Topic: Martin's Latest Projects .... fads, whimsy and distractions! (Read 20415 times)

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #25 on:** June 18, 2021, 06:29:18 pm »

Any suggestions how to trim the matchstick to (rough) shape?

I've tried Secateurs& tin snips but both chew through the match rather than cut.....

tigertiger · « **Reply #26 on:** June 18, 2021, 07:27:47 pm »

Quote from: Martin [Admin] on June 18, 2021, 06:29:18 pm

Any suggestions how to trim the matchstick to (rough) shape?

I've tried Secateurs& tin snips but both chew through the match rather than cut.....

Go to Amazon, there are several different types if you search for 'matchstick cutter'. The safety cutter is not in stock but someone might have one.
Failing this, a razor saw with mini miter box.

TheLongBuild · « **Reply #27 on:** June 18, 2021, 07:32:34 pm »

if already glued on then Sandpaper.

mrlownotes · « **Reply #28 on:** June 18, 2021, 10:33:31 pm »

I guess it depends on what tooling you have available.
Personally, if the matchwood is soft enough to cut well I would remove the bulk of the straight sides with a Stanley knife along a steel ruler (several multiple cuts in the same place, if necessary).
For trickier curves and cut-outs I'd use a combination of a handheld fretsaw with a V-plate in a vice for support, followed by files and sandpaper to get down to the outer black lines.
Good Luck Martin, I hope you find a method that works for you with the tooling you have at hand.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #29 on:** June 18, 2021, 10:53:48 pm »

TheLongBuild · « **Reply #30 on:** June 19, 2021, 12:05:08 am »

This should sort it..

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #31 on:** June 19, 2021, 02:53:24 am »

.... but that does remind me, I bought one of those 'toy grade' disk sanders from Lidl a couple of years back..... let me see if I can find it!

Stuw · « **Reply #32 on:** June 19, 2021, 11:22:43 am »

Wow. This is frustrating me and I’m not even building it! Very fiddly...

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #33 on:** June 19, 2021, 11:25:17 am »

..... one hour building .... 45 minutes peeling PVA off me fingers!

... actually loving it! I like the single material idea, just wood .... and gallons of glue!

Andy M · « **Reply #34 on:** June 19, 2021, 11:43:59 pm »

I like the single material idea too, having done the rubbing strips on my boat from stirrers, I was looking about for things to use them for, I wondered if I could manage to build a small tender for the boat, planked with stirrers.
Thats another project though.
Enjoying watching your cabin cruiser progressing, I was wondering if you were going for any motorisation or rc?
I had a couple of Hobbies outboards years ago, they really benefitted from having the prop blades whittled/sanded to a better profile and the bracing bits mostly removed.

Andy M · « **Reply #35 on:** June 20, 2021, 12:39:09 pm »

My wife made this matchstick furniture for my Vivacity (Mary Jane), I thought it was good for a first ever attempt at making something out of wood.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #36 on:** June 20, 2021, 12:49:05 pm »

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #37 on:** June 21, 2021, 11:09:16 pm »

Trials of Trimming

So far, I've tried:
Multi Angle Miter Shears (Amazon) -
Only good for loose matches & short cuts.

Garden Secateurs:
OK but you need a really good set & the curved blades tends to curve the wood as it cut and easily breaks the flat match sheets.

Weird curved scissors:
Bit flimsy and like the Secateurs the curved blades bends & crack the wood as it cuts.

Electrical 'flush cut' wire cutters:
Quite good bur can only cut one or two matches at a time .... and the shrapnel flies of at 300 MPH!

Evil look 'surgical shears'.
I think I got these from Proops, years ago...
Straight blade cuts very well but wood like to try anything similar.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #38 on:** June 21, 2021, 11:19:28 pm »

Matchstick Cabin Cruiser - Part 3 - Doubling the keel... then doubling that!

tigertiger · « **Reply #39 on:** June 22, 2021, 03:31:10 am »

If you are cutting panels of pre glued matches, I would suggest a razor saw (or even a small Japanese style cross cut saw) and a final trim with a sanding block. The razor saw would be my choice as it is a back saw (the back of the blade is braced), and they are cheap as chips.
I would also make myself a mini bench block out of scrap wood.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #40 on:** June 22, 2021, 04:02:22 pm »

Ordered one of these... "hobby" grade but should do the job.

SteamboatPhil · « **Reply #41 on:** June 22, 2021, 05:56:49 pm »

I have the Chester version would not be without it, trims finger nails too

warspite · « **Reply #42 on:** June 23, 2021, 07:05:06 am »

I suppose you couldn't find the toy grade sander then

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #43 on:** June 29, 2021, 08:16:58 pm »

OK, I've been building up the bulkheads over the last week or so, no real problems so far....

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #44 on:** June 29, 2021, 08:24:50 pm »

The next stage is fixing the bulkhead to the keel, which I haven't started yet, I've still not got the disk sander sorted out as yet.

So press on, the next stage is the Chines.
Now am I right, the chines are the longitudinal beams that hold the hull shape ? ( red arrows )
If so, the boat is about 400mm long, the instruction say 300mm ..... what have I got wrong?

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #45 on:** July 02, 2021, 04:57:58 pm »

Part 4 ....... Uploaded it, forgot to make it Live!

Andy M · « **Reply #46 on:** July 03, 2021, 12:00:10 am »

A fretsaw with a fine toothed blade would be good for cutting them out. I have the motorised version but I think just hand operated for the controllability factor, mine cuts a bit too fast in thin or soft wood. I noticed Hobbies stocks a good range of blades.

BrianB6 · « **Reply #47 on:** July 03, 2021, 03:05:56 am »

Try a Jewellery suppliers for very fine blades but buy them in quantity as they break easily.

tonyH · « **Reply #48 on:** July 03, 2021, 10:08:45 am »

Frazer Heslop recommended Cousins https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/cutting-saws-hack-piercing-scroll and he's very right! I used their piercing saws for some ali and I've no doubt about their quality.
No commercial connection!!

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #49 on:** July 03, 2021, 09:53:45 pm »

Matchstick Cabin Cruiser - Part 5 - Bent Keel & Bulkheads!

News:

Author Topic: Martin's Latest Projects .... fads, whimsy and distractions! (Read 20415 times)