Hi all, having got my modeling room up and running, I am back at what I really enjoy, building models. A few christmases ago, I was given a Revell 1/144 scale submarine as a present. As most of you know, my main passion is aircraft, but I decided to give it a go. The main body was quite easy to put together but as my interest waned, it was put to one side, mainly because at the time my modeling skills were in the novice class. After deliberating what exactly to do with it I committed myself to putting it into the World war 2 maritime competition. Finishing the model called for using stretched sprue, which I have had no luck with in the past, at the best of times I have the touch of a baby elephant, I wondered what I could use for the guard rail posts, or is it part of the antenae? I hit on the idea of using .5mm brass wire but I have always found cutting this stuff a problem, as with the brass tubing, cutting it with a small plumbers copper pipe cutter is a no no because they will not cut tubing so small. Cutting it with wire cutters always leaves a 'v' shaped end in brass wire and tubing which I find a real problem. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I hit on the idea of using a woodcraft matchstick cutter which I happened to have in my tool box and it works. Obviously it will only cut brass wire and tubing of a certain diameter but it does work very well with plastic tubing, leaving a nice clean cut.
Regards Tony