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Alligator clips to hold parts for painting and drying
Article by Bud Link
Photos by Steve
Bamford
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Some variations
on alligator clips:
Larger clips can be soldered to bare or stripped 14-gauge solid
(single strand) copper wire. That's the stuff normally used to wire a
house. This wire is sold cheaply by the foot in most hardware stores.
Remember: When soldering, you must use Flux...or the solder
won't properly stick to the metal pieces, because the solder won't get into the joint being
soldered....flux makes the molten solder flow into the joint being soldered.
Cut the wire about 10" to 12" long. It'll be long enough to bend
and hang over something while the paint dries, and it'll be long and heavy enough
to be bent into a base to hold the part, too. The wire can be re-bent many
times as long as it isn't kinked.
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| Bend the wire to create it's own base if you want. | Silicone hose can also be used on alligator clips on other modeling tools. |
Clips can be soldered to both ends, too, but the wire might need to be longer.
Go to the fuel line hose section in the hobby shop and get a few
sizes of silicone hose. Slip short lengths of the appropriate-sized hose over the
jaws of the alligator clips to protect parts from marring (see white wire in
picture above). Silicone hose has a soft feel to it giving it excellent
grip to hold parts in the alligator clip. This hose is sold cheaply by the
foot...check the R.C. section of your local hobby shop.
I also use clear tubing to protect the bristles of small brushes.
Select a tubing size that will get snug about half-way up the ferrule, and cut
the tubing about 1/4" to 1/2" longer than the bristles. This
will protect the bristles against getting "kinked" when stored.
Bud Link
Photos and text © 2002 by Bud Link