@RossM
Thank you very much Ross!

@AlessandroSPQR
Hi! Alessandro
From your description (#105) and Photos (#109) the word in english would be MITRE BOX, if you would like to add that to your MODEL BUILDER'S TRANSLATIONS list

Good evening everyone; here is the accessory I referred to in my previous message (no. 105).
I have attached some photos, as they are better than any written description.

@ChrisF
I use these types of hobby saws too from exacto

Clicking Knives.

A basic craft knife is something we all need in our tool kit.

Men known as "Leather Cutters" in the shoe industry used a basic wooden handled knife to cut the shapes out to be sewn together to make the shoe upper. The blades were replaceable and held in the wooden handle by a simple clutch that could be tightened or released as required.

The blade used had a hooked tip to cut through the leather better, and it was kept razor sharp by the cutter who needed to work fast to earn a wage.

Several men were employed in factory's to cut these leather parts and the sound that the blades made as they worked made a clicking noise, and so they knife that they used became known as a "clicking knife".....and the room that they worked in became known as "The Clicking Room".

I have used one of these "clicking knives" for the last 60+ years for model making and I make my own blades to fit in it from old Eclipse hacksaw blades that I grind to shape and then sharpen and finish on a "strop".

The strop was made at the same time as my first blade, because I knew that I would need one if I was going to make my own blades, so I made one from a scrap piece of soft batton wood, and covered it in off-cuts of leather and strips of emery cloth.

I have used this same strop and Clicking Knife handle for over 60 years and always use it whenever I am in my workshop, but I have not had to make too many blades as the HSS (high speed steel) hacksaw blades that I use to make them from is really good quality , they "hold their edge" well, they do not snap or break off their tips.

Some occasional "honing" of the blade to keep it sharp, is done firstly on the fine emery cloth side of the strop, before a final finish on the oiled leather side of the strop .

This is all that has been needed to maintain the razor sharp working edge of the blade.

I find the larger handle is easier to grip firmly than the traditional small craft knife handles, and new blades can be ground to any shape from old hacksaw blades when they become too blunt to cut well in a hacksaw frame.

An interesting little gem of information:- When the leather cutters were not actually cutting leather with their knives, they had to hold their knives with their thumbs over the tip of the blade, so if they bumped into anyone or anything they would cut them themselves - but not risk cutting anyone else or damaging the tip of their razor sharp blades.

Bob

@ChrisF Nice buy Chris.

I have not seen those neat little razor saws with wooden handles that you have pictured before, but I have found my TAMIYA razor saw to be absolutely superb.

The Japanese steel cutting blades are really really sharp and you get a spare blade with each new saw too!

I was using mine again last night for cutting skins and small shapes. It is such a versatile little saw.

The more I use mine, the more I want to use it, and I am always surprised at the curvature that the blade will take up as I cut out my hull and deck skins where the blade stays in the wood and conforms to what ever curve I am cutting at the time.

It is unbeatable when I am restoring any Classic Model Power Boat when I need to neatly cut out a section to restore or replace as the fine cut slices through everything very accurately.

Absolutely super little saw - you will love it 👍

Bob.

@ChrisF
Hi Chris, these types of small saws are very useful, especially when they come with wooden or plastic guides that allow you to make an orthogonal cut (a 90-degree crosscut) or an angled cut at 45 degrees.
I’m not sure if you follow what I mean.

Yes, I've got a number of worklights/torches/small strip lights and whilst they have their uses, for working on larger areas they are too bright or harsh and due to their small lamp area cast other areas into shadow, unlike with my new lamp!

Whilst in this thread I've just bought one of the Tamiya Razor saws that Bob/Zooma speaks highly of. I only bought it as I was buying a small bottle of paint and to make the postage worthwhile looked for something else to buy! It's a bit bigger than I was expecting but will fit in nicely between my existing razor and similar saws and my DIY saws.

@ChrisF
Good lighting is essential. I really struggle when I don’t have enough light. However—unlike many people—I prefer it to be diffused rather than concentrated.

@robbob
Rob, that’s one ingenious paint booth you’ve got there! I love it! 😄
I usually paint outdoors since we get so much sunshine down here in Miami, but I think I’m going to steal your idea and build something similar.

The only problem is my wife! 😂
She hates a crowded garage, so I’m constantly getting rid of things to keep the peace.
At this rate, I’ll have to figure out how to make my new paint booth disappear when I’m not using it! 🤣

@roycv I daren't shine a light through mine!

I have a rechargeable torch with a really bright white and focusable light that I use for shining through plank on frame jobs to check glue and thickness. Very useful and the torch is not too big to get into small spaces.
Roy

@AlessandroSPQR Thanks Alessandro. Can't believe the difference, a really white light as well which is needed for model making and other tasks.

@ChrisF
Great purchase, Chris.

I'm classifying it as equipment! And I think the only mention was a small work light?

Anyway, painting the Huntsman 31 and missing in a few places in which I'd hoped to be the final coat (been hoping that for the last 2 coats/days!), made me think about lighting (which in turn was prompted by a couple of my sister-in-laws discussing buying lights for their sewing and knitting a few days ago).

Most of the time the lighting is fine as my bench is under the window and when darker I have a downlight and my Anglepoise lamp from when my drawing board was positioned there. Fine for building but there are times when painting that the bright sun can be a problem, both when shining directly on the paintwork but also putting the side nearest me in shadow, which is going to be a real problem when I'm glossing the Fisherman hull. My old lamp won't quite reach and isn't powerful enough if not close. I have tried my LED lamps but they are too bright and harsh and only cover a small area.

So I've splashed out on what is effectively another Anglepoise but fitted with a large LED light fitting. It has plenty of power, controllable output from 20 to 100% and provides a nice even spread of light, just what is wanted. The light head is actually bigger than the picture suggested at 26" which is better. As often said, should have bought one years ago! 😎

Chris

Guys, I chose the Proxxon, thanks to everyone who gave me advice and information.

So glad I could help, Duncan!

Hi Mike, laser cutting is an amazing new tool. Kudos to you for using CAD so well.

Hi Robbob, congratulations on the great ideas and truly original additions to the list of useful tools and utensils.
A true professional.

Hi Alessandro Thanks so much for that extremely useful information. 😊😊 I don't understand why they don't include this information in their packaging!
I'll print them out for reference
Thanks again
Cheers Duncan

Hi Duncan, here are the photos and specifications for each blade I mentioned in my previous message.

I'll send you the links directly with all the information.
If you have trouble opening and viewing them, let me know and I'll send you text and photos of what you need.

But don't just look at the photo and initial text of the individual blade's data sheet; also open the various drop-down menus immediately below.

https://www.dremel.com/gb/en/p/dremel-moto-saw-side-cutting-saw-blade-2615ms50ja

https://www.dremel.com/gb/en/p/dremel-moto-saw-general-purpose-wood-cutting-saw-blade-2615ms51ja

https://www.dremel.com/gb/en/p/dremel-moto-saw-fine-wood-cutting-saw-blade-2615ms52ja

https://www.dremel.com/gb/en/p/dremel-moto-saw-metal-cutting-saw-blade-2615ms53ja

https://www.dremel.com/gb/en/p/dremel-moto-saw-f013ms2

A temporary Spray Booth.

I thought I'd include this item in this thread as it has, for me, proved to be a very good substitute for a permanent spray booth with the advantage that it can be used indoors rather than outdoors without fear of contamination in the finish (usually flies!) and messy overspray.

In my old garage/workshop I was able to construct a spraying booth on an old pasting table with a framework of wooden battens and a covering of cardboard sheets. I also installed an extractor fan and LED lighting and an old shower curtain to enclose me when working within the booth. A turntable within made turning the workpiece very easy and I managed to achieve some impressive paint finishes on my models in relative comfort and warmth.

All of that was dismantled when I moved house but it was impractical to re-install it in my new workshop, and the little spraying that I did do in the new garage, on some garden furniture, resulted in a vast amount of overspray on every horizontal surface in my lovely new workshop.

Clearly this was not what I wanted to contend with when spray painting my latest model boat project.

The solution I found was a simple but effective ‘spray tent’ that is remarkably inexpensive, easy to erect and dismantle for storage.
I did have to choose one of the smaller versions of this tent so that it would fit the available width in my workshop but this is still sufficiently big enough to stand within, (wearing a suitable respirator of course!), and with the ‘door’ zipped up to enclose me fully, to apply spray paint whilst confining all of the overspray and dust within the tent.

And being within a heated, ventilated and draft free workshop I could control the ambient temperature and happily ‘spray away’ without concerns of mess that overspray can make.

The tent I bought from eBay was only £17.99 at that time (October 2025) but the price has now gone up to £21.59 (with free delivery, but currently out of stock!) a price which I still think is not unreasonable.

For anyone interested, I've added a link to my build blog which includes the making of my spray booth:
https://model-boats.com/blogs/23951?sort=ASC

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375612958605

Good morning, everyone!
It's amazing what machines you all have! But I have to say that a laser device is simply the best thing for me, and I can really put it to good use.
There is one prerequisite for this:
You have to be able to work with CAD. I myself work with 2D to test my presentation skills. 3D is much easier, but the free software is really cumbersome and tends to crash.
But craftsmanship is still the beauty of it all and the success that comes with it.
It's just a cool hobby.
So I wish you all lots of fun and hope to see many beautiful models in the future.
Your Michel-C.

Attached are a few pictures of me cleaning the laser cutter. Normal dirt that needs to be removed. If you take care of your equipment, it will always be ready to go.

Hi Duncan, is the Dremel you recently purchased the MS20 jigsaw (the one in the photos I posted in the first message)?

The Amazon link in the description says: Multipurpose wood cutting blade (MS51), Precision wood cutting blade (MS52), Serrated metal cutting blade (MS53).
Now you need to match these acronyms with an image so you can recognize them.

I hope this helps.

Duncan, there are so many different types of blades and cutting tools for Dremel tools for various materials. It depends on what material you want to cut, brass, copper, aluminum, steel, wood, plastic, etc. I don't think anyone has a cross reference chart that will show you what tool goes with what material.

The only thing that would make sense is when you buy the tool bit it should say on the box what the bit is good for.

There are many third-party suppliers for bits for Dremel tools, available. I even got some little bits from a dentist for cutting whatever I want. This is why a variable check works much better than the 1/8 inch collet.

And the photos you will see that I put most of my Dremel tool bits in one box. A pretty good accessory are the grinding disc which you can see in the upper left corner of the tool box bottom which has the Dremel EZ lock cutting discs for metal (2nd photo).

I have so much stuff it would take quite a bit of time to make an inventory list. The best bet is if you are trying to do something, look and see if they make a tool that helps you do it better and faster. Just common sense.

Lew

I have the same Record scroll saw. You can fit broader blades to give a straighter cut and with top and bottom blade clamps I have used coping saw and cut-down Junior Hacksaw blades with some success.

Hi, I bought my Dremel on a Black Friday deal in November 25 for £84.17. A great price I thought! You get 5 different blades but I couldn't see any references to indicate which blade to use for each type of materials you may wish to cut. Can anyone reading this post advise me which blade to use for different materials please? Cheers Duncan 😊

Cash, an excellent list ! Thank you.....Rod at Metro Marine Modellers in Toronto, Canada

Alessandro - as you say reducing speed electronically can have it's drawbacks but if the tool has a relatively powerful motor and is not put under high load, particularly for long periods, which is unlikely for model making purposes, then it is very unlikely that problems will be experienced. Contrast that with my Dremel which I have used for extended time when doing DIY and in situations where it is under load and you soon know because it starts getting hot and so you give it a rest.

I use the variable speed quite a lot on my Record scroll saw but look at the size of the motor (even though it's 80w) and it has no trouble operating at slower speeds! I see that the saw is available again from some stores and is around £130 which I reckon is a bargain. The cast base isn't the best in places but the rest of it is pretty well made and with good quality blades produces good work.

Dave - as you know, jig/scroll saws aren't designed to cut straight lines due to the small blades but I can see why sometimes it would be beneficial to have a guide which I see that the Proxxon that Alessandro is interested in does have, though the bigger ones don't. I find that any timber with a grain, and that includes ply, can cause the blade to run off a lot - I sometimes find myself with the piece being cut at quite an angle to maintain a straight line!

Hi Dave, congratulations, you made an excellent purchase, very affordable. We're talking about a professional tool.
I opted for saws that weren't too bulky for space reasons.

Thanks so much, Dave, for your information and opinions.

Alessandro,
I don't really know how to answer which of the two choices is best for you, as I have no personal experience with either of those.
As I said, I do own tools from both companies, and have had good experience with both.
The Dremel feature of being detachable appeals to me. Although, as others have said, I don't know how often one would need that.
In my own shop, I have a larger, more commercial-grade Hegner Brand scroll saw of German manufacture.
They are quite expensive, but I got very lucky and found one used in a Pawn Shop at a reasonable price.
For my hobby use I would never have paid the price for a new one. But when I spotted this one used for a fraction of the new price, I had to scoop it up!
I am happy with it, overall. However, I wish it had provisions for a fence. I find I need to make jigs to guide the material if I want clean, straight cuts.
I don't have any really good pictures of it, but I am attaching what I do have. Maybe this will give you some inspiration .....
Dave B

Thanks for the clarification, Chris.

I figured so, but I wasn't sure.
Since I've seen potentiometers on other tools, I assumed that reducing the rpm was solely due to voltage reduction.
Indeed, as you say, continuous reduction, rather than stepwise, is indicative.

Of course, this isn't the best solution (in fact, perhaps a little risky in most cases).

I realize I'm digressing from the main topic, but just to have a chat.

Reducing the voltage usually decreases the electrical power proportionally, but in the case of an electric motor (if a load is applied), to compensate for the power demand, the current draw will increase to levels that risk damage.
As for torque, however, the drop will be drastic; not directly proportional, but quadratic. A small decrease in voltage will correspond to a large drop in torque.

It would have been different (much more advantageous, though more complex and expensive) if there had been a geared speed reduction (mechanical reduction).
In that case, there would have been no need to lower the voltage, and we wouldn't have lost electrical power and therefore torque. In fact, the torque will increase by reducing the rpm.
We would have had reduction steps and not the possibility of continuous reduction (typical of a potentiometer).

But you already know these things very well. I was just saying that I don't consider an electrical speed reduction a real plus. It's certainly better than nothing.
For now, the 5 cm depth of the arm weighs much more heavily on the scale (which is essentially in equilibrium).

As the speeds, like many Proxxon and other tools (including my scroll saw), are infinitely variable over the speed range it will be by electrical means.

The only tool I have that uses mechanical speed change is my Proxxon mini bench drill which only has 3 speeds and uses pulleys and belts.

Very good and well-reasoned considerations ChrisF.
Now you've made me curious: the Proxxon speed change occurs by varying/decreasing the electrical voltage or by engaging mechanical reduction gears.

Definitely the Proxxon then! 😀

Trouble with tools like the Dremel is that they have such small motors that they rely on high speed and soon slow up under load, even the slowest speed is 1500rpm! To be blunt I don't consider it to be a proper jigsaw.

The Proxxon doesn't have much more power, 85w as opposed to 70w, but it is stated that it will cut thicker timber and assume it has a physically bigger motor as it can go down to 150rpm.

If you ever feel the need for a hand held jigsaw you'd be better off just buying a small handheld one. I've never felt the need in 8 years of scratch building as I find the scroll saw and other tools do just fine or I cut by hand if really delicate.

I do have a full on Bosch jigsaw for DIY but the only time that's come near model making is building the stands!

Thank you so much, ChrisF and Wolle, for your advice.

Thank you, Cash, for your contribution and your valuable opinion on the main topic of this thread.

I'm leaning toward purchasing the Proxxon.
I was initially leaning toward the Dremel because I liked the idea of ​​being able to use it manually without a stand.
I checked a question I'd asked online: the arm (bow) of the Proxxon is 300 mm deep, while the Dremel's is 250 mm deep. I was mistaken from the photos, and I would have thought they were the same or deeper than the Dremel's.

I have to decide within this week because they want to give it to me as a gift.

I think I would choose Proxxon again.

Okay y’all, here’s my list. I’ve built a lot of models but I usually build from kits, or so times I’ll use the hull and build up from there. Most of my boats have plastic or wood hulls, but I have one or two that are fiberglass, so my list is rather old fashioned.
A good, quality XActo knife and spare blades, preferably 2 knives
Zona/XActo saw
Allen wrenches with bondhus tips
A sanding block and a good sanding bar
2-3 different types of pliers, mainly needle nose
Clamps, including clothespins
Rulers in different sizes
Right angle
Screwdrivers
A Dremel
Power drill and bits
Heat gun
A good soldering station that can do some light brass work as well as electrical
Paintbrushes
Plastic nippers
Wire cutter
Vise
If you can afford it a good small scroll saw
Hacksaw
Small hammer
Pencils
An RC car tool set, with interchangeable small nut drivers, Allen drivers and screwdrivers that go into a handle
The 4 way metric wrench that comes with Tamiya rc car kits
Above all, a good, large solid workbench that you don’t mind getting glue and paint on, and it needs to be straight and true as much as possible.
Cutting mat
Servo tester
Lipo battery tester
Voltmeter
If you can find one, an AstroFlight Whatmeter-plug it in between esc and battery, you can run the boat on the bench and see how many watts and amps you’re pulling and battery voltage all at once
A good charger. If, like me the majority of your models are electric, you’ll need a good one. And not a proprietary “smart charger” that only does a decent job of one manufacturer’s product, but a good 2-4 channel charger that can charge multiple battery chemistries at the same time. If you are, however, the type of person that likes staying with one brand then the smart charger might be for you, but I’d at least have a backup charger for some things you may come across later.
A connector holder for soldering bullet, deans, etc.
Extendable magnet
Flashlight
Not really needed but nice to have:tap and die set in small SAE and metric threads.
Nice to have if you have the money, space and knowledge: 3D printer, small drill press and a lathe. As of now I have none of those.
Oh-I consider this a supply and a tool, good quality masking tape. Sometimes, depending on the boat and the shape and attachment of the deck, I use masking tape to hold the deck down while the glue sets, as I gives me the ability ro put tension on the deck and hull to make a good bond, and allows me to make adjustments on the fly depending on cure time.
That’s about it for me.
Cash

Just to complicate matters! I was going to buy a Proxxon jig/scroll saw when I first started the hobby and someone convinced me not to as he considered them overpriced for the quality.

So I bought a cheaper Record (don't seem to be available now but many clones are) and it has been just the job. It is variable speed and has a 16" throat so will cut the larger pieces of ply that you mentioned. The secret is good quality blades and the right type and it will cut cleanly and accurately.

Since then I have bought quite a few Proxxon tools and am happy with them and also have a Dremel tool bought for DIY but find it runs a bit fast for model making so use my Proxxon.

Not saying that the Dremel jig saw isn't capable for certain tasks but as the budget is available I'd go for the Proxxon. Greater speed range, very slow is very useful, cuts thicker timber so has power to spare and looks to have a bigger throat for cutting bigger pieces of timber.

But you need to be sure that even the Proxxon is going to be suitable for your tasks? They do bigger ones, but they start to get expensive (which is why I was advised against one).

Chris

Thank you very much Wolle, you're very kind, but which one do you recommend if I have to choose just one of the two?

Hello Alessandro
I have the one from Proxxon.
She's actually quite good. You have to get used to it and let the saw do the work. Threading the saw blade is a bit complicated, but once you get the hang of it it works. Overall I'm happy with it.
I have a hand dremel from Dremel...it's great.

I haven’t actually got this model but do have numerous other Proxxon tools, all of which are good.

Thanks so much, Dave, for your reply. Your information is very valuable to me.
I can get one; which one do you recommend?
Another important question: which of the two has more room to maneuver (i.e., which has a longer bow and can therefore handle larger pieces?)?
I hope I've explained myself well.

I have both Proxxon and Dremel tools.
Both are decently manufactured.
I looked at the Dremel website, and I see it has a "Detachable Coping Function", which I can see coming in handy at times.
I don't think you can go too far wrong with either saw.
Dave B

Thank you so much, Cenbeth and DuncanP, for your replies.

Cenbeth, thank you so much for your help. You confirm that the Proxxon is an excellent product.

I'm sure that anyone who has tried either the Proxxon or the Dremel individually will speak highly of them, as they are indeed products with good reviews.
In fact, my choice ultimately fell on two established (and very well-known) brands. There are probably many other good ones, but I needed to narrow it down.

I'd be lucky to find someone who has bought and tried both (or at least tried them).
If so, someone who has tried both could tell me what the advantages of each are and which one they think is better.

I did some research online, and it seems that the Dremel has the advantage of being easier to handle and more practical, but the Proxxon is more precise and reliable (the Proxxon also has adjustable speeds and greater power).
Based on these considerations, I'd opt for the Proxxon, but I have a doubt: The work surface and the saw blade seem a bit small, so I might have difficulty working with fairly large sheets of plywood. If it only works on small scraps, it's not very useful to me, but I'm not sure because the photos aren't very clear.
Cenbeth could help me with this by sending a photo of the arm (without a face).

Any other information would be welcome.

I have bought one of the Dremel ones in the New Years sales but I haven't used it as yet!😅

Personally I’d go for the Proxxon one. I’ve found Proxxon reliable, being well made and it can be easily put on a bench.

Hi everyone, I'm using this thread to ask a question to you modelers instead of creating a new one because it's still relevant to the topic.

I'd like to purchase one of these two products (see attached photos and links).
Can anyone recommend which product they think is better and explain why?






https://share.google/9DXAgg3rC8ny9qbym





Proxxon 27088 Sega a traforo DS 230/E (sega elettrica 85 W, lame per sega incluse, piano di lavoro 160 x 160 mm) : Amazon.it: Fai da te https://share.google/XkumlswTG3wEyEO5A

Oh, thank you.
You're making me feel embarrassed.
Michel-C.

. . . . . . . 😌 Good thing you can't see how I've blushed slightly.

Michel c
On Belgique on dit j’ôte ma casquette. Toi tu es formidable avec ton impromante 3D
In Belgium we say i take my hat off.
I m more than impressed with people who can fiddle around with a 3D printer . Only one word whah