Hints and Tips

Last updated: 6 April 2006

You might find the following hints and tips useful when building the U. Please send comments to me as below.

Tools

I have tried to limit the requirements for building kits to a basic set of tools. I do have some more exotic tools such as a Unimat lathe and vertical drill. These make many jobs simpler and more enjoyable but are not essential.

Handling Small Tubes

Small tubes can be held in a vice with a V groove or a pin chuck and cut with a piercing saw. Use needle files for final finishing.

Reducing Small Wires

Small wires can be reduced in a pin chuck using needle files by twiddling the pin chuck as you move the file back and forth.

The picture shows a mini needle file being used for the final finishing of a 0.45mm nickel silver wire reduced to 0.3mm.