I think I really need a bib

[gavino200]

I dropped at least two tiny parts today. Either would have brought my project to a halt, if I didn't find them. Not to mention the time I lost scouring the floor looking for them. I think it might be time to take the plunge and buy a Jeweler's bib. 

 

I've seen them before. Micro Mark or N-geneering maybe. I figured I'd ask if anyone has any experience with these before diving into the market. Anyone got a type/brand that they like?

[cteno4]

These are good to use! I got a cheap nylon barbers bib and just stuck a few hunks of Velcro along the bottom and to the edge of  the desk. Don't want to use too much Velcro or a tie around your neck as when using these you will forget and get up to walk off with it on at some point! The pouch bib I suppose would help as well, but trying to fish the small bit out of the punch could be a task.

 

ive gotten lazy and now just use a hunk of black velour cloth and flop it in my lap to stop bits. Works just about as well and doesn't tie you down and is fast which is the most important thing in using something like this all the time! Just went and got a scrap at the fabric store for a buck. I also lay a hunk on the bench and the put a cutting mat on top as a work surface. That way any little bits rolling off the mat are caught nicely and any bouncers usually get caught in the valour fuzz.

 

Cheers,

 

jeff

[gavino200]

4 hours ago, cteno4 said:

These are good to use! I got a cheap nylon barbers bib and just stuck a few hunks of Velcro along the bottom and to the edge of  the desk. Don't want to use too much Velcro or a tie around your neck as when using these you will forget and get up to walk off with it on at some point! The pouch bib I suppose would help as well, but trying to fish the small bit out of the punch could be a task.

 

ive gotten lazy and now just use a hunk of black velour cloth and flop it in my lap to stop bits. Works just about as well and doesn't tie you down and is fast which is the most important thing in using something like this all the time! Just went and got a scrap at the fabric store for a buck. I also lay a hunk on the bench and the put a cutting mat on top as a work surface. That way any little bits rolling off the mat are caught nicely and any bouncers usually get caught in the valour fuzz.

 

Cheers,

 

jeff

 

 

Thanks. I think I'll try the black velour idea. My wife sews, so she'll know where to get it. 

[cteno4]

Start with that and see if it does it for you. When I take the 5 seconds of time to use it I don't think I've lost a small part using it -- except for the tweezer bings, bit those go shooting off who knows where and won't be stopped by an apron!

 

jeff

[gavino200]

1 minute ago, cteno4 said:

Start with that and see if it does it for you. When I take the 5 seconds of time to use it I don't think I've lost a small part using it -- except for the tweezer bings, bit those go shooting off who knows where and won't be stopped by an apron!

 

jeff

 

Yes, I had one of those yesterday. An incredibly tiny but luckily unessential part. I wonder if there is a fine tweezers with rubberized inner surfaces that would grip tiny particles better.

[cteno4]

It's usually just from gripping a bit too much and small twitch and the tips cross a little and Bing! Tradeoff on the tips between them easily being able to pick up a small part or hold it a bit softer.

 

i think it's usually holding the part a bit too long or attention focus changing that can lead to the scissor bing.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

It's usually just from gripping a bit too much and small twitch and the tips cross a little and Bing! Tradeoff on the tips between them easily being able to pick up a small part or hold it a bit softer.

 

i think it's usually holding the part a bit too long or attention focus changing that can lead to the scissor bing.

 

jeff

 

Yes, that can happen. But that's not he only issue. My favorite 'tweezers' are a pair of vascular pickups. They have ever so flattened tips so as not to damage the endothelium of blood vessels. The also never overlap in the way you mean. Another mechanism is that often the tiny part has some irregular edges and right angles. Generally it's difficult to see orientation of the part in the forceps. I try to line them up exactly when I'm wearing my loupes. But often I'm lazy and only wear the loupes when I fail without them. If you hold the tiny part in your forceps in an unstable position and apply force, the part moves, and sometimes goes flying. 

 

I'm thinking slight rubberization might help the instrument to grip tiny irregular objects. Sort of like a hand, rather than a primitive robot claw. I don't know if such a thing exists, but I'd be interested in looking where jewelers get their instruments. As opposed to a model shop selling items as "Jewelers instruments".

[gavino200]

Actually, even better - wouldn't it be interesting to see what kind of instruments they use in the various Kato factories?

[cteno4]

There I think they probably grind their own tweezers to fit parts if you are doing the same place over and over. It's easy to grind down larger cheap tweezers to the shape you want. Just use a roto tool or small grinding wheel.

 

these can be helpful to pick up small bits

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-Crystal-Rhinestones-Picker-Pencil-Bead-Pen-Pick-Up-Tool-Nail-Art-Accessory/263119134272?hash=item3d431f5e40:g:F4AAAOSwx2VZgOYa

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Crystals-Gems-Wax-Picker-Pencil-Art-And-Crafts-Nail-Art-Tool-Random-Color/401165102104?hash=item5d674dac18:g:8ZQAAOSwZQxW6MMG

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3pcs-set-Up-Pen-Set-Nail-Dotting-Pencil-Rhinestones-Picker-Manicure-Tools/172726589960?hash=item28374e9a08:g:6E8AAOSwCmZZPhBO

 

jeff

[gavino200]

2 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

There I think they probably grind their own tweezers to fit parts if you are doing the same place over and over. It's easy to grind down larger cheap tweezers to the shape you want. Just use a roto tool or small grinding wheel.

 

these can be helpful to pick up small bits

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-Crystal-Rhinestones-Picker-Pencil-Bead-Pen-Pick-Up-Tool-Nail-Art-Accessory/263119134272?hash=item3d431f5e40:g:F4AAAOSwx2VZgOYa

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Crystals-Gems-Wax-Picker-Pencil-Art-And-Crafts-Nail-Art-Tool-Random-Color/401165102104?hash=item5d674dac18:g:8ZQAAOSwZQxW6MMG

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3pcs-set-Up-Pen-Set-Nail-Dotting-Pencil-Rhinestones-Picker-Manicure-Tools/172726589960?hash=item28374e9a08:g:6E8AAOSwCmZZPhBO

 

jeff

 

That's a great idea. I ordered a few. 

 

I looked for footage of the Kato factories. Couldn't find any, but I found this interesting video of an Arnold assembly shop in China. I think Kato makes a lot of their trains in China, so I'd imagine their plants don't look too different. Anyway, those are some fairly rough tools these women are using.

 

 

[cteno4]

thats the tradeoff of flat vs pointed. Thin pointed can find a narrowed area to grasp in well but can scissor. Flatter tend not to scissor but have harder time grabbing an irregular object and thus can ping out with pressure.

 

problem with rubberizing the tips is that they can be a lot harder to pick the part up. I have a couple of larger tweezers that I had dipped in handle rubber that are good for softer parts to not damage them but it's hard to pick up the part with them kind of have to put the part into them.

 

ive never seen watchmaker tweezers wirh any rubber on the tips.

 

i think most of all my pings are just inattention or holding too long and just twitching too hard or soft of a hold.

 

jeff

[gavino200]

This one is interesting too. But mainly with regard to the painting and masking, and printing process. I plan on getting into airbrushing at some stage, but I need to study masking techniques. I'd like to be able to customize rolling stock, but I'd never be happy the the results obtained from hand painting.

 

It never occurred to me to make a study of the industrial process in order to get technique ideas. But I guess nothing could be more logical.,

 

 

[gavino200]

3 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

 

 

i think most of all my pings are just inattention or holding too long and just twitching too hard or soft of a hold.

 

 

 

Yeah, that may well be it. Mine also tend to happen about half an hour after I should have stopped due to exhaustion. An element of obsession can creep into this hobby. 

[cteno4]

Yeah when you do something over and over the tool no longer needs to be tiny, larger is actually easier and refinement is take. Over by muscle memory!

 

lots is done with pad printing which is way cool but not something for home hobby. Masking tapes can work well for airbrushing.

 

Yeah fine work only has so long a window to when the hands go and best to put it aside for a bit! Of course you can't do that during a hand surgery!

 

cheers

 

jeff