Putting The Finishing Touches on Ol’ Number 36

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Tom’s Corner: Tips, techniques and commentary from Master Model Railroader Tom Piccirillo

Somerset County Traction System’s huge interurban combine had been in the shop for two months. “Ol’ number 36” (as she is affectionately called by the shop crews) was being rebuilt from the rail up. She got new trucks, new motors, new underbody equipment, new seats, new lights and a new paint job in brilliant Traction Orange. Finishing touches involved installing the handrails . . . now that the paintwork and lettering were complete.

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Light ’em Up!

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Imagine drawing on the wall of a cave or trying to paint the ceiling of a 16th Century Chapel using nothing but a couple of candles to illuminate what you’re working on. Today’s hobbyist, craftsmen and artists don’t have to rely on the light emitted by a few candles. We can have ample lighting to see what we are doing with just the flip of a switch. This is accomplished through the use of overhead lights, task lights, and key lights. As an added bonus, in the 21st century we have access to full spectrum lighting and magnification lamps!
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Gate Cutters: Essential for Injection Molders

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Gate cutters are essential hand tools for injection molders to trim molded parts free from the gate.

While there are many types of gate cutters available, Xuron Corporation’s Model 2175A Plastic Cutter is a cost-effective, high-quality option for injection molders.

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The Perfect Pliers

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The perfect pliers are right at the end of each of your arms…your fingers. Well, maybe they’re not the most perfect pliers…let me explain why.

As strong as your fingers are, they don’t have the strength and rigidity necessary to do many of the tasks you want to do. You might have fingers that are too short, too fat or they might lack the dexterity necessary to perform delicate tasks. My fingers don’t have the dexterity they did in my youth so I reach for a tool suited for the job.

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Wire Cutters & Wire: A Guide To Proper Selection

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When making jewelry with wire it’s important to understand the differences in composition, size and hardness of the wire, as this will dictate the type of wire cutters you will need to use.  

Our friends at Halstead ™ recently published a blog article offering excellent guidance and instruction on wire gauges and wire tempers (hardness).  This should be recommended reading for any beginner jewelry artist!  

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