope you chaps like it and try it yourself?

This is the original chimney, quite humble with no fancy top flange! It`s not very attractive and needs the treatment!

Turned a bung to fit the flimsy chimney tube

Gripped the tube in the chuck, with the bung taking the strain

Fitted the three point steady. placed a length of brass bar in the tool post

Gave it all a good oiling…….And "SPUN" the chimney end over

Job done………Quite easy when you`ve done a few!

That`s better?

Got to confess, I was chuckling away to myself as I was doing this!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Now your just showing off

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

That wasn`t showing off……It had to be done and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge! It was great fun setting up and watching the tube end being formed

It was about time I made use of the three point steady

Bob

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

And here's another he made earlier for my Narra boat!

Duckie

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Some small moulded items in the Glasgow kit require sanding down to 1/16" and it`s awfully hard on the finger tips!

So I came up with this little sanding tool that captivates the moulding as it is sanded down, now it`s an absolute pleasure to use!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Why didnt you use your milling machine?

Paul

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

Don't know how you do it for the price, a good Eureka moment though, how would you hold those tiny white metal fittings that come with most kits and require cleaning up with one of those brass brushs, get your thinking cap on again Bob

Duckie

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Duckie

Been giving your request some thought lately and have come up with a sensible idea!

You need to hold the casting in a claw and give it the woiks!…….And not your fingers!

I would suggest, a tube and a wire claw device.

Take two lengths of wire, bend them in the middle and push the wires up the tube. Bend the wire ends over to make a claw. At the bend end, inside the tube, fit a spring or elastic band.

At the other end of the spring or elastic band, tie a length of cord.

The cord emerges out at the bottom of the tube. Pull the cord and make a suit abell loop in it, to allow a pin to be pushed through the loop and maintain the tension

How it works ( hopefully )…….Remove the pin…….Place casting in the claw……Pull cord…….Slide the pin in the cord loop and the casting is gripped!

I hope you can follow all that blurr?

Some bright spark will!

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

The claw is a nice idea but have you considered the merits of a Jewellers vice / pin vice or even the jaws of a drill chuck.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

I knew you would be lurking in the wings, Paul!

I thought about a pin type vice, but for model boat castings, the claw shape is the winner!

The claws can be bent to suit the casting too!

Well?

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

You are an experienced engineer with years of problem solving expertise and I bow to your superior knowledge and practical experience. I would like to see the claw grip in action to see how you overcome the problem of slippage.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hey, Paul

You do realize that this was a conjectoral suggestion to grip any shape of casting so that it could be worked on, in the vice, for my good friend, Duckie………I don`t really know if it`s a good idea or not!

But just for amusement only, I`ve lashed up a sample to get a feel for the job

The components parts…..

Tube, needs to be thick wall for gripping in the vice

Tension spring, needs to be powerful, with a loop at both ends

Claw parts, strong piano wire……..(it`s a right swine to bend!)

Strong cord for pulling the spring eye end down, to enable holding peg to maintain clamping pressure

This was a great afterthought!

Slots to equally space the claws and provide guidance

By a stroke of luck, when the spring was pulled to test the gripping power, the eye of the spring appeared and it was just right and ideal for the retaining peg

Sample odd shape in the claw

This item looks well gripped?

Anyway chaps, I`ve put my money where my mouth is, so to speak and proved that it is a feasible idea

Come in, Paul

Bob

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Bob

Just got in from the shed and have come up with this.

Very similar to your idea but not as strong in the gripping department.

Paul

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Not a bad attempt and strangely similar in parts?

Might be ok for picking up dimps!…..lol

Bob

[DuckyParticipant @ducky]

Both good idea's guys, will try them out when I get back in the work room, doing 1.1 modelling at the moment with Son John.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Following Kimo`s super duper wire bending fixture, here`s mine…….A simple jig

We often have the need to make many repeat items and you can either use the "Knife and fork" method and rough it, or you can do it properly and make a jig, to ensure every part is identical

The jig, with a hole drilled through a piece of metal with a datum edge on the right

Insert a pre-bent length of wire into the hole

Bend the wire down firmly and square up with the pliers

The result and very pleasing too!

Bob

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

Bob, you should write a book! I'm serious- I bet modellers all over would find your ingenious solutions invaluable. I only hope I can remember some of them when the need arises. They are all of the 'why didn't I think of that?' variety- but of course we don't.

Alternately what about a column in MB? There used to be a handy tips article-we could photocopy them and put them in a file.

All the best…Ian

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