Tools and Their Use
Cabinet That crude cart referred to in the body of the text goes all over the place and keeps layout tools readily available. It keeps me from putti ng some really heavy tools down on some delicate detail.
Tool I’m not sure how long ago hu-
mans developed the first stone ax, but you can bet it was thou- sands of years ago. We’ve come a long way from that ax to today’s CNC machining centers, and 3D printing machines. Model rail- roading is an extremely “mechani- cal” hobby, and most of the hobby concentrates on actually building something. Even the most dedi- cated operations gurus have to admit there has to be a railroad to operate on, and that build- ing said railroad is in their vested interest. Unless you are going to sculpt your pike from clay with your bare hands, you are going to need some tools. I can hear many of my friends now: “Come on,
82 RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
CRAFTSMAN/Bob Walker, photos by the author
Bob, ‘some’ tools? We need a lot of tools.” So, yes, we need a wide variety of tools. I have been a “serious” mod-
eler for almost 60 years and have known a considerable number of participants, whose skill level vary widely. One of my rich doctor friends from when I worked as a medical photographer had an ex- quisite workshop equipped with every tool known to man, plus a few yet to be discovered. Notwith- standing being a skilled surgeon, his modelwork was mediocre at best. Despite the abundance of expensive equipment, the model- work was lacking.
In contrast, there was a model-
er in the 1950s named Mel Thorn- burgh, who scratchbuilt O-scale brass locomotives without the use of power tools! His “lathe” was a hand drill in a vise, turned with one hand while holding a file to the work with the other. His exqui- site models are on display in the Smithsonian Institution. I guess we can sum it up by saying that model building is more art than
science. The mere possession of tools does not a builder make. After acquiring the necessary
tools, you have to develop the skill set to use them. That set of skills will only come about with prac- tice. Natural ability and talent you were born with still have to be de- veloped by use. No one starts out as an expert; you have to work at it. Push through those early dis- appointments and keep at it. You will see your work improve with each succeeding project, and that will be some of the fuel that keeps you building. Ask me how I know this — my first attempts at build- ing models from scratch were abysmal. Those of you who have been reading my columns for a long time know well the models I’ve thrown against the wall, amid a torrent of bad language. For you newer readers, suffice it to say, some of my work made that of my doctor friend look good. My point is this: Don’t let minor setbacks derail your enthusiasm. Thomas Edison said it best: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not
SCRATCHBUILDER’S WORKSHOP
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