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Custom Caterpillar D11N U-Blade and D11N Pushcat Options · View
Dex
Posted: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 11:04:50 PM

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Joined: 9/12/2012
Posts: 484
Location: San Diego, California
Jamiescotland wrote:
Great to see these, thanks. It just reinforces what an effort you go to in the name of accuracy and quality. It makes me feel a bit of an amateur!


Thanks Jamie! I bow to your painting skills, sir. You create some beautiful work, I'm constantly in awe.
Jamiescotland
Posted: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 8:27:35 AM

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Joined: 8/19/2013
Posts: 693
Thanks, you're very kind. I'd love to be able to work with brass more, but I have no machines - everything is done by hand (apart from I have a hand drill). How do you cut pieces of brass from sheet? That would be useful for me to know. I just have some plate shears but they curl the brass up and ruin perfectly good flat pieces. One day I'd like to have a workshop with a bench drill and a belt/disc sander.
Exkvate3140
Posted: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 3:45:07 PM
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Joined: 7/6/2015
Posts: 1,317
Dex great work and video along with plenty of helpful techniques to customize heavy iron.
Thanks posting video.
Steve
Mr. Scholz
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2019 11:39:11 AM
Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 7/14/2008
Posts: 247
Location: Germany, CE
[quote=Jamiescotland]Thanks, you're very kind. I'd love to be able to work with brass more, but I have no machines - everything is done by hand (apart from I have a hand drill). How do you cut pieces of brass from sheet? That would be useful for me to know. I just have some plate shears but they curl the brass up and ruin perfectly good flat pieces. One day I'd like to have a workshop with a bench drill and a belt/disc sander.[/quote

Hi Jamie,

I'm not Dex. But I would use this sweet band-saw we can see in his videos. Maybe with a plate of donor wood if you want to cut real thin brass sheet. Using a band-saw is just great! It is relatively safe and has only very little tendency to backfire. And you can do straight as well as curved cuts, too. I don't own one, but I love working with a band-saw.

Cheers,
Max
Dex
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2019 12:34:34 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 9/12/2012
Posts: 484
Location: San Diego, California
Jamiescotland wrote:
Thanks, you're very kind. I'd love to be able to work with brass more, but I have no machines - everything is done by hand (apart from I have a hand drill). How do you cut pieces of brass from sheet? That would be useful for me to know. I just have some plate shears but they curl the brass up and ruin perfectly good flat pieces. One day I'd like to have a workshop with a bench drill and a belt/disc sander.



When I first started, I used a razor saw and a miter box. Then filed to shape. Then I started using a rotary tools with a disk, but that was extremely messy. So I bought a small inexpensive band saw and and disk sander. Recently I got a micro table saw that I use for straight cuts.

Another option would be a scroll saw instead of a band saw. If you want to go non powered for cutting, you can get a mini benchtop metal sheer.
Dex
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2019 5:02:09 PM

Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 9/12/2012
Posts: 484
Location: San Diego, California
Mr. Scholz wrote:


I'm not Dex. But I would use this sweet band-saw we can see in his videos. Maybe with a plate of donor wood if you want to cut real thin brass sheet. Using a band-saw is just great! It is relatively safe and has only very little tendency to backfire. And you can do straight as well as curved cuts, too. I don't own one, but I love working with a band-saw.

Cheers,
Max


If you have the room for it, I highly recommend a bandsaw. It's a very versatile saw. Research blade options first as you'll want a 24 or 32 tooth per inch (TPI) blade. You can set up a rip fence and use a deeper blade, like a 5/8, and get some pretty straight cuts. You'll need to clean the lines up with a benchtop sander. I only recently got the table saw, but that's because I'm a bit obsessed with making things as close to accurate as possible, hahaha.

Other benefits of the bandsaw: Cuts though diecast like butter, great with wood, and can cut styrene. If you spring for a variable speed saw you can cut plastic at a low enough speed to not melt the saw dust from it.
Mr. Scholz
Posted: Thursday, September 12, 2019 5:45:19 PM
Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member

Joined: 7/14/2008
Posts: 247
Location: Germany, CE
Hi Dex,

until now, I focus on HO scale customs, because I can do most customs with my handtools. Have purchased a Proxxon mini table saw recently and it speeds up production, it's a pure joy. But my wife says: Max, actually you need a workshop! That's so true. Your videos are great to watch, as you guide us step by step through your customs. But what I enjoy the most is to see your choice of powertools and how to use them ... teasing my brain to design my very own workshop to come.

Best regards,
Max
Jamiescotland
Posted: Friday, September 13, 2019 10:56:16 AM

Rank: Advanced Member
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Joined: 8/19/2013
Posts: 693
Fantastic! Thanks for the info. I'll do some research into bandsaws/scrollsaws. It's about time I got one, plus a sander.
codydanos
Posted: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 12:08:11 AM
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Joined: 10/1/2018
Posts: 29
Has anyone got their hands on the new ccm d11n yet? I’m sure they ain’t as nice as dex’s, but they don’t look terrible from the little bit I seen.
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