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WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Hints and Tips/Questions about modeling => Topic started by: xan on February 28, 2025, 06:50:42 PM

Title: Brass micro tubes and how to cut them
Post by: xan on February 28, 2025, 06:50:42 PM

My stock of plastic cotton swabs is running low, and I?m going to switch to something else.
For those who use brass micro-tubes, what diameters do you use?
And most importantly, how do you cut them in an assisted and consistent way?

The technique of rolling them under an X-Acto knife seems unreliable for precise sizing, inaccurate, and quite tedious... There must be a better way...
thanks to share your experiences...

Xan

Title: Re: Brass micro tubes and how to cut them
Post by: s.e.charles on February 28, 2025, 07:24:36 PM

https://youtu.be/0v1Isg3di-Q?si=W3UYxvJxdiyVlyab

Title: Re: Brass micro tubes and how to cut them
Post by: xan on February 28, 2025, 07:43:26 PM

I 'am afraid micro-tube we use are much more thinner and much lore shorter.
hard to apply this metod IMO,
Anyway thank you for sharing this video charles.

Title: Re: Brass micro tubes and how to cut them
Post by: Berman on February 28, 2025, 10:19:57 PM

 Perhaps, build a cutoff saw with a high speed rechargeable battery powered rotary tool. These are about half and inch in diameter by six inches long. This would be hinged to a stable base with an adjustable stop for cutting consistent lengths. Dremel and others make thin abrasive discs.

Title: Re: Brass micro tubes and how to cut them
Post by: uncletony on February 28, 2025, 11:31:38 PM

Simple. Make a jig to cut with X-Acto or similar. It is not hard: three or four strokes with a sharp blade is all it takes. Bertl (Umlaufmotor) made a bunch of multi size cutting jigs out of soapstone and gave them out to friends years ago; it is a workhorse on my bench.

(https://i.imgur.com/RBfqdMB.jpg)

But you can fashion something similar out of all sorts of things, depending on what you have access to. Sheet styrene works well in a pinch.

For extremely precise (and small) lengths build up sheet material to the desired tube length and bore a hole the diameter of the tube. Insert a piece of tube and cut off flush (super fine razor saws work well). If necessary file or sand so the tube is perfectly flush. Viola.

(https://i.imgur.com/sR5ireC.jpg)