Wire grabs

[trainforfun]

Hi
I am finishing a CN slug that was made by Shapeways in 3D .
I decided to add fine wire grabs to the nose and one on top of the body in line with the others .
I think it's nice , but I need to cut what is too long Inside , not very roomy ....
It's made to fit on a modified GP7/9 frame . I had to cut the height by about 1/8" .
Before the grabs were installed it was tight but now it does not fit ...
What suggestion do you have ?
Paint is finished and handrails are also installed ( ACC glue ) , would not like to shake it too much .
Thanks

[randgust]

I ACC mine in place, with a LOT on the backside more than on the inside.   I then cut off any excess with a really sharp pair of Fiskars embroidery scissors (not my wife's - MINE) right down to the tips of them and then finish it off with the edge of a dremel abrasive disk for what I can reach.

[trainforfun]

Thanks for the answer .
Did you use fine piano wire or plastic grabs ?

[randgust]

Where I can, I'm using the BLMA .008 drop grabs - they really do show up on diesels, particularly when painted, and Atlas is doing them again in bulk.  Make sure you get an etched drilling template too, as that's a lifesaver.   But everywhere else (including my brass handrails) I'm using Detail Associates .008, .010, and .015 wire, depending on what I'm modeling.   K&S does the fine wire, as well as a few others, but K&S packaging in plastic shrink wrap makes it next to impossible to get the wire out without bending or kinking it.

Part of the secret on doing this is to not drill your holes so tight that you don't give the ACC 'room' to climb up the wire into the hole through capillary action.   A #80 drill is .012, that works just fine.  I drill just a hair oversize deliberately so that the ACC has somewhere to go, so that when you cut off the exess on the inside they don't just fall out.   I also use VERY watery ACC - the "Duro" brand is my absolute favorite for this stuff, applies well with a straight pin.   I puddle the ACC on a piece of plastic or coated paper, pick up a little with a pin, and apply it that way.

Oh, and invest in a good pair of quality fine-point tweezers.   I guard mine with my life, and they are so worn the chrome plating is long gone.  You need to be able to pick up those grabs and position them without dropping them or pinching them and having them go flying.

I guarantee you once you start working with wire grabs, suddenly every handrail and grabiron on every piece of equipment you own starts to look like sewer pipe.   

[trainforfun]

Thanks for your answer !!
I did my grab wires with a piece of very small piano wire I found in an electronic furnace filter that I dismantle . I cannot tell the size but they are very thin .
I will try to find a small cutter and maybe I will have to mill some more the nose of the GP9 frame inside the shells 

[nickelplate759]

Piano wire is really hard.  I realize it's a little too late for this project, but in the future something like bronze or even brass wire would be a little easier to trim.

[randgust]

As I solder up my wire handrails, the ease of soldering is a big issue; i.e. no steel wire allowed.   And brass wire is amazingly tolerant of mistakes, you can flatten it out and rebend it several times before you just have to give up and start over. 

The Details West stuff is the 'perfect' hardness and arrow-straight, there's lots of supply for .010 wire in round coils, maybe OK for grabs but if you are doing brass handrails any curves or kinking makes it just that much more difficult.    I've had to substitute material all over at times but it's like Coke vs. Walmart brand cola, it just ain't the same.

[dmidkiff]

I use both Tichy and Detail Associates 0.008" wire for grabs and handrails. I've been bending my own grab irons as they are very easy to do and don't take long rather than buying the Atlas/BLMA parts.

I also drill my holes with a #80 bit and have no problems. Glue from the inside of the shell and the capillary action like Randy mentioned helps pull the glue into the hole. Once I've got all the grabs placed in the shell, I take a piece of 0.015" piece of styrene and slide it between the shell and all the grabs so I get a consistent offset from the shell. Glue from the back and then I flatten the remainder of the brass inside rather than cutting it off. I found it was quicker to flatten them than to try and get tools inside for a clean cut. There is generally enough space between the end of the frame and shell to accommodate that.  Trying to flatten them from the inside of a brittle Shapeways shell may be risky...

Doug

[trainforfun]

I had to remove them and cut them the right lenght , it was impossible to cut them flush , I had to remove and damage the railings front and rear . 
Nothing ACC glue could not repair .
The 3D print are very bristle to look at them with a mad eye while working , it will break !