Tool of the month

Handrail wire bending jigs

When detailing locomotives and rolling stock, it’s often necessary to fashion several wire handrails of identical lengths. The most effective way of ensuring consistency is to use some form of bending jig, such as these simple little devices from the Bill Bedford range. Available in two sizes, for both 4mm and 7mm scales, the etched brass jigs feature a range of small holes, set at incremental lengths from the outer faces. Each hole has a matching, half-etched guide recess as well as a rebate in the edge of the brass to help guide the handrail wire. Straight brass wire is simply pushed through the desired hole and, with the aid of a pair of miniature pliers, the wire is folded over to form the desired angle. The wire is then pressed into the recess (as seen above) and the other end is formed over the edge of the jig, using finger pressure or a set of pliers. The result is perfectly shaped and sized wire profiles, the tail ends of which can be trimmed to the required length with a set of sharp snips. Fabricating handrails and other similar fittings becomes so much easier and far less laborious. A useful tip is to use a fine marker pen to identify the hole currently in use, to ensure that multiple handrails are shaped to the same length.

Product: Bill Bedford long and short handrail jigs Availability: Eileen’s Emporium Price: from £5.00 each Tel: 01531 828009 Web: www.eileensemporium.com