realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
I try to read as much as I can about the hobby, not only because I love it, but also to see what other folks are thinking. I still believe you’re never too old to learn something. In all that reading, I have nev- er read anywhere the advice to buy tools on the cheap. Good friend John Swan- son is as cheap as they come (my son Mark says “frugal,” and wife Donna says “thrifty”). John saves rainwater, grows his own vegetables, and re-uses ground foam, and boasts about it. We tease him about being cheap; it’s a running joke in Northwestern Illinois. John’s basement- sized empire is full of fine modelwork. In all my visits to his basement shop, I have never seen a cheap tool. He buys good, quality tools because he is cheap. Cheap? Yes. Dumb? Not a chance. He knows you end up buying cheap tools multiple times, while buying good ones only once. The tools he has, he has had for a long time and has not had to buy more. They will last him all his life. I guess that was just a long-winded way of saying, “don’t buy cheap tools.” One more note about cheap tools: they break easily. When a tool fails, some bleeding usually follows, often caused by excessive force being exerted due to some dullness or other lack of quality manu- facture. Even with quality tools, it is wise to know where your hand is going to go if it slips. If you have to apply that much force to perform a task, it might be wise
to rethink the method of use. For instance, when cutting 1/16-inch thick basswood with an X-ac- to knife, several lighter passes work better than one heavy one. Part of my misspent youth was spent as a steam locomo- tive mechanic at the Illi- nois Railway Museum. A phrase often heard in the shop was, “Get a bigger hammer.” Working with full-size equipment often required applying great- er force, or that “bigger hammer,” as it were. Working on models
of that same equipment, the use of greater force
does not usually enter the picture. Of- ten, the method that is more time-con- suming will be the proper one and will doubtless save you time in the long run. To me, the most precious commodity I have is time. The hobby of model build- ing, as much as I love it, ranks a dis- tant fifth behind my family, my country, my friends, and my business. Having given mostly enough time to my country, there re- main family, friends, and business commitments. What time I spend mod- eling can be better man- aged by using some tools
Below: It may seem extravagant, but having multiple pin vises really saves a lot of hobby time. It is usually prudent to keep your most-used tools out where you can see them.
Above: The color-coded knives reside in an open- top box along with other “most-used” tools, just out of elbow reach, for quick access. A quick glance tells me what blade I’m getting.
Below: The commercial tool cart is reserved for all the electrical components and tools, which need to be mobile and ready for use anywhere on the railroad.
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