Hi ya’ll;
Listen all ya’ll , this is important for those of you building Lindberg, Heller and the Smaller line of Revell Sailing Ships. As you all know the masts and Spars are very delicate. If you want stronger gear then use Brass rod and Tube. The Tube for the masts themselves and Medium hardness Rod for the spars.
The reason for this choice is the medium density rod is stiff enough to take the strain, Plus using emory cloth and chucking it in a slow rotating small electric drill you can carefully taper the spars. Do NOT chuck it in your DREMEL !! Even at ir’s slowest speed it’s to fast and will create a problem of taking off to much material to fast! That generates heat! Of course heat changes the temper. It’s subtle but it does happen!
I take issue with your restriction on Dremel tools. I have the 2600 Stylus, a small low powered tool, and have even trimmed brass PE with it, and tapered a 3/33 brass rod.
Well, You shouldn’t!
Remember. my lower powered tools went south years ago. I am now back to the good old fashioned plug in, ( Label says, DO NOT USE) in footpedal type speed control. I guess I should have clarified that. I simply forgot they still make them.
I am NOT nor have I ever been Anti-Dremel. Just the older style lowest speed 5000 rpm unit. I had a beautiful one, It went away with a Garage break in. Along with a lot of tools that were expensive when I bought them and were even more so now. So some couldn’t get replaced. I was in the middle of a commission at the time. Such is life!
A Dremel with an abrasive cut-off disk is THE only way to cut stranded wire rope.
Bill