For the cutting, how about a dremel cutoff wheel? Cut
the wood with a dremel just like you were cutting it
with a mill saw blade. Haven't tried this myself but
it is a thought...

Jim Scott
Lompoc, CA.

--- Rob Kirkham <rdkirkham@...> wrote:

I'm putting some lumber loads together for flat car
models and am about to
start cutting strip wood. Of course I'll make the
piles hollow, and insert
real weight inside the cavity. But I am wondering
two things about the
strip wood.

a) I am using stock that is too heavy to cut nicely
with a razor blade. I
have trouble believing a razor saw will not chew up
the ends too much to
look like a mill cut. Maybe with a very slow, very
delicate touch. But
thought I'd ask if there are other approaches to
getting that nice square
end one sees in prototype photos.

b) strip wood does not come in a colour that looks
like the cedar and fir
cut in my area. So if I am attempting to colour the
load, what approach? I
am thinking drawing each strip through a rag wetted
with the colour. Should
it be oil based to minimize warping? Any preferred
colours? and what about
the raising of the grain that can happen? I was
thinking maybe the way to
go is to first do a clear coat, sand it down with
400 grit to dull the
finish, and then stain that? But maybe I'm worrying
too much. What's
worked for others?

Rob Kirkham

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