STUART JORDAN shows us the essential tools for any railway modellers toolbox.
In this article I’m going to go through the Gaugemaster Tools range and pick out the absolute essential items that you’ll need as a railway modeller. It’s always useful to have an extensive range of tools on hand just in case you get caught in the middle of a job without the right thing to complete it!
First off, we’re going to look at useful tools for when you're building your layout.
The GM580 Cordless Soldering Iron set is ideal for wiring jobs underneath the baseboard. Without the cord it is easier to work at odd angles and the LED light illuminates your job. Extra tips (GM581), a foam cutting tip (GM582), and a heat shrink tip (GM583) are also available.
It's always useful to have some sort of blade around, even if it just for opening packaging! The GM594 Slim Snap Off Knife is a good general purpose cutter and comes with a pack of spare blades.
You never know when you're going to need a small drill, and the GM624 Swivel Top Pin Vice allows you to use the drill bits from the GM648 and GM649 Microbox Drill sets.
The GM669 Pin Pusher with Depth Stop has been specifically designed to work with the most common track pins on the market, making track laying much easier.
Large parts of scenic construction can be facilitated by the use of a GM655 Low Temperature Glue Gun. This safe sticker allows you to stick paper, card, wood and other materials together.
The GM622 Hot Wire Cutter doesn't cut hot wires, rather it has a hot wire that can be used to cut expanded foam. This allows you to build hills, valleys, and other scenic terrain.
When you are trying to work on a project it can be easy to keep it all together. The GM575 A3 Modelling Workstation is ideal for this. It is a kit itself and had to be constructed before use (use DLAD-87 Laser Cut Kit Glue). These don't often stay in stock long when we get them in, so pre-order or buy them quick when you see them!
An ideal use for the cutting mat lined workstation is building plastic kits, be they vehicles, buildings, or other accessories. The GM591 Plastic Kits Tool Set contains a sprue cutter, files, and a modelling knife. Just add your preferred glue and you have everything that you need to get building.
It's not just layout building that the Gaugemaster Tools range can help you with - maintaining your layout and rolling stock is an important part of the hobby.
Keeping track clean is a must, and one of the easiest methods is to use a Track Cleaning Rubber, found in the Gaugemaster range in two different sizes under codes GM26 and GM27
The GM590 Model Railway Maintenance Set contains three useful items - a set of screwdrivers for dismantling models, a lubricant for oiling the gears, and a glass fibre pencil which can be used for carefully cleaning bodywork and wheels.
For big soldering jobs on locomotives, the 230v Soldering Irons are ideal. They are mains powered with a UK plug, and you can choose from a 15w style to a 40w style making them useful for all manner of jobs.
Click Here to view the full Gaugemaster Tools range on our website.