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Vent: The old-timer at the Pittsburgh trade show showed me a trick with a bent coat hanger.
I was watching a demo on core making, and this retired guy next to me saw me struggling to clean a tight vent channel. He grabbed a wire coat hanger, straightened it, and put a tiny hook on the end with some pliers. It worked perfectly to clear out the sand without breaking the core. What's the best homemade tool you've seen for cleaning out vents?
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rileym942mo ago
That coat hanger trick is a classic. I've used a guitar string with a small loop soldered on the end for the same job. The high E string is thin and stiff enough to get into really fine vents without messing up the detail. Just file the loop smooth so it doesn't grab.
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lunaf672mo ago
Guitar string is a smart move, especially for those tiny vents on scale models. The high E works great, but a wound G string can be good too when you need a little more stiffness without adding thickness. Just have to be careful not to kink it. A drop of super glue on the loop after filing can really lock that solder joint in place for good.
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Yeah, that coat hanger move is solid. Reminds me of the time I saw someone use a bicycle spoke for the same thing, which is kind of like what @rileym94 said about guitar strings. Just a different kind of wire, you know?
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