Inverse countersink?

[Nigel Molesworth]

OK, I've got to ask. What's it for?

[T i m]

I wondered when someome would ;-)

It's actually for the body posts on 10th scale RC Touring cars (or any other RC car for that matter).

When you buy most model of car they don't come with bodyshells so they don't know what height they should be so provide extra long ones that need cutting down. You would generally do this with a pair of side cutters but then that leaves a very square end that isn'r fun to get through the bodyshell, sepecially when the race computer is running and you have 10 seconds get the battery in and body back on!.

(this happened last night when a mate arrived with his brand new car and remembered he hadn't trimmed the body posts down. He cut them short with some side cutters but was then left with 4 very square ends (see above))

So, we generally have to take them off and file / sand / shave the end into a rounded point. Because of how they mount on the cars you can't easily put them in a lathe (lumps amd brackets sticking out at all angles) and they are way too flexible to be treated this way.

Hence the need for a suitable 'field' tool that quicky and neatly rounds or even (more realistically) chamfers the ends of these body posts.

If such doesn't currently exist then maybe there is a market for them. The other day I bought a nice tapered reamer for making the holes in the polycarbonate bodyshells (£9.99). Normally you have to drill a hole then open it up with a taper reamer but this ones starts at a point so you can take it straight through from scratch (again, handy if you get to the track and realise you have forgotten to make the hole for the transponder) ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I've just sorta got back into 10th scale electrics via a couple of mates and my daughter (who was a sponsered racer when she was 8 ). Even with an obosolete car and batteries that had fungus growing out the end I managed 3rd in the 'A' final last night, closely followed by my daughter (now 15) ;-)

[Nigel Molesworth]

And a pencil sharpener doesn't work?

Try an eyeliner pencil sharpener, they cut at a less steep angle.

Slightly worried that I know this.

[Rob Morley]

How about something like this

___ ... ___ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |\ | | | | \ | | | | \| | | | \ | | | |\ | | | | \ | | |___|..\|___| where the diagonal line is a slot with a bit of tool steel inserted, with the edge ground like a lathe tool.

[T i m]

Ah, right .. I'll see if the girls have such a thing in their kit/// makup bags ;-)

Hey, I'm ok with it if you are 'Nigel' (or 'Nigella' is it at the weekends maybe.?) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Hey, thanks for that Rob ;-)

Yup, that was the sort of thing I was thinking of *except* that this 'waxy-nylony-plastic' might be a bit particular to cut.

If you have something too aggressive it's likely to snag and just twist the rod up as you try to turn it and too shallow and it's likely to skid over the surface ;-(

I dare say with a bit of trial-and-error it would work though (assuming I can't find something ready made first of course ;-)

Like Nigella's eyeliner trimmer. I buy them for 99p from Boots, peel off the Boots sticker and apply the chrome TRP (Tims Racing Products) one and sell them for £9.99 [1] to the model car racing boys! ;-)

Holiday villa here we come! (not)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] minus Nigella's commision of course. ;-)

[Nigel Molesworth]

Another thought. When I chamfer the edges of plastic pipe, I use a Stanley blade held at right angles to the direction of cut. It doesn't cut, more of a scrape.

Perhaps you could make a small jig to hold a scalpel blade.

[T i m]

Understood and I generally use my Leatherman knife blade as it's with me all the time ;-)

I should think so ... hmmm .. . ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. I like yer yacht btw .. the bigest we got to was a 21 (Dad's a Master Mariner (Shell tankers) and Yachts Master) ;-)

[Nigel Molesworth]

How? ... Oh yes, I posted a link in another thread didn't I.

[T i m]

Oh yes, you can run but you'll only die tired .. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[Thomas Prufer]

Try this:

It's an "external countersinker"...

Thomas Prufer

[T i m]

Wow, they do exist!

And they have a UK agent ..

available in online in the UK .. well I found one place with a picture of the beast ..

I wonder if the cutter can be removed from the cranked handle because I'm not sure the fairly flexible 'body mount' post would take much sideways load (the cranked handle bit)?

If I could mount that head on an 'inline' handle then we might be in business!

All the best and thanks very much Thomas ..

T i m

[Thomas Prufer]

Probably not "taken off so you can put it back on", but cut off, yes.

I have a similar tool, (not Noga) but just with the bent blades for deburring straight edges and holes; don't know if others besides Noga make the "external countersink".

If you're ordering anyway, get one and a few different blades. The tool is great for deburring metal or plastic (thin, too!), cutting off flash, or enlarging a hole. A treat on the inside of copper, plastic, or steel pipe, too. From my experience with the tool (using the blades, not the exterior countersink), I think you can easily be gentle enough to taper a thin soft post.

Thomas Prufer

[Thomas Prufer]

want, or not do it well, but it looks a little like some of the suggested diy tools...

(It's shown doing the inside of a pipe. The metal edges stick out on either side of the tool, and the other side works for the outside edge of a pipe or rod).

Thomas Prufer

[T i m]

Well, that could still be an option. I've email them to see if they can supply just the head part loose and I could then turn my own ally handle(s) ;-)

Funny isn't it, Id never neard of Noga till you sent me the link, till I realised that my current 'favourite' de-burring tool is infact a Noga UH 1000 ;-)

Yup, I'd go along with all of that Thomas. It's sorta one of thos topols that once you have had one you can't seem to make do with anything else! ;-(

I've also asked Noga if they do a smaller external countersink (say

1-10mm rather than 4-18).

Another co-incidence is my Mrs has been frustrated by the fact that std pencil sharpeners muller her (soft inner in a std shell) eyeliner pencils and we are now both on the lookout for one (thanks Nigel) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m